At least 4,400 chickens have died following a bird flu (avian influenza) outbreak at a state-run poultry farm in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, prompting authorities to intensify surveillance within a 10-kilometre radius, officials said. Veterinary Department's joint director Dr GS Tanwar on Tuesday said around 4,400 chickens died due to the viral infection at the government poultry farm in the Koni area between March 19 and 24. A total of 5,037 chickens were housed at the facility, he said. Samples from the dead birds were sent on Monday to laboratories in Bhopal and Pune. The Bhopal lab has confirmed the presence of avian influenza in dead chickens, Tanwar informed. Following the confirmation, District Collector Sanjay Agrawal issued immediate directives for containment and prevention under the Revised Action Plan for Prevention and Containment of Avian Influenza (2021), an official statement said. A one-kilometre radius of the farm has been declared as 'infected zone' and a 10 km radius as 'surveillance zone', it said. According to the protocol, poultry birds, feed and eggs will be destroyed within the 'infected zone', and their movement will be completely banned. For this, compensation will be provided by the Animal Husbandry Department to the poultry bird owners. After completing the culling process, the farm will be sealed. Rapid Response Teams have been formed to carry out culling of infected birds, safe disposal, surveillance, and sanitisation measures in the affected area, said the statement. Warning signboards will be installed, and strict monitoring will be enforced on the movement and sale of poultry in these areas. Culling and disposal operations will be conducted as per government guidelines, with coordination between revenue, police, urban administration, and panchayat departments, it said. Health monitoring of poultry farm workers is also being undertaken. Any individual showing symptoms will be tested, and antiviral medication will be provided if required, it said. Officials have also directed continuous monitoring of poultry sale centres across the district. The district magistrate has appealed to people not to pay attention to rumours and to cooperate with authorities while maintaining vigilance. No cases of infection in humans have been reported so far, officials added. Bird flu or avian flu is a type of viral infection that spreads in birds and some mammals. 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
25 March,2026 10:47 AM IST | Bilaspur | PTIPolice in Lucknow have arrested two men in connection with a drug trafficking case in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. The accused, allegedly involved in supplying narcotics to pubs, hotels, and private parties in Maharashtra, were caught on Monday near the Charbagh railway station tempo stand, officials said, reported the PTI. The two men have been identified as Bhavesh Chauhan, also known as Lalu, originally from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh and residing in Nalasopara, Palghar district, and Shoaib Ashraf Pathan, alias Batla, also a resident of Nalasopara. Both were wanted in connection with a case registered at Naigaon police station in Palghar under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the news agency reported. According to police, Chauhan has multiple criminal cases registered against him, including violations under the NDPS Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, at various police stations in the Vasai-Virar area. How was the arrest made? The Special Task Force (STF), Lucknow, carried out the arrest based on specific intelligence. “Acting on inputs, the STF team arrested both accused from Charbagh while they were trying to flee,” a police release said as per PTI report. The operation was conducted in coordination with the Naigaon police, who had sought assistance after learning that the accused were hiding in Lucknow. Police said the duo had planned to escape from Mumbai to Nepal following the seizure of a drug consignment linked to them in the Vasai-Virar-Mira Bhayander area on February 5. Confessions during interrogation During questioning, the accused reportedly admitted to interstate drug trafficking for the past four to five years. They revealed that they, along with associates, manufactured brown sugar using readily available chemicals and supplied it to pubs, hotels, and private parties in Maharashtra. The STF noted that the arrests were crucial to dismantling this trafficking network and preventing further distribution of narcotics in the region. Investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the group and track their operations. (With PTI Inputs)
25 March,2026 10:33 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentCongress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here late Tuesday evening, sources said. They said she was feeling unwell due to the change in weather and was under observation. A team of doctors is attending to her, but there is nothing serious, the sources 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
25 March,2026 10:32 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIOver 150 people were taken ill in a suspected case of food poisoning after attending a wedding ceremony in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, an official said on Tuesday. Two critically sick persons have been admitted to Diphu Medical College and Hospital here, while the others were undergoing treatment at the local government health facility, he said. Most of the guests who attended the wedding in Pator Timung village in Bokoliaghat area on Monday started complaining of stomach ache, dysentery and vomiting by evening. 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
25 March,2026 09:33 AM IST | Diphu | AgenciesA 30-year-old man and his sister were killed after their house collapsed following a gas cylinder explosion in Varanasi’s Lahartara area on Tuesday, police said. DCP Neetu Kadyan said the incident occurred at the residence of Girija Devi, where the blast caused the structure to cave in, trapping family members under the debris. Police, fire services and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams rushed to the spot and, with the help of locals, rescued Girija Devi, her two sons and a daughter from the rubble. 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
25 March,2026 09:05 AM IST | Varanasi | AgenciesAn engineering student was killed during a clash between two groups of students belonging to a private institute in Dehradun, police said on Tuesday. Three of the accused named in the complaint by the youth’s family have been arrested in connection with the incident that occurred on Monday night. Dehradun City Superintendent of Police (SP) Pramod Kumar said that two groups of students were involved in a brawl during which 22-year-old Divyanshu Jatrana sustained critical injuries. The SP said that three accused named in the incident have been arrested, while a search for the other accused is underway. 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
25 March,2026 09:03 AM IST | Dehradun | AgenciesThe Election Commission (EC) is yet to disclose the number of voters whose names have been included or deleted following the SIR adjudication process in poll-bound West Bengal, even as it has published the first supplementary list. The booth-wise first supplementary voters’ list was uploaded on the EC’s website around midnight. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal on Tuesday said that he would not be able to provide clarity on the figures at this stage. 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
25 March,2026 08:59 AM IST | Kolkata | AgenciesThe Supreme Court on Tuesday said that no person professing a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism can be regarded as a member of a Scheduled Caste. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and NV Anjaria, upholding an order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, said that a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste community loses his SC status immediately and completely upon conversion to another religion. “No statutory benefit, protection, or reservation or entitlement under the Constitution or enactment of Parliament or state legislature can be claimed by or extended to any person who, by operation of clause 3, is not deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste,” the bench said. “This bar is absolute and admits no exception. A person can’t simultaneously profess and practice a religion other than the one specified in clause 3 and claim membership of the Scheduled Caste,” the bench said. The Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 30, 2025, held that once an individual converts to Christianity and actively professes and practices the faith, he cannot be regarded as a member of the Scheduled Caste. 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
25 March,2026 08:56 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesUnion Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said that there will be no refund for cancellation of train tickets up to eight hours before departure, instead of the existing norm of four hours. As per PTI, the new refund rule will take effect between April 1 and 15 this year. Other refund slabs also revised by Railway A cancellation between 24 and eight hours before the event will incur a 50 per cent deduction from the ticket cost. This is currently 12 to 4 hours. Similarly, the Railways will deduct 25 per cent of the ticket cost for cancellation between 72 and 24 hours before departure. Full refund for cancellation made more than 72 hours before travelling A full refund, except for a flat cancellation charge per passenger, will be given for cancellations made more than 72 hours before the train's departure. Under the existing policy, cancellations made between 48 and 12 hours incur a 25 per cent deduction of the ticket cost, while a full refund will be given for cancellations made more than 48 hours in advance, reported PTI. Ashwini Vaishnaw said the refund rule is being modified to discourage black marketing and last-minute sales of tickets by agents. The new refund rule, which the railways minister announced for all trains on Tuesday, has already been in force on Vande Bharat Sleeper and Amrit Bharat II trains launched after January this year. The ministry first announced this through a notification dated January 16, 2026, which amended the Railway Passengers (Cancellation of Ticket and Refund of Fare) Rules, 2015. Travel class upgradation will be allowed up to 30 minutes before departure Vaishnaw on Tuesday further asserted that the travel class upgradation will now be allowed up to 30 minutes before departure for passengers who bought counter tickets. Earlier, passengers could upgrade travel class only before the train's first departure. A railway official further emphasised, "The first chart is released at least eight hours before the train's departure and the second one between 15 and 30 minutes. Passengers can now upgrade their travel class 30 minutes before the train's departure. This facility is available only for counter ticket holders; online ticket purchasers are not allowed class upgradation", as cited by PTI. Boarding point can be changed 30 minutes before the train's departure On a change of train boarding point, Vaishnaw said passengers will be given the freedom to change their boarding point 30 minutes before the train's scheduled departure. Currently, a change of boarding point is allowed only before preparation of the first chart. Explaining the reform, Vaishnaw further said that if a passenger holds a confirmed ticket between station A and Z and, due to a sudden change in plan, wants to change the boarding point from station A to B, with the new reform, the passenger will be able to digitally update his/her boarding point to B up to 30 minutes before the train leaves the origin station A. An official further added that the change of boarding point will have no impact on the ticket cost, as per PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
24 March,2026 10:03 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump, during which both leaders exchanged views on the escalating West Asia conflict and stressed the need for immediate de-escalation and restoration of peace. Leaders Stress Importance of Strait of Hormuz During the call, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the critical importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, secure, and accessible for global trade and energy supplies. He reiterated that uninterrupted access to this key maritime route is vital not just for India but for the entire world, given its central role in transporting crude oil, gas, and other essential commodities. India Reaffirms Stand on Peace and Dialogue In a post on X, PM Modi stated that India supports efforts toward de-escalation and early restoration of peace in the region. Both leaders agreed to remain in close contact to coordinate efforts aimed at ensuring stability. Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia. India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world.… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 24, 2026 The conversation comes at a time when geopolitical tensions continue to disrupt global markets and raise concerns over energy security. Conflict Escalation Impacts Global Economy The West Asia conflict began following military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, which led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran launched drone and missile attacks targeting US and Israeli-linked assets across the region. The escalating hostilities have impacted global trade routes and kept energy markets volatile. Strong India-US Strategic Partnership Highlighted The telephonic exchange also reflects the continued strategic engagement between India and the United States. Over the years, PM Modi and Trump have maintained a high-profile political relationship, marked by cooperation in trade, defence, and broader strategic interests. Trump has also indicated plans to visit India later this year, potentially in connection with the Quad Summit, which includes India, the US, Japan, and Australia. Jaishankar, Rubio Also Discuss Crisis Separately, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the West Asia situation. Both leaders reviewed the impact of the conflict on global energy supplies and the international economy, agreeing to stay in touch and continue coordination on shared priorities. Continued Diplomatic Engagement Amid Crisis The ongoing diplomatic outreach underscores India’s proactive approach in addressing the crisis through dialogue and cooperation with global partners. As tensions persist in West Asia, India’s emphasis remains on safeguarding its economic interests, ensuring energy security, and contributing to international efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability. (With inputs from Agencies)
24 March,2026 07:33 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Congress Party has launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led central government over its proposed Transgender Persons Amendment Bill, describing it as a “regressive” move that undermines the constitutional rights of transgender persons in India. In a strongly worded statement, the party alleged that the bill seeks to strip transgender individuals of their right to self-identify, a principle upheld by the NALSA v. Union of India judgment of the Supreme Court of India. According to Congress, this move directly contradicts legal protections granted by the apex court. The party further claimed that the bill disregards India’s long-standing cultural diversity by erasing the unique identities of various transgender communities across the country. It also raised concerns over provisions that allegedly require transgender individuals to undergo medical examinations by official boards, calling the process “dehumanising and invasive.” Pic/X Additionally, Congress criticised the inclusion of criminal penalties and surveillance mechanisms in the proposed legislation, arguing that such measures lack adequate safeguards and could lead to misuse and further marginalisation of an already vulnerable community. A key point of contention for the party is the alleged lack of consultation with members of the transgender community before drafting the bill. Congress leaders stated that the legislation appears to stigmatise rather than empower transgender persons. The party emphasised that the Indian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to life, liberty, dignity, and identity. It accused the BJP government of violating these fundamental principles and disregarding India’s historical legacy of recognising and respecting transgender communities. The Congress Party has with certainity opposed the bill and called for a more inclusive and consultative approach that safeguards the rights and dignity of transgender individuals.
24 March,2026 06:38 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
-1774357022109_d.png "Congress opposed the bill, urging protection of transgender rights and dignity. Pic/X")