Zohran Mamdani joins Indian community to perform Garba in New York

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined Navratri celebrations, dancing Garba with the Indian diaspora amid enthusiastic cheers. Wearing his signature black suit and an Indian-style scarf, the 35-year-old danced alongside women in festive attire. Last week, he highlighted Navratri traditions in an X post; he became NYC’s first Muslim mayor after defeating Andrew Cuomo.

How ECI identifies, removes duplicate electoral roll entries

Uttar Pradesh officials were ordered on October 20 to identify duplicate voter registrations before the November 12 draft roll, following flags during the Special Intensive Revision. The Election Commission uses ECINET to match photographs and demographic details, with booth-level field checks and prescribed deletions for confirmed duplicates. Unique EPIC numbering and voluntary Aadhaar collection are additional safeguards, enabled by a 2021 law.

Solar rooftop installations in West Bengal rise by nearly 7 times via central scheme

West Bengal’s rooftop-solar rollout accelerated after a BJP-led government took office in May 2026: installations rose nearly sevenfold, from 1,477 by April 30 to 10,146 by October 15, while subsidies climbed more than eightfold, to ₹34.62 crore. Uptake surged through September. Launched in 2024, PM Surya Ghar offers households up to ₹78,000 for solar installations.

AAP files complaint over burning of cockroach effigy on Dussehra; BJP hits back

Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj urged the Lieutenant Governor and police to file an FIR against Pitampura Dussehra organisers, including MLA Ashok Goel and Kapil Mishra, over a cockroach effigy burned alongside Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad. He says it insults Hindu traditions; organisers say it raises awareness of cockroach-related filth and health risks.

Delhi wakes up to first ‘poor’ air reading of the season, AQI at 227

Delhi recorded its first poor air quality of the season Wednesday, with the AQI at 227 at 7:05 am, as falling temperatures and shifting winds hindered pollutant dispersal. Jahangirpuri and Pusa registered very poor readings above 300, while 16 stations remained moderate. October was mostly moderate, with brief rain-related improvements; CPCB classifies 201–300 as poor.

Upgrade your festive playlist without compromising on sound with these 5 dual-driver party speakers

Five party speakers from Sony, JBL, boAt, Zebronics and Portronics combine dual-driver sound with karaoke options, lighting and connectivity for festive gatherings. The guide compares their features and Amazon feedback: customers often praise sound and value, but report mixed experiences with battery life, Bluetooth and microphones. Buyers should consider room size, runtime and portability before choosing.

Like Odysseus, Talwar’s journey to the DPW-PGTI crown has been fascinating

Saptak Talwar won the PGTI Order of Merit, earning a DP World Tour card after two years of choices, setbacks and improvement. The 27-year-old left the HotelPlanner Tour to focus on India’s domestic circuit, while adding seven kilograms and boosting ball speed. His journey began with a 2024 Q School gamble; he prepares for Europe.

Career & Finance Horoscope, October 21, 2026

The twelve zodiac forecasts emphasize focused career choices, careful finances and adaptability, urging readers to prioritize goals, research opportunities and avoid impulsive commitments. Advice ranges from resting and reassessing outdated plans to communicating confidently, setting boundaries and welcoming change. Each sign receives a crystal remedy; guidance comes from certified tarot reader and crystal healer Kishori Sud.

In 1977, an anime sparked Japan’s pet raccoon craze; escaped raccoons now cost farmers ¥450 million

Japan’s raccoon invasion costs farmers millions and threatens native wildlife: crop losses reached ¥450 million ($2.9 million) in 2022, and raccoons have eaten endangered Tokyo salamanders. Authorities lack staff, funding, expertise and population data; despite captures, no population has been eradicated. The invasion followed a 1977 anime-fueled pet craze, as unwanted raccoons escaped or were released.

Sonos and Plaud define AI utility, Adobe’s report, and Microsoft sells a solution

Microsoft’s Project Perception would manage unpredictable enterprise AI agents through assigned identities and permissions, risk assessment, and Guardian Agents that supervise actions in real time. Indian adoption remains stalled: just 6.7% of firms have scaled AI across workflows, while 59% remain at pilot stage. Sonos and Plaud exemplify practical, human-supporting AI rather than worker replacement.

Harsh Goenka’s sharp take on Vinod Khosla’s chief of staff listing: ‘Sleep is a luxury’

Vinod Khosla defended the job after Harsh Goenka mocked its expectations, saying the role has no fixed hours but is “intense” and requires keeping pace with his 80-hour workweek. The posting requires a three-year commitment, daily 8 a.m.–8 p.m. work in Menlo Park and round-the-clock availability. Goenka called it a 72-hour week without personal life, invoking Murthy’s workweek controversy.

221-ft Ravana goes up in flames in Panchkula

A 221-foot Ravana effigy, the region’s tallest, was remotely set ablaze Tuesday evening before thousands at Panchkula’s Shalimar Grounds, where celebrations caused traffic. Chandigarh held Dussehra events across sectors and Panjab University, including a 100-foot-plus effigy in Sector 46. UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria urged a campaign against drug abuse, calling it modern society’s Ravana.

Mohali MC floats ₹21-crore tender for waste management overhaul

Amid a worsening garbage crisis, Mohali MC has floated a ₹21-crore tender for three segregation centres, two secondary collection points and the Samgauli plant, after ranking 128th in the 2024-25 cleanliness survey. The plan follows Jagatpura protests and closure of the Phase 8-B dump, as waste piles up and the court presses for a lasting solution.

7 years on, no sanctioned posts: Chandigarh Sector 48 hospital still depends on GMCH-32 medics

Chandigarh’s ₹28-crore, 100-bed Sector 48 hospital remains underused seven years after opening, lacking dedicated staff and offering inpatient care only in psychiatry and radiation oncology, undermining its goal of easing pressure on crowded hospitals. Residents avoid it amid treatment uncertainty, while GMCH-32 staff provide services. Required posts were not approved before its transfer to GMCH.

SC transfers trial of graft case against retd judge to Delhi

The Supreme Court transferred retired Allahabad High Court judge Narayan Shukla’s disproportionate-assets trial from Lucknow to Delhi, where his corruption case is pending. It directed Shukla and relatives to cooperate, while urging the CBI to expedite proceedings. Both cases concern alleged bribery and assets exceeding ₹2.5 crore, linked to a 2017 order favoring a debarred medical college.

Spice of Life: Simple joy of solitude: At home with yourself

Solitude is not loneliness but a chosen space that can nurture creativity, contentment and self-understanding, the writer argues, urging people to stop treating time alone as something requiring explanation. In a culture equating crowded social lives with connection, people may feel lonely among others yet peaceful alone. She hopes her son preserves this quiet freedom.

Vendor payments CBSE

CBSE’s finance section has no payment sanction for Coempt Edu Teck and no information on penalties, an RTI reply reveals, despite earlier assurances the vendor would be fined for glitches in its Class 12 online-marking system. Students reported blurred scripts, mismatched copies and scoring errors after May 13 results; contract terms allowed fines, and the Centre ordered a probe.

PARAKH rolls out monthly district-level interventions to address learning gaps

PARAKH launched a nationwide monthly teaching-and-assessment plan across 781 districts to address learning gaps identified by its 2024 survey, shifting focus from measuring performance to improving it. District teams will target weak competencies, provide remedial lessons and track progress through assessments. Surveying 2.1 million students in Classes 3, 6 and 9, it found achievement declined with grade.

From kirana stores to crypto: How Parimatch moved betting money abroad

The ED froze or seized ₹150 crore in its probe of betting platform Parimatch, which allegedly generated ₹3,000 crore from Indian users in 2023-24 and transferred proceeds offshore. Investigators say its laundering network used mule accounts, payment firms, agents, hawala, cryptocurrency and overseas investments. The case stems from a Mumbai cyber-police complaint; Parimatch was unavailable for comment.

‘Obesity an epidemic, govt must intervene: Obesity management experts

Obesity experts urge India to embed prevention and treatment in national health programmes, with protocols, stigma-free care, clearer food labels, healthier schools and awareness campaigns. Nearly half of Mumbai women and four in ten urban Maharashtra adults are overweight or obese. Experts warn abdominal fat heightens diabetes and heart risks; consensus offers 55 recommendations from 78 specialists.

No ticket on body not reason to deny railway accident compensation: HC

The Bombay High Court ordered the railways to pay ₹8 lakh to the parents of Sandeep Panda, 19, who died after falling from an overcrowded local train in 2015, ruling that a missing ticket for the fatal journey alone cannot defeat compensation claims. It overturned the tribunal’s rejection, citing gaps in the delayed railway investigation.

2 dead, 4 injured in fire at Saki Naka scrap godown

A fire at a scrap godown in Mumbai’s Saki Naka killed two people and injured four on Tuesday, including a 20-year-old with 80% burns. The injured were taken to hospital; three are serious and one is critical. Firefighters declared a Level-II blaze and brought it under control, but its cause and origin remain unknown as scrap fueled the flames.

‘Fed up with arrogance of Modi-Shah, India is awakening’: Uddhav Thackeray

Uddhav Thackeray said India was awakening against 12 years of poor governance under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, predicting their ouster and vowing Maharashtra would drive regime change. At his Dussehra rally, he condemned vote theft, voter-list deletions, police violence against Gen Z and inadequate drought aid, calling his party’s 1989 BJP alliance a mistake.

Iconic Amarsons gutted in fire, locals mourn the loss of their go-to store

A suspected electrical short circuit gutted Amarsons, Breach Candy’s 52-year-old department store, on Monday, destroying merchandise and equipment while leaving the building structurally safe. Customers and workers mourned the neighbourhood institution, and owner Vipin Vohra said losses were almost total but vowed to rebuild. Founded in 1975, Amarsons served many generations of South Mumbai shoppers.

Ex-Dombivali resident arrested in 28-year-old murder case

Police arrested Sandeep Krishnan, 46, in Patna, 28 years after he allegedly killed former brother-in-law Shailesh More over More’s divorce from Krishnan’s sister, then leaving his body on railway tracks to stage an accident. Two alleged accomplices remain at large. More was found on the tracks in 1998; investigators traced Krishnan via phone data and neighbours.

Manora MLA hostel redevelopment cost rises to ₹2,009 crore

The cost of redeveloping Mumbai’s Manora MLA hostel at Nariman Point has climbed to ₹2,009 crore, driven by additional floor-space-index charges and interior expenses, while officials say its two towers remain on schedule for inauguration by March 2028. One tower has reached its 34th floor and the other is complete. The project replaces four demolished, dilapidated blocks.

Court to hear Shehzeen Siddique’s plea for action against cop today

A special MCOCA court questioned whether Mumbai police exhausted legal options to secure accused Anmol Bishnoi’s presence in the Baba Siddique murder case, issuing investigator ACP Subhash Dhudhgaonkar a show-cause notice over alleged disregard of its directions. Police sought physical production, blocked by a Centre order, but reported no attempt to use video-conferencing. Siddique’s widow seeks further action.

Chhattisgarh: Rail connectivity reaches Rowghat; 1st since Independence

Rail connectivity reached Rowghat in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar for the first time since Independence as Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated the Tadoki–Rowghat section and launched passenger trains linking Rowghat–Raipur. The 17.5-km stretch completes a 95-km, ₹1,628-crore line, improving access to services and markets while enabling iron-ore transport; the project is set to reach Jagdalpur.

‘Protests are an international conspiracy to spread anarchy in India’: Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called protests against the Election Commission and BJP an “international conspiracy,” accusing opposition parties and foreign powers of fomenting anarchy at Shiv Sena’s Dussehra rally. He warned voters would punish opponents, defended EVMs and attacked Thackeray, whom he ousted in 2022. Former judge Srihari Davare joined the party.

Navratri fest concludes in Katra with spiritual fervour

Navratra Festival 2026 concluded Tuesday in Katra following religious, cultural and traditional programmes promoting pilgrimage tourism. Shobha yatras, Mata ki Kahani, dangal and devotional song competitions drew pilgrims, tourists, residents and artists. MP Jugal Kishore Sharma praised organisers for preserving traditions and connecting youth with heritage. Jammu tourism and Vaishno Devi Shrine Board organised it.