India

Chandigarh, Jan 25 (PTI) Locusts were spotted in some villages of Punjab's Fazilka, Muktsar and Bathinda districts triggering fear among farmers as the destructive swarms are known to devour the vegetation wherever they settle.

The Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD), however, said necessary arrangements were in place to tackle a possible locust attack while ruling out any damage to crops at this stage.

Hyderabad, Jan 25 (PTI) Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday said the state assembly may pass a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act like some other states did recently.

Rao said he has already spoken to many of his counterparts in other states and he may convene a conclave of regional parties and Chief Ministers here to oppose the CAA since it concerns the country's future.

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 25 (PTI) While the country will celebrate its 71st Republic Day on Sunday, Kerala will witness a massive protest led by the CPI(M) led Left Democratic Front in the form of a state-wide human chain, demanding withdrawal of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.

The LDF has organised the 620 km long human chain from Kasaragod in north Kerala to Kaliyakkavilai in the southernmost part of the state and expect about 60 to 70 lakh people to participate in it.

New Delhi, Jan 25 (PTI) PDP leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan, officials said on Saturday.

Baig, 73, is a former deputy chief minister and finance minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu, Jan 25 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday announced a change in nomenclature of police medal for gallantry and police medal for meritorious service, removing the word 'Sher-e-Kashmir', a reference to former chief minister and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.

Guwahati/Dibrugarh/Charaideo, Jan 26 (PTI) Four powerful explosions - three in Dibrugarh and one in Charaideo districts - rocked Upper Assam on Sunday morning, as the country celebrated its 71st Republic Day.

All four blasts occured in a span of 10 minutes - between 8.15 and 8.25 am, a police officer said.

There has been no report of any casualty, as Republic Day being a holiday, people were mostly indoors, he said.

Kolkata, Jan 26 (PTI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday urged people to take a pledge to protect the Constitution of the country and uphold its principles.

Taking to Twitter, she said, "On #RepublicDay, let us pledge to protect our #Constitution and uphold the principles of sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, as enshrined in the Preamble."

India is celebrating its 71st Republic Day on Sunday.

On this day in 1950, the Constitution of India came into effect.

Muzaffarnagar, Jan 26 (PTI) A woman committed suicide by hanging herself at her home over alleged harassment by in-laws here, police said on Sunday.

Priti, 27, was found hanging from the ceiling of her room in Jagadhri village located under the Titawi police station on Saturday, they said.

NEW DELHI, Jan 26 (NNN-XINHUA) – India and Brazil, on Saturday, inked 15 agreements, for boosting mutual cooperation on a wide range of areas, including cyber security, oil and natural gas, and health and medicine.

Other agreements covered cooperation in traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy, cultural exchange, social security, scientific and technological cooperation, geology and mineral resources, and animal husbandry and dairying, etc.

Kanpur: Students felt odd at going to their respective schools on Sunday being the Republic Day. They never realized that they would have to attend the school on a weekly holiday. However, they attended to join the gathering on a very important occasion.

On talking to a group of students it was known that none among them was feeling good at attending the school on Sunday, but they had to obey the order. They participated in the flag-hoisting programme and Yoga too.