Month: May 2025

The Assam State Cabinet under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has decided to grant arms licences to original inhabitants and indigenous Indian citizens residing in vulnerable, remote, and border areas of the state.

The decision, taken during a state cabinet meeting on Wednesday, was made with a focus on enhancing the security of the people in the region.

The cabinet meeting, chaired by CM Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, approved the Special Scheme for Grant of Arms Licences to these communities.

“This scheme will act as a deterrent to unlawful threats and enhance the personal security and confidence of such individuals and communities,” the Assam Chief Minister said.

In addition to that, the cabinet has given the green light to a Rs 250 crore proposal for upgrading 34 polytechnics and 43 government ITIs into Centres of Excellence in collaboration with Tata Technologies Limited, aiming to boost skill development and employment opportunities.

To honour Assam’s stalwarts, the cabinet has also approved renaming three institutions.

The Sarusajai Sports Complex will now be called Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, the Mangaldoi Stadium will be renamed Raja Dharma Narayan Stadium, and the State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development will be renamed Golap Borbora State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development.

The cabinet further approved land allotment by Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to Greenko Energies for a 900 MW off-stream Pumped Storage Project in West Karbi Anglong, alongside relaxations in land categories for oil palm cultivation under the National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), enabling more farmers to benefit from the scheme.

Earlier, to boost its electronic components manufacturing ecosystem, the Assam government decided to offer additional incentives to manufacturers willing to set up units in the northeastern state in addition to what the central government is offering.

CM said his government has earmarked Rs 25,000 crore as incentives for semiconductor and electronic component manufacturers.

He said that Assam’s policy proposes to provide 60 per cent additional incentives to electronics components manufacturers, topping up the central government incentives. (ANI)

Actor Tamannaah Bhatia took to her Instagram Story to post about how the social media platform apparently “likes” pages “on its own”.

“Can Instagram pls figure out how it likes pages on its own, cause random people are making it news and I have work to do,” Tamannaah said on Wednesday while posting a story with a selfie of herself.

Reportedly, Tamannaah liked an Instagram reel that features Deepika Padukone and which highlighted issues such as the gender pay gap, unprofessional work environments, and misogyny.

The ‘Odela 2’ actor’s post comes amid the ongoing controversy surrounding actor Deepika Padukone and filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga over the movie ‘Spirit’.

Previously, Virat Kohli found himself at the centre of online chatter after several users noticed that his verified Instagram account had liked a post from a fan page dedicated to actress Avneet Kaur.

The star cricketer later took to his Instagram Story to share a short note to clear the air. In the post, Kohli, without naming anyone, stated that the ‘like’ seemed to be a mistake caused by the “app’s algorithm” while he was “clearing his feed.”

“I’d like to clarify that while clearing my feed, it appears the algorithm may have mistakenly registered an interaction. There was absolutely no intent behind it. I request that no unnecessary assumptions be made. Thank you for your understanding,” read his Instagram Story.

Recently, filmmaker Vanga stirred speculation on social media with a fiery post that many believe targets an unnamed actress who was earlier part of his upcoming film, “Spirit”.Though he did not name anyone directly, many believe Vanga was referring to Deepika Padukone, who reportedly stepped away from the project recently.

In a post shared on his official X handle, Vanga voiced frustration over a broken “unsaid NDA” and alleged betrayal of trust, and wrote, “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100 per cent faith. There is an unsaid NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) between us. But by doing this, you’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are…”

“Putting down a younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn’t get it. You won’t get it. You will never get it,” he continued.While the director did not confirm the identity of the actress in question, his reference to a female lead exiting ‘Spirit’, and being replaced by a “younger actor,” aligns with recent reports involving Deepika Padukone, who was initially cast opposite Prabhas in the film.

In March 2025, rumours surfaced online alleging that the plot of ‘Spirit’ had been leaked, with some claiming similarities to the Tamil film ‘Theri.’However, the source of the leak remains unverified, and no direct evidence has been presented linking Padukone or any other actor to the incident.

Shortly after Deepika’s departure, the film’s makers confirmed that actress Triptii Dimri, who previously appeared in Vanga’s blockbuster ‘Animal’, will now play the female lead in Spirit.

Vanga shared the update on Instagram and wrote, “The female lead for my film is now official :-)”Triptii also took to social media to express her gratitude and wrote, “Still sinking in… So grateful to be trusted with this journey. Thank you @sandeepreddy.vanga… Honoured to be a part of your vision.”The announcement was met with enthusiasm from fans, with many praising Dimri’s previous performance and expressing excitement about her collaboration with Vanga once again.’Spirit’, directed by Vanga and produced by T-Series and Bhadrakali Pictures, is one of the most anticipated upcoming films starring Prabhas in the lead role.The film has attracted significant attention due to its high-profile cast and the director’s last blockbuster, ‘Animal.’ (ANI)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday said that the US will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.

In a social media post on X, Rubio wrote, “The U.S. will begin revoking visas of Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”

This development comes as an another step in Donald Trump administration push to tighten control over foreign enrolments in higher education.

Earlier in the day, Trump doubled down on his attacks against Harvard University by suggesting that the institution cap the number of foreign students it admits at 15 per cent.

In a fiery remark against Harvard University, Trump suggested that many foreign nationals admitted by Harvard are “troublemakers”, disrupting the country. “We don’t want to see shopping centres explode. We don’t want to see the kind of riots that you had,” he added.

Stating that Harvard University admits almost 31 percent of foreign students which some are from “areas of the world that are very radicalised”, Trump said, “Why would 31 percent? Why would a number be so big? I think they (Harvard University) should have a cap of maybe around 15 per cent. We have people that want to go to Harvard and other schools but they can’t get in because we have foreign students there.”

“I want to make sure that foreign students are people that can love our country. We don’t want to see shopping centres explode. We don’t want to see the kind of riots that you had, and I’ll tell you what, many of those students didn’t go anywhere, many of those students were troublemakers caused by the radical left.” Trump added.

As reported by CNN, Harvard has said in court documents that full-time international students make up about a quarter of its student body. Harvard has broadly refused many government demands, including that it hand over foreign students’ entire conduct records and allow audits to confirm it has expanded “viewpoint diversity.” (ANI)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday stepped down as a ‘Special Government Employee’ amid widespread protests.

Musk thanked US President Donald Trump for giving him an opportunity to reduce the wasteful spending by the government.

In a post on X, he said, “As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President Donald Trump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending. The DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.”

As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end, I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending.

The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 29, 2025

Earlier on Wednesday, Musk said he is back to “spending 24/7 at work” and sleeping in conference rooms — as he hopped back into corporate life after his time in Washington, CNN reported.

Musk’s favourable attitude “extremely hardcore” work cultures is now coming in handy as the billionaire now has to juggle multiple flailing companies together.

Tesla sales are falling. The Cybertruck is shaping up to be a flop for the ages. The social media site X needs “major operational improvements,” according to Musk, after a widespread outage over the weekend, which came less than two weeks after xAI’s Grok started spinning conspiracy theories about “White genocide.” And, late Tuesday, the latest multibillion-dollar SpaceX launch resulted in its Starship rocket spinning out of control and breaking up over the Indian Ocean, as per CNN.

Investors appear relieved that Musk is refocusing on his day job(s). Shares of Tesla — the only publicly traded Musk-owned enterprise — have shot up 25% in the past month (though they are still miniscule relative to their December peak). That optimism is conditioned on Musk actually fixing the problems plaguing the EV maker while also delivering on his promise to launch an autonomous robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in the coming weeks.

Musk flagged concerns about Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts package, saying in a video released on Tuesday that he believes it would raise the US budget deficit and undercut efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency, as per CNN.

“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” CNN quoted Musk as saying.

“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both,” he added.

DOGE is poised to continue its work even as Musk steps back, with staffers to remain in place, embedded across federal agencies, for months or years to come. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi reached the India-Pakistan border in RS Pura. She interacted with BSF jawans, BSF women wing, and affected families at the International Border after Operation Sindoor.

While talking to the media, she said, “I thank the tourism department. I was here to encourage our BSF jawans, Army Jawans, and women soldiers. We are proud of our soldiers, and I thank the BSF and Army for their sacrifice. The fact is that I came here to raise the morale of our BSF jawans, army soldiers, and our women soldiers. But you all have given me so much love, and I realised once again how lucky we are that you are protecting us on our borders.”

Whatever happened recently made us realise how our defence forces are protecting us. Let the world see love and peace, which truly defines J-K. Peace is the spirit of J-K and India. I appeal to all in India not to let hate win, and I appeal to the people of India to come to J-K,” she added.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the elimination of over 100 terrorists affiliated with terror outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Operation Sindoor, initiated on May 7, showcased a calibrated, tri-services response that embodied precision, professionalism, and purpose.Operation Sindoor was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan, as per the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting press release.Multi-agency intelligence provided confirmation of nine major camps that were eventually targeted in the operation.

India’s retaliatory action was based on meticulous planning and an intelligence-led approach, which ensured that the operations were conducted with minimal collateral damage.Operational ethics were central to the mission, and restraint was exercised to avoid civilian harm, as per the press release. In the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, Pakistan initiated a series of retaliatory drone and UCAV attacks targeting key Indian airbases and logistics infrastructure.

These attempts, however, were effectively neutralised by India’s comprehensive and multi-layered air defence architecture. Central to this success was the Integrated Command and Control Strategy (ICCS), which facilitated real-time threat identification, assessment, and interception across multiple domains. (ANI)

Actress Deepika Padukone made a striking appearance at the Cartier High Jewellery event in Stockholm, Sweden.

Looking elegant, Padukone stole the spotlight as she attended the event in a stunning red outfit, complemented by Cartier’s exquisite high jewellery collection.

Deepika styled her hair slick and open, adorned with statement jewellery from the brand’s exclusive collection.

Her appearance at the gala was shared with other global personalities, including Hollywood star Zoe Saldana.

Deepika shared a glimpse of her look on Instagram, captioning the post with, “Hej from Stockholm!”

Deepika’s appearance at the event comes amid ongoing speculation surrounding her involvement in the film ‘Spirit’.

Filmmaker Sandeep Reddy Vanga recently stirred controversy with a cryptic post on social media that many believe was aimed at Deepika.

Though he didn’t directly name anyone, the director’s words were widely interpreted as a reference to the actress, who had reportedly stepped away from the project.

In his post, Vanga expressed frustration about a “broken unsaid NDA” and alleged a betrayal of trust, writing, “When I narrate a story to an actor, I place 100 per cent faith. There is an unsaid NDA between us. But by doing this, you’ve ‘DISCLOSED’ the person that you are…”

He further added, “Putting down a younger actor and ousting my story? Is this what your feminism stands for? As a filmmaker, I put years of hard work behind my craft & for me, filmmaking is everything. You didn’t get it. You won’t get it. You will never get it.”

The comments stirred speculation, particularly after reports that Deepika had exited the film, and her role was eventually replaced by actress Triptii Dimri.

Vanga’s comments, while not explicitly naming the actress in question, pointed to a shift in the cast of ‘Spirit’, with Dimri now taking on the female lead role opposite Prabhas.

Shortly after the rumours of Deepika’s departure from ‘Spirit’ began circulating, the filmmakers confirmed that Triptii Dimri would step into the role, a move that was met with excitement from fans.

Dimri, who previously starred in Vanga’s Animal, expressed her gratitude on social media and said, “Still sinking in… So grateful to be trusted with this journey. Thank you @sandeepreddy.vanga…Honoured to be a part of your vision.” (ANI)

Director Rono Mukherjee, known for his films Haiwan (1977) and Tu Hi Meri Zindagi (1965), passed away on Wednesday in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest.

Rono was the uncle of renowned Bollywood actors Kajol and Rani Mukerji and the father of Sharbani, Siddharth, and Samrat Mukherjee. He was also the uncle of director Ayan Mukerji and actress Tanishaa Mukerji.

His final rites were attended by his family, Sharbani Mukherji, Samrat Mukerji, Siddharth Mukerji, Kajol, Tanishaa Mukerji, and Ayan Mukerji, including his well-wishers, Bharat Dabholkar, Rego B, Rema Lahiri, Gobind Bansal, and Bappa Lahiri, who came to pay their last respects.

His funeral took place at Santacruz Hindu Crematorium. His last rites were performed by his son, Samrat Mukherjee.

Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker was also present at the funeral.

This comes after the passing away of Deb Mukherjee, Ayan Mukerji’s father, who died on March 14 this year. Deb Mukherjee’s funeral was held at the Pawan Hans Crematorium in Juhu on Friday at 4 pm. Born in Kanpur, Deb Mukherjee was part of the famous Mukherjee-Samarth family, whose involvement with the film industry spans four generations, beginning in the 1930s.

Rono was the eldest of the Mukherjee brothers and the President of North Bombay Durga Puja. (ANI)

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the continuation of the interest subvention component under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) for farmers for the financial year 2025-26, and approved required fund arrangements.

It is a Central Sector Scheme aimed at ensuring the availability of short-term credit to farmers at an affordable interest rate through Kisan Credit card (KCC).

Under the Scheme: Farmers received short-term loans of up to Rs 3 lakh through Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) at a subsidized interest rate of 7 per cent, with 1.5 per cent interest subvention provided to eligible lending institutions.

Additionally, farmers repaying loans promptly are eligible for an incentive of up to 3 per cent as Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI) effectively reducing their interest rate on KCC loans to 4 per cent.

For loans taken exclusively for animal husbandry or fisheries, the interest benefit is applicable up to Rs 2 lakh.

No changes have been proposed in the structure or other components of the scheme by the Cabinet.

“There are more than 7.75 crores of KCC accounts in the country. The continuation of this support is critical to sustaining the flow of institutional credit to agriculture, which is vital for enhancing productivity and ensuring financial inclusion for small and marginal farmers,” the government said in a statement.

Institutional credit disbursement through KCC increased from Rs 4.26 lakh crore in 2014 to Rs 10.05 lakh crore by December 2024.

Overall agricultural credit flow also rose from Rs 7.3 lakh crore in 2013-14 to Rs 25.49 lakh crore in 2023-24.

“The Cabinet’s decision reinforces the Government’s unwavering commitment to doubling farmers’ income, strengthening the rural credit ecosystem, and boosting agricultural growth through timely and affordable credit access,” the statement added. (ANI)

In a move to restore normalcy in the region, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday held a meeting with administrative officials in Gulmarg, a popular tourist destination in the territory.

Sharing images of the meeting, Chief Minister Abdullah captioned, “Continuing our effort to take governance to key tourist destinations.”

Adding further, the Chief Minister said, “Held a meeting of Administrative Secretaries/HoDs at Gulmarg today, joined by my Cabinet colleagues, Advisor, and MLA Gulmarg. Reviewed readiness for Eid-ul-Azha, Mela Kheer Bhawani, Amarnath Yatra & Muharram.”

During his visit to Gulmarg, Chief Minister Abdullah also met few tourists and interacted with them.

The Pahalgam terror attack had severely affected the region’s tourism, leading to widespread fear among visitors and a sharp decline in bookings and trips.

Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah highlighted the need for coordination between three power centers – the elected government, the Central government, and the Lieutenant Governor’s office – to ensure security and law and order in the region post the Pahalgam terror attack.

He pointed out that the security of tourists currently resides within the powers of the Lieutenant Governor.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Abdullah said, “The fact is that security and law and order is not the responsibility of the elected government. Whose responsibility is it? The Lieutenant Governor. There are three sets of power centres that need to coordinate to ensure that things go smoothly here. I can promote tourism; I can create infrastructure for tourism. But the security of the tourists currently resides within the powers of the Lieutenant Governor and that is the point I made that the Union Government, elected government, and Raj Bhavan, we need to work together to ensure that what happened on 22nd April doesn’t happen again.”

On Tuesday, Jammu and Kashmir government held a special Cabinet meeting in Pahalgam, more than a month after a terror attack in the Baisaran valley on April 22 that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. (ANI)

Lauding ties between India and Italy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that relations between the two nations are on an upward trajectory and there is new momentum of political dialogue, visits, and interest in each other’s potential. He reiterated India’s commitment to consolidate the India-Italy Strategic Partnership.

In his remarks at Italy’s National Day Celebrations in Delhi on Wednesday, Jaishankar emphasised that India and Italy share maritime interests and a commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and shipping.

Jaishankar said, “Either in the Indo-Pacific or the Indo-Mediterranean, as peninsular nations, India and Italy share maritime interests and a commitment to ensuring freedom of navigation and shipping. Italy’s greater presence in the Indo-Pacific region as well as its undertaking activities under the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) pillar of science and technology will surely boost our cooperation further.”

“India-Italy relations are undoubtedly on an upward trajectory. There is a new momentum of political dialogue, of visits, of interest in each other’s potential, which I am confident will be tapped by stakeholders. So, let me reiterate our government’s commitment to consolidate the India-Italy Strategic Partnership,” he added.

He thanked Italy for offering support to India following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. He talked about India’s “firm, resolute and measured response” by targeting terror centres and laund pads.

Expressing gratitude to Italy for offering support to India following Pahalgam attack, he said, “Let me begin by conveying best wishes to the government and people of Italy on the occasion of your National Day. We are thankful, Ambassador, for Italy’s solidarity and support to India following the barbaric terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Referring to Operation Sindoor carried out by India in response to Pahalgam terror attack, he said, “India gave a firm, resolute and measured response by destroying the relevant terror centers and launch pads. India’s right to defend its people against acts of terror has also been recognized by countries across the world. We believe that world will have zero tolerance for terrorism and cross-border terrorism.”

He noted that strategic partnership between India and Italy is based on shared values and converging interests and recalled the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of G20 Summit and the G7 meeting.

He said, “Our strategic partnership with Italy is based on shared values and converging interests. This is evident in platforms like the G20. The ambassador mentioned Prime Ministers Modi and Meloni meeting both of the G20 and the G7 and also in multilateral initiatives like the IMEC, the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor, the Global Biofuels Alliance, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, the International Solar Alliance, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.”

“Our bilateral relations have intensified after adoption of the Joint Strategic Action Plan for 2025-29 by our Prime Ministers last November. We are hopeful that the roadmap provided in the GASAP will result in concrete and practical outcomes for our economies, societies and people,” he added.

He called trade and economic cooperation a vital pillar of partnership and also recalled attending the India-Italy Business Science and Tech Forum along with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani and Italy’s Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini.

He said, “Trade and economic cooperation obviously form a vital pillar of our partnership. Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in the India-Italy Business Science and Tech Forum along with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tajani and Minister Bernini. The event brought together business leaders and representatives of universities and research centers of both countries to explore opportunities for collaboration and partnership across many sectors. This is also an opportunity to further boost our bilateral trade, which stands at USD 15 billion annually.”

“As the world’s fastest-growing economy, fastest-growing large economy, India’s tribes in various sectors open several opportunities for investment by Italian companies and you heard from the ambassador in that regard. Italy’s technologies and best practices in various sectors such as clean energy, agri-tech, logistics, shipbuilding are amongst others that can be impactful as India makes the journey towards becoming a big ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047,” he added.

Jaishankar said that the Indian diaspora in Italy is among the largest in the European Union and expressed confidence that the mobility of professionals, academics and researchers in future will increase the flow of knowledge and talent between India and Italy.

He said, “The Indian diaspora in Italy is among the largest in the European Union. They are well-received and appreciated for their contribution in sectors ranging from agriculture, dairy, industry, healthcare and other fields. We are confident that in the future, the mobility of professionals, academics and researchers will increase the flow of knowledge and talent between our two countries.” (ANI)