During his day-long visit to Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu across the River Brahmaputra connecting between Guwahati and North Guwahati on Saturday. The 6-lane extradosed Prestressed Concrete (PSC) bridge, built at a cost of around Rs 3,030 crore, connects Guwahati with North Guwahati and is the first extradosed bridge in Northeast India. It will cut travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to 7 minutes. Considering the high seismicity of the region, the bridge incorporates base isolation technology using friction pendulum bearings. High-performance stay cables have been used to ensure durability and long-term structural performance. A Bridge Health Monitoring System (BHMS) has also been incorporated for real-time condition monitoring, early damage detection and improved safety and service life of the extradosed bridge. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the National Data Centre for North Eastern Region at Amingaon in Kamrup district of Assam. The state-of-the-art Data Centre, with a total sanctioned load of 8.5 MW and an average rack capacity of 10 kW per rack, will host mission-critical applications of various government departments and also function as a Disaster Recovery centre for other National Data Centres. This will enable governments in the Northeast to digitally facilitate the delivery of essential citizen-centric services. Aligned with the vision of Digital India, National Data Centre for North Eastern Region has been envisaged as a strategic intervention to strengthen the region's ICT backbone and ensure robust, secure and always-available digital infrastructure. The Prime Minister will also inaugurate the temporary campus of IIM Guwahati, which will give a major fillip to higher education and management education in the North-Eastern Region. The Prime Minister will also flag off 225 electric buses under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme in Guwahati (100), Nagpur (50), Bhavnagar (50) and Chandigarh (25). With the launch of e-bus operations under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme in these four cities, more than 50 lakh citizens are expected to benefit through access to clean, affordable and reliable public transport services, contributing to improved urban mobility and enhanced quality of life. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 12:32 PM IST | Guwahati | AgenciesSecurity forces arrested three militants belonging to two proscribed outfits in Manipur, police said on Saturday. All the arrests were made on Friday, they said. Two active cadres of the banned Kangleipak Communist Party (Apunba) were apprehended from Imphal West and Imphal East district, while a member of the PREPAK was nabbed from his residence at Moirang Khunou in Bishnupur district, a police statement said. During an operation on Friday, the security personnel also recovered arms and ammunition from the Khulsaibung hill range in Tengnoupal district. The recovered arms include a single-barrel gun, two pistols and eight IEDs, the statement said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 12:30 PM IST | Imphal | PTIA girl student reportedly died after falling from the fourth floor of a coaching centre near AIIMS Patna, officials said on Friday. Independent MP Pappu Yadav from Purnea visited the family and condemned the incident, raising concerns over law and order in Bihar. Speaking to the media, he said, "No one's sister or daughter is safe. The Home Minister gives long speeches. You've got a good position, use it. Eliminate all the criminals." Yadav further gave reference to the recent NEET aspirant death incident, saying, "The SIT harassed the NEET student's family. If I weren't there, no one would have raised a voice for the student in Parliament." Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has begun its investigation into the case of an NEET aspirant who died in Patna last month, according to sources. Police said that the NEET aspirant died during treatment in Patna. While there were reports of an alleged sexual assault, the police said that the doctors have not confirmed sexual or penetrative assault in the case. Meanwhile, the parents of the deceased student joined others in protesting at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on February 8, demanding justice. Speaking to ANI, the father said they had been forced to come to the national capital because justice had not been served in Bihar. On January 31, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said that the government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has urged the Central government to hand over the investigation to the CBI. Last month, parents gathered outside the Patna hostel, alleging that the hostel authorities were not cooperating and that students were unable to resume their studies following the incident. Additionally, the Patna Police suspended two officers in connection with the case. The suspended officers are the station house officer of Chitragupta Nagar police station, Roshni Kumari, and the additional station house officer of Kadamkuan police station, Hemant Jha. The Patna Police had released a press statement providing this information. According to the statement, the suspension is due to delayed action and failure to collect intelligence in a timely manner. Senior officers of the Patna Police suspended both officers on these grounds. "During the examination conducted by the FSL, traces of human sperm were found on an undergarment allegedly worn by the deceased at the time of the incident. A DNA profile is being prepared from this sample," the press release read earlier. The sample was said to be used to match the DNA of the arrested accused and the suspects identified by the Special Investigation Team to uncover further details. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 12:29 PM IST | Patna | ANICongress MPs on Friday held a protest in Parliament House complex demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri after his name figured in the ‘Epstein Files’ released in the United States. Several Congress MPs lined up outside the Parliament building and raised slogans against Puri, while demanding answers from him. They also held a big banner with pictures of Puri and Jeffery Epstein. Puri had on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for “passing innuendo” against him, asserting that he had met Epstein on a “few occasions” but his interactions with him had nothing to do with the crimes the convicted American sex offender was involved in. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 09:29 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe tumultuous first leg of the Budget session, which saw heated exchanges over the India-US interim trade deal and unpublished memoir of former army chief M M Naravane, concluded Friday and the House will now reassemble on March 9. The three-week recess period will allow standing committees to examine allocations to various central ministries given in the Union Budget. Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned for one hour after Opposition members raised slogans demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Puri. The opposition members were also protesting against the India-US interim trade agreement. The first part of the Budget Session began on January 28 with the address of President Droupadi Murmu to a joint sitting of the two Houses. The Budget session will conclude on April 2. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 09:27 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesTamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said his government has deposited Rs 5,000 each to 1.31 crore women beneficiaries of a government’s women entitlement scheme, a move coming months ahead of the Assembly polls that led to the opposition parties flaying his move as “fear of defeat at the hustings.” Also, the Chief Minister announced to double the monthly grant to Rs 2,000 if his DMK party was voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election. Noting that Rs 5,000 has been directly deposited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Women’s Entitlement scheme, he said, “You would have received R5,000 this morning. I have decided to provide the sum in view of an attempt (by vested interests) to freeze the scheme, citing upcoming elections.” So, in order to counter the move to prevent the women from receiving the monthly financial assistance due for them, he had decided to provide the sum for three months from February and in addition provide Rs 2,000 to meet their expenses during summer, he said in a video message posted on his social media platform ‘X.’ My formula has rattled DMK: Vijay TVK Chief Vijay TVK chief Vijay on Friday asserted that his offer to share power with allies has turned out to be a "political bomb" in Tamil Nadu, as that has become a demand in all alliances and "rattled" DMK President and Chief Minister MK Stalin, who has refused to share power with Congress. Assuring a social justice-driven regime if voted to power, Vijay, addressing a rally at Seelanaickenpatti, here, dramatically hit back at those who mocked at him by alleging that he merely stayed back at hom,e though claiming to have entered politics. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 09:18 AM IST | Chennai | AgenciesThe Delhi High Court on Friday said the vacancies for the posts of chairperson and members in the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions cannot be left unfilled since 2023, even though the law does not prescribe any timeline for such appointments. A bench said the Centre’s stand that the court has no power to direct such appointments is “contrary to the legislative mandate” in the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act. The bench asked the Ministry of Education to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken by it to fill the vacancies. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 09:15 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Mizoram government will introduce experience-based curriculum in schools to replace rote learning, in a major transition in the state’s pedagogical approach, an official said on Friday. The government is also planning to introduce standardised annual exams for Std V and VIII in which students from various schools will be required to answer uniform questions, the official said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
14 February,2026 09:13 AM IST | Aizawl | AgenciesThe decision of the Maharashtra government to grant agriculture status to the livestock sector will help create large-scale rural entrepreneurship as it will enable easier access to loans and subsidies, state Animal Husbandry Minister Pankaja Munde said on Friday. She was speaking at the inauguration of the three-day Maha Livestock Expo 2026 in Parli Vaijnath here. "The move would allow livestock farmers to avail credit at agricultural rates and receive a 50 per cent subsidy for animal husbandry activities. People must take initiative in developing the sector as a sustainable source of rural employment," Munde said. Efforts are underway to transform animal husbandry into a full-fledged industry, the minister added. "Proposals for animal husbandry colleges at Baramati and Parli Vaijnath had been approved earlier with the initiative of Ajit Pawar, who would have appreciated the scale of the exhibition," Munde said while paying tribute to the leader, who died in a plane crash on January 28, and in whose memory a separate pavilion has been set up at the venue. Livestock from various parts of the country, including different breeds of cows, bulls, horses and goats, as well as several species of birds, have been showcased in specially designed pavilions at the venue, with the highlight being what the organisers claimed was the country's smallest cow. The expo showcases new technologies in animal husbandry, productivity-enhancing solutions and veterinary medicines, while experts from the field are conducting guidance sessions and lectures for farmers and entrepreneurs, officials said. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is scheduled to visit the exhibition on Saturday, they added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 09:08 PM IST | Beed | PTIAn eighteen-year-old girl studying for the NEET-UG allegedly died by suicide under Dadabari police station limits here late on Thursday, an officer said. The deceased teen was a resident of Chatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. She had arrived in Kota around two-and-a-half months ago on her own volition and had been self-studying for NEET-UG and taking offline mock tests while living in a rented room in Basant Vihar area of the city, Dadabari Station House Officer Baldevram said. Tenants and the landlord rushed her to New Medical College Hospital, where she died during treatment on early Friday, the officer said. The police have handed over the body to family members after postmortem examination and registered a case under relevant section, the SHO said, adding that police are trying to ascertain the motivation behind the extreme step. The deceased father said he last spoke to his daughter at 8 pm on Thursday and had an usual conversation on whether she was eating properly and so on. During the phone call, she did not hint at anything abnormal and spoke as usual. My daughter decided to come to Kota for NEET preparation by her own choice, and was self-studying while taking an offline test series, the father, who reached Kota after receiving information about her daughter's condition on Thursday night, told reporters outside the mortuary. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 08:53 PM IST | Kota | PTIThe Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Friday that the documents related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal will be preserved for the next five years. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, gave this direction at a virtual meeting, which was attended among others, by the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, his subordinate officers in the CEO office, all the district magistrates, the district electoral officers (DEOs), electoral registration officers (EROs) and the assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs). A CEO's office insider present at the virtual meeting said that the CEC cautioned that if the presence of any foreign national is detected on the final voters' list even after five years from the completion of the voter revision exercise, the concerned electoral officer or officers, including the DEOs, will be liable to be punished by the Commission even then. "The CEC also cautioned that in case any Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer is found liable, in that case, there will be a long-term impact on his or her annual confidential report, which might impact his or her career growth," the CEO's office insider added. At the meeting, the CEC, especially directed the DEOs to ensure that only 13 documents listed by the Commission are accepted as the valid identity proof documents furnished at the hearing sessions on claims and objections regarding the draft voters' list in West Bengal. "The CEC specially asked the DEOs to be vigilant about this matter during the phase of scrutiny of the documents furnished at the hearing sessions. At the virtual meeting, the CEC's office also flagged several instances of unlisted and ineligible documents being uploaded in the system by the EROs and AEROs concerned," the CEO's office insider said. CEC Kumar also cautioned that strong disciplinary action will be initiated against the electoral officers concerned if future violations in the matter come to the notice of the Commission. The CEO was advised by the CEC to personally look into such matters. The extended deadline for the hearing sessions on claims and objections regarding the draft voters' list is set to expire on Saturday. The phase of the scrutiny of the documents furnished at the hearing session will continue till February 21. The final voters' list will be published on February 28. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
13 February,2026 07:49 PM IST | Kolkata | IANSADVERTISEMENT
-1770996022766_d.png "Pankaja Munde. File Pic")
-1770995297118_d.png "Teen NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Kota. Representational Image")
-1770991870300_d.png "The Election Commission of India. File Pic")