NEW DELHI: The government is looking to provide additional funds to highway builders to make projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model more financially viable, allowing private players to recover their investments through toll collection.Currently, such funding, known as Viability Gap Funding (VGF), is capped at 40% of the project cost. TOI has learnt that…
NEW DELHI: The political battle for Bihar intensified on Sunday with a flurry of developments — from the AIMIM releasing its first list of 25 candidates to Giriraj Singh stirring controversy with his remarks on Muslims. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) faced embarrassment over a last-minute candidate swap, while Chirag Paswan redefined his “MY” formula…
Ayodhya Deepotsav 2025 (Picture credit: PTI) NEW DELHI: Ayodhya celebrated Deepotsav 2025 on Sunday with grandeur and devotion, drawing thousands of devotees to the city along the banks of the River Saryu in Uttar Pradesh.Organised by the state government’s tourism and culture department, the festival marked the ninth edition of the celebration of Lord Ram’s…
Sometimes, the margins of victory can be paper thin — and in a state like Bihar, where allegiances and alliances shift like monsoon clouds, that couldn’t be more true. Every election here is a reminder that even a few hundred votes can redraw political maps.As the 2025 Assembly elections draw closer, attention is turning to…
Karnataka deputy CM D K Shivakumar, left, and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw NEW DELHI: Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday responded to repeated criticism about Bengaluru’s infrastructure, saying he welcomes criticism but some people are doing it “too much.”“I welcome all the criticism, no problem. Because criticism increases the value of democracy. But some…
Representative image (Picture credit: PTI) NEW DELHI: Representatives of Ladakh are scheduled to meet a sub-committee of the ministry of home affairs (MHA) in Delhi on October 22 to discuss their long-standing demands for statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, Leh Apex Body (LAB) co-chairman Chering Dorje Lakruk said on Sunday.Three…
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar (file photo) NEW DELHI: Chief minister Nitish Kumar, the state’s longest-serving leader, stands firm once again, determined to retain his grip on the Bihar throne with the backing of BJP-led NDA partners. Known as an all-weather politician, the 74-year-old continues to command influence, even as the political winds shift and…
NEW DELHI: It has come full circle for the Opposition’s INDIA bloc. The first major meeting of Opposition parties was held in Patna, Bihar, on 23 June 2023, chaired by Nitish Kumar: then seen as the architect of Opposition unity.A little over two years later, the same Nitish has rejoined the NDA, and Bihar —…
Defence minister Rajnath Singh (ANI) NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday described the BrahMos missile as a symbol of India’s technological strength and self-reliance, praising its “pinpoint accuracy” during Operation Sindoor.“The charisma of the BrahMos missile needs no explanation. During Operation Sindoor, the BrahMos missile hit wherever it was fired with pinpoint accuracy….
Bihar deputy chief minister and BJP leader Samrat Chaudhary on Saturday hit out at the Mahagathbandhan, saying the alliance is plagued by confusion and internal conflict.Chaudhary said that candidates within the alliance are fighting among themselves and that no proper seat-sharing arrangement has been made.“In Mahagathbandhan there is confusion and internal conflict as candidates from…
