In order to provide assistance to sugarcane farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced a Rs 20 per quintal hike in the purchase price of sugarcane in the state from the existing Rs 360 to Rs 380 per quintal, said a statement from the chief minister's office. Announcing this on the floor of the Punjab Assembly, CM Mann said, "The farmers will get an additional Rs 20 per quintal under State Agreed Price (SAP) of sugarcane as compared to last year." With this decision, the state government will spend additional Rs 200 crore annually to benefit the farmers. Informing the ho

Supreme Court on Thursday, in a landmark judgement, held that all women are entitled to safe and legal abortion. Supreme Court said that all women, irrespective of their marital status, are entitled to safe and legal abortion till 24 weeks of pregnancy under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act. A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud said that the meaning of the rape must include rape">marital rape for the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. The Supreme Court said that the distinction between married and unmarried women for the purposes of the MTP Act is "artificial and consti

The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the Central government for not taking any decision so far on the mercy petition of Balwant Singh Rajoana, who was awarded the death sentence for the assassination of the then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995. A bench of Justices Chief Justice UU Lalit, Justices S Ravindra Bhat and PS Narasimha was irked over the Centre not taking any clear stand on the mercy petition despite being given time by the court to do so, and now seeking adjournment in the case. Earlier in May, the apex court had directed the Centre to decide within two months mercy p

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday passed an interim injunction order in favour of Vinai Kumar Saxena and against Aam Aadmi Party leaders in connection with a defamation suit filed by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor. The AAP leaders had accused Saxena of corrupt practices during demonetisation following which the Delhi LG had approached the court seeking an injunction that restrained the AAP leaders including Durgesh Pathak, Saurabh Bhardwaj, Atishi Marlena, Sanjay Singh and Jasmine Shah from further levelling allegations against him. The order was reserved on September 22. These AAP leaders had m

Four persons including a girl and an Army official arrested in connection with the Chandigarh University 'leaked objectionable videos' case were sent to five days police remand by a court on Monday. Earlier on Saturday, an Indian Army official identified as Sanjeev Singh was arrested in connection with the case and was produced to the court where he was sent to a five days police remand and the other three accused were on seven days police remand. Harvindar Singh Johal, Ranjit Verma's lawyer said, "The police asked for seven days remand as all the culprits have to be interrogated face to face

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Chandigarh airport will now be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh as a tribute to the great freedom fighter. Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for naming the Chandigarh airport after Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh. In a statement, Capt Amarinder said, "it was his government, which had pursued the matter with the center since 2017 when he took over as the Chief Minister". He said, it was a long pending demand of the Punjabis that the airport must be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who is an outs

Punjab Bhartiya Janata Party chief Ashwani Sharma met former chief minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh, who recently joined the party and also merged his Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) with it. Former chief minister Amarinder Singh had formally joined the BJP on Monday at the party headquarters in presence of Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar and Kiren Rijiju. Calling it a courtesy meet, Sharma said, "I came here today to talk about the current political situation in Punjab with Captain Amarinder Singh as he has a rich political experience. " " I have invited Captain Amarinder Singh to come to t

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said that it was decided in the cabinet meeting that the Assembly Session will now convene on Tuesday, September 27. In the session, issues like electricity and stubble burning will be discussed, CM Bhagwant Mann said. "In the cabinet meeting today, it has been decided to convene an Assembly session on September 27. Issues like electricity and stubble burning will be discussed," CM Mann said after chairing a cabinet meeting at the Punjab Secretariat in Chandigarh, day after the previous assembly session (that was scheduled to be held today) w

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday, withdrew orders calling for the assembly session for a "confidence motion" called by the Punjab government due to the "absence of specific rules" to do so. The withdrawal of orders comes in the absence of the specific rules regarding the summoning of the assembly for considering the 'Confidence motion', only called by the Punjab Government on September 22, through the third special session of the sixteenth Vidhan Sabha. Later the Aam Aadmi Party released a statement on the cancellation of a special session of the House by the Governor of Punj