At least 40 people fell ill, with four in critical condition, after allegedly consuming adulterated toddy laced with sedative pills in the Gundadam area of Tiruppur district, police said on Sunday.. While the sale of unfermented ‘Neera’ is permitted under specific regulations in the state, the sale of fermented toddy remains illegal in Tamil Nadu. (HT Photo/Representational Image). The victims, mostly local farm labourers, complained of severe vomiting, dizziness, and fainting shortly after consuming the fermented palm wine from an illegal vending point near a coconut grove on Saturday evening.. According to preliminary investigations, the toddy was allegedly spiked with a cocktail of sedative tablets, often used in psychiatric treatments, to increase its intoxicating effect.. “Four individuals who were found unconscious were rushed to the Dharapuram Government Hospital and later shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for specialised treatment. Their condition is stated to be stable but they remain under observation,” a senior police official said.. Also read: Ghaziabad: 42-yr-old man jumps to death from 13th floor, mother found dead inside home. The local administration has launched a massive crackdown on illegal toddy tapping and vending in the Gundadam and Dharapuram belts. The Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) has reportedly sealed several sites and seized samples of the contaminated beverage for forensic analysis.. Also read: Ropeway trolley returning from temple falls in Chhattisgarh; 1 dead, 6 injured. While the sale of unfermented ‘Neera’ is permitted under specific regulations in the state, the sale of fermented toddy remains illegal in Tamil Nadu. This has often led to the rise of illicit “shacks” where vendors use harmful additives like alprazolam or chloral hydrate to mimic the strength of high-quality toddy.. Further investigation is underway. 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, became the longest serving head of government in India. He surpassed former Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling’s record of 8,930-day to reach the milestone. Modi has entered his 8,931t day in public life as a head of government, first as Gujarat chief minister and now as Prime Minister.. The Prime Minister had completed 25 years as head of government in October last year. (AFP). Modi was the chief minister from October 2001 to May 2014, before he was elected as the PM. He is the also first Prime Minister born after Independence and is the third longest-serving PM of India, behind Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. In October 2025, PM Modi had entered the 25th year of his tenure as head of government.. Check the full list of longest serving head of governments in India. While Modi tops the list now, for the longest time, former Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling was the longest serving head of government, having been in office for 25 years from 1994 to 2019.. Also Read: PM Modi becomes longest-serving head of government with 8,931 days in office. Third on the list is former Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik, who held the office from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. The BJD leader is one of India’s longest serving CMs.. Fourth on the list is veteran West Bengal leader Jyoti Basu, who governed the state from 1977 to 2000, emerging as one of India’s most enduring political figures. He remains the longest-serving Chief Minister of West Bengal, with a tenure spanning more than 23 years.. Fifth is former Arunachal Pradesh CM Gegong Apang who held office January 1980 to January 1999 and again from 4 August 2003 to 9 April 2007.. Wishes pour in for PM Modi. Senior Union ministers hailed PM Modi for achieving the milestone. They said the achievement reflects his unwavering commitment to nation-first governance, welfare of the poor, and elevating India’s global standing.. Defence minister Rajnath Singh noted that Modi has become the longest-serving head of government in India, describing Modi’s journey as one of continuous service marked by integrity, dedication, and tireless efforts for citizens.. Home minister Amit Shah said Modi’s decades of “seva” have defined an era of transformation, crediting him with reshaping India’s development trajectory. Union ministers including JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and BJP leaders echoed similar sentiments, stating that the “Modi era” has set new benchmarks in governance and national progress. 

 The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Raijor Dal on Sunday announced key changes to their candidate lists for the upcoming Assam Assembly elections, with TMC releasing a consolidated list of nominees and Raijor Dal issuing a revised final list following a seat-sharing agreement with opposition allies.. TMC fields candidates across Assam regions,. The TMC released a list of 23 candidates, combining its first and second rounds of announcements, covering constituencies across lower, central and upper Assam, as well as the Barak Valley.. The party has fielded Udangsri Narzary from Baokhungri, Mominur Islam from Bilasipara, Arif Akhtar Ahmed from Jaleswar and Sherman Ali Ahmed from Mandia, among others. In the Kamrup region, Bhoglal Rabha has been named from Boko-Chaygaon (ST), Bikash Nath Yogi from Palasbari and Rojy Ahmed (Funu Das) from Hajo-Sualkuchi (SC), while Avijit Mazumdar will contest from Guwahati Central.. In upper Assam, Narendra Kumar Paw has been fielded from Dhemaji (ST), Jiten Nag from Digboi, Dilip Moran from Makum and Inus Kumar Kandapan from Chabua-Lahowal, while Paresh Borah will contest from Mariani.. In the Barak Valley, the party has nominated Tapas Das from Udharbond, Fazlur Rahman Laskar from Katigorah and Shahajahan Laskar from Sonai. Parimal Ranjan Roy and Aziz Ahmed Khan (Ranu Khan) have been named from Karimganj North and Karimganj South, respectively.. The party also said the candidature of Dulu Ahmed from the Chamaria constituency, announced in its first list, has been withdrawn following an amendment issued on March 22.. Meanwhile, Raijor Dal announced its revised and final list of candidates after entering into an opposition alliance in the state and agreeing to a seat-sharing arrangement, leading to the withdrawal of its nominees from three constituencies.. The list includes party president Akhil Gogoi, who has been renominated from Sibsagar, and Congress MLA Abdur Rashid Mandal, who recently joined Raijor Dal, from East Goalpara. Another Congress MLA, Sherman Ali Ahmed, who had also defected to the party earlier this month, was not given a ticket.. The party initially did not name a candidate for Bokakhat in the revised list, but on Sunday evening it announced Hariprasad Saikia from the seat, replacing Ratan Dao, who had been named earlier.. It named Rahul Chhetry from Margherita after alliance partner Congress’ nominee Prateek Bordoloi withdrew following his father, Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi, quitting the Congress to join the BJP.. Other nominees announced by the party include Abul Mian from Gauripur, Anjan Talukdar from Manas, Azizur Rahman from Dalgaon, Mehbob Muktar from Dhing, Pradip Kumar Baruah from Kaliabor, Alok Nath from Tezpur, Dulal Chandra Baruah from Sissiborgaon and Gyanashree Bora from Mariani.. The announcements come amid ongoing seat-sharing negotiations and candidate adjustments among opposition parties ahead of the Assembly polls.. Assam will go to polls on April 9, and the last date f 

 Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath said on Sunday that while Artificial Intelligence (AI) can serve as an effective aid for the judiciary, it can “never replace judges or the work they do.”. Supreme Court judge Vikram Nath highlights limits of AI in judiciary (Representative photo). Speaking at a conference organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association in Bengaluru on global perspectives on judicial governance and the role of AI, Justice Nath spoke about the limits of technology in legal decision-making.. He said, “While AI may assist with research and improve efficiency, it cannot substitute the trained mind of a lawyer or the ethical and disciplined judgment that a judge must exercise.”. “Technology may help draft a note, collate data, etc., but it can never replace a judge or the work that judges do,” he added.. Emphasising that there is no fixed formula for judicial decision-making, Justice Nath said, “Even cases arising from the same law require different approaches based on facts and context. AI cannot grasp or replicate this nuance.”. In matters such as bail or commercial settlements, he said judges often make differentiated assessments. “In a case involving ten accused in the same FIR, a judge may grant bail to nine and deny it to one. AI cannot make that distinction,” he said.. He added, “While AI can widen access and improve transparency, it also carries certain risks.”. Justice Nath urged the legal community to engage with AI responsibly, without compromising core judicial values. 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level review on Sunday at a time when global oil markets remain volatile, with Brent crude trading at around $109 a barrel after touching an intraday high of $119 amid West Asia conflict.. PM Narendra Modi chairs a high-level meeting to review the evolving West Asia situation. (HT Photo). The meeting came even as an LPG tanker from the United States docked along India’s western coast, offering some supply relief amid mounting concerns over energy security. Track US-Israel and Iran war live updates. Tensions in West Asia, however, showed no signs of easing. US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could target Iranian power infrastructure if Tehran does not lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a critical global oil transit route – within 48 hours.. The Iranians, on their side, are also belligerent and have attacked a nuclear facility in central Israel in response to Tel Aviv attack on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran. On top of all this, the Houthi rebels have also threatened to join in the war with Iran with a threat to shipping in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.. The Prime Minister, while chairing the meeting, focused on keeping essential sectors running smoothly.. HT has learnt that the discussions centred on petroleum, crude oil, gas, power and fertiliser supplies, with an emphasis on ensuring there are no disruptions on the ground.. PM Narendra Modi chairs high-level meent with focus on ensuring uninterrupted supply, stable logistics and efficient distribution across the country. (HT photo). Modi also reviewed logistics and distribution networks in detail, stressing the need to maintain steady supplies across the country and prevent any bottlenecks.. Since the onset of the war, retail petrol and diesel prices for regular consumers have largely remained unchanged, however there has been a notable uptick in other fuel categories, marking the first significant revision since March 2024.. Industrial diesel, in particular, has seen a sharp rise of around 25%, reflecting the pressure from global price movements amid the ongoing conflict.. Officials indicated that the government is closely monitoring the situation, with a clear focus on safeguarding domestic supply. While addressing a press conference earlier this week, Sujata Sharma, a joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, said that New Delhi may revisit its fuel export plans if required to ensure adequate availability in the local market.. “Domestic consumption is priority, and the government will review (the export plan),” she added. Notably, India is one of the world’s largest refining hubs.