The Navhind Times

Panaji: With the state assembly election drawing closer, the BJP on Friday held a meeting in the city to take stock of the works carried out by its ministers over the past four-and-a-half years. Members of the state BJP core committee were also present at the meeting. State BJP president Damodar Naik said ministers, including []

Calangute: Former Saligao MLA and GFP minister in the Manohar Parrikar-led cabinet Jayesh Salgaonkar resigned from the BJP on Friday. I am announcing that I have resigned from the primary membership of BJP and also from all the party positions I was appointed to, Salgaonkar said at a press conference. He said he was doing []

Will bring greater transparency, address unauthorised operations Panaji: Minister for Transport and Panchayati Raj Mauvin Godinho on Friday said the government had outlined measures to streamline transport operations and improve the process of panchayat-level mapping and surveys across the state. Godinho said that, as far as the rent-a-cab segment was concerned, the government had completed []

PTI Visakhapatnam The government must take steps to correct systemic failures and society must be awakened to set right the system, senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader C R Mukunda said on Friday while addressing reporters at the conclusion of the three-day RSS coordination meeting. The demographic imbalance in some regions and its impact on []

Nestled in Sangolda, the newly opened Meraki Art Cafe serves up a different kind of experience, with a menu of art activities for visitors to try their hand at CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ The little purple door leading into the space hints at the beginning of a memorable adventure. And as you step inside []

PTI New Delhi In a major relief to law graduates, the Supreme Court on Friday reduced to a year the earlier mandatory requirement of three-year legal practice for them to take entry level judicial service examination. However, the selected candidates will have to undergo training at the judicial academy and a further one-year clerkship, a []

NT Reporter Panaji Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said that the Goa state assembly will take up as many as 13 bills on its first day, including supplementary appropriation bills, during the upcoming three-day monsoon session of the House, which is set to begin on August 31. These bills will be passed on the []

NT Reporter Panaji Prof Rajendra Gad has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Goa University. He replaces Prof Harilal Menon. Governor P Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who is the university Chancellor, has issued the appointment order. Gad will take charge of his post on August 25. Around 200 applicants had applied for the post of []

NT Reporter Pernem Chief Minister Pramod Sawant called upon the younger generation to shoulder the responsibility of building a developed India, saying the benefits of the countrys progress would largely belong to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Addressing a gathering on Independence Day at the historic Patradevi memorial, where 33 freedom fighters were martyred in []

PTI New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged political parties to rise above differences to help secure 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, called on the youth to take the lead in building a developed India, and warned that armed Naxalism has been eliminated but dimagi Naxals still lurked. In his []

NT Reporter Panaji Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday said the Goa Human Resource Development will create 6,000 to 8,000 jobs in the next six months, and linked the job creation to wider efforts on infrastructure, connectivity and cultural preservation. Addressing the people during the 80th Independence Day celebrations held near the old secretariat, the []

NT Reporter Panaji Goa recorded 40 cases of crime against foreign tourists between 2022 and 2024, with the police filing chargesheets in 28 cases. Trials were completed in four cases, resulting in two convictions, according to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha on August 13 by Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Shekhawat said tourism, including []

Abdul Wahab Khan Panaji A bacterium living on jellyfish found off the Goa coast has emerged as a promising source of a biodegradable polymer after researchers isolated it from Chrysaora and demonstrated its ability to rapidly produce exopolysaccharide (EPS), a class of biopolymers with potential applications ranging from food and cosmetics to pharmaceuticals and environmental []

As Goa prepares for ST reservation in four Assembly constituencies, questions arise over representation,political opportunity, rotation and whether the system will benefit those most in need MITHIL FALDESAI Four of Goas 40 Assembly constituencies are expected to be reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates in the upcoming election. This is exactly 10% of the Assembly, []

NT Reporter Curchorem Power Minister Ramkrishna Sudin Dhavalikar said people should remember the sacrifices of freedom fighters and patriots while enjoying the fruits of freedom. Today we are enjoying the fruits of freedom. But to achieve this, innumerable freedom fighters and patriots not only struggled but sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country, []

NT Reporter Bicholim Mayem MLA Premendra Shet on Saturday said people should be aware of their responsibility towards serving the nation, while Bicholim MLADr Chandrakant Shetye called for unity and secularism to strengthen the country. Shet hoisted the Tricolour at a function organised by the Deputy Collectors office in the presence ofShetye. People should be []

NT Reporter Margao The Benaulim BlockCongress on Saturday launched a drive to collect relief materials for people affected by floods in Assam, with the materials to becollected at its office from August 15 to 21. The drive was launched during a programme at the Benaulim Block Congress Office, where two young entrepreneurs, Lessley Pereira and []

NT Reporter Margao Benaulim AAP MLA Venzy Viegas on Saturday said citizens must question the government over their rights, while raising concerns over land conversion, paper leaks and the state of health and education. Speaking after unfurling the national flag at his office on Independence Day, Viegas said, For 79 years the national flag is []

Agencies New Delhi Days after the Bar Council of India (BCI) ordered State Bar Councils to freeze the enrolment of NALSARs entire 2026 graduating batch, only to withdraw the move following widespread criticism and a rebuke from the Supreme Court, BCI chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra has apologised to law students and said they must always []

PTI Faridabad Faridabad police have busted a fake call centre operating from a hotel in Delhis Rajouri Garden and arrested seven people, including its alleged mastermind, for cheating around 400 to 500 people, officials saidon Saturday. Faridabad police have arrested seven people, including the alleged mastermind of the racket, and recovered 14 mobile phones and []

PTI Chamoli (Uttarakhand) Rescuers on Saturday found one more dead inside a tunnel under construction inundated with water two days ago here, leading to the death of seven workers, with the clock ticking for the couple of workersstill inside. Twenty-two people were trapped inside the three-kilometre tunnel when the water rushed in around 7 pm []

Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat Nobody who watched India through the 1990s decades of hijackings, the Parliament attack, 26/11, hundreds of soldiers lost quietly to infiltration would have predicted where the country stands today. Uri broke something in 2016, when surgical strikes first openly put punitive cross-border action on the table. Balakot broke further []

DR. LUIS DIAS When first faced with the prospect of spending a whole week in Bengaluru, my heart sank. I had heard so much about the urban jungle it had become, and getting stuck in long traffic snarls when trying to get to any destination within the city. But my spirits lifted a lot when []

NT Reporter Mapusa Tourism and IT Minister Rohan Khaunte, in his Independence Day address at the Administrative Office in Bardez, outlined thegovernments vision of building a Viksit Goa by balancing economic development with the preservation of the states culture, heritage and identity. Khaunte said tourism would continue to remain the backbone of Goaseconomy, while stressing []

PTI New Delhi Cockroach Janta Party chief spokesperson Saurav Das on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his reference to dimagi Naxals in his Independence Day address, and said educated young people cannot be branded Naxalis merely for questioning the government. In his address from the Red Fort on the countrys 80th []

New Delhi: Former India batter VVS Laxman is emerging as the frontrunner to replace Ajit Agarkar as chairman of the BCCI selection committee after the latters extended tenure ends next month, according to a media report. Agarkar, whose original term ended in June, was given a three-month extension and was expected to continue until the []

They outclass FC Siolim 2-0 in the final; Joyson Gauncar shines with a brace Raia: Raia SC outclassed FC Siolim 2-0 to win the 53rd Custodio Memorial Cup, with Joyson Gauncar scoring both goals in the final. The hosts took the lead in the 15th minute when Joyson found the net with a neat finish []

Panaji: Goas International Master Ameya Audi produced a consistent run of performances during his European chess tour, registering three top-five finishes across tournaments in France and Spain. Ameya finished fifth with six points from nine rounds at the 400 Blows International Open in Montauban, France, and repeated the feat with six points at the 30th []

Open for coalition to defeat BJP: GPCC chief Panaji: Upset over the narrative that party chief and Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai was not cooperating with the Opposition MLAs, Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of Goa Forward Party (GFP) on Wednesday suspended alliance talks with the Congress. The Goa Forward Party clarified that it has not severed []

Panaji: Goas co-operative sector continues to face severe financial distress despite ongoing recovery efforts, with 44% of the states 5,611 primary co-operative societies identified by the Ministry of Cooperation as non-functional or under liquidation. Central ministry statistics presented in Parliament reveal that while 3,165 of the states total co-operative societies remain functional, 2,337 are non-functional []

Margao: Archbishop of Sindhudurg Agnelo Pinheiro urged the Catholic faithful to pursue lives of holiness and blamelessness that are acceptable to God. Pinheiro was the principal celebrant at the feast Mass of Nossa Senhora das Neves (Our Lady of Snows), popularly known as the Konnsache Fest, at Raia church on Wednesday. He delivered the homily []

Panaji: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday issued notices to the Goa government and other respondents on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Goa Bachao Abhiyan (GBA) challenging the alleged commercialisation of Panaji park, popularly known as Quarter Deck, on the banks of Mandovi River. The matter has been posted for []

Team to investigate alleged violations in Dodamarg, Sawantwadi Pernem: The Maharashtra government has ordered a probe into land transactions in the border talukas of Dodamarg and Sawantwadi following allegations of illegal land banking and violations of land and zoning regulations linked to the development of Manohar International Airport at Mopa. Speaking to reporters at Manohar []

On Parents Day, single parents share the challenges, choices, and realities of taking on two roles RAMANDEEP KAUR | NT NETWORK Single parents take on the role for different reasons. Some find themselves raising children alone after the death of a spouse, while others choose single parenthood or become single parents after leaving an unhappy []

PTI New Delhi Indias ancient Buddhist site of Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on Saturday, becoming the countrys 45th world heritage site. The decision was finalised during the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea. UNESCO announced the news on X []

PTI New Delhi The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on Saturday called off its 36-day agitation after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government accepted its other demands, a momentous win for the unprecedented youth-led movement that galvanised lakhs of people over irregularities in exams and the NEET paper leak. Pradhan announced his resignation []

NT Reporter Panaji Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) has accused its MLA Viresh Borkar of attempting to seize control of the organisation and further declared that he holds no authorised position within the party. The RGP, in a communiqu, charged that a conspiracy to gain control of the party and split the organisation was planned during []

Amresh Parab Panaji In a crackdown on traffic violations, the Goa Traffic Police recommended the suspension of 11,731 driving licences to the transport department between January and June this year. Two-wheeler riders made up the vast majority of cases, with non-helmet compliance accounting for over 73% of the total recommendations. According to statistics compiled by []

Abdul Wahab Khan Panaji In a major leap forward for traditional healthcare and conservation, a survey has documented the rich medicinal potential of mangroves along North Goa and Maharashtras Konkan coast. By linking centuries-old ecological wisdom with modern research, the study fills a long-standing knowledge gap providing a vital baseline for future scientific research, drug []

NT Reporter Panaji The Scientific and Technical Terminology Commission of Delhi under the Union Ministry of Education and the Goa Konkani Akademi have undertaken a project to develop scientific and technical terminology in various subjects, with the Zoology Basic Vocabulary Project now completedafter review. A workshop on comprehensive zoology vocabulary has begun at the Konkani []

NT Reporter Mapusa Banana traders at the Mapusa Sub-Yard Market have commenced operations at the newly built artificial ripening chamberson Saturday. The 60-tonne facilityuses an FDA-approved ripening process and became operational on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi. Traders inaugurated it by loading nearly two tonnes of green bananas into one of the four chambers. Former []

MITHIL FALDESAI The recent decision of 2025 Nobel laureate in Chemistry, Omar M. Yaghi to leave the United States and establish an Artificial Intelligence-assisted Materials Discovery Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing has become one of the most discussed developments in the scientific community. Yaghi pioneered Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs), porous crystalline materials with remarkable applications []

NT Reporter Panaji/Mapusa Tension prevailed inPanaji on Saturday after police detained a youth during a celebration rally at Azad Maidan marking the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The incident began around 6.30 pm when a youth, identified as Danish, was seen holding a placard that read Free Umar Khalid. Police intervened and detained []

NT Reporter Sankhali Thousands of Warkaris and devotees from Goa and neighbouring Maharashtra thronged the Shri Viththal-Rukmini Temple at Viththalapur in Sankhali, popularly known as Goas Prati Pandharpur, to celebrate Ashadhi Ekadashi. The temple premises echoed with chants of Dnyanoba Tukaram, Pundalik Varada Hari Viththal and Jai Jai Ram Krishna Hari as devotees gathered from []

NT Reporter Panaji Congratulating students on the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, an outcome of nationwide protests over the NEET-UG examination paper leak, Congress in Goa stressed theneed for education reforms and eradicating the corrupt system. Congress leader Yuri Alemao said Pradhans resignation is the victory of the youth of the country, who []

NT Reporter Panaji The Goa Forward Party has welcomed the resignation of the Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, calling it a victory for Indias youth, students and parents who fought for fairness, transparency and accountability in the education system. The youth and students of our nation have won; their relentless struggle for accountability and fairness []

NT Reporter Verna A 30-year-old tanker cleaner from Chhattisgarh died after allegedly coming into contact with a live electric wire near Billa Cross, Verna, late on Saturday night. Verna police said the incident occurred when a tanker was travelling from Verna towards Bambolim. As the vehicle reached Billa Cross area, there was a power outage []

NT Reporter Margao The Goa Lokayukta has registered a complaint against Margao MunicipalCouncil (MMC) chief officer Madhu Guno Narvekar following a grievance filed by former chairperson and Congress leaderSavio Coutinho. The complaint, filed under the Goa Lokayukta Act, 2011, alleges corruption, maladministration and abuse of authority in issuing a no objection certificate (NOC) to a []

DR. LUIS DIAS The name Homer today is more likely to conjure the portly yellow bumbling protagonist of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons than the ancient Greek poet, widely credited as the author of The Iliad and The Odyssey, two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. A film adaptation of []

Dr. Nandkumar M. Kamat This article aims to investigate the biochemical basis of the strong craving observed among Goans willing to pay any price to taste local wild edible Termitomyces species or roen olmi. Every monsoon, the first serving of roen olmi leaves even experienced mushroom lovers wondering why this wild delicacy tastes so satisfying. []