India

West Bengal has directed all state-run and aided schools to mandatorily include singing of the national song Vande Mataram during morning assemblies alongside Jana Gana Mana. Schools must ensure compliance and documentation, raising questions over scheduling within existing assembly routines

Gold and silver prices declined on Thursday after the government increased import duty to 15 per cent, triggering profit booking in precious metals. Despite volatility, analysts remain cautiously bullish on gold and silver due to safe-haven demand and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties in global markets 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the NDRF President’s Colour Award ceremony in Ghaziabad, praising the force’s courage, humanitarian service and disaster response efforts. He said the NDRF earned nationwide trust over two decades and reaffirmed the government’s commitment towards zero disaster casualties

Former West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty has been assigned a key role in Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s government to oversee border land transfers for BSF fencing and monitor Centrally-sponsored projects after her controversial removal by the Election Commission during the Assembly elections

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono during the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, reviewing India-Indonesia ties and ASEAN cooperation. Jaishankar also held bilateral talks with Russian, Brazilian and Maldivian counterparts on strategic, regional and global issues

Indian equity markets traded higher despite rising crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions, led by gains in pharma and banking stocks. Sensex and Nifty climbed over 0.6 per cent, while IT shares lagged amid rupee concerns, FPI selling pressure and global market uncertainties

SC, ST Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman Kumar escaped unhurt after a lift collapsed in a private hospital in Karimnagar. The minister, trapped briefly inside, later warned of action against the hospital management over negligence.

Two persons were killed and three others injured after a car collided with a TGSRTC bus on Khadarguda flyover in Manakondur mandal. Police shifted the injured to hospital and launched an investigation into the accident

A powerful storm accompanied by heavy rains swept across five districts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, leaving at least 33 people dead and dozens injured.

The cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 examination following paper leak exposes the deepening rot in India’s examination system and proves that no lessons have been learned from past crises

Congress leader Pawan Khera was questioned for over 10 hours by Assam Police Crime Branch in Guwahati on Wednesday in connection with criminal complaints filed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma.

GCMMF has announced a nationwide increase of Rs 2 per litre in Amul fresh milk prices from May 14, citing higher input costs including cattle feed, fuel and packaging. The cooperative said most of the increase would benefit dairy farmers and milk producers

The Tamil Nadu government revoked the appointment of astrologer Rickey Radhan Pandit Vettrivel as Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay following criticism from opposition parties and allies. The controversial appointment triggered heated debate in the State Assembly

The Assam Cabinet has approved implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, with tribal communities exempted from its scope. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the bill would be introduced in the legislative assembly on May 26 and cover marriage, succession and divorce registration

Prateek Yadav, younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and brother of Akhilesh Yadav, died in Lucknow at the age of 38 after suddenly falling ill. Political leaders and supporters gathered at his residence as postmortem formalities were completed

The Commonwealth Games will be staged in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reduced the size of his convoy as part of austerity measures amid the West Asia crisis. Several BJP chief ministers have also announced cuts in vehicle use, encouraged carpooling and promoted fuel conservation and public transport

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the state government will soon announce precautionary measures to reduce the impact of the West Asia conflict. He also urged people to avoid unnecessary gold purchases and foreign travel and focus on economic self-reliance

The Supreme Court observed during hearings related to Sabarimala and religious freedom that Hinduism is a way of life and that visiting temples or performing rituals is not mandatory to remain Hindu. The court also stressed that personal faith cannot be obstructed by others

The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation demolished alleged illegal constructions linked to AIMIM corporator Matin Patel, who is accused of harbouring Nashik TCS case accused Nida Khan. The action followed a civic notice and comes amid an ongoing police probe into multiple harassment cases

Indian shuttlers enjoyed a stellar opening day at the Thailand Open

Officials said the material was allegedly routed through a person based in Haryana's Gurugram before reaching Rajasthan

A petition filed in the Supreme Court has sought a court-monitored probe into the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy and demanded the replacement of the NTA, alleging repeated examination leaks, impersonation scams and systemic failures that have undermined confidence in national entrance examinations