The Navhind Times

Panaji: With the state government permitting up to 20 per cent Plaster of Paris (PoP) content in Ganesh idols for the forthcoming festival, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) will conduct random checks to ensure that the PoP content remains within the permissible limit. GSPCB scientist Mohan Girap said the pollution board, along with []

Panaji: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said required infrastructure and IT facilities are being provided to the police department to strengthen policing in the state. The police department is working to ensure safe Goa. We have reduced the police response time (to distress calls) to 9 minutes. We are trying to reduce it further, []

Panaji: The government has notified a Shelter Home Scheme to provide temporary accommodation and rehabilitation to persons of Goan origin aged 18 and above who lack family or social support. The shelter homes will accommodate 20 to 35 residents, with the government providing Rs 200 per resident per day, besides grants towards staff salaries, rent, []

Shoma Patnaik Panaji: In a boost to clean mobility in Goa, electric vehicles have regained popularity in the state after a slowdown in sales in 2025. EV sales touched 7,323 vehicles in the first seven months of this year, compared to 9,301 e-vehicles sold during the entire year in 2025, according to Climate Dot, a []

PTI New Delhi Underlining that students are the architects of Indias future, President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the government is taking comprehensive steps to reform public examinations to completely curb paper leaks and unfair means, making the system transparent, secure, and trustworthy. In her address to the nation on the eve of the countrys []

PTI New Delhi In a relief for the Tamil Nadu government, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed an order of the Madras High Court which quashed Chief Minister C Joseph Vijays order providing government jobs to relatives of people who died in a stampede at Karur last year. On July 10, Chief Minister Vijay distributed []

By C P Radhakrishnan On the occasion of the 80th Independence Day celebrations of Bharat, I extend my heartiest congratulations to each Bharatvasi. I also pay my respectful tributes to all freedom fighters who sacrificed themselves to secure independence for Bharat. Last week, during my visit to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, I had the []

PTI Ranchi The agitation by students demanding reforms in Jharkhands recruitment examination process entered its 21st day on Friday, with officials meeting protesters at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium amid plans for their Tiranga Yatra on Independence Day. The officials held discussions with the students, and also sought information about the proposed route for Saturdays procession. []

PTI Bhubaneswar/Balasore Fresh floods triggered by two days of heavy rainfall have affected at least six districts of Odisha, prompting authorities to move more than 41,000 people, officials said on Friday. Floodwater has affected 429 villages in 52 blocks across Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts, according to an official statement. The immediate []

Amresh Parab Panaji Goa witnessed a 10% surge in road accidents during the first six months of this year, recording 1,324 mishaps compared to 1,196 in the corresponding period in 2025. Despite the overall rise, over 58% (775 cases) were non-injury accidents where only vehicles suffered damage. However, the state recorded 136 fatal accidents that []

National Organ Donation Day was observed on August 3 to honour the families who chose to donate the organs of their loved ones after brain death and to encourage more people to pledge their organs GABRIEL PEREIRA One deceased organ donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and improve the lives of []

MIGUEL BRAGANZA Climate change has become a reality, and this years prolonged dry spells between periods of rain have allowed insect populations to multiply. The white-winged caseworm moth lays its eggs on rice paddy leaves. The caterpillars that hatch feed on the leaves, rolling them into cigar-shaped cocoons or cases. They then cut themselves free []

Phoenix Creations publication, Vhalshi, Bicholim, recently released three plays written by Jyoti Vyankatesh Sinari at the Gram Panchayat Hall, Amona. The collection includes Dharti Aaba, inspired by the life of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda and published by the Goa Konkani Akademi; Sankasur Kalo, a book on traditional drama; and Best of Luck, a Hindi []

Pronay Halder, Albino Gomes say closure will hurt Indian football New Delhi: India internationals Pronay Halder and Albino Gomes on Monday urged the Tata Group to reconsider its decision to pull Jamshedpur FC out of the Indian Super League (ISL), saying the clubs closure would be a setback for young footballers and Indian football. Jamshedpur []

New Delhi: A communication gap between the BCCI Centre of Excellences (CoE) sports science and medical team and the senior national selection committee has come under scrutiny after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka. It is learnt that the selectors were initially led to believe Bumrah would be []

Bambolim: Arsh Khan and Saish Sawant won medals for SS Dempo College of Commerce (Autonomous), Cujira, at the 57th Goa State Athletics Championship 2026, excelling in the U-20 category. TY BBA student Arsh Khan clinched silver in the U-20 mens long jump and bronze in the U-20 mens triple jump. He also finished with a []

VM Salgaocar Law College finish runner-up, Riyansha bags best judoka award Peddem: Don Bosco College, Panaji, were crowned overall champions in the Goa University Inter-Collegiate Womens Judo Championship 2026-27 at the SAG Multipurpose Hall, Peddem. VM Salgaocar College of Law, Miramar, finished runners-up, while Rosary College of Commerce and Arts, Navelim, claimed third place. Don []

NT Reporter Panaji Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that the state government has already urged the Centre to expedite the implementation of Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation in Goa, assuring that personal efforts to resolve the issue are ongoing. Speaking to reporters, Sawant expressed confidence that the central government will move forward with the proposal []

Cong wins MPs Datia, saffron party retains Manjalpur New Delhi: The BJP on Monday faced embarrassing defeats in Assembly bypolls in Bankipur of Bihar, where Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor wrested the seat vacated by the ruling party chief Nitin Nabin, as well as in Madhya Pradeshs Datia, lending ammunition to the Opposition, which []

Panaji: Goa must adopt rainwater harvesting at the household and community level to deal with increasingly erratic monsoon patterns, former National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) Chief Scientist Dr M R Ramesh Kumar said recently. Speaking on the Southwest Monsoon, El Nino, La Nina and climate change, Dr Kumar told The Navhind Times that the state []

Ponda: Days after the assistant jailor and noted litterateur Dr Ramnath Pandhari Gawade died by suicide, his wife has lodged a complaint with Ponda police alleging that harassment by senior officials at Colvale Central Jail drove him to take the extreme step. In her complaint, Rutika Gawade sought registration of an FIR against the jail []

Margao: Goa Forward Party (GFP) president Vijai Sardesai on Sunday said the rise of Gen Z had reshaped politics and could no longer be ignored, as the party announced a statewide yatra to engage with people across Goa ahead of the Assembly elections. Gen Z has woken and shown that when we ignore them they []

Valpoi: The state government will introduce a pension scheme for full-time rural journalists, who have completed 50 years of age, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said this at the Patrakar Din 2026 programme at Ravindra Bhavan, Sankhali. Sawant also said the government would introduce special welfare schemes for senior journalists, under which eligible journalists would be []

New Delhi: The first batch of Indian athletes, including ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and Lovepreet Singh, returned home to a heros welcome after a successful Commonwealth Games (CWG) campaign with hundreds of fans lining up to receive them at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday. Olympic medallist Mirabai clinched her third successive Commonwealth []

5,792 people shifted to 209 relief camps across state Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Sunday said eight people had died, eight remained missing, and 13 were injured after heavy rain triggered landslides, flooding and widespread damage across the state on Saturday. In a statement issued by his office, Satheesan said 27 houses []

New Delhi: A man threw a slipper at Independent MP Pappu Yadav during a press conference at his house on Sunday after the lawmaker defended his skit inside the Parliament House complex on the alleged theft of donations at the Ram temple, leading to a scuffle between his supporters and the attacker. Yadav was addressing []

New Delhi: Indias installed solar power capacity has surged by a massive 50-fold from a mere 3 GW in 2014 to scale the 162.15 GW mark till June 30, 2026, marking the dawn of a new era in renewable energy, according to a factsheet issued by the government on Sunday. The country added 37 GW []

Arrest seven accused, expose 313 mule bank accounts Panaji: In one of the largest coordinated operations against cyber-enabled financial crime in recent years, Goa Police has arrested seven accused, issued notices to 24 others and identified over 300 mule bank accounts linked to cyber frauds worth over Rs 2.5 crore by launching Operation Cyber Vigil, []

First Goan to win MMA India Youth National title Panaji: Erica De Sequeira created history by becoming Goas first MMA India Youth National Champion, securing the youth national title after an unbeaten run at the championship. Representing Goa under MMA India, the national governing body for amateur mixed martial arts affiliated with the International Mixed []

Yamini Mourya settles for silver to complete Indias rich judo medal haul India celebrated a landmark day in judo as Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh clinched historic gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, becoming the countrys first-ever womens and mens champions in the sport here on Friday. Competing in the womens 48kg category, the []

Weightlifter Lovepreet Singh produced a Commonwealth Games record in snatch to claim a silver medal, while discus thrower Seema Kaliramna added a bronze as India enjoyed another productive day at the Commonwealth Games. Lovepreet lifted a Games record 176kg in snatch before finishing with an aggregate of 388kg (176kg+212kg), just one kilogram behind New Zealands []

Everbrightson, Lamurang score a goal each in their 2-0 win Shillong: Shillong Lajong FC began their Durand Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Nongkseh Sports and Cultural Club in the Shillong derby. Everbrightson Sana and Tremiki Lamurang struck in the second half to hand Shillong Lajong all three points after a goalless opening half. []

Issues slew of directions to Centre, states New Delhi: Taking note of accidents due to stray animals on roads, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre and the state governments to develop a mechanism for payment of compensation in such accidents. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh issued a slew []

Special Correspondent Panaji: Stating that Assembly sessions should be longer, state legislative Assembly Speaker Ganesh Gaonkar on Friday indicted that the forthcoming monsoon session of the House could be extended if need be. At least one session of the year should ideally be of 30 days to give members enough time to participate and raise []

Panaji: Goa has recorded its fourth lowest July rainfall in the last 15 years, despite a late revival of the southwest monsoon during the month, with the state ending July with a 34 per cent rainfall deficit. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) data shows that Goa received 690.4 mm of rainfall during July against the []

NT Reporter Vasco Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said the state government would place before the Cabinet a proposal to regularise houses in the Goa Housing Board Colony at New Vaddem for a nominal fee of around Rs 10,000, with other charges proposed to be waived. Sawant was speaking while distributing 120 allotment letters []

NT Reporter Panaji Demand for a high-level and transparent inquiry has been raised into the alleged death by suicide of Assistant Jailor Dr Ramnath Pandhari Gawade, 54, a prison officer, litterateur and resident of Mangeshi. Villagers of Mangeshi urged the government to ascertain whether official pressure or administrative lapses played any role, and to ensure []

Ahead ofthe Goa stint of theChandni Bar Tour 2.0, DJ Chetas reflects on a career built on music and nostalgia VINIKA VISWAMBHARAN For more than a decade, Chetas Shah, better known as DJ Chetas, has been one of the biggest names shaping Indias party scene. Ranked World No. 33 on the DJ MAG Top 100 []

Dheeraj Gaonkars interest in old frames and handcrafted pieces grew into The Canca Project, a decor studio in Mapusa CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ Dheeraj Gaonkar has always been drawn to objects with history, craftsmanship and character. I enjoy discovering items with history and finding ways to bring them into contemporary spaces, he says. What []

DEEPIKA RATHOD When we think of vitamin C, the first thing that usually comes to mind is its role in boosting immunity. But did you know that vitamin C does so much more? Not only does it help strengthen the immune system, but it also benefits our skin and overall health. Vitamin C is essential []

NT Reporter Panaji Cracking the whip on negligence following internal inquiries, the state government on Thursday suspended 13 personnel from the Electricity Department, including three assistant engineers (AEs), three junior engineers and subordinate staff, on charge of dereliction of duties in connection with electricity related fatal accidents. Apart from this action, showcause notices have been []

Preserve ammunition log of RAF deployed at Jantar Mantar New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said that pellet guns cannot be banned as long as the existing advisory permits their use for crowd control in exceptional circumstances by security agencies, while making it clear that allegations of specific misuse can be examined on a []

Meeting discusses supply chain constraints New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday discussed with a group of senior ministers the prevailing geo-political situation in West Asia and measures to keep supply chains uninterrupted despite conflicts surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, the Black Sea, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. The extended cabinet []

40 varieties planted at Codar to preserve germplasm, genetic diversity Shahin Bepari Lambe Panaji: In an effort to conserve Goas mango heritage, the Government Agricultural Farm at Codar in Ponda taluka has planted 40 indigenous mango varieties across 0.7 hectare to preserve the states native mango germplasm and genetic diversity for future generations. The plantation []

NT KURIOCITY St. Xaviers Institute, Curtorim, held its prize distribution ceremony and PTA annual general body meeting at the school hall. President of the Goa Council of Ayurvedic and Allied System of Medicine, Dr Sneha Pranav Bhagwat, was the chief guest. The programme was attended by chairperson Maria Carma Mendonca, manager Melroy Fernandes, headmistress Melania []

NT KURIOCITY Daivadnya Samaj, Margao felicitated meritorious students from the community who excelled in the Goa Board, CBSE and ICSE streams at a function held at Daivadnya Bhavan, Margao. The honours included Class 10 students who secured more than 85% marks and Class 12 achievers in the overall category and various streams. The overall Class []

NT KURIOCITY Atotal of 42 Junior Division NCC cadets from seven schools in Bardez participated in a drawing and painting competition organised by the Ex-NCC Cadets Association, Goa in collaboration with Janata High School, Mapusa, to mark the 27th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas. The competition was held at Shri Raghunath Anant Tople Sabhagruha, Mapusa []

NT KURIOCITY Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) will organise the 4th All Goa Inter-School Tiatr Competition 2026 from August 3 to 12 at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, with six schools from across the state participating. The competition will be inaugurated on August 3, 3.15 p.m. Dr Ernesto Rodrigues will be the chief guest, while director of []

PTI New Delhi Over-speeding caused 82,124 road accidents in India in 2025, accounting for around 16% of all road accidents, the Parliament was informed on Thursday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said driving on the wrong side and lane indiscipline caused 4,089 accidents, followed by []

NT Reporter Margao The South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA)-owned retail fish market is facing poor infrastructure, choked drains and inadequate sanitation, prompting regular customers and citizens to demand immediate action fromthe authorities. The market, once envisioned as a facility modelled on international shopping standards, is now facing neglect, with vendors allegedly occupying common []