03 February 2026
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi finally landed in India on Wednesday. He left after a Bharat Jodo high but returns embroiled in a controversy over his "democracy under attack" remarks that the BJP has used to corner Congress leaders. Rahul Gandhi's remarks in London that democracy was under attack in India and that the government switched off mics when contentious issues were raised by Opposition MPs in Parliament created furore back in India.
Amid an ongoing probe into the Delhi liquor scam, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government on Wednesday extended its ‘Old Excise Policy’ for six months, the Excise Department said. The Delhi government has also asked the officials to prepare a new excise policy soon. The Excise department has said that there will be 5 dry days during these six months on Mahavir Jayanti, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.
The Delhi government revoked the New Excise Policy and implemented the old policy for the time being. The officials have not been able to prepare any new excise policy, because of which the old policy has been extended for six more months.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Tuesday (March 14, 2023) said that Rahul Gandhi should speak more responsibly and see the reality of the Sangh's acceptance in the society, after the Congress leader repeatedly targeted the organisation in his speeches. Asked about Gandhi's recent remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Hosabale said he must be doing this for his "political agenda" but RSS does not work in the political field and he has no competition with the Sangh.
"As a political party leader, he should speak more responsibly and see the reality" of Sangh's expansion and acceptance in society, Hosabale said at a press conference on the last day of RSS's 'Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha' here.
In a major boost to Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Tuesday successfully conducted a maiden flight-test of Power Take off (PTO) Shaft on Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Tejas) Limited Series Production (LSP) - 3 aircraft in Bengaluru. The PTO shaft is indigenously designed and developed by Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment (CVRDE), Chennai of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The PTO shaft, which is a critical component in the aircraft, will support the requirements of future fighter aircraft & their variants and offers competitive cost & reduced time of availability. "With this successful test, the DRDO has achieved a greater technological feat by realisation of complex high-speed rotor technology which only few countries have achieved," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Over 2,600 workers along with more than 400 machines are on site and work for the first phase of the Noida International Airport is on track for timely completion, officials said on Tuesday.
Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, is developing the greenfield airport at Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar, some 75 km off Delhi, for the Uttar Pradesh government.
YIAPL CEO Christoph Schnellmann said earthwork was completed earlier this year and vertical construction has started including on the terminal building and runway.
