The Punjab assembly on Tuesday witnessed heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches over the issue of unauthorised colonies in the state.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann and leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa traded barbs as the state assembly passed the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which aims to do away with the practice of seeking no objection certificate (NOC) for the registration of plots up to 500 square yards in the unauthorised colonies in the state.

As per the amendment, the owners of these properties, who have signed an agreement to sell or have transacted the value of the property in a legal way latest by July 31, 2024, are eligible to get their properties registered for which now they do not require NOC as was in the practice before.

Uttar Pradesh government will construct a Vedic-3D museum in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency Varanasi at the main building of the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University. The state of the art museum will be dedicated to Indian astrology, astronomy, and Vedic literature. The chief minister made the announcement during his maiden visit to the university in Kashi yesterday.

The museum will showcase the evolution of Vedic literature, highlighting the 16 Sanskars, 64 arts, and 18 Vidya Sthans as well as contributions of Indian sages and serve as a platform to revive the tradition of ‘Shastrartha'(spiritual discourse). The Chief Minister saw the rare manuscripts preserved in the historic Saraswati Bhawan, including the “Raas Panchadhyayi,” Shrimad Bhagwat Gita, and Durgasaptashati, all inscribed with gold letters and adorned with gold artistry on special cloth. Currently, the conservation work is being carried out in the university by the National Manuscript Mission with the backing of the Government of India. CM Yogi Adityanath also inspected the 234-year-old main building and called for the installation of Sanskrit signboards for all departments

Leading French cosmetic maker L'Oreal Paris on Tuesday said it has roped in Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt as its new global brand ambassador.

With this, Bhatt joins the brand's diverse roster of L'Oreal brand ambassadors like Viola Davis, Jane Fonda, Eva Longoria, Kendall Jenner, Elle Fanning, Camila Cabello, and many others.

She will star in the French beauty brand's campaigns, starting in September 2024, said a L'Oreal statement.

Bhatt embodies the core values of L'Oreal Paris, representing inclusivity and empowerment, sharing the transformative power of self-belief with women all over the world, it said.

Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan have recorded the highest growth in real gross state domestic product (GSDP) in FY24 among the 10 largest States ranked according to their GSDP. This is revealed in the analysis of data on recent estimates put out by MoSPI.

In FY24, Telangana, the ninth biggest State, grew its economy at 9.2 per cent to reach real GSDP of ₹7.9 lakh crore. This is faster than national GDP growth of 8.2 per cent. Tamil Nadu, which is the third largest State, grew its economy 8.2 per cent to reach ₹15.7 lakh crore in size. Rajasthan, at seventh spot, grew 8 per cent.

Sectoral analysis shows that services sector, which contributes the highest to GVA of all the large States, helped in their growth. Tamil Nadu’s services sector, which holds 52 per cent share in total GVA, grew 9 per cent and Telangana’s services sector with 63 per cent share, grew 11 per cent, MoSPI data show. Services underperformed in Maharashtra clocking just about 9 per cent growth relative to 13 per cent in FY23.

A mass die-off of fish in Greece's port of Volos has raised a massive stink and led to the country declaring a state of emergency. The deaths are believed to be linked to climate change after historic storms and flooding washed the freshwater animals out to sea.

Authorities in central Greece told the New York Times that they had dredged more than 100 tons of dead fish from the waters around the scenic summer destination. Visuals doing rounds on social media show a silvery blanket of dead fish that formed off the port last week.

The month-long emergency was announced by the climate ministry's secretary general of civil protection, Vassilis Papageorgiou. The Greek government is trying to speed up the cleaning of the port where tons of dead fish have piled up along the coast and in rivers, Athens News Agency reported.

South Africa on Monday announced the creation of an innovative new Trusted Tour Operator Scheme (TTOS) with an initial focus on the burgeoning tourist markets of India and China.

The scheme, set to be implemented from January 2025, will reform the visa system and is expected to "supercharge" job creation in the tourism sector, stated the country's Home Affairs Department.

The TTOS will remove some of the key obstacles standing in the way of South Africa becoming a favoured tourism destination for the second and fifth largest economies in the world.

We are thrilled to announce the Book launch of From Oil to Lithium: Navigating the Future of Energy, a transformative new book by acclaimed energy expert Kuldeep Gupta. This compelling narrative follows the journey of Karan, a man whose career in the Oil & Gas industry leads him to confront the urgent environmental and ethical dilemmas posed by fossil fuels, ultimately inspiring a shift towards renewable energy.

A Journey of Awakening

Karan's story begins in the heart of the Oil & Gas sector, where he is initially inspired by the critical role of oil during World Wars I and II. However, as he navigates the complexities of war zones and witnesses the stark realities of environmental degradation, Karan's perspective begins to shift. His firsthand experiences with the greed for power and resources compel him to question his role in an industry that often prioritizes profit over the planet. This awakening ignites a passion for sustainable solutions, leading Karan to dedicate his life to reducing carbon footprints and promoting green energy alternatives, such as lithium-ion batteries.

The Indian Institutional Ranking Framework (IIRF) has released its Engineering Rankings for 2024, showcasing the top institutions in India. The comprehensive list is available on the official website, www.iirfranking.com, providing detailed insights into the leading engineering colleges across the nation.

In the government engineering category, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) retains its position as the top engineering institution for 2024. This recognition underscores IIT Bombay's sustained excellence in academic, research, and placements. IIT Madras, advancing from last year’s third place, secured the second position, while IIT Delhi remains a top contender.

For private institutions, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani tops the list, reflecting its commitment to academic quality, research, and strong industry ties. Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology and the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Hyderabad follow in the second and third spots, respectively.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday laid the foundation stone for a project valued at Rs 1,347 crore for supplying water from the Sone river for drinking purposes in Aurangabad, Dehri and Sasaram cities.

The project will be completed in two years.

Besides, the CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of a state industrial training institute, tech labs, installation of street lights projects and construction of Anganwadi centres at Dehri in Rohtas district.

Accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and others, Kuamr also gave a cheque of Rs 74.17 crore for the distribution among 1,864 self-help groups associated with the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project (BRLP), popularly known as JEEVIKA, in Bihar.

The Supreme Court today, September 2, formed a high-powered committee to hold talks with farmers protesting at the Shambhu border for a minimum support price guarantee, among other demands.

LiveLaw has reported that a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan passed the order in a petition filed by the Haryana government, challenging the Punjab and Haryana high court’s order to remove the blockade it placed at Shambhu which stopped farmers from marching to New Delhi.

The committee will be headed by Justice Nawab Singh, former judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court. The other members are retired Indian Police Service officer P.S. Sandhu, professor Devender Sharma, and Punjab Agriculture University economist Sukhpal Singh, along with the Vice-Chancellor of Chaudhary Charan Singh Agriculture University B.R. Khamboj, who is a special invitee.