New Delhi, Dec 1: Gross enrolment under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY), a bid to create a universal social security system for all, especially the poor, the under-privileged and the workers in the unorganised sector, has reached 8,34,13,738 (as on October 31), the Parliament was informed on Monday.

APY was launched in 2015 with the objective of creating a universal social security system for all Indians. It is open to all citizens of India between 18 and 40 years of age who have a savings account in a bank or post office.

As per the Scheme, the subscriber will receive pension benefits on attaining the age of 60 years.

“Hence, the pension benefit under APY is expected to start from 2035 onwards. However, the gross enrolment under Atal Pension Yojana as on 31.10.2025 is 8,34,13,738,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question.

As on October 31, the female gross enrolment under APY is 4,04,41,135, which is 48 per cent of the total enrolment, she noted.

Further, in Bihar, the female gross enrolment under APY is 42,07,233, which is 57 per cent of the total enrolment in the state.

“As on 31.10.2025, a total of 7,153 Bank branches and 461 Post Office branches are enrolling people into APY in Bihar,” the Finance Minister stated.

The government and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have taken several steps to increase awareness and coverage of APY across the country, including rural and remote areas of Bihar.

These include periodic advertisements; APY Subscribers Information Brochure in 13 vernacular languages; and virtual capacity building programmes for Banking Correspondents (BCs) and field staff of Banks, Self Help Group (SHG) members, and bank-sakhis of State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs).

During the last five years, such programmes have been conducted across various districts of Bihar, including in Muzaffarpur, Patna, Bhojpur, and Nalanda.

Recently, financial inclusion campaigns for pension saturation were organised pan-India India including 8,093 such campaigns in Bihar, said Sitharaman.

Bhopal, Dec 1: The five-day Winter Session of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha started with vociferous protests and a novel play by the Opposition members in and outside the House on Monday.

As the day’s business began, Congress legislators led by the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly, Umang Singhar, braving the December cold, staged a symbolic protest that caught widespread media attention.

A group of Congress MLAs arrived holding posters highlighting the Coldrif cough syrup tragedy that killed over 25 children in Chhindwara and other adjoining districts a few months back.

The children, mostly under five years of age, suffered acute kidney failure and severe brain damage after consuming the contaminated syrup. Laboratory tests confirmed that the Coldrif syrup contained dangerously high levels of diethylene glycol (DEG), with one batch showing a concentration of nearly 48.6 per cent, significantly above the internationally accepted safe limit of 0.1 per cent.

The Opposition MLAs’ protest over the tragedy took a novel form as they performed a scripted play to highlight the Coldrif cough syrup tragedy. One woman Congress MLA played the role of demoness ‘Surpanakha’ and Singhar had a dialogue with her.

While this dramatic protest was going on, a group of Congress MLAs was standing in a circle with posters carrying slogans blaming the ruling BJP for the horrific incident.

“Corruption has peaked under the BJP government and the list of scams is growing. More than 25 innocent children have died due to the contaminated Coldrif cough syrup in Chhindwara,” Singhar told media persons.

He accused the BJP government of trying to suppress the Opposition’s voice and divert attention from public issues by curtailing the session’s length.

The five-day Vidhan Sabha session will have four sittings for discussion on key issues and at least three key Bills (Amendment) will be presented in the House.

For the ongoing Winter session, the Assembly Secretariat has received a total of 1,497 questions from the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the state.

It has also received 194 notices for calling-attention motions, six adjournment motions, 14 private members’ resolutions, 52 zero-hour submissions, two notices under Rule 139 and 15 petitions.

Mumbai: Mumbai witnessed a major security scare on Monday morning after Billabong High School in Santacruz received an email threatening a bomb explosion on the campus. The alarming message led an immediate and large-scale response from city authorities, placing the area on high alert.

According to reports, the school administration promptly informed the Mumbai Police after receiving the threat. Within minutes, teams from the police, the fire brigade, and the bomb detection and disposal squad rushed to the spot. The school premises were swiftly evacuated, ensuring that students, teachers and staff were moved to safety without panic.

Security forces then launched a thorough search of the building and surrounding areas. After an extensive sweep, officials confirmed that no explosive device had been found so far. Despite the relief, the area continues to remain under strict security checks as a precaution.

To ensure complete safety, authorities also evacuated adjacent structures. These included the Aajivasan Studio, owned by renowned singer Suresh Wadkar, and a wedding hall located within the same complex. Both premises, which often see considerable footfall, were emptied and cordoned off while bomb squads scanned every corner for potential threats. The entire locality has since been put under a security blanket, with multiple teams conducting checks and inspecting public access points.

Meanwhile, an email threatening to bomb the school administration of Singapore International School in Mira Road was received today morning at 9:30 am. The school administration immediately informed the police.

Kashimira Police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad arrived at the scene. The entire school has been evacuated and a large-scale search operation is underway.

The incidents have renewed concerns about the increasing frequency of hoax and threat emails targeting educational institutions. It comes barely weeks after a similar panic gripped Delhi on November 20, when at least three major schools, Sanskriti School and the British School in Chanakyapuri, and Modern School in Barakhamba, received bomb threat emails.

In those cases as well, police teams immediately conducted extensive inspections, eventually declaring that no suspicious objects had been found. Investigations into the origins of those emails are still underway.