Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale has termed the demand for withdrawal of the three agricultural laws as a threat to democracy. He has said that it is impossible to withdraw the laws. Athawale, in his familiar style, gave a punchline saying: "Kanoon wapas lena nahin aasan, phir kyo aandolan kar rahe ho kisan? (It isn't easy to withdraw the law, then why are you protesting farmer?) " ....

In what could be termed a "Christmas present" for the BMC, Asia's largest slum Dharavi notched zero cases on Friday - first time since the Covid-19 pandemic appeared in the congested settlement on April 1, health officials said. ....

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday expelled Assam MLA Ajanta Neog for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities. ....

The Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh has filed a petition to withdraw "politically motivated cases" against three Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs which has turned into a political slugfest since the decision was announced by the U.P government. ....

Amid the farmers' agitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday transferred more than Rs 18,000 crore to over nine crore beneficiary farmer families with the push of a button. Defending the farm laws, Modi said some people were misleading the farmers. ....

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is all set to roll out an ambitious scheme of 'Road Ambulances' early next year. ....

As the protests at the borders of the national capital complete a month on Friday, the agitating farmers said they will continue to be there till the Centre withdraws the farm laws, guarantees the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and implements all their other demands. ....

Farmers on Friday took over toll plazas across Haryana for three days to lodge their protest against the three contentious farm laws. ....

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday released a book titled 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee' here in Parliament -- a commemorative volume on the former Prime Minister on his 96th birth anniversary. ....

India on Friday logged 23,067 fresh Covid-19 infections taking the total number of cases to 1,01,46,845, along with 336 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the tally of fatalities to 1,47,092, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. ....

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday greeted the nation on the occasion of Christmas. ....

A woman, who was allegedly gangraped by five men, has claimed that she was raped again by a police sub-inspector when she went to a police station to file a complaint. ....

Terming the three farm laws beneficial for the farmers, the Kisan Sena has requested the government not to repeal them and warned of a bigger protest if they are withdrawn. ....

A family from Agra had an unexpected passenger in their car on Thursday morning. ....

Zydus Cadila announced on Thursday that its plasmid DNA vaccine to prevent COVID-19 - ZyCoV-D - was found to be safe, well tolerated and immunogenic in the phase I and II clinical trials. ....

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh has alleged that farmers in Hoshangabad district have been cheated of Rs 70 lakh through the new agricultural laws. ....

The Congress high command has given its nod for an alliance with Left parties for the West Bengal Assembly election next year. ....

West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not invited by the authorities of Visva Bharati University on the occasion of centenary celebrations of the central varsity founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. ....

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday sharpened his attacks on Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government at the Centre over the three contentious farm laws and said there was "no democracy" in India as anyone who dared to stand up against the Prime Minister are either labelled "terrorists" or "anti-social", even if that person "be (RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat". ....

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the founder of Visva Bharti University Rabindranath Tagore's vision was the essence of "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India) and said the varsity embodied Indian nationalist sentiment during Independence with his guidance. ....