The sanctioned strength of all central government departments was 40,04,941 (as on March 1, 2020), of which 31,32,698 employees were in position then, he said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

Wang Yi expressed hope that the Taliban can draw a clear line between themselves and the East Turkistan Islamic Movement.

Imran Qayoom's family believes he had nothing to do with the militancy. The police, however, claim he was a militant and have buried his body in a far-off graveyard.

The plea has also sought a probe by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court, to see how and to what extent government agencies in India may have used the spyware.

'We believe that the Supreme Court can only instil confidence in people’s, and particularly women’s minds by transparently demanding and making public all answers relating to the use of Pegasus in India.'

It accused BJP MPs of "collectively insulting" Parliament by their behaviour in the meeting of Standing Committee on Information and Technology which was postponed on Wednesday due to lack of quorum.

People from Assam’s Barak Valley have enforced an ‘economic blockade’ of the National Highway that connects Assam with Mizoram, thus affecting supply of essential goods to Mizoram, according to reports.

This comical competitiveness stretches beyond duelling each other on the regional and global strategic chessboard, conducting tit-for-tat underground nuclear tests, to ordinary, everyday matters.

The silence of top govt functionaries on an issue of such magnitude and contorted arguments made in Parliament by ministers are perplexing.

After multiple adjournments in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, both the houses were adjourned till 11 am on Friday.