Warning: This report contains accounts of sexual assault and violence that some readers may find distressing. Ramia was preparing for a family picnic, on a warm summer day in her village in Latakia province in western Syria, when a white car drove up, she said
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here in the national capital. Pichai is here for the Global AI Impact Summit 2026 and will deliver the keynote address on February 20 at the summit. New Delhi: Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra
The back-and-forth between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association has taken another turn. On Tuesday afternoon, the WNBPA submitted a new counterproposal, only to have it shot down yet again by the league, as negotiations intensify ahead of the new season
The leadership has made it clear that performance and public perception will be key criteria in deciding nominations The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing for a major organisational overhaul in Assam ahead of the assembly elections
An avalanche in California's Lake Tahoe region has left 10 backcountry skiers missing, authorities say, with six more people stranded and awaiting rescue. The avalanche was reported about 11:30PST (19:30GMT) in the Castle Peak area near the town of Truckee
Political and strategic considerations will overshadow economic ones in the choices that countries make going forward, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). Speaking at the Global Economic Cooperation 2026 summit organised by the Future Economic Cooperation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón at Hyderabad House in New Delhi amid high-level engagements at the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026. The meeting between the two leaders followed President Sanchez’s arrival in the national
Warner Bros Discovery is in talks with Paramount Skydance Corp. for a potential takeover. The Ellison family's bid has seen a slight increase. Warner boss David Zaslav is negotiating to secure the best possible deal for shareholders. Paramount needs to address remaining concerns to surpass
Tamil Nadu Assembly adopts resolution against VB-G RAM G Act provisions
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Union government to continue with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act to ensure that the right to work of persons living in rural areas is protected, PTI reported.
Chief Minister MK Stalin, while moving the resolution, said that the 2025 Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission Gramin Act that replaced the MGNREGA was “designed in a manner that undermines the livelihoods of rural people across India, the financial structure of the states, the self-reliance of the local bodies and employment opportunities for the rural women”.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief said that Opposition parties had objected to the new Act, adding that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi against the new law on December 18.
However, the Union government passed it without regard to the voice of the public, he added.
The 2025 VB-G RAM G Bill, replacing the MGNREGA, was given assent by the president on December 21, two days after it was passed by Parliament amid protests by Opposition parties.
The MGNREGA was introduced in 2005 by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance and aimed at enhancing the livelihood security of households in rural areas. The scheme guaranteed 100 days of unskilled work annually for every rural household that wants it, covering all districts in the country.
Under the new law, the number of guaranteed workdays will increase to 125, while states' share of costs will rise to 40%. The Union government will continue to bear the wage component, with states sharing material and administrative expenses.
The legislation has drawn criticism from economists and labour rights experts.
Apart from Tamil Nadu, the Assemblies in Telangana and Punjab have also adopted resolutions demanding that the Union government retain the MGNREGA. The Karnataka Cabinet has decided to move the Supreme Court against the VB-G RAM G Act.
On Friday, Stalin said that all initiatives, whether an infrastructure project or a scheme to provide livelihood, had been implemented efficiently without discrimination in Tamil Nadu, PTI reported.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief claimed that the Union government was not releasing funds based on progress of a project. The Centre was deliberately avoiding the immediate release of funds, showing a “step-motherly” attitude towards the development of the state, he alleged.
Referring to the MGNREGA, the chief minister added that Rs 1,026 crore for wages and Rs 1,087 crore for material components remain unreleased, PTI reported.
“Who is affected due to the delay of the funds,” the news agency quoted him as asking. “It is the common people and farmers living in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu.”
Why is there discrimination against our state, Stalin asked.
The chief minister added that under the VB-G RAM G Act, employment was not provided as a right but was based on a provisional allocation determined by the Union government. The name of Mahatma Gandhi has also been removed and replaced in the Act with ulterior motives, he added.
“This House insists that the scheme must continue under the name of Mahatma Gandhi to forever commemorate the principles and the path he laid out for this nation,” the news agency quoted him as saying in the Assembly.
“This House unanimously urges the Union government to ensure that the Right to Work of rural people is upheld as per [MGNREGA] and that funding is guaranteed based on the demand for employment,” he added.
The chief minister said that the Union government should abandon the “new practice of arbitrary financial allocation based on ‘provisional estimates' and continue the previous practice of demand-based funding”.
He added that the funding ratio should be revised to match the MGNREGA contribution pattern.
Later on Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party questioned the adoption of the resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, asking whether it had the constitutional authority to do so when the law had been passed by Parliament, The Hindu reported.
Speaking to reporters, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi asked if any district panchayat or municipal corporation had the authority to pass a legislation saying they would not follow the state laws.
“If not, the same logic applies in this case as well,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. “And I would like to ask [Congress leader] Rahul Gandhi ji whether the Constitution is in danger if an Act of Parliament is being openly defied by a state Assembly”.
The Congress is an ally of the DMK.
Tamil Nadu is expected to head for Assembly elections in the next three to four months.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: India-made Range Rover Evoque’s first unit rolls out from Tamil Nadu – Details Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin announces depositing Rs 5000 aid each to 1 Black Friday For IT Stocks CM MK Stalin’s surprise bonanza in poll-bound Tamil Nadu Most professors of practice hired in Tamil Nadu followed by Maharashtra Trisha Krishnan condemns Tamil Nadu BJP Chief’s distasteful remarks Tamil Nadu FM tables Interim Budget Tamil Nadu Congress Chief Meets Kharge Over Jharkhand speaker chairs all-party meet ahead of assembly's Budget session A spate of attacks in Tamil Nadu leaves migrant workers wary
For the fourth time in less than two weeks, a sea of red and blue descended on the Wankhede Stadium. And it turned out to be a case of fourth-time lucky for Nepal as it ended its T20 World Cup sojourn by gifting the 19,000-odd fans a much-anticipated win against Scotland
6 hours ago
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said his net worth is almost entirely due to... New Delhi: Even as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is another step towards becoming the world’s first trillionaire, the US entrepreneur said that the actual amount of cash he is sitting on is much lesser
6 hours ago
One of the biggest changes is the renumbering of several commonly used tax documents, including salary and tax-credit statements used by millions of taxpayers. New Delhi: The government has proposed major changes to income-tax compliance forms under the Income-tax Act, 2025
6 hours ago
Pakistan's water crisis to worsen with approaching summers as India plans to halt excess Ravi river water flow to Pakistan with the completion of Shahpur Kandi barrage. Pakistan’s water crisis is deepening amid the Indus Waters Treaty suspension and is not going to end soon
6 hours ago
A clip circulating on X (formerly Twitter) has once again brought attention to an old but persistent exam-time practice where students slip currency notes inside answer sheets during board exams. Though authorities have repeatedly warned against it and tightened monitoring
6 hours ago
Vikrant Massey and Sheetal Thakur had been together for several years, officially registered their marriage on February 14, 2022, before hosting a traditional wedding ceremony on February 18, of the same year. New Delhi: Actor Vikrant Massey marked his fourth wedding anniversary with wife Sheetal
6 hours ago
French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron met Bollywood stars in Mumbai, the delegation will travel to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Mumbai: Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej met French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron in Mumbai on Tuesday
6 hours ago
The United States has significantly increased its military presence in West Asia, deploying dozens of fighter jets to the region amid rising tensions with Iran and ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations in Geneva. The developments come alongside strong warnings from Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah
6 hours ago
After a relatively chaotic first day on Monday (February 16, 2026), the AI Impact Summit saw smoother operations on Tuesday (February 17, 2026), with more areas opened to attendees and fewer surges of crowding, even as turnout remained strong. Students bused in from local colleges, schools
6 hours ago
A widespread YouTube outage on Tuesday disrupted video access worldwide, including India and the US. YouTube suffered a widespread outage on Tuesday, halting video access for users across multiple countries, including India and the United States
6 hours ago
Tech giant Microsoft on Wednesday announced at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi that the company is on pace to invest $50 billion by the end of the decade to help the Global South access artificial intelligence (AI)."Our five-part program is designed to make AI diffusion real at scale
6 hours ago
A massive wildfire emergency has unfolded across the US Plains. In the northwestern part of Oklahoma, a fast-moving fire on the southwest side of Woodward forced evacuations on Tuesday. Wind gusts near 60 mph pushed flames through the red cedar-filled neighbourhoods
6 hours ago
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that then Congress president Sonia Gandhi had asked him to decide on the date for his swearing in as CM when 58 party MLAs had supported him back in 2014. Sharing what he called his “days of distress" in the Congress
6 hours ago
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called the AI Summit a disorganized PR spectacle. He alleged that Chinese products were displayed at the event. This comes amid controversy over a robotic dog at the summit. Critics claim it was a Chinese-made product, not an Indian innovation
6 hours ago
The Delhi Traffic Police has launched a dedicated ‘Digital Lok Adalat’ system to make the traffic challan settlement easier for the citizens, making the process quicker and more convenient. This initiative, introduced in collaboration with the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) and
6 hours ago
India is discussing age-based restrictions with social media companies, IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Tuesday, following moves by Australia and other countries to ban young teens from popular platforms. Vaishnaw, speaking at a global artificial intelligence conference in New Delhi
6 hours ago
Gold Rate Today: Gold retreats from record highs as 24K prices fall and futures dip on MCX. Check today’s city-wise rates and expert insights. Gold Rate Today: Gold prices have taken a breather after scaling record highs, with fresh data showing a noticeable dip in both domestic and global
6 hours ago
A new leak has offered a closer look at the upcoming Infinix GT 50 Pro, pointing to design changes and hardware upgrades over last year’s gaming-focused model. The smartphone, from Infinix, has surfaced in alleged renders alongside a detailed specification sheet shared by tipsters online
6 hours ago
Nissan Gravite vs Maruti Suzuki Ertiga: The Gravite’s smaller engine may feel underpowered, particularly when the car is loaded with seven people and luggage. In contrast, the Ertiga’s larger engine make it more practical for real-world family use and long-distance driving
6 hours ago
Ameesha Patel has been issued a non-bailable warrant by a Moradabad court in connection with a 2017 fraud case, she is accused of accepting money for a wedding performance and issuing a cheque that later bounced. Legal trouble has resurfaced for Ameesha Patel as a Moradabad court issued a
6 hours ago
The Ministry of Education on Tuesday organised a special session titled “Ministry of Education – Pushing the Frontier of AI in India" at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi as part of the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attended the session
6 hours ago
The reactor involved was Ward 250, which belongs to a new class of compact microreactors. Washington: The United States has carried out an operation that has drawn global attention in the field of advanced energy technology. A nuclear reactor moved through the sky
6 hours ago
Beyond the mines: Archaeologists uncover a massive 3,000-year-old gold processing city in Egypt’s Eastern Desert. Discover the ancient smelting furnaces, residential districts, and the 628 'Ostraca' library fragments rewriting history.Beyond the mines: Archaeologists uncover a massive 3
6 hours ago
Even as debate around AI intensifies across industries, concerns about the technology are also growing. In an interview with CNN-News18 at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales discusses artificial intelligence, misinformation risks, open-source innovation
6 hours ago
PAK vs NAM live streaming, match time, broadcasters and weather update as Pakistan fight for Super 8 qualification. Pakistan face Namibia in a high-stakes ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash on February 18 at the Sinhalese Sports Club, Colombo, with Super 8 qualification hanging in the balance
6 hours ago
Salim Khan Health Updates: On Tuesday night, Bollywood superstar Salman Khan was seen leaving the Lilavati Hospital where his 90-year-old father and veteran screenwriter Salim Khan has been admitted following complaints of swelling. The actor stepped out of the hospital premises late at night and
6 hours ago
New Delhi: Massive traffic congestion hit several parts of the national capital as global leaders arrived for the high level AI summit. New Delhi: Heavy traffic congestion was reported across several key routes in the national capital as global leaders arrived to attend the high-profile AI summit
6 hours ago
