Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said the government will introduce a FASTag-based annual pass for private vehicles, priced at Rs 3,000, effective from August 15, in a step towards hassle-free highway travel.

 A case has been registered against some online news channels for allegedly publishing opinion polls in connection with the Ludhiana West bypoll scheduled to be held on Thursday.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday asked what was the need to "impose" Hindi on students and appealed to schools in Maharashtra to foil the government's "hidden agenda to deliberately create a language divide".

YSRCP chief and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday embarked on a visit to Rentapalla village in Palnadu district amid police restrictions to call on the family of a party worker who recently died by suicide.

The Madras High Court on Monday orally directed the Tamil Nadu police to arrest an ADGP ranked official in connection with a kidnap case and he was secured minutes later.

Karnataka IT Minister and Congress leader Priyank Kharge has alleged that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) denied him clearance for an official visit to the United States, despite his participation being scheduled at two major international events.

Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted with giant ash and smoke plumes again on Wednesday after forcing evacuations of villages and flight cancellations, including to and from the resort island of Bali.

The Maharashtra government has withdrawn its earlier mandate making Hindi a compulsory third language in primary schools. In a revised Government Resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday, students in Classes 1 to 5 studying in Marathi and English-medium schools will now have the option to choose another Indian language instead of Hindi, provided certain conditions are met.