A woman pilgrim was arrested after a pistol was recovered from her possession at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district, said officials on Tuesday.

The officials said that Jyoti Gupta, claiming to be a retired police constable, belonging to Delhi was arrested after a pistol and six rounds of ammunition were recovered from her at a checking point on the night between March 14 and 15.

“The licence of the weapon had expired a few years back. An investigation has been started in the incident," the officials said.

J&K’s most revered Hindu shrine, the Mata Vaishno Devi temple is located atop the Trikuta Hills in Reasi district at an altitude of 1500 metres.

The first meeting on Compliance Reduction and De-Regulation exercise initiated by Cabinet Secretariat, GoI, New Delhi was convened today at UT Chandigarh Secretariat, Sector-9, Chandigarh. The meeting was co-chaired by Sh. SCL Das, IAS, Secretary M/o MSME, GoI, New Delhi and Sh. Rajiv Verma, IAS, Chief Secretary, UT Chandigarh Administration. The aim of this meeting was to streamline business regulations, enhance ease of doing business, and improve urban planning frameworks in Chandigarh. The meeting was convened by Sh. Nishant Kumar Yadav, IAS, Secretary Industries, Chandigarh Administration.

In a step further aimed at providing quality health services to the people, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and National Convener of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday dedicated the renovated Civil Hospital to the people.

Due to strenuous efforts of the state government and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, the Civil Hospital has undergone a remarkable transformation and path breaking initiatives have been successfully implemented to revamp Ludhiana Civil Hospital. The modernization not only revitalizes the hospital’s infrastructure but also reflects a steadfast commitment to providing high-quality healthcare services. These transformative efforts serve as a testament to the collective resolve to elevate public health standards and create a welcoming environment for all.

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is planning to acquire a stake in a standalone health insurance company by the end of the current financial year (FY25), its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Siddhartha Mohanty said on Tuesday.

However, he did not disclose the name of the company in which LIC is looking to invest. Mohanty said that the discussions are in the final stage.

"We have plans. Discussions are at the final stage. It is a natural choice for LIC to enter the health insurance sector," Mohanty said in his speech at the Global Conference of Actuaries in Mumbai.

He added that "since regulatory approvals take time, I am hopeful that a decision will be taken within this financial year, before March 31".

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has raised concerns about Rajasthan Royals' squad composition ahead of IPL 2025, questioning whether the team has weakened itself after the mega auction.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that RR’s decision to part ways with key players like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravichandran Ashwin has left them with glaring gaps that haven't been adequately filled.

"They lost four of their biggest players, but the replacements aren’t even close to them. It’s a completely Indian batting lineup, apart from Shimron Hetmyer. You didn’t pick any overseas batter, which is quite surprising," Chopra said.

Rajasthan Royals had retained Samson, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer before heading into the auction. However, despite having a significant purse, they made no high-profile overseas batting additions.

he Chennai Police have arrested four people in connection with the brutal murder of two history sheeters in Tamil Nadu's Kotturpuram.

The victims, identified as Arun Kumar (25) and Padappai Suresh (25), were hacked to death by a gang allegedly led by ‘Sukku Kaapi’ Suresh on Sunday night.

According to police sources, Arun Kumar and his brother had an ongoing feud with ‘Sukku Kaapi’ Suresh, who was allegedly involved in recruiting minors for drug peddling. Their rivalry intensified after Arun Kumar’s lover, Shahinshah, a widow and mother of two, was found strangled in her home in Kelambakkam in 2022.

Arun suspected ‘Sukku Kaapi’ Suresh’s involvement in her murder and had vowed revenge.

In an effort to curb rising digital frauds, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is reportedly in early discussions with banks to eliminate ‘pull transactions’ on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Most frauds are happening through the pull method, and NPCI is exploring the possibility of removing this feature altogether to reduce fraudulent activities.

A 'pull transaction' happens when a merchant sends a payment request to a customer, while a 'push transaction' occurs when a customer directly makes the payment using a QR code or other methods.

By removing 'pull transactions', fraud cases could decline, but some bankers fear that genuine transactions may also be affected, potentially lowering efficiency, according to a report by NDTV Profit.

However, NPCI, which operates retail payment and settlement systems in India, has not commented on this development yet.

The makers of “Sikandar” on Tuesday finally unveiled the new dance number “Sikandar Naache”, which showcases swag, style and Dabke moves.

The track takes things up a notch with its swag-filled hook steps popularly known as the ‘Dabke’ dance form along with a larger-than-life setup. Dabke is a traditional Levantine folk dance that originates in countries such as Lebanon, Syria and Jordan among many others. It is a highly rhythmic, and communal dance usually performed at weddings and celebrations.

Salman took to Instagram, where he shared the music video of the song and wrote: “#SikandarNaache Out Now”.

Global trade and tariff uncertainties could become a catalyst for reforms in India over the medium term and for growth results, the reforms must run deep, an HSBC Research report said on Tuesday.

Potential US tariffs may have already become a catalyst for reforms like lowering import tariffs, opening up to regional FDI, fast-tracking trade deals, and making the Indian rupee more flexible.

"And India does not have to look too far for models to emulate. Its success in services exports has demonstrated the power of moving up the value chain, from basic (call centre services) to high-tech (professional services)," said the report.

India's goods trade deficit narrowed sharply in February to $14.1 billion, from $23 billion in January.

The Sri Lankan Navy arrested three fishermen from Thangachimadam in Tamil Nadu's Ramanathapuram district on Tuesday accusing them of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).

Their mechanised fishing boat was also seized.

According to sources, the fishermen had set sail from Rameswaram on Monday night.

In the early hours of Tuesday, while patrolling near Neduntheevu, the Sri Lankan Navy intercepted the boat for allegedly crossing the IMBL.

The arrested fishermen have been identified as A. Shankar (53), D. Arjunan (35), and S. Murugesan (49).