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It’s the eve of the grand opening of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple. It’s a big moment for India and for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fulfilled the promise he made to the voters in an important year for Indian politics – the country picks its next leader in a few months from now. But for now, the focus is on Lord Ram, the temple and Ayodhya. India is gearing up for the festivities – people will light up their homes with Ram Jyoti. It’ll be a lot like a Diwali. With less than 24 hours before the “pran pratishtha”, here’s everything you need to know about the temple, its making and more. 1. 22 January will go down in history. It’s a day we will remember for years to come. But why was this date picked for the consecration of the Ram mandir? Yes, it’s auspicious. Here’s why . 2. The most important moment of the opening of the Ram temple is the “pran prathistha” ceremony . It will begin at 12.20 pm on Monday and is expected to end at 1 pm. In this, Hindu ri

In a 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, a Delhi Court has ordered the framing of charges against former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, “United Against Hate” founder Khalid Saifi, and 11 other people, including those pertaining to attempt to murder and unlawful assembly. However, the court dismissed all 13 charges under the Arms Act, including those related to criminal conspiracy, abetment, and common intention. In an order passed on Friday, Special Judge Amitabh Rawat said, “… prima facie, there are grounds for presuming that accused persons have committed offences under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) 186 (obstructing public servant), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to public servant) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty).” The judge also said that the accused were liable to face trial for offences under sections 307 (at

In a budget of Rs 15,000, one starts to see smartphones with features like AMOLED displays, 120Hz refresh rate and the arrival of 5G. In addition to that the processors start to get more powerful and the storage more generous. Just like last quarter, all the phones in this list are 5G-ready, and courtesy of the Republic Day sales, we also have a couple of options with 256GB internal storage. Time to look at who made it to our list of phones under Rs 15,000 this month. Best phones to buy under Rs 15,000 in India Poco X5 5G The Poco X5 5G remains a great all-round option under 15K, thanks to its well-rounded feature set, and you now get its 256GB storage variant in this budget. This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip and you get 8GB RAM with it. This phone flaunts a 6.67-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 1200 nits and 120Hz refresh rate; a rare combination in this budget. The screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla

India is collaborating with “friendly” countries on leveraging Artificial intelligence for enhancing defence capabilities, the head of the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) said on Thursday. Speaking to ANI, Samir V Kamat explained that India is working with other countries on developing tools as well as fundamental research in improving the algorithm which goes into AI. Talking about the applications of AI in the defence sector, the DRDO chief said that Artificial Intelligence helps in preventive maintenance, surveillance and cyber security. “It is playing an increasing role in the offensive action. It is a technology which is going to make a big difference not only in improving the performance of the military but also in its efficiency,” he said. When asked whether India is working with other countries on leveraging AI to enhance defence capabilities, Kamat said: “We are working in collaboration with countries which are friendly to us. With such disruptive technolo

Temperature in Ooty in Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has plummeted to near zero, leaving people shivering in biting cold. This unseasonal climatic has also affected farming in this hill district. The unexpected dip in mercury has resulted in health issues among people. Locals said such cold, dry spell is usually witnessed during November-December. In many places, people were seen ligting bonfire and sitting around it to keep themselves warm. A report by PTI said as per official data, temperature was recorded at 1 degree Celsius at Kanthal and Thalaikuntha in Udhagamandalam while the mercury was a notch higher at 2 degrees Celsius in Botanical Garden. Sandynallah was warmer at 3 degrees Celsius. Weather in Ooty giving shivers to residents Residents and environmental activists are concerned as well as worried over the relatively ‘unseasonal’ cold that has gripped the mountains. V Sivadas of the Nilagiri Environment Social Trust (NEST) believes the change is due to global warm

Responding to Iran’s missile strike in terrorist bases in Pakistan, The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that India has “zero tolerance on terrorism. He said that India understands the actions taken by countries in “self-defence.” “This is a matter between Iran and Pakistan. Insofar as India is concerned, we have an uncompromising position of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We understand actions that countries take in their self-defence,” it said. Iran launched drone and missile attacks on two bases of the Baluchi militant group Jaish al Adl in Pakistan on Tuesday, a day after its elite Revolutionary Guards attacked targets in Iraq and Syria with missiles. Following the attack, Islamabad warned that the incident could have “serious consequences” and was “completely unacceptable” in a statement released by Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson in the early hours of Wednesday. However, Tehran’s top ambassador stated on Wednesday that his nation’s mili

Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra has called for a level playing field between domestic and foreign players in the electric vehicle (EV) market, emphasizing the promotion of local manufacturing. As the Indian government reviews Tesla’s plans to enter the market, Mahindra Managing Director Anish Shah stated that it is crucial for global EV manufacturers to be encouraged to invest in India, as per a report by Reuters. While not directly mentioning Tesla, Shah highlighted the importance of creating a stronger industry within India and avoiding a scenario where manufacturing is primarily conducted outside the country. Mahindra and Tata Motors have reportedly urged Indian officials to maintain the current 100 per cent import taxes on electric vehicles to protect domestic firms and their foreign investors. The government is considering a policy to reduce import taxes, a move that has raised concerns among local automakers. Last year, India sold four million cars, with only 82,000

We are five days away from the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol at the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. However, today (17 January) away from the Ayodhya buzz, the Odisha government led by Naveen Patnaik is all geared up to inaugurate its own ambitious temple project — the Jagannath Heritage Corridor Project. Today, the Shreemandira Parikrama Project, aimed at transforming the temple town of Puri, will be inaugurated amid much fanfare and vigour. Prior to the big day, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said, “Let us dedicate this day to the Lord and participate in this celebration with joy, devotion and devotion. Everything is the will of that great Lord. Jai Jagannath.” But what is the Jagannath Heritage Corridor Project, officially known as the Shreemandira Parikrama Project? More importantly, what is the significance of this initiative? Here’s what we know. The Shreemandira Parikrama Project, explained The Shreemandira Parikrama Project is a 75-metre-long corridor surrounding the Jagann

Arrival and departure of 120 flights, both domestic and international, to Delhi airport were affected due to dense fog and cold wave conditions on Wednesday, according to Delhi Airport FIDS (Flight Information Display System). As per the Delhi Airport FIDS, a total of 53 flights, including 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures and three international arrivals scheduled are cancelled and not operating due to fog and other operational reasons from and to Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in the national capital on 17 January. #WATCH | Delhi: Several flight operations delayed at IGI airport due to low visibility amid fog. pic.twitter.com/hG1DUKllEt — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2024 Visuals from the Delhi airport showed passengers waiting outside, checking update of their scheduled flights. There were also some people waiting for flight of their families, friends and loved ones to arrive, which got delayed due to fog. #WATCH | Delhi | Pas

Citations for bravery medals given to Indian Army servicemen have brought to light at least two previously unreported incidences of confrontations between the Chinese and Indian forces along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The citations gave a brief account of how the Indian forces reacted forcefully to the hostile actions by Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers along the LAC. They were read aloud during an investiture ceremony held by the Army’s Western Command last week. With its headquarters located in Chandimandir, the Army’s Western Command posted a video of the January 13 event on its YouTube site, which included a commentary on the bravery medal. However, on Monday, the channel was taken down. The citations’ described occurrences occurred within the period of September 2021 to November 2022. The Army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Following the skirmishes in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, the Indian Army has been keeping a very high leve

The final countdown before the big day has begun. Preparations are in full swing for the historic consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, scheduled for 22 January. And from today (16 January), a set of pre-pran pratishtha rituals have begun. These rites will be conducted right until 22 January, the day when the formal opening of the temple will take place in the presence of over 7,000 guests from all over the country. This includes Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan and Alia Bhatt, and sportspersons like Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. As we gear up for the grand ceremony, here’s a better understanding of all that will take place from today until 22 January. Schedule of pre-Pran Pratishtha rituals On 16 January, the rituals will begin. On this day, the host appointed by the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the Ram Mandir temple trust, will conduct the atonement ceremony, which features the ‘Dashvidh’

The government of India has signed an agreement for lithium exploration and mining project in Argentina. The Ministry of Mines said the agreement between Khanij Bidesh India Limited (KABIL) and the state-owned enterprise of Catamarca province of Argentina CATAMARCA MINERA Y ENERGÉTICA SOCIEDAD DEL ESTADO (CAMYEN SE). According to the Ministry of Mines, this is the first ever lithium exploration and mining project by a Government Company of India. KABIL will commence exploration and development of 5 lithium brine blocks – Cortadera-I, Cortadera-VII, Cortadera-VIII, Cateo-2022-01810132, and Cortadera-VI covering an area of about 15,703 Hectare, located in the Catamarca province of Argentina. KABIL is also working towards setting up a branch office at Catamarca, Argentina. The project cost is about 200 crores. “This is a historic day for both India and Argentina as we are scripting a new chapter in bilateral ties with the Agreement signing between KABIL and CAMYEN – a step which will

More than 150 flights are delayed and over 30 flights have been cancelled at the Delhi airport due to dense fog on Tuesday, 16 January. Thick layer of fog in Delhi and its adjoining areas in the National Capital Region (NCR) significantly impacted visibility in most areas. Landing and taking-off of flights in Delhi, one of the busiest airports in the country, were affected due to foggy weather. Earlier in the day, Delhi airport said, “low visibility procedures are in progress” at the airport. “Passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.” “While landing and takeoffs continue at Delhi Airport, flights that are not CAT III compliant may get affected,” it added. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), at 7:00 am (IST) Palam Airport (VIDP) was reporting 100 m visibility which became 00 m at 7:30 am (IST). Palam Airport(VIDP) is reporting 100 m visibility at 0700 hrs IST which becomes 00 m at 0730 hrs IST and Safadrjung airport

“Sir, I am sorry,” said Sahil Kataria, a passenger on Delhi-Goa IndiGo flight, this time with his hands folded and a bit of fear on his face. He was made to deplane the flight after he set himself loose and hit a co-pilot of the flight who was making an announcement regarding a delay in the takeoff from Indira Gandhi International Airport. The co-captain, who too was standing at tarmac when Sahil Kataria, donning yellow hoodie, was de-boarded, can be heard saying: “No sorry, you raised hands on me.” https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/IndiGo-passenger.mp4 The videos of Sahil Kataria assaulting the IndiGo flight 6E-2175 co-captain Anup Kumar and later apologising have gone viral on social media. The incident took place on Sunday evening which was reportedly delayed for about 13 hours due to fog. Angry over the extended delay, Sahil Kataria, who was sitting somewhere towards the end of the flight, walked up and leaped over a food trolley to hit Kumar who had repl

In a fit of rage, due to late takeoff of flight, a passenger onboard an IndiGo plane punched the aircraft’s pilot while the latter was making delay announcement. The video of the physical assault has now gone viral on social media. In the viral video, a man in a yellow hoodie, identified as Sahil Kataria, is seen running from the last row of the aircraft towards the front side to hit the new pilot, who had replaced the previous crew due to Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms after delay of several hours. “ Chalana hai chala, nai chalana mat chala, khol de [If you want to fly then fly otherwise open the door and let us go],” the passenger said after thrashing the captain. One of the air hostesses is heard telling the passengers, “You cannot do this.” https://images.firstpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Passenger-punches-Indigo-pilot.mp4 The incident took place in Goa bound IndiGo flight from Delhi. The passenger was made to de-board the flight and was picked up by securi