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The onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala is expected on May 27, nearly four days in advance of its normal date, June 1. If realised, it will be the first time since 2010 that the monsoon has arrived over the southern state as early as May 27, as per the onset dates data maintained by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) In its bulletin on the monsoon onset released on Friday, the IMD said, “This year, the onset of the southwest monsoon is likely to be earlier than the normal date of onset. The monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be on May 27 with a model error of four days on either side.” On Thursday, the IMD said that the monsoon’s arrival over the South Andaman Sea was expected within the next two-three days.  In association with the enhanced cross-equatorial winds, conditions are becoming favourable for the advance of the southwest monsoon into the South Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and parts of the southeast Bay of Bengal around May 15.  The normal date for ...

Udaipur:  Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in sharp comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, said it was "painfully clear" that his "minimum government, maximum governance" policy meant keeping the country in a permanent state of polarisation, brutalising minorities and threatening political opponents. "Our eloquent PM" is silent when his healing touch is most needed, she said at a party "Chintan Shivir" that began at Rajasthan's Udaipur this afternoon. "PM Narendra Modi and his party keep calling for 'minimum government, maximum governance'... It means keeping the country in a permanent state of polarisation, compelling people to stay in a constant state of fear and insecurity. It means viciously targeting, victimising and brutalising minorities who are an integral part of our society and equal citizens of our republic," Sonia Gandhi alleged "It means using our society's age-old pluralities to divide us...

Mumbai:  Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad on Friday demanded strict action against a Twitter user who allegedly wrote on the micro-blogging site that the time has come to prepare "Baramati's Nathuram Godse for the 'Gandhi' of Baramati". The Twitter user, however, did not mention the name of any leader or political party in his purported comment. Baramati, a town in the Pune district of the state, is the home turf of NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar. Godse was the man who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948. "At what level all this is happening...take strict action against this wicked individual," Housing Development Minister Awhad tweeted in Marathi. Mr Awhad tagged police officials, including the state's director general of police and Mumbai's police commissioner, as he raised the demand on the micro-blogging site.   As per the screenshot shared by the minister along with his tweet, the social media user by the name of ...