Category: India

Amul denied allegations of worms in its curd served on a Vande Bharat train after a viral video sparked outrage. The company said contamination was ‘scientifically impossible’ due to sealed packaging and traced the issue to infested serving trays. Railways fined IRCTC and the vendor Rs 60 lakh and terminated the contractor over hygiene lapses.

In a strongly worded clarification issued in the wake of a viral food safety controversy, dairy giant Amul dismissed allegations regarding the presence of live worms in its Dahi (curd) cups. The incident, which reportedly occurred on March 15, 2026, aboard the Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express, sparked widespread outrage after a passenger posted video evidence of insects crawling near the food.

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Issued in Public interest by Amul pic.twitter.com/v8LJquqpck

— Amul.coop (@Amul_Coop) March 27, 2026

While the Ministry of Railways responded with a staggering Rs 60 lakh in combined fines against IRCTC and the onboard vendor, Amul maintains that its product was not the source of the contamination.

Following a comprehensive internal audit and a high-level meeting with IRCTC officials, Amul stated that an infestation within its production cycle is ‘scientifically and operationally impossible.’ The company highlighted that its Dahi is manufactured in ISO-certified plants governed by rigorous Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

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Live worms and insects were found in the Amul Dahi that was served to passanger on board 21896 Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat on March 15. In a landmark decision, Railways has penalized IRCTC with ₹10 lakh and the service provider with ₹50 lakh. pic.twitter.com/zrAae3Wgay

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) March 25, 2026

According to the dairy major, the acidic nature of the curd and the vacuum-sealed, oxygen-free environment of the packaging are biologically incompatible with the survival or reproduction of weevils. Furthermore, the company noted that the cold chain requirements for dairy products differ fundamentally from the dry, warm conditions pests require to thrive.

The investigation took a major turn when Amul’s audit of the value chain revealed that the specific batch in question was not even supplied through the company’s authorised distribution network. Amul’s analysis of the consumer-posted video suggests a different origin for the pests: the serving trays.

Insects Originated From Infested Tray, Says Amul

The company stated that the insects likely originated from an infested tray provided by the onboard catering staff rather than the sealed curd container itself. This aligns with the Ministry of Railways’ decision to terminate the contract of the private service provider, Krishna Enterprises, citing gross negligence in maintaining hygiene standards.

Despite Amul’s defence, the Ministry of Railways has maintained a zero-tolerance stance, slapping a Rs 50 lakh fine on the vendor and a Rs 10 lakh fine on IRCTC for a serious deficiency in service. The incident led to a nationwide discussion on the quality of catering in India’s flagship premium trains.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/amul-denies-infestation-claims-in-vande-bharat-curd-row-points-to-third-party-serving-trays

 

Spread over 11,742.45 acres, the Noida International Airport will be home to an 87-acre multi-modal cargo hub, a 40-acre maintenance, repair and operation hub

The Noida International Airport will be among the country’s most important greenfield projects, will ease congestion at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, and will serve as a major boost to the country’s logistics sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, a day ahead of its inauguration.

“Tomorrow… is a day of immense importance for the people of Uttar Pradesh and NCR. Phase 1 of Noida International Airport will be inaugurated. This will boost commerce and connectivity. It will ease congestion at the IGI Airport in Delhi. The Noida airport is among the key greenfield projects in our nation. In addition to passenger services, it will have a robust cargo ecosystem thus boosting the logistics sector,” the PM posted on X.

Spread over 11,742.45 acres, the airport will be home to an 87-acre multi-modal cargo hub, a 40-acre maintenance, repair, and operation hub, and will be the most energy-efficient project of its kind, officials said.

“The Noida International Airport is poised to become India’s largest airport upon completion with an ultimate capacity to serve 225 million passengers per annum, serving as a key catalyst for economic growth and connectivity across NCR,” said Shailendra Bhatia, additional CEO of the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) and nodal officer for Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL).

The airport is planned to be developed in two stages. Capacity will be expanded from 70 million passengers to 225 million over the two stages. The first stage will have four phases, where annual passenger footfall is expected to grow from 12 million to 70 million.

A 40-year concession agreement was signed between NIAL and Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL) – a 100% subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG – for development of Stage 1. As part of Stage 1, the airport will be constructed in four phases across 1,334 hectares and will have two runways with a final handling capacity of 70 million passengers per annum. Phase 1 will handle 12 million passengers annually.

Multi-modal cargo hub

The airport has allocated 87 acres for development of a Multi-Modal Cargo Hub, which will house an integrated cargo terminal, warehouse, and logistics zone. Approximately 30 acres will be used for domestic, international, and express courier terminals.

“A total investment of ₹800 crore in Phase 1 has been made for the cargo hub, with expected total investment of ₹3,200 crore after the final phase. The cargo terminal is designed to handle 255,000 metric tonnes of cargo per annum, which will be scaled to handle 1.8 million metric tonnes,” said RK Singh, NIAL CEO.

First airport with MRO

The airport will become the first in the country to have an in-house Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facility. NIAL has allocated 40 acres of land for MRO operations and recently entered into a partnership with SNV Aviation Private Ltd (Akasa Air) to develop, operationalise, and manage the facility, which will be developed over 1.54 acres with an estimated investment of ₹60 crore.

Two ponds have been created for rainwater harvesting to ensure sustainable water supply. A sewage treatment plant of 3 MLD capacity is planned to treat sewage generated from airport operations. An 82.94-acre solar farm with a power generating capacity of 51,966 megawatts has been established.

US President Donald Trump held a “productive” conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week, the White House said on Friday.

US President Donald Trump held a “productive” conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week, the White House said on Friday.

According to The New York Times, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk also joined the call on Tuesday, during which the leaders discussed the situation in West Asia.

“President Trump has a great relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and this was a productive conversation,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to PTI.

In a post on X, PM Modi shared the diplomatic exchange, stating that both sides called for an “open, secure and accessible” Strait of Hormuz and reiterated India’s stance on de-escalation and peace amid the US-Iran war.

“Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia. India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability,” the PM stated in his post.

Why Elon Musk joined the Trump-Modi call?

Elon Musk joined a phone call on Tuesday between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump in a rare instance of a private citizen being part of a conversation between two heads of state during a wartime crisis, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed US officials.

The report, which cited two US officials confirming Musk’s presence, suggested the world’s richest man may be back on better terms with Trump after a fallout last year following his exit from the administration, where he had been tasked with cutting the federal workforce.

It remains unclear why Musk was included in the call or whether he spoke during the conversation.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/first-deals-then-diplomacy-inside-pakistans-return-to-relevance-amid-west-asia-conflict-101774580625525.html

A federal judge on ​Friday said Colgate-Palmolive (CL.N), must face two lawsuits claiming its packaging for mouth ‌rinse misleads parents into believing children under 6 can use the products safely. The judge dismissed a similar lawsuit concerning Colgate toothpaste.
Consumers in the proposed class actions said U.S. health authorities warned that children ​under 6 should not use fluoride rinses, and recommended that children between 2 ​and 6 use only “pea-sized” amounts of fluoride toothpaste.

They said Colgate’s packaging, featuring ⁠bright colors and flavors such as Bubble Fruit and Silly Strawberry, made it ​seem safe for young children to use rinses, and to use as much toothpaste as ​older children and adults. Fluoride can be harmful if swallowed.
U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood in Chicago said reasonable consumers might not know where to draw the line for rinses, given how most Colgate labels ​prominently featured the words “kids” or “children’s.”
She said she was unpersuaded by Colgate’s insistence that consumers ​would know rinses are over-the-counter drugs and check the back labels, which contain required U.S. Food and ‌Drug ⁠Administration warnings for young children.

Toothpaste was different, the judge said, because the labels expressly instructed that children between 2 and 6 use pea-sized amounts.
“Viewed in context, the toothbrush with a full strip of toothpaste is there only to represent the act of toothbrushing,” ​Wood wrote.
Colgate, based in ​New York, and its ⁠lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Michael Connett, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said courts have been receptive to ​deceptive labeling claims. “These rulings will hopefully send a wake-up call to ​manufacturers to ⁠stop promoting unsafe use of fluoride products,” he said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/colgate-must-face-lawsuits-over-safety-mouth-rinse-young-children-2026-03-27/

RSP leader Balendra Shah will be sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister today, becoming the youngest to hold the post. The 35-year-old secured a landslide victory with 182 of 275 seats in the March 5 elections. His rise signals a major political shift, driven by public demand for reform and corruption-free governance.

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In a historic political shift, Balendra Shah, leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal on Friday. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at the President’s Office in Sheetal Niwas, Kathmandu, at 12:34 pm local time today.

The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, popularly known as ‘Balen,’ is set to become the youngest elected Prime Minister in Nepal’s history and the first leader from the Madhes region to assume the country’s top executive post. His elevation comes a day after he was unanimously elected as the parliamentary party leader of the RSP, formally clearing the path for his appointment.

Sweeping Victory For Balen Shah’s RSP In Recent Polls

Shah’s rise follows a sweeping electoral mandate in the March 5 parliamentary elections, where the RSP secured a commanding 182 out of 275 seats in the House of Representatives. The victory marks a dramatic political realignment, with the party capitalising on public demand for generational change and a corruption-free governance model, particularly after last year’s youth-led protests.

 

Zubeen Garg Death Case: Singapore Court Rules No Foul Play, Calls It Accidental Drowning

A Singapore court has delivered a significant ruling in the death case of Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, bringing clarity to the circumstances surrounding his tragic demise. The court concluded that there is no evidence of foul play in the incident, putting to rest months of speculation and controversy.

Zubeen Garg had passed away on September 19, 2025, in Singapore while he was on a trip for a cultural event. The 52-year-old singer reportedly entered the water during a yacht outing near Lazarus Island and later lost consciousness. Despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead at a hospital.

Following his death, multiple theories surfaced, with some alleging negligence and even conspiracy. However, investigations conducted by Singapore authorities consistently indicated otherwise. The Singapore Police had earlier stated that they did not suspect foul play in the case and that findings would be presented during a coroner’s inquiry.

During the proceedings, the court examined medical and forensic reports, along with witness statements. It was revealed that Garg had entered the water without a life jacket and was heavily intoxicated at the time, factors that contributed to the fatal incident.

After reviewing all evidence, the Singapore court ruled that the singer’s death was accidental, caused by drowning, and found no proof to support claims of any criminal involvement.

 

Source: https://www.spotboye.com/music/music-news/zubeen-garg-death-case-singapore-court-rules-no-foul-play-calls-it-accidental-drowning/69c4d95cfae473ec3db5f37e

A tragic road accident in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, resulted in the deaths of five individuals. The incident occurred around 3 am when a speeding Scorpio collided with an auto, killing four family members returning from a temple visit.

Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong argued that India and China should strengthen communication and coordination and jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

India and China achieved “remarkable” development in the last few decades because of their “hard work” not due to the “generosity” of others, Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong said on Thursday. He rejected the claims that outside powers fuelled Beijing’s economic rise. Xu’s remarks are largely seen as a rebuttal to recent remarks by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who recently characterised past US economic support for China as a “mistake” that Washington will avoid repeating with New Delhi.

“In recent decades, both China and India have achieved remarkable development. These achievements are built on the hard work and wisdom of our own people, supported by global cooperation, and are by no means the result of others’ generosity,” the envoy said while speaking at the 14th China-India Youth Dialogue.

“China and India are neighbours that cannot be moved apart. It should be the right choice for both sides to be good-neighbourly friends and partners that help each other succeed, and realise the Dragon-Elephant Tango,” he said.

“However, some people are unwilling to see China and India live in harmony. They deliberately amplify our differences, hype up the so-called ‘China threat’, and hope to profit from discord between our two countries,” Xu said.

In a thinly veiled dig at the US, the Chinese ambassador, without naming any country, said certain elements do not want to see China and India live in harmony and “hype up” the “so-called China threat”, hoping to profit from the “discord”.

In an address at the Raisina Dialogue earlier this month, Landau said that the US will not repeat the mistake of providing India the same type of economic advantages it gave China that helped Beijing become a key competitor of the US.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/india-chinas-growth-built-on-hard-work-not-due-to-foreign-generosity-beijings-envoy-veiled-dig-at-us-article-153932432

Petroleum Ministry said panic buying and misinformation are being spread via social media, but domestic production and imports fully secure supply.

LPG, Fuel Shortage In India: The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has confirmed that India’s fuel and LPG supplies are fully secure. All retail outlets have sufficient stock. Panic buying and misinformation are being spread via social media, but domestic production and imports fully secure supply. The Ministry advised citizens not to be misled by misinformation that is spreading unnecessary panic.

Petrol and diesel supplies stable

India is the world’s fourth-largest refiner and fifth-largest exporter of petroleum products, supplying fuel to over 150 countries. Domestic petrol and diesel availability is fully assured. All 1 lakh-plus fuel outlets are open, with no rationing.

Where isolated panic buying occurred, it was caused by misleading social media content. Oil company depots remained operational overnight, and credit to pumps has been extended to ensure uninterrupted supply.

Crude oil supply remains strong

Despite tensions at the Strait of Hormuz, India receives more crude oil from over 41 suppliers than before. Every refinery is operating at over 100% capacity. Supplies for the next 60 days are already secured, leaving no gap in availability.

Strategic reserves are adequate

The Ministry said that reports claiming only six days of stock are false. India has 74 days of total reserve capacity and around 60 days of actual stock, including crude, products, and strategic storage. Nearly two months of supply is secured, with additional crude procurement underway.

LPG production increased, imports secured

Domestic LPG production has risen by 40%, now covering over 60% of daily requirements. Imports of 800 TMT are secured from the United States, Russia, Australia, and other countries. Oil companies deliver over 50 lakh cylinders daily, with commercial allocations increased to prevent hoarding.

Source : https://www.news18.com/india/no-lpg-or-fuel-shortage-in-india-panic-being-deliberately-spread-petroleum-ministry-9998375.html

 

In one of the clips, the professor is seen addressing the batch and proposing to the student.

A tense and chaotic scene erupted inside a private medical college classroom in Bengaluru Rural district when a professor allegedly made a proposal to a student. The incident reportedly took place at Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in T. Begur, Nelamangala, on March 26.

According to a report by Times of India, it involved 50-year-old Professor Abdul Mohammad and a 19-year-old female student. Two videos related to the incident have surfaced online.

Bengaluru Medical College Professor Proposes Student

In one of the clips, the professor is seen addressing the batch and proposing to the student. He also claimed that the student had previously confessed her feelings for him and that he reciprocated.

To mark the occasion, the professor had brought a carton of chocolates which he instructed someone to distribute among the students.

The student immediately objected and told him that he should take the matter to the principal. She also questioned him directly and asked when she had supposedly made any proposal.

In the video, the professor is seen pressing his claim further: “Didn’t you say I love you Mohammed, didn’t you say it?” He also mentioned that CCTV footage existed to substantiate his statement.

The student demanded him to show it. He then left the classroom after saying to her they would discuss the matter the next day and encouraged students to enjoy the chocolates.

Professor Thrashed By Slippers

The second video shows the professor being thrashed by students with slippers. It also captures the female student, to whom he allegedly proposed, striking him with slipper as the chaotic scene unfolds around them.

What Are People Saying Online

The incident has triggered varied reactions online with one user commenting, “Honestly, this is really disappointing to see. Colleges are supposed to be safe spaces for learning, not places where things spiral into controversy and violence. When a teacher crosses boundaries, it breaks the basic trust students have in the system.”

The finance ministry has reduced the special excise duty on petrol to ₹3 per litre from ₹13 earlier. It also cut the duty on diesel to zero from ₹10.

The government of India has cut the special additional excise duties on petrol and diesel, in a move seemingly to reduce losses of oil companies amid the Middle East conflict. In a government order on Thursday, the finance ministry reduced the special excise duty on petrol to ₹3 per litre from ₹13 earlier. It also cut the duty on diesel to zero from ₹10.

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption has been reduced by ₹10 per litre each in view of the West Asia crisis, This will provide protection to consumers from rise in prices, she said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always ensured that citizens are protected from vagaries of supply and costs of essential goods.

Further, duties have been imposed on exports of Diesel at ₹21.5 per litre and on Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) at ₹29.5 per litre, she said. “This will ensure adequate availability of these products for domestic consumption. The Parliament has been notified about the same,” she said on X.

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In view of the West Asia crisis, the central excise duty on petrol and diesel for domestic consumption has been reduced by ₹10 per litre each. This will provide protection to consumers from rise in prices. Hon. PM @narendramodi has always ensured that citizens are protected from…

— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) March 27, 2026

The notification comes amid supply disruptions due to the ongoing US-Iran war. “…the Central Government, being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do…,” reads a part of the order.

The changes were notified through amendments to central excise rules and duty structures, which “shall come into force with immediate effect,” as per the Gazette notification.

There is unlikely to be any immediate impact on pump prices.

On aviation turbine fuel (ATF), the order states: “Aviation Turbine Fuel Rs. 50 per Litre” as special additional excise duty, alongside exemptions that cap the effective rate at “Rs. 29.5 per litre” in certain cases.

‘Bold decision’: Govt explains reason behind excise duty cut

The excise duty move comes amid the ongoing war in the oil-rich Gulf, sparked by US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which has pushed global crude oil prices above $100 and disrupted key supply routes like the Strait of Hormuz – the currently choked waterway through which a fifth of world’s oil and gas requirements travel.

Speaking on the excise duty cut, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri said on X that the Modi government had two choices amid rising crude prices – either increase prices drastically for citizens of Bharat as all other nations have done or bear the brunt on its finances so that Indian citizen is insulated from international volatility.

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International crude prices have gone through the roof in the last 1 month from around 70 dollars/barrel to around 122 dollars/barrel. Consequently, petrol and diesel prices for consumers have gone up all over the world. Prices have increased by around 30%-50% in South East Asian…

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) March 27, 2026

“International crude prices have gone through the roof in the last 1 month from around 70 dollars/barrel to around 122 dollars/barrel. Consequently, petrol and diesel prices for consumers have gone up all over the world. Prices have increased by around 30%-50% in South East Asian countries, 30% in North American countries, 20% in Europe and 50% in African countries,” Hardeep Puri said.

“The Modi Government had two choices- either increase prices drastically for citizens of Bharat as all other nations have done or bear the brunt on its finances so that Indian citizen is insulated from international volatility,” he said.

Puri said PM Modi, “in keeping with his Government’s commitment of last 4 years since the conflict in Russia-Ukraine started, decided to take a hit on its own finances again to safeguard the Indian citizen.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-cuts-special-additional-excise-duties-on-petrol-and-diesel-amid-us-iran-war-101774580362334.html

 

 

A day after HT reported on the plans in its edition dated March 18, the minister ordered an inquiry into the previously issued tenders.

The Delhi government has scrapped its plans to procure two air-conditioned boats for VIPs and VVIPs at a cost of ₹6.2 crore and suspended two senior officials involved in the procurement, minister Parvesh Verma said on Thursday.

Verma, minister in-charge of the irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department, told HT that the tender process has been cancelled. “We have cancelled the tender for the boats and we are investigating the issue. The executive engineer and assistant engineer concerned have also been suspended for issuing the tenders without prior information,” Verma said.

A day after HT reported on the plans in its edition dated March 18, the minister ordered an inquiry into the previously issued tenders and “the circumstances under which they were issued.” The office of the I&FC minister said that directions were issued to the effect that “any future procurement of boats will be limited to essential functions of the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, such as surveillance, pollution monitoring, and other operational requirements.”

According to the previously issued tender, the government was procuring two VIP/VVIP boats, each with a capacity to accommodate 16 to 20 persons, with features such as “cassette-type rooftop marine air conditioners,” “customized business class push-back VIP seats” and “a dedicated pantry for serving food”, among others.

Each vessel was to include an open-rear deck with three-to-four-seater sofas for VIP public appearances.

“The boat to have an open rear deck area for VIPs public appearance. VIP sofa-type seating to be fitted in this area for 3 to 4 persons,” the document accessed by HT read. The interior specifications included “customized business-class type seats made of vegan leather with exquisite stitching, integrated hand rests with wooden finish, bottle holders, and a premium aesthetic look with concealed LED and ambient lighting.”

The Delhi government had received flak from the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress, which termed the procurement of “luxury boats” to be “wastage of public funds and case of misplaced priorities.”

The I&FC department issued a corrigendum on March 18 for the VIP boat tender, extending the bidding process citing “administrative reason.” The bid submission process was earlier expected to be concluded on March 18, but the deadline was revised to March 27, before it was cancelled.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/bengaluru-news/bengaluru-professor-booked-after-proposing-to-student-thrashed-on-campus-101774532165867.html

Activists in India are sounding the alarm over the removal of content from social media, especially posts criticizing the government and its Iran war stance.

Over the past two weeks, internet watchdogs in India have reported dozens of removals of posts on social media that were critical of the government’s failure to condemn the US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The timing is significant, with a spike in social media account restrictions beginning around March 11, and the Internet Freedom Foundation documenting at least 42 instances by March 19.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel in late February, just days before Israel launched its strikes on Iran, and his typically cautions stance on the conflict placed India’s foreign policy under unusual domestic scrutiny.

This week, Modi acknowledged in a speech to parliament that the situation is “worrisome,” but that India’s “inherent” economic strength would allow the country to weather the “unprecedented challenges” posed by the conflict.

Modi also said New Delhi was “encouraging all sides to end [the conflict] peacefully.”

A wave of removals

The removal of political cartoons, satirical content, opposition messaging and commentary questioning India’s stance over the war in the Middle East shows a clear pattern in the type of content being taken down.

Cartoonist Satish Acharya said two of his cartoons on India-Iran relations were blocked. One depicts Modi blindfolded alongside a body labeled “Killed by USA & Israel,” and the other targets India’s silence over the US Navy’s sinking of an Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean.

Satirical videos by online portal The Wire were also removed, including content mocking the government’s silence following the US-Israeli strikes and questioning whether New Delhi had implicitly backed the offensive.

AI-generated posts by opposition figures and comments by a retired Air Force officer were also taken down. Some of the posts were warning that the government’s silence could damage ties with Iran, and accusing New Delhi of abandoning its long-standing policy of strategic autonomy.

The apparent censorship also targeted popular parody accounts such as “@DrNimoYadav” and “@Nehr_who,” and a widely viewed satirical reel mocking the prime minister’s perceived closeness to Israel, which questioned his reluctance to publicly respond to the strikes, was also removed.

In early March, Meta platforms restricted the accounts of Kashmiri Shia clerics Molvi Masroor Abbas Ansari and Aga Syed Mohammad Hadi, along with several local news portals, following protests linked to the developments in Iran.

INC: ‘Bureaucrats will decide what is acceptable’

The common thread in the removed content is sharp criticism of the government’s foreign policy posture.

Supriya Shrinate, a spokesperson for the opposition Indian National Congress, said the takedowns reflect growing sensitivity around criticism of the government’s approach to, and in particular its silence surrounding, the Iran conflict.

“Bureaucrats will decide what is acceptable on social media. Anything critical of the prime minister will have to go,” said Shrinate.

“This is the biggest attack on freedom of speech. I have received 11 notices in recent days,” she added.

However, there is no proof of a direct government order targeting critics of the Iran conflict — something both critics and analysts say is difficult to prove given how the system works.

Are the takedowns legal?

The removals are enabled by a legal framework that allows the government to intervene directly in online content by ordering platforms to remove or block content on grounds such as national security or public order.

These directives are legally binding but are not made public.

Apar Gupta, the founding director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, said most of the evidence has surfaced only because users shared takedown notices.

“There is no public record of these orders or the reasoning behind them. The opacity is by design and it makes it impossible to verify intent or trace decision-making,” Gupta told DW.

Prateek Waghre, a researcher at the Tech Global Institute, told DW that the lack of transparency makes it hard to draw firm conclusions, pointing out that “confidentiality is built into the process.”

But he did confirm “an uptick in blocking requests starting late February” and that “public scrutiny of the government’s foreign policy is being viewed particularly sensitively.”

Surge in removals tied to geopolitics

While India has long issued a high volume of takedown requests, analysts say the current clustering of removals around criticism of the government’s Iran stance marks a notable shift.

The government maintains that any removals are necessary to protect national security, maintain public order and prevent the spread of inflammatory content, especially during periods of regional tension.

“These steps are about ensuring harmful or misleading content does not escalate tensions in a sensitive geopolitical environment. There is no intent to target legitimate criticism,” a government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told DW.

But digital rights advocates say the concern lies in how these powers are being used.

Internet Freedom Foundation director Gupta pointed to the overlap of timing, content and secrecy. “In a transparent system, you could examine whether this is coordinated. Here, you cannot, and that is the point,” he said.

Researchers say the scale of removals might be far greater than what is visible. Waghre said at least 50 instances of takedowns involving political speech and satire have been documented since February, with a clear uptick in March.

“There appears to be heightened sensitivity to posts on social media platforms critical of the government,” he said, adding that the real number is likely higher.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/india-sees-spike-in-social-media-censorship-amid-iran-war/a-76527249

According to preliminary findings, the accused, the son of BJP corporator Shushant Naik, is suspected to have been abusing and coercing the victims over a period of nearly three years.

Goa Police has arrested a 22-year-old man, Soham Naik, the son of a BJP corporator, in connection with the alleged sexual exploitation of around 25 to 30 minor girls in South Goa. The case has triggered widespread outrage across the state. Soham is the son of BJP corporator Shushant Naik.

According to preliminary findings, the accused is suspected to have been abusing and coercing the victims over a period of nearly three years.

Investigators say he allegedly tried to blackmail the girls by threatening them with the circulation of explicit videos to silence them, which prevented complaints from being filed earlier due to fear, stigma, and social pressure.

There was instant public outrage recently after Naik, during a drinking session with friends, reportedly showed videos involving the survivors.

This disclosure prompted those present to raise an alarm, eventually leading to the matter reaching the authorities.

Following the revelations, tensions escalated in the area, with local residents expressing anger and concern over the gravity of the allegations.

Reports indicate that people gathered outside a police station demanding immediate action against the accused.

Police have confirmed that Naik was taken into custody on Sunday night and that a detailed investigation is underway.

Authorities are working to identify all victims, record statements, and examine digital evidence recovered during the probe.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/goa-arrest-bjp-corporator-sushant-naik-son-soham-naik-sexual-abuse-minor-girls-videos-exposed-2887363-2026-03-26

The bus was returning from a public event attended by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The CM has declared a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives.

At least 10 people, including a child, were killed and another 31 were injured in a head-on collision between a pick-up vehicle and a bus, which was returning from a public function attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, in the state’s Chhindwara district on Thursday evening, according to officials.

CM Yadav expressed grief over the mishap and declared a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives and Rs 1 lakh for those who were injured. Treatment of all injured persons would be provided free of cost, he announced.

The incident took place near Simaria on Nagpur Road, Superintendent of Police Ajay Pandey informed. “Six men, three women and a child were killed in the accident,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

There were more than 40 passengers in the bus at the time of the incident, SHO Ashish Kumar said.

3-4 INJURED IN CRITICAL STATE

The death toll consists of eight passengers of the bus and the driver and cleaner of the pick-up vehicle, per Chhindwara Collector Harendra Narayan. The official further said that 3–4 people among the 31 injured are in a critical state.

“One of them has been rushed to a hospital in Nagpur in neighbouring Maharashtra for advanced treatment,” Narayan said.

The injured were rushed to the district hospital and other medical facilities in nearby areas, officials said.

As many as 105 projects were inaugurated and foundation stones were laid for several other projects by CM Yadav at the function where the bus was returning from. The event took place at the police ground in Chhindwara city.

Sharing a condolence message on X, CM Yadav said, “I pray to the Almighty to grant peace to the departed souls and wish speedy recovery to the injured.”

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/madhya-pradesh-chhindwara-accident-10-killed-in-bus-pickup-vehicle-accident-cm-mohan-yadav-announces-compensation-2887626-2026-03-26

A passenger’s complaint regarding the quality of food found on train number 21896 (Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express) on March 15 has been taken seriously, and a penalty of Rs 10 lakh has been imposed on IRCTC.

The Railways has tightened its grip on its own company, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), by imposing a fine of Rs 10 lakh following a passenger’s complaint.

A passenger’s complaint regarding the quality of food found on train number 21896 (Patna-Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express) on March 15 has been taken seriously, and a penalty of Rs 10 lakh has been imposed on IRCTC.

Along with this, a fine of Rs 50 lakh has been imposed on the concerned service provider, and the contract termination has been ordered.

An Indian Railways spokesperson stated that passenger safety and quality are our top priorities.

Meanwhile, ministry said that Indian Railways serves nearly 58 crore meals annually across its trains, with complaints averaging only about 0.0008%, which includes complaints related to overcharging.

Following inquiries into these complaints, fines amounting to Rs 2.6 crore have been imposed over the past three years. During the year 2025, 3 incidents of assault on railway passengers by Pantry Car staff have been reported. Legal action has been taken against the Pantry Car staff by the respective Government Railway Police.

Also, Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday announced that in line with Indian Railways’ resolve to undertake reforms during 2026, five new reforms have been approved.

With the approval of these new reforms, the total number of reforms for the year 2026 has reached nine.

Ashwini Vaishnaw said that under the ongoing “Reform Express” initiative, four reforms had already been announced and five new reforms were being introduced.

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/railways-fines-irctc-rs-10-lakh-over-passenger-food-complaint-on-vande-bharat-11267663

If superstition solved problems, wars would have been fought with lemons and chilis instead of drones, quipped Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has slammed superstitious beliefs while speaking in the assembly on the investigation against rape-accused astrologer Ashok Kharat. He also used pointed analogies, with mentions of the US and Pakistan, to drive home his message.

Taking aim at so-called “bhondu baba” practices, he said, “If superstition had solved problems, we would have made Kharat an adviser to Trump. Wars would have been fought with lemons and chilis instead of drones.”

“We would have finished terrorists in Pakistan while sitting here with a needle. We wouldn’t have sent soldiers to the border. Eight to ten such godmen could have done the job,” he quipped. “If black magic solved issues, we wouldn’t need arms, campaigns, or governance; we could do everything sitting here.”

The chief minister’s remarks against superstition were met with applause.

“Set Precedent”
Referring to Kharat’s case, which has expanded beyond a single complaint into wider allegations of exploitation and black magic practices, the chief minister urged members to assist the investigation.

“Whoever has information should give it to the administration. We have to punish him in such a way that it sets a precedent,” Fadnavis said.

He reiterated that while faith has a place in society, blind faith can be dangerous.

“We believe in faith, but there is a difference between faith and blind faith. We have seen how intellect gets lost when that line is crossed,” he noted.

“Reject Blind Faith”
Placing his argument in Maharashtra’s reformist tradition, the chief minister said that saints have always opposed blind faith.

“Maharashtra is a land of saints. None of them denied God, but they attacked blind faith,” he said, referring to Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Tukaram and Sant Eknath, who encouraged people to question and test beliefs rather than accept them blindly.

Read: 5 Bullets, ‘Human Sacrifice’: More Skeletons In Nashik Astrologer’s Closet

Ahead of Ram Navami, he added, “I pray that Maharashtra Dharma expands, but it should not have space for bhondugiri.”

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ashok-kharat-if-superstitions-worked-terrorists-could-be-killed-with-needle-devendra-fadnavis-11267199

During the second round of auction, 19 bids were received for 11 vends in Chandigarh, generating revenue of ₹62.38 crore against a reserve price of ₹53.94 crore — an increase of 15.64%

In the second round of e-auction conducted under the Excise Policy 2026-27 on Wednesday, 11 additional liquor vends were successfully allotted.

With this, 93 of the total 97 liquor vends in the city have been allotted. The new policy is set to come into force from April 1.

During the second round, 19 bids were received for 11 vends, generating revenue of ₹62.38 crore against a reserve price of ₹53.94 crore — an increase of 15.64%. The administration also collected ₹38 lakh as participation fee.

Earlier, in the first round of e-tendering held on March 19, 195 bids were received for 82 vends, fetching ₹487.68 crore against a reserve price of ₹376.24 crore, marking a 29% rise, along with ₹3.90 crore in participation fees.

Cumulatively, the excise department has garnered ₹550.06 crore from 93 retail vends against a reserve price of ₹430.18 crore, reflecting an overall increase of 28%. Additionally, ₹4.28 crore has been collected as participation fees. The tendering process for the remaining four licensing units has been initiated.

Officials expressed confidence that the remaining vends will attract competitive bids, given the robust response so far, enabling the administration to surpass its revenue targets. Of the 97 vends in 2025-26, 88 were operational, while the rest remained vacant due to limited bidder interest.

The Excise Policy 2026-27 focuses on transparency and revenue enhancement through technology-driven processes. The entire auction was conducted online using NIC-developed software, with mandatory use of digital signatures and no provision for manual submissions.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/chandigarh-admn-nears-full-liquor-vend-allocation-93-of-97-units-sold-101774472735596.html

The order directs local area gas distributors to notify households via registered or speed post where pipeline infrastructure is already in place.

The government has ordered households in areas with existing piped natural gas infrastructure to switch from LPG cylinders to PNG connections within three months of receiving notice, or face discontinuation of gas refill supplies — a move driven by mounting pressure on India’s LPG imports following the West Asia conflict.

The order, issued on Tuesday under the Essential Commodities Act and titled the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution Order, 2026, directs local area gas distributors to notify households via registered or speed post where pipeline infrastructure is already in place.

If a household does not apply for a PNG connection within three months of receiving such notice, “the LPG supply to such address shall cease,” the gazette notification said. Applications can be made by the lawful occupier or the owner of the premises.

The order provides one exemption: LPG supply will not be cut if the distributor issues a no-objection certificate certifying it is technically infeasible to provide a piped connection to that address.

Sujata Sharma, joint secretary in the ministry of petroleum, confirmed the order at an inter-ministerial briefing and framed it as a supply security measure. “Our import dependency for LPG is much higher than the import dependency for PNG or LNG. We produce 50% domestically as far as PNG is concerned. So, this is in the interest of nation that we shift from LPG to PNG,” she said.

The compulsory switch applies only to areas that already have gas pipeline infrastructure. The government estimates that six million consumers can make the transition; 0.22 million have already done so, Sharma said.

India currently has 16.2 million domestic PNG connections — against over 332 million LPG consumers, a number that grew from 140 million in 2014, including 105.6 million poor households with subsidised connections under PM Ujjwala Yojana.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/if-available-switch-to-png-or-lose-lpg-101774466016446.html

In 2018 Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi orchestrated biggest bank fraud PNB fraud – $ 2 B – and fled India. Both CBI and ED have been fighting a long extradition battle across the globe to bring them back to India.

In a major win for India, the UK High Court has rejected fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi’s plea to reopen his extradition proceedings, officials said. With this, the decks have been cleared for his extradition to India. His plea before the Westminster Court is scheduled to come up for hearing next month.

“Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen proceedings against his extradition order by UK courts was rejected today by the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, London. The matter was strongly argued by the Crown Prosecution Service advocate, ably assisted by a dedicated CBI team, including investigating officers who travelled to London for the hearing,” the CBI said on Wednesday.

“The reopening application had been filed on the basis of the Bhandari judgment; however, through sustained and coordinated efforts of the CBI, the challenge was successfully overcome. While delivering the judgment, the High Court observed that the reopening petition and the circumstances surrounding it were not exceptional enough to justify reopening the case,” the agency added.

The CBI has been seeking Nirav Modi’s extradition in connection with the PNB scam involving significant financial wrongdoing with a public sector bank, with proceedings ongoing since 2018. Following his arrest in the UK in 2019, courts approved his extradition and rejected earlier appeals, finding no legal barriers and accepting assurances regarding his treatment in India.

Although a temporary legal obstacle delayed the process, it was lifted in August 2025.

Nirav Modi had sought to reopen his appeal citing concerns about potential ill-treatment (based on the Bhandari judgment) and questioning whether assurances provided by Indian authorities were sufficient to protect his rights. He has been lodged in a UK prison since March 19, 2019.

Nirav Modi is a fugitive economic offender wanted for trial in India in a CBI bank fraud case involving the defrauding of Punjab National Bank of ₹6,498.20 crore.

The Crown Prosecution Service was effectively supported by a dedicated CBI team, which prepared responses in the proceedings and travelled to London specifically for the hearing. The positive outcome highlights the consistent efforts and strong commitment of the Government of India in pursuing the case.

In 2022, the London High Court rejected his plea against extradition to India, and today his re-appeal has also been dismissed.

Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/india/massive-win-for-india-uk-high-court-rejects-nirav-modi-plea-to-reopen-his-extradition-proceedings-article-153921935

The Indian government has reassured citizens that there is no fuel shortage, urging against panic buying despite reported long queues at petrol stations.

The government on Wednesday urged people not to panic buy fuel, assuring that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel despite long queues reported at several retail outlets. Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery) in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said India has sufficient refining capacity and adequate fuel supplies across the country.

“I want to inform my countrymen that we have the capacity to refine approximately 26 crore tons of crude oil annually,” Sharma said. “Over the past two days, we have seen lines outside retail outlets and petrol pumps in many areas, and panic buying has also been observed.”

She stressed that there is no disruption in supply. “We have sufficient petrol and diesel available. There is no shortage at any petrol pump. The terminals supplying petrol pumps also have sufficient quantities,” Sharma said.

Urging calm, she added, “Therefore, do not believe rumours and avoid panic buying. I also want to inform you that there has been no increase in the price of petrol and diesel.”

“Domestic PNG connection is the government’s priority, and 100 per cent supply is being made available to consumers. 100 per cent CNG is also being made available to consumers,” she added.

The reassurance comes as the government moves to manage fuel availability and promote alternative energy distribution systems amid global supply concerns.

In a related step, authorities have issued a new order mandating that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply will be discontinued for households that do not switch to piped natural gas (PNG) where such connections are available.

See more

#WATCH | Delhi: Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary (Marketing & Oil Refinery), Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, says, “I want to inform my countrymen that we have the capacity to refine approximately 26 crore tons of crude oil annually. Over the past two days, we have seen lines… pic.twitter.com/ehJfN9frBt

— ANI (@ANI) March 25, 2026

 

A viral video shows a woman calmly talking to her Uber driver, who allegedly confessed to murdering his uncle and serving jail time. The clip shocked viewers, with many reacting to her composure and questioning ride safety. Uber responded, calling it concerning and seeking details. The incident sparked debates on driver background checks and shared experiences online

A viral video circulating on social media has sparked both concern and disbelief after a woman claimed her Uber driver casually confessed to a murder during their ride. The unexpected conversation, captured on camera, has left viewers questioning safety standards and reacting with a mix of shock and dark humour.

Casual chat turns chilling

In the clip, the woman is seen engaging in what appears to be a normal conversation with the driver. However, things take a disturbing turn when she recounts his alleged admission of killing his uncle. According to the conversation, the act was linked to a family dispute, and the driver had reportedly spent two years in jail before being released.

Despite the gravity of the claims, the woman continues speaking in a calm, almost nonchalant manner, something that has become a major talking point online. Many viewers noted how she maintained composure even while discussing such serious allegations.

See more

Uber responds to safety concerns

 

A tourist from Bengaluru was allegedly assaulted by shack staff at Goa’s Calangute Beach after a dispute over sunbeds. A video shows workers throwing pipes at him. Police have arrested the accused staff and launched a probe. Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte called the incident “serious” and ordered a show-cause notice.

A shocking incident of assault on a tourist has come to light in Goa, where shack staff attacked individuals for sitting on sunbeds at Calangute Beach. A video of the incident has surfaced, showing uniformed staff assaulting the tourist with what looks like pipes. The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday.

See more

Viral Video of a #Bengaluru tourist assaulted by shack staff for sitting on sun beds at Calangute beach #Goa pic.twitter.com/U2Wnnh6RWI

— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) March 25, 2026

The tourist was reportedly from Bengaluru and was injured after the assault.

The dispute started after the tourist, following a swim, reportedly sat on a beach bed, triggering an altercation with staff. The situation escalated when around 15–20 workers allegedly attacked him with iron rods and pipes. Police have arrested shack staff, and a probe has been launched into the matter.

Tourism Minister reacts

 

A woman was critically injured after jumping onto the metro track at Noida’s Sector 16 metro station. Police rushed to the spot.

A woman was critically injured after jumping onto the metro track at Sector 16 metro station in Noida, police said.

According to initial information, the incident took place in the Sector 16 metro station area under Phase 1 police station limits. Soon after receiving the alert, police reached the spot and took the injured woman into custody.

She was admitted to a private hospital for treatment, where her condition is reported to be critical.

Police said that efforts are underway to establish the identity of the woman. After ensuring her admission to the hospital, officials have begun further investigation into the matter.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a body of a 39-year-old man was found with several visible injuries near Jafrabad metro station in northeast Delhi. The victim was identified as Aqeel Ahmed.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/woman-critically-injured-jumps-sector-16-metro-track-noida-uttar-pradesh-2887014-2026-03-25

The disruption in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has significantly impacted India’s energy supply chain, forcing New Delhi to accelerate efforts to diversify sourcing.

A friend of India, sitting nearly 20,000 kilometres away, has come to the country’s aid as it grapples with a severe liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shortage triggered by the ongoing war in West Asia. With supplies disrupted due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a critical route for nearly 60 percent of India’s LPG imports—a South American country has stepped in to help meet India’s urgent energy needs.

The disruption in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has significantly impacted India’s energy supply chain, forcing New Delhi to accelerate efforts to diversify sourcing.

Against this backdrop, Argentina has emerged as an unexpected yet crucial partner.

During the first quarter of 2026 alone, Argentina exported 50,000 tonnes of LPG to India—more than double the 22,000 tonnes shipped during the entirety of 2025.

Of these shipments, around 39,000 tonnes had already reached Indian shores from Argentina’s Bahia Blanca port before the conflict escalated.

An additional 11,000 tonnes were dispatched on March 5, underscoring Buenos Aires’ willingness to support India during the crisis.

Notably, Argentina had not supplied LPG to India prior to 2024, marking a rapid evolution in bilateral energy ties.

Argentina’s Ambassador to India, Mariano Agustin Cousino, emphasised his country’s readiness to play a larger role in India’s energy security.

“Argentina has significant gas reserves. The president of our national gas and oil company visited here twice last year; he held talks with Indian energy companies, and also met with Minister Hardeep Puri on several occasions. So this cooperation is still in its early stages,” he said.

He added that the current geopolitical situation could accelerate collaboration between the two nations.

“The present circumstances may further intensify the need for both countries to work together and build mutual understanding in this area,” he noted.

Praising India’s broader energy strategy, the envoy said, “I think the Indian government has been working on a strategy to diversify natural resources and energy supply in recent years, which is very positive. It is a very wise approach”.

Referring to recent remarks in Parliament, he added that India is expanding its energy sourcing network to over 40 countries, with Argentina poised to be among them.

Highlighting Argentina’s export potential, Cousino pointed out that the country’s relatively small population and abundant natural resources allow it to supply large quantities of energy and commodities globally.

He also expressed optimism about expanding cooperation beyond agriculture and minerals into hydrocarbons.

THE DAUNTING 20,000 KM JOURNEY

However, the partnership is not without challenges. The distance between Argnetina’s Bahia Blanca and India’s Dahej port in Gujarat—close to 20,000 kilometres—makes the route one of the longest for energy shipments.

This significantly raises transportation costs and introduces logistical complexities, including weather-related risks and longer delivery timelines.

Despite these hurdles, the arrangement is strategically important. For India, it represents a critical step in reducing overdependence on traditional supply routes and regions.

For Argentina, it opens a new and potentially large market for its energy exports.

Domestically, India has also taken measures to manage the crisis. The government has increased commercial LPG allocation by 20 percent to support sectors such as hospitality and food services.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-lpg-shortage-argentina-imports-piped-natural-gas-middle-east-war-strait-of-hormuz-2887023-2026-03-25

The strait is covered by international navigation conventions, Rajesh Kumar Singh said.

The government on Tuesday said that more Indian flagged vessels prepared to sail though the Strait of Hormuz – the only sea channel linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf with open oceans.

Sailing through strait does not require permission from any country. The movement through strait is taken by shipping companies and their contracting entities after considering safety and other conditions, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, told media persons here.

He also rejected talks of stranded Indian vessels in the Persian Gulf being allowed to sail through the strait only after reaching some kind of an agreement with Iran, which controls the narrow shipping lane.

The strait is covered by international navigation conventions, he said. “There is freedom for navigation through the strait.”

Two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers, carrying about a day’s supply of the country’s cooking gas, on Monday crossed the war-hit Strait of Hormuz and are expected to reach Indian shores on March 26/27.

LPG tankers Pine Gas is carrying about 45,000 tonnes of LPG, and it is scheduled to reach New Mangalore port on March 27, while Jag Vasant with 47,612 tonnes of LPG will reach Kandla in Gujarat on March 26, he said.

Both LPG tankers sailed through waters between Iran’s Larak and Qeshm islands — possibly to make their identity clear to Iranian authorities before they cross the strait, ship tracking data showed.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/more-indian-flagged-vessels-prepared-to-sail-through-strait-of-hormuz-govt-3943289

“Both of our countries benefit from an Indo-Pacific in which no power can dominate the region. Both benefit from open trade and national autonomy.

Washington DC, and New Delhi understand the importance of military power to ensure stability in Indo-Pacific, a senior official of President Donald Trump’s administration said on Tuesday, even as uncertainty continued over the fate of Quad, a coalition India, Australia, Japan and the United States had forged to counter China’s dominance in the region.

“Both of our countries benefit from an Indo-Pacific in which no power can dominate the region. Both benefit from open trade and national autonomy.

“These are the concrete, shared interests that form the foundation of our enduring strategic partnership,” Under Secretary for Policy at the US Department of War, Elbridge Colby, said in New Delhi.

“We both recognise the strategic centrality of military power for a stable balance in the region, and thus that defence cooperation should enhance real capability rather than be merely totemic or driven by inertia.”

Colby and his counterpart at the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi, Rajesh Kumar Singh, will co-chair the India-US defence policy dialogue on Wednesday.

The senior Trump Administration official said that the US was committed to working with India to hasten and augment cooperation in areas including but not limited to long-range precision fires, resilient logistics, maritime domain awareness, anti-submarine warfare, and advanced technologies.

“Because we are focused on results and reality, we are concentrated on capabilities that matter in the Indo-Pacific strategic environment,” Colby said, adding: “Our goals should be practical: to ensure that our forces can operate effectively together when our interests align, and, in any case, to see that India possesses the capabilities necessary to defend its sovereignty and contribute to a favourable regional balance of power.”

The sign of a thaw in the relations between Washington, D.C., and Beijing after Trump met with President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October 2025, however, cast a shadow of uncertainty over the Quad – a coalition forged by India, Japan, Australia and the US to counter China’s hegemonic aspirations in the Indo-Pacific region.

Modi was to host the Quad summit in New Delhi last year, but it was postponed. Trump’s next meeting with Xi was scheduled to take place in Beijing later this month or early next month but might be postponed due to the conflict in West Asia.

Colby did not refer to Quad while articulating the US policy for the Indo-Pacific while delivering a policy speech at a think-tank in New Delhi.

“The roots of our partnership are deeper than optics and more durable than superficial comity; they are, rather, thickly embedded in lasting strategic mutual self-interest,” he said, noting that India and the US did not need to agree on everything to cooperate effectively. “What matters is that our interests and objectives increasingly converge on the most fundamental issues. Differences and even disputes are fully compatible with deepening alignment and cooperation on strategic matters.”

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/us-to-help-india-raise-defence-capability-for-indo-pacific-stability-but-uncertainty-persists-over-quad-3943517

This was the first phone conversation between Modi and Trump since Israel and the US’s military strikes on Iran on Feb 28 triggered a conflict

India backs restoration of peace in West Asia at the earliest and wants to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open and secure for the global community, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said when US President Donald Trump dialled him on Tuesday to discuss the situation in the Gulf region amid growing concerns about food and fuel security.

This was the first phone conversation between the two leaders since Israel and the US’s military strikes on Iran on February 28 triggered a conflict that has entered its fourth week. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz impacting supplies of fuel and other commodities, the Indian side has reached out in recent days to Iran, Israel, all members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the US to find ways to end the hostilities.

Modi posted on social media that he had received a call from Trump and had a “useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia”. He said: “India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world.”

He added that the two sides agreed to stay in touch “regarding efforts towards peace and stability”.

The phone call was initially announced on social media by US ambassador Sergio Gor, who said Trump spoke with Modi to discuss the “situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open”.

Modi and Trump last spoke on the phone on February 2, when the two sides announced progress towards concluding a bilateral trade deal aimed at addressing the issue of US tariffs on Indian exports.

People familiar with the matter noted that the PM has had two rounds of phone calls with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the leadership of the six GCC member states – Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – as well as a conversation with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu since the start of the hostilities.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar met the envoys of the GCC countries on Monday and Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali on Tuesday. He has also spoken to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi on five occasions and dialled his American counterpart Marco Rubio on Monday.

Following his meeting with the Iranian envoy, Jaishankar said in a social media post that they discussed the conflict in West Asia but didn’t give details. “Appreciate the support provided to Indians in Iran in these challenging times,” he added.

The phone call between Modi and Trump has to be seen in the context of India’s outreach, which has focused on efforts aimed at ending the hostilities as soon as possible and ensuring the unimpeded flow of energy and other commodities, especially through the Strait of Hormuz, in view of significant ramifications for the country’s food, fuel and fertiliser security, the people said.

“The war has to be brought to an end as we are already feeling the negative impacts. It’s not just about India – it could soon become all about food security in Africa as fertiliser supplies are hit. We could witness another round of the fuel and food insecurity that was witnessed after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022,” a person said.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/modi-trump-discuss-west-asia-conflict-india-backs-peace-secure-hormuz-strait-101774368062699.html

 

According to sources, the Rajya Sabha MP is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi late on Tuesday, sources from the hospital said.

According to sources, the Rajya Sabha MP is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital, and her condition is being monitored.

Gandhi had been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the national capital in January too after she experienced respiratory issues. Chairman of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Ajay Swaroop, had at that time said that a detailed medical examination had revealed that Sonia Gandhi’s bronchial asthma had been mildly exacerbated due to the combined effects of cold weather and the pollution level in Delhi.

Owing to this, the doctors had, as a precautionary measure, decided to admit her for observation and further medical management.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/congress-leader-sonia-gandhi-admitted-to-ganga-ram-hospital-in-delhi-condition-being-monitored-101774376242513.html

 

India’s outbound tourism sector has been hit hard as the West Asia conflict triggers 60–80% cancellations of international bookings. Travel agents cite safety concerns, soaring airfares and route disruptions as key factors. Many travellers are adopting a wait-and-watch approach or shifting to domestic destinations amid rising uncertainty.

India’s outbound tourism sector, which was gearing up for a record-breaking summer, is now facing a severe downturn as the escalating conflict in West Asia has triggered a wave of mass cancellations and a near-total halt in new international travel inquiries. Tour operators have recorded cancellations of about 60-80% of the international bookings while the remaining travellers are reportedly in a ‘wait-and-watch’ mode to monitor the geopolitical situation.

Preferred Destinations

The recent outbound travel trend for the vacation season in Summer shows that Indians majorly prefer visiting destinations in the West, including Europe and the United States. Most of these travellers book their travel packages at least three to four months in advance to get the best deals on flights and hotels. However, the West Asia conflict has forced these scheduled travellers to reconsider their plans.

According to the associations of Indian tour operators, around 60% of international bookings for the April–June period have already been cancelled. Those who booked their travel post June are in a ‘wait-and-watch mode, delaying final payments or cancellation to save themselves from additional charges in the hope that the geopolitical situation might get better.

Uncertainty persisted after West Bengal’s first supplementary voter list was released early Tuesday, with many claiming no clear updates online. State Election Commissioner Manoj Agarwal reportedly gave no exact figures. CM Mamata Banerjee accused ECI of bias over transferring 73 officers and questioned the timing, alleging attempts to favour a political party.

Uncertainty continues in voter’s list even after the first supplementary list got published in the wee hours of Tuesday.

Several people whose names were under adjudication complained that the website was not showing any concrete results.

State Election Commissioner Manoj Agarwal also could not say anything concrete when asked about the exact numbers of names that were put up on the first supplementary list.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, ahead of leaving for North Bengal for an election campaign slammed Election Commission of India (ECI) for transferring 73 returning officers, including one in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, in the state.

“Earlier 60-70 officers were changed and now suddenly 73 officers got transferred. ECI had brought the BDO of Nandigram to Bhabanipur. I know why they are doing this. They are transferring traitor’s men to Bhabanipur,” said Mamata without naming anyone.

Referring to a notification of ECI with the stamp of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mamata urged everyone to unite against BJP.

“Now the cat is out of the bag. With BJP’s symbol in ECI’s notification it is clear that they are working to give an advantage to a particular political party. Why is ECI afraid? They can’t take away people’s right to vote. Why can’t they make clear statements about how many names got deleted,” further added Mamata.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/west-bengal-cm-mamata-banerjee-slams-eci-over-transferring-of-73-returning-officers

Rohit Pawar, nephew of late Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has filed a zero FIR in Bengaluru over the January 28 plane crash in Baramati that killed his uncle and four others. Rohit Pawar has alleged a “larger criminal conspiracy” behind the crash.

Rohit Pawar, the nephew of late Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday said he filed a zero FIR in Bengaluru in connection with the January 28 plane crash in Maharashtra’s Baramati, which claimed the life of his uncle and four others. The FIR followed a complaint filed by the NCP (SP) MLA, alleging a “larger criminal conspiracy” behind the incident.

A zero FIR is a police complaint that can be filed at any police station, regardless of where the crime actually occurred. The FIR is called zero because it is initially registered with a serial number 0, before being transferred to the appropriate police station for investigation.

Rohit Pawar filed a complaint at the High Grounds Police Station, alleging a larger criminal conspiracy behind the crash. He alleged that despite earlier complaints, the case was not initially registered in Maharashtra, prompting him to approach the police in Bengaluru.

Referring to a recent case where a zero FIR was registered in Karnataka over an alleged insult to Chief Justice of India Justice BR Gavai in Delhi, Pawar said the same mechanism had to be used in Ajit Pawar’s case due to the alleged inaction of Maharashtra Police.

The zero FIR filed by Rohit Pawar invokes multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges related to culpable homicide, negligence and endangering life.

According to the complaint, the aircraft operated by a private firm, VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd, was allegedly unfit for operation, with claims of falsified maintenance records and safety violations. It also flagged concerns over the pilot’s past record, last-minute crew changes and questionable flight decisions under poor visibility conditions.

Rohit Pawar said that attempts to file an FIR in Maharashtra were unsuccessful, prompting him to approach the Bengaluru Police, who registered a zero FIR and later transferred it to the concerned jurisdiction in Pune.

According to Rohit Pawar, he had approached the Marine Drive Police Station on February 25 and Baramati Police Station on February 26, but no FIR was registered, and he was later informed by the Pune CID that only an Accidental Death Report was being examined.

In his complaint, Pawar alleged a “larger criminal conspiracy aimed at eliminating the Deputy Chief Minister” and cited “systematic violations” of aviation safety norms, falsification of records, and gross negligence by VSR Ventures Pvt Ltd.

Referring to a safety audit by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), he claimed the Bombardier Learjet 45 aircraft was “negligent, not airworthy” and had been grounded. He further alleged the jet was operated “dangerously close” to its overhaul limit, with possible suppression of flight data.

Pawar also questioned the crew change, calling the explanation “implausible”, and alleged that Chief Pilot Sumit Kapoor had a history of alcohol-related violations. He flagged unexplained delays, a sudden runway switch, and the pilot’s “silence” in the final moments, suggesting “either incapacitation due to alcohol or deliberate inaction.”

The FIR claimed procedural lapses in the certification of Learjet 45 aircraft and pointed to possible regulatory failures, while calling for a full-fledged criminal investigation beyond the ongoing technical probe.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ajit-pawar-plane-crash-rohit-pawar-files-zero-fir-in-bengaluru-alleges-larger-conspiracy-2886694-2026-03-25

The Lok Sabha has cleared a key amendment to India’s transgender rights law, marking a significant shift in how the community is defined.

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026. The bill seeks to amend the existing 2019 law by redefining who qualifies as a transgender person, introducing stricter punishments for offences, and setting up a system for identity certification.

The bill has triggered a sharp political divide, with the government defending it as a step towards clearer protections and the Opposition calling it “regressive” and unconstitutional.

WHAT GOVT SAYS

Replying to the debate, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar said the amendment is aimed at ensuring that “only those who face social boycott due to biological issues” receive protection under the law.

He argued that a more precise definition was needed so that benefits reach the intended community.

“To ensure that transgender persons can avail themselves of the benefits of this Act, it was necessary to provide a precise definition,” Kumar said.

The bill introduces graded punishments based on the severity of harm caused, increasing the maximum jail term from two years under the 2019 law to up to 14 years in serious cases of offences against the transgender persons.

It also provides for:

• A medical board to help determine identity where required
• District magistrates issuing identity cards to transgender persons
• A defined list of identities such as kinner, hijra, aravani, jogta, eunuchs, and persons with intersex variations

Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure in the Maharashtra Legislative Council ended today along with eight other members

A decade-long political arc concluded today with polite speeches, veiled barbs, and a closed-door meeting whose contents neither side would confirm. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has gone from a scion to chief minister to Opposition now. His tenure in the Maharashtra Legislative Council ended today along with eight other members, quietly closing a chapter that had placed the Shiv Sena founder’s son in the state’s top office. But that office was wrested away by a rebellion from within.

Today’s farewell session produced what is being seen as an unlikely exchange of compliments.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called Thackeray “one of the most popular photographers from the state,” recounting how Thackeray had opened a helicopter door mid-flight to frame the image while shooting the Wari pilgrimage.

“While clicking the pictures of Wari, Uddhav Thackeray went on a helicopter, opened the door and took the picture,” Fadnavis said.

He added that Thackeray’s photographs showed “sensitivity”, a comment that could also be alluded to in a political context. Thackeray’s fundamental nature, his “mool swabhav”, was not that of a politician, Fadnavis said, in what was seen as drawing a parallel with Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s own single-minded decisiveness: once a decision was taken, it was carried through.

Thackeray did not dispute the characterisation made by Fadnavis.

“The chief minister is right when he says I’m not a politician because at heart I’m an artist,” he said, acknowledging Fadnavis with folded hands for making time for the occasion.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was seated alongside Fadnavis. Once Thackeray’s close aide, Shinde’s defection in 2022 had collapsed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government and stripped Thackeray of both chief ministership and the legacy Shiv Sena.

“Uddhav Thackeray saheb will be leaving today. I pray he gets a healthy and long life, and wish him all the best for the future,” Shinde said.

Thackeray did not name him in response. Looking across the aisle at the bench where Shinde sat, he said, “I’m glad that you know me so well, but I’d like to say aise konsi baat thi, ki aur ka haath pakadna pada (what was it that made it necessary to hold someone else’s hand for support)?”

Many saw it as referencing the 2022 Maharashtra political crisis when the Thackeray government fell after Shinde teamed up with the BJP.

After the formal proceedings, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief, his son Aditya Thackeray and party MLAs walked over to meet Fadnavis at the chief minister’s office. What followed was a closed-door discussion of approximately 10 minutes.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/at-uddhav-thackeray-farewell-praise-from-devendra-fadnavis-and-an-eknath-shinde-dig-11261335?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

“Donald Trump has not ordered the ships carrying US Marines to reverse course,” US national security expert Professor Robert Pape said

US President Donald Trump has already fallen into the “escalation trap” and he will get all the more enmeshed once boots are on the ground in Iran, Professor Robert Pape of the University of Chicago told NDTV today. In an exclusive interview with Shiv Aroor, Pape, US national security expert and former advisor to the White House, said that is when the war could really drag on and lead to the situation that the US has always wanted to avoid — that of Iran becoming an oil hegemon and controlling the rest of the world.

“The trap is not snap shut yet, but it is gripping around him (Trump), and that’s why you see him moving from side to side, pause to pause here, and effectively, he’s waiting for the 10 days for the Marines to get there,” Pape said.

The “side to side” is Trump’s latest move to announce a scaling down of the attack for five days. But that, he indicated, is more of a stalling technique and the “real timeline” is the Marines.

Trump, he pointed out, has not ordered the ships carrying US Marines to reverse course. “I want to see behavior, not just statements out of any of these leaders,” Pape said. If the ships “turn around at sea” then one can start talking about “pulling back from a stage three,” he added.

“Once they (the US Marines) get there, now we are going to be in a different state. Iran is still in control of Hormuz… The price of oil will then be even higher. The recession word will start to be said more and more by JP Morgan,” Pape said, analysing the outcome of the trajectory of events.

Explaining what exactly an escalation trap is, Pape said: “The escalation trap happens when confidence in tactical success, bombs hitting targets, bombs killing leaders, does not produce the strategic result, regime change toward President Trump, the enriched uranium out of Iran. And that then leads the strong power, the United States, to double down, moving up the escalation ladder. That then leads to still more failure at the strategic level, which then encourages more doubling down, moving up.”

The current situation, Pape said, is one that gives Iran all the advantage.

“Now you have got the dreaded oil hegemon in Iran that we’ve worried about and wanted to prevent for 50 years… That’s what our whole approach to the Middle East, people think it’s all been about Israel. No, it’s been about preventing an oil hegemon,” he added.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-iran-war-robert-pepe-israel-benjamin-netanyahu-trap-closing-around-trump-ex-white-house-adviser-on-iran-war-11261762?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Barry Manilow revealed his lung cancer diagnosis and lobectomy, calling the experience a “nightmare” despite being cancer-free. The surgery removes a lung lobe to treat localized cancer and is most effective when detected early. His journey highlights the importance of early diagnosis, awareness of symptoms, and advances in minimally invasive surgery that improve recovery and survival outcomes.

Legendary singer Barry Manilow has opened up about his recent lung cancer diagnosis and undergoing a lobectomy in December 2025. The 82-year-old, in an interview, recalled spending seven days in the ICU before being discharged, calling the experience a “nightmare” despite it leaving him cancer-free. “You just don’t even think about [how fragile life is]. And suddenly, you have lung cancer,” he told People magazine.

“But I’m still here. I’m not all here; there’s part of me that isn’t here – they took out a part of me, and now I’ve got to figure out, ‘What do I do?’ ” Manilow added, “This really rocked me, but I’m getting stronger, and we’ll see if I can make it back.”

As conversations around lung cancer awareness, early diagnosis, and advanced treatment options grow, understanding what a lobectomy involves is more important than ever.

The bill is expected to be introduced this weekend.

In a bid to build a larger consensus for its move to bring in an amendment to the Women’s Reservation Bill to delink it from the upcoming delimitation process, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday met several non-Congress Opposition parties.

Present at the meeting were AIMIM, NCP and YSRCP among others. Shah also held a meeting with NDA partners later in the day to discuss details. The bill is expected to be introduced this weekend.

While the government has previously sent feelers to the Congress, as reported by DH, a formal meeting is awaited. The government has also send feelers to the Samajwadi Party, and is also yet to hold formal talks with the DMK or TMC. Additionally, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is holding a meeting among Opposition leaders on Tuesday to discuss the matter.

According to sources, the government is preparing to introduce two major amendments. This includes an amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (or, the Women’s Reservation Act) 2023. As per the act, women’s reservation was linked to the new census and the subsequent delimitation exercise. “Due to delays in conducting the census, the plan is now to proceed based on the 2011 census data,” a senior government manager said. To this end, an amendment bill to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is likely to be introduced this week.

The government is also preparing to introduce a separate bill for a consensus on the increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats. The 2011 census will serve as the basis for the delimitation and the redetermination of seats. Following the passage of the amendment bill, the number of Lok Sabha seats could increase from 543 to 816, government sources said.

After Shah’s meeting with a handful of Opposition leaders including Supriya Sule of the NCP (Sharad faction), Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM and Y Midhun Reddy of the YSRCP, a meeting of NDA parliamentary floor leaders took place with Shah, where leaders including union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, RLM chief Upendra Kushwaha, RJD’s Lallan Singh, Shiv Sena MPs Shrikant Shinde and Milind Deora, AIADMK’s M Thambidurai, Apna Dal’s Anupriya Patel, NCP’s Praful Patel, RLD MP Rajkumar Sangwan, apart from other NDA MPs.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/amit-shah-meets-oppn-leaders-to-build-consensus-on-womens-reservation-bill-3942007

Apex court says that such migration shall also be permissible if the recruitment rules or employment notification are either silent or do not expressly prohibit it

The Supreme Court has said that migration of a reserved category candidate who has availed of a concession or relaxation in qualifying examination depends on the recruitment rules or the employment notification.

“If such recruitment rules or employment notification permits such migration, the same is permissible. Such migration shall also be permissible if the recruitment rules or employment notification are either silent or do not expressly prohibit it,” a bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe has said.

The court set aside the Bombay High Court’s judgment of February 14, 2025, and directed Maharashtra government authorities to include the appellants, belonging to the reserved category, to migrate to general category for they had secured marks higher than the last selected candidate in the open category for the post of teachers to the different schools of zila parishad, municipal corporations, nagar parishad and private managements.

Relying on the decision of the Supreme Court in Government of (NCT of Delhi) & Ors vs Pradeep Kumar and Others (2019), the High Court held that candidates availing of the benefit of relaxation cannot migrate to general category and permitting such migration would confer an unfair advantage over general category candidates. It also held that appellants have no enforceable legal right to claim consideration in the open category after having availed of relaxation in the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET).

Assailing the High Court judgment, the appellants argued that the relaxation in a qualifying examination cannot bar migration to the open category, when merit in the main selection examination is higher. It was contended by them that the open category is a merit category and not a quota reserved for general candidates. It was also submitted that the purpose of relaxation in eligibility is to create a level-playing field, not to penalise merit.

The state counsel, on the contrary, contended that candidates who qualified the TET, mandatory requirement, under relaxed standards cannot claim migration to the open category. It was also urged that permitting such migration would amount to granting a double benefit of reservation.

The court noted the minimum qualifying marks for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), denotified and nomadic tribes (DNT), other backward cClasses (OBC), persons with disabilities (PwD), and other specified categories for passing the TET was 55%.

It is axiomatic that relaxation in one of the conditions of securing 60% marks in qualifying examination i.e. the TET only enabled the reserved category candidates to participate in the main examination i.e. the Teachers Aptitude and Intelligence Test (TAIT), 2022, the bench noted.

“Such relaxation only creates a level-playing field. The inter se merit for appointment has to be determined solely on the basis of the performance in the main examination i.e. the TAIT. No relaxation or concession has been granted to reserved category candidates in the main examination i.e. TAIT and their merit has been evaluated at par with general category candidates,” the bench said.

In its judgment on March 23, the court held the appellants who admittedly are more meritorious than the last selected candidate under the general category, cannot be excluded from consideration under the general category, in the absence of any express prohibition in the recruitment rules or notification.

“The relaxation in qualifying criteria only affects eligibility and not merit and migration is permissible in the absence of any prohibition,” the bench said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/migration-of-reserved-candidates-to-open-category-allowed-if-rules-permit-supreme-court-3942305

Among the key demands put forth by the members is the government’s intervention in setting aside at least 500 LPG cylinders daily for paying guest accommodations.

Amid a short supply of LPG cylinders in the city, the Federation of PG Owners Welfare Association on Sunday held a core committee meeting to decide its next course of action.

Among the key demands put forth by the members is the government’s intervention in setting aside at least 500 LPG cylinders daily for paying guest accommodations.

“There are at least 15,000 PGs only in Bengaluru where lakhs of people stay. The state government has assured us that they would provide us adequate LPG cylinders. We will meet the officers on Monday with a petition to provide supply immediately,” association president Arun Kumar said.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/lpg-shortage-bengaluru-pg-owners-demand-500-cylinders-a-day-3940896

Leonid Radvinsky died at 43 after a cancer battle, highlighting the importance of early detection. Experts warn that symptoms like unexplained weight loss, fatigue, lumps, or persistent cough should not be ignored. Regular screenings, healthy lifestyle choices, and timely medical care are crucial, as early diagnosis greatly improves treatment outcomes and survival chances.

The billionaire owner of the world’s largest adult modelling service, Ukrainian-American businessman Leonid Radvinsky, died after a long battle with cancer at 43. UK-based site OnlyFans announced his death in a statement, which reads: “We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Leo Radvinsky. Leo passed away peacefully after a long battle with cancer.

They added that ‘his family has requested privacy at this difficult time.’ Representatives of the Ukrainian-born and Chicago-educated businessman did not disclose which cancer he had, but according to news reports, Radvinsky had been undergoing treatment since last year.

Karnataka’s draft policy aims to curb excessive screen time among students, capping recreational use at one hour daily and promoting digital well-being.

The Karnataka government has proposed a draft policy aimed at promoting responsible digital use among students amid growing concerns over mental health issues linked to excessive screen time. The policy targets students, teachers, and parents, with a focus on digital well-being, emotional health, and balanced use of technology.

As part of the proposed measures, the policy recommends integrating digital literacy and online safety into the school curriculum. It also suggests limiting recreational screen time for students to one hour per day and mandates the creation of school-level digital use policies.

To ensure implementation, schools will be required to form Digital Wellness Committees. These committees will be responsible for identifying early signs of technology addiction among students and facilitating counselling support where needed.

The policy also places emphasis on the role of teachers and parents. Teachers will receive training to detect and manage cases of digital overuse, while parents will be guided to establish structured routines, enforce screen-time limits, and encourage offline activities.

In addition, the draft policy promotes the introduction of tech-free periods and increased outdoor activities for students. It also calls for greater awareness around cyber risks, including bullying and online exploitation.

To strengthen oversight, the policy proposes monitoring systems, reporting mechanisms, and collaboration with mental health professionals and cybercrime authorities.

Overall, the initiative aims to create a safe and balanced digital environment for students through coordinated efforts by schools, families, and the government.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/south/story/karnataka-digital-use-policy-student-mental-health-screen-time-limits-2886056-2026-03-23

PM Modi said India, with a 53 lakh MT strategic petroleum reserve and energy imports from 41 countries, is well-prepared to meet its needs despite rising West Asia tensions and concerns over disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid escalating tensions in West Asia and concerns over supply disruptions through the critical Strait of Hormuz, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the war will have far-reaching consequences, adding that India must prepare for long-term impact.

“Another major challenge of the war is that summer is beginning in India. In the coming days, with rising temperatures, the demand for electricity will increase. Currently, adequate coal stocks are available at all power plants across the country,” PM said.

He asserted that India remains energy-secure, backed by a 53 lakh metric tonne strategic petroleum reserve and a diversified import network spanning 41 countries. He added that the country is now targeting an expansion of its reserves to 65 lakh metric tonnes.

“In the last decade, India has prioritised the storage of crude oil for times of crisis. Today, we have a strategic petroleum reserve of over 53 lakh metric tonnes, and work is underway to increase this to more than 65 lakh metric tonnes,” the Prime Minister told the Lok Sabha.

Highlighting efforts to reduce vulnerability, PM Modi said India has significantly diversified its energy import sources. “Earlier, we imported from 27 countries; today, we import energy from 41 countries,” he noted.

The Prime Minister underlined that strengthening domestic preparedness has been a key focus. “Our refining capacity has also increased… Over the past decade, we have prioritised crude oil storage. We now have a robust strategic petroleum reserve,” he said, adding that India’s refining capacity has also expanded.

“We are in constant touch with multiple countries to ensure steady supplies of oil and gas,” he said.

However, PM Modi acknowledged that the ongoing conflict has posed unprecedented, multi-dimensional challenges for India. “This war has created unforeseen challenges — economic, national security-related, and humanitarian. India has deep trade ties with countries involved in and affected by the conflict. The region is also a crucial route for our global trade, and a significant portion of our crude oil and gas imports pass through it,” he said.

He also condemned attacks on commercial vessels in key international waterways. “Attacks on commercial ships and disruptions in routes like the Strait of Hormuz are unacceptable. Through diplomatic efforts, India is working to ensure the safe passage of its vessels even in this volatile environment,” he added.

The Prime Minister added, “A large portion of crude oil, gas, fertiliser and many other energy sources come through the Strait of Hormuz, and despite the blocking of this route, we are ensuring that our needs are met”.

Despite the disruptions, the Prime Minister stressed that India is managing its energy needs effectively. “A large share of crude oil, gas, fertilisers and other essential imports come through the Strait of Hormuz. Even with disruptions, we are ensuring uninterrupted supply,” he said, adding that household energy security remains a priority, with India importing nearly 60 per cent of its LPG requirements.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-has-53-lakh-mt-strategic-petroleum-reserve-importing-energy-from-41-countries-pm-amid-hormuz-crisis-2885828-2026-03-23

Arvind Kejriwal supported the Punjab government’s action after former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar’s arrest in a suicide case. The party said it acts against its own leaders, unlike the BJP, citing a Haryana incident.

The Aam Aadmi Party Convenor Arvind Kejriwal asserted that his party does not hesitate to act against its own leaders when allegations arise, drawing a contrast with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The statement comes amid the arrest of former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar in connection with a suicide case.

Highlighting his stance, Kejriwal said that when serious allegations surfaced against a minister in Punjab, the party acted swiftly and without bias. The minister was not only removed from his post but was also arrested. The party contrasted this with an incident in Haryana, where an ADGP died by suicide and, according to AAP, those accused received support from their party and government.

Bhullar was arrested on Monday from Mandi Gobindgarh in Fatehgarh Sahib district, two days after Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, a district manager with the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, died by suicide after accusing the AAP MLA of harassment. Police said Bhullar was being brought to Amritsar and would be produced in a court there.

Randhawa reportedly consumed poison early Saturday. A video later surfaced in which he purportedly accused Bhullar of harassment. Following the incident, Bhullar resigned as minister at the direction of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/aam-aadmi-party-arrests-laljit-singh-bhullar-punjab-suicide-case-arvind-kejriwal-2886029-2026-03-23

At least 22 people have been arrested so far. Several minors were also involved in the chain, and the network was neither local nor amateur

What began as a routine intelligence input at Ghaziabad’s Kaushambi police station on March 14 has now unfolded into one of the most serious espionage cases in recent times. It first looked like a group of youths indulging in “suspicious activities”. But it has revealed itself as an organised module operating under direct instruction from handlers across the border in Pakistan.

At least 22 people have been arrested so far. Several minors were also involved in the chain, and the network was neither local nor amateur.

Police moved in quickly after the initial alert that said youths in Uttar Pradesh’s Bhovapur were taking photos and videos of railway stations and military bases and sending them abroad. The lure was money. They were told to recruit more youths in order to earn more.

Six accused – five men and a woman – were arrested in the first sweep by the police. Their phones carried material that changed the direction of the investigation. Galleries filled with videos, photographs, location tags and installations connected to the military. There were also railway nodes and camp perimeters, which were enough evidence to confirm that a structured operation was underway, not just a neighbourhood hustle.

A special investigation team (SIT) was formed immediately including personnel of Indirapuram Police, Crime Branch, cyber crime, intelligence, and SWAT. The interrogation of the arrested accused began on March 17, after which the SIT found the command structure quickly. They have been identified as Suhail Malik, Naushad Ali and Sameer alias Shooter, all operating from Pakistan.

Their recruitment pipeline ran through social media and encrypted messaging apps. The instructions were specific like which railway stations to film, which perimeters to map, what angles to shoot, and when to send coordinates.

The payments ranged from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per ‘assignment’. These amounts are small enough to blend in but large enough to lure vulnerable youths.

Four of the six arrested accused had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama earlier. There, they sent sensitive intelligence back to Pakistan. Investigators now believe the network was part of preparations for a second large-scale attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

In this context, it was more of a pre-attack reconnaissance and not just espionage.

The SIT discovered other alarming terror plans. The network wanted to install solar-powered CCTV cameras along the Delhi-Jammu railway corridor to stream live feeds directly to Pakistan and track military movement.

A camera at Delhi Cantonment and Haryana’s Sonipat were already operational. Forensic teams are analysing the recovered units, and early indicators suggest a larger target list of nearly 50 installations across the country.

Had the network reached that number, the surveillance of troop mobility would have been continuous, investigators believe. The group used a foreign-controlled mobile application for direct transmission of photos, videos, and GPS data. Online training modules came from abroad and over 450 files have been traced back to Pakistan.

The recruitment focused on youths with technical skills such as those working at mobile repair shops, those who do CCTV work, and those with basic networking skills. Economically vulnerable youths were added to the mix, and women and minors were used to reduce suspicion.

One of the key recruiters has been identified as Iram alias Mahak.

Parallel Operation

A parallel operation was launched in the background to investigate an OTP and SIM supply racket. The accused forwarded Indian OTPs abroad, enabling foreign actors to run WhatsApp and social media accounts with Indian numbers. Payments ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000.

SIM acquisition was built on a set of interchangeable tactics such as snatching, phishing, forged IDs, and pre-activated SIMs via agents. Money moved through UPI but avoided personal accounts. The funds were routed through Jan Seva Kendras and small shops and cash withdrawals ensured minimal traceability.

On March 20, the SIT arrested and detained nine more people, including five minors. The module had links in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Nepal. The geography yet again confirmed this was not a neighbourhood cluster but a dispersed recruitment and logistics network.

On March 22, Naushad Ali alias Lalu was arrested in Faridabad. He ran a tyre-puncture repair shop at a fuel station – an ordinary job and life, but a concealed role. With him, the police detained Meera, an e-rickshaw driver in Mathura and a minor.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/massive-pakistan-linked-spy-network-conducted-pre-attack-recon-busted-in-up-ghaziabad-11254630?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

A passerby captured the dogs walking together and recorded a video. He shared it on the Chinese social media platform Douyin, urging local authorities to help.

In a plot that feels straight out of a movie, seven dogs in China staged a miraculous “great escape” after allegedly being kidnapped by thieves working for a meat shop. The canine crew, snatched from their homes and destined for a grim fate, managed to outsmart their captors and navigate the long journey back to safety. A video of a corgi leading the pack, with other dogs, including a German shepherd, following it, has gone viral on social media.

An individual surnamed Lu recorded the scene along a busy highway in China’s Changchun, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported. While recording the video, Lu attempted to guide the dogs to safety, but the group stayed on their route. He then shared the video on Chinese social media platform Douyin, urging the local authorities to help.

“They resemble a band of little brothers in distress, moving in unison – nothing like stray dogs,” he told local media.

What does the video show?

In the video, the dogs are seen walking together at the side of a road. A corgi, usually seen at the front of the group, keeps looking back. Another German shepherd limps along behind, but the group waits for the dog to catch up.

In addition to the corgi and the German shepherd, the group also had Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Pekingese dogs.

According to the local Bitter Coffee Stray Dog Base, the dogs probably come from the same village, reported SCMP. The organisation suggested that it is highly likely the animals roam freely together and have thus formed strong friendships.

After the video went viral, the organisation deployed drones to track the dogs and help them return home safely.

Though it’s unclear how the dogs escaped, a volunteer claimed that they may have escaped from a truck when they were stolen and transported by individuals operating a dog meat shop. Lu spotted the group when they were about 17 kilometres away from their village.

The good news is that the dogs ultimately returned to their owners. “We are so lucky they came back, not to be eaten,” the owner of a German shepherd and a Golden Retriever from the group told local media. Another owner praised their corgi’s intelligence and bravery.

See more

Seven dogs stolen from their owners have gone viral after escaping from an illegal transport truck and making their way home.

They traveled around 17 km together, led by a corgi across highways and fields, now safely back with their respective owners..🐶🐾🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/H5VB9BQkGB

— 𝕐o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) March 23, 2026

Is eating dog meat legal in China?

Although Chinese law doesn’t explicitly prohibit the consumption of dog meat, Shenzhen banned the sale of dog and cat meat in 2020. Despite controversy over the issue, some restaurants sell dog meat, especially during winter.

How did social media react?

An individual commented, “Meanwhile, humans get lost with Google Maps, a full tank of gas, and still call AAA. But a corgi leads 6 homies 17km through highways like it’s nothing. We really are the inferior species in this world.” Another added, “Seven dogs. 17 km. Led by a corgi. This isn’t just a story about animals finding their way home; it’s loyalty, leadership, and pure heart on four legs. Imagine being kidnapped, scared, and still travelling together to get back to the people who love you. Meanwhile, humans get lost in their own neighbourhoods. The courage, the coordination, the bond… this is next-level. Someone give that corgi a medal, please.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/bengaluru-woman-walks-2-7-km-from-office-to-home-for-2-weeks-shares-pros-and-cons-i-had-way-better-energy-101774259234899.html

 

Jaishankar and Rubio discussed West Asia conflict and its impact on the global economy, with a focus on energy security concerns

External affairs minister S Jaishankar spoke to his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, and met the envoys of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Monday to discuss the fallout of the West Asia conflict amid growing concerns about the impact on India’s food, fuel and fertiliser security.

Jaishankar said on social media that he had a detailed phone conversation with Rubio that “focused on the West Asia conflict and its impact on the international economy”. He added: “We particularly spoke about energy security concerns. Agreed to remain in touch.”

There was no official readout on the phone conversation or the meeting with envoys of the GCC states, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Jaishankar said on social media that he and the six ambassadors had “exchanged views on the conflict in West Asia”.

“Thanked them for their continued support to the Indian community in the region,” he said.

The meeting came a day after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security decided on a range of measures to cope with the economic and security implications of the war triggered by Israel and the US’s military strikes on Iran last month. The measures especially focused on ensuring the country’s immediate and long-term food, fuel and fertiliser security.

The Indian government has also stepped up efforts to ensure the security and well-being of 10 million Indians living in West Asian countries.

Besides, the envoys of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the meeting was also attended by the ambassadors of Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar. Saudi Arabia and the UAE alone are home to eight million Indians.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar spoke to his Sri Lankan counterpart Vijitha Herath. “Discussed the repercussions of the West Asia conflict,” Jaishankar said on social media without giving details. “India stands committed to #NeighbourhoodFirst and #VisionMAHASAGAR,” he added.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/eam-jaishankar-speaks-with-us-secretary-rubio-on-west-asia-conflict-101774286500976.html

 

Addressing a rally here he expressed concern over the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, governed by Trinamool Congress.

AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday alleged that around five lakh Backward Classes certificates have been cancelled in West Bengal, most of them belonging to Muslims.

Addressing a rally here he expressed concern over the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, governed by Trinamool Congress.

He claimed that the fate of about 55 lakh people remains uncertain regarding their participation in the upcoming Assembly polls in the eastern state.

He added that the Muslims constitute 30 per cent of the electorate in the poll-bound state.

“About five lakh backward class certificates have been cancelled, most of which are backward class certificates of Muslims. There are many stories of injustice,” he said.

Owaisi said the AIMIM has tied up with suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir-floated Am Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) for the high-stakes Assembly polls in that state.

He noted that during the panchayat election in Malda, AIMIM secured 60,000 votes and the party had contested five to six seats in the last assembly polls.

Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly is scheduled on April 23 and 29, with counting of votes on May 4.

On the shortage of gas supplies in the country, the Hyderabad MP attacked the NDA government at the Centre, alleging that the country’s strategic petroleum reserves for crude oil would last only nine to ten days.

However, when it comes to LNG or LPG there is no such mechanism, he said.

Citing the International Energy Agency nroms, he said countries should maintain at least 90 days of strategic reserves.

The energy demand of India stands at 22 million barrels of oil per day and it will increase to 43.6 million in 2050.

“For 11 years, we have known that the Strait of Hormuz is a very dangerous area. But now that the problems have increased. Now that the commercial gas cylinders are shutting down. What are you doing now? Why haven’t you diversified for 11 years? And what guarantee do you have that Australia, Algeria, Canada, Norway will give it to us? Now we are in a crisis,” he said, hitting out PM Modi.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/elections/west-bengal/west-bengal-assembly-elections-owaisi-alleges-cancellation-of-5-lakh-bc-certificates-ahead-of-polls-3940836#google_vignette

Arvind Kejriwal criticised the Centre for removing domestic airfare caps, warning prices may surge beyond middle-class reach.

AAP Convenor, former Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday criticised the Centre over its decision to remove caps on domestic airfares, warning that the move could push ticket prices beyond the reach of the middle class.

In a post on X, Kejriwal said, “Airfares are increasingly going out of reach for the middle class. The Modi government is removing the cap on airfares, which might trigger high inflation in ticket prices.” He added that the government should instead focus on regulating fares more efficiently, asserting that “air travel is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity for the middle class.”

The remarks came after the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday withdrew the temporary fare caps imposed on domestic air travel, citing stabilisation in flight operations across the sector.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) imposed emergency caps last year on domestic airfares following one of the country’s worst aviation disruptions in recent years.

The move came after IndiGo cancelled thousands of flights due to a pilot-rostering crisis, triggering a surge in ticket prices on busy routes and forcing the government to intervene.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/arvind-kejriwal-warns-removal-airfare-caps-ticket-price-increase-2885603-2026-03-22

Further arrests deepen probe into Pakistan-linked Ghaziabad espionage network

In a breakthrough in the Ghaziabad espionage case, police have arrested three more accused, including a woman, taking the total number of arrests to 14 in what is being described as the largest spying module linked to Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI.

The newly arrested accused have been identified as Naushad Ali, Meera, and a minor. According to investigators, Naushad is one of the masterminds of the espionage racket. His role involved recruiting young individuals with technical skills such as mobile repair, computer work, and CCTV operation, especially those from economically weaker backgrounds, by luring them with money.

He also used social media groups to identify youths with criminal tendencies but no prior criminal record. Women were deliberately recruited into the network to minimise suspicion.

Meera, who is among the arrested, was involved in supplying weapons. She had earlier been arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in 2025 and later became part of this espionage network. Police have recovered mobile phones from the accused.

The case builds on earlier arrests made on March 14, when Ghaziabad Police had arrested six individuals linked to an ISI-backed spying network. Among them was Sohail Malik, a resident of Meerut and a key mastermind, who was paid Rs 10,000 for each video clip he transmitted. A woman identified as Mahek (also known as Sane Iram) was also arrested and was responsible for recruiting young members. Both Malik and Mahek were also tasked with making payments to operatives.

Other accused arrested earlier include Praveen, Raj Valmiki, Shiva Valmiki, and Ritik Gangwa. Their mobile phones, electronic devices, and documents were seized during the investigation.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the network had been covertly installing CCTV cameras at strategic locations such as Delhi Cantonment Railway Station and Sonipat Railway Station to transmit live feeds of army routes, troop movements, and weaponry. The group had plans to install around 50 cameras from Delhi to Kashmir to gather sensitive military information.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ghaziabad-isi-spy-module-arrests-three-arrested-weapons-supplier-cctv-pakistan-2885483-2026-03-22

A quiet arrest in Rajasthan has unravelled a wider espionage network, linking an Air Force employee to Pakistani handlers. Investigators say the trail began months ago and may reach deeper than first believed.

A civilian employee at an Indian Air Force station has been arrested for allegedly passing sensitive military information to Pakistani handlers, in a case that investigators say has exposed a wider espionage network operating across India.

The arrest, carried out by Rajasthan Intelligence, follows months of investigation that began with a separate detention earlier this year.

Additional Director General of Police Intelligence Prafull Kumar said the case traces back to January 2026, when Jhabara Ram, a resident of Jaisalmer, was taken into custody.

During questioning, Ram revealed links to another suspect who was in regular contact with Pakistani intelligence agencies. That trail led investigators to Sumit Kumar.

ACCUSED POSTED AT AIR FORCE STATION IN ASSAM

Sumit Kumar, 36, originally from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, was working as a Multi-Tasking Staff member at Air Force Station Chabua in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.

Investigators say he used his position to access and pass on confidential information related to the Indian Air Force. The data was allegedly shared with Pakistani handlers through social media platforms.

JOINT OPERATION LEADS TO ARREST

In a coordinated operation, Rajasthan Intelligence and Air Force Intelligence detained Kumar from Chabua and brought him to Jaipur for questioning.

Officials said, “The accused had been in contact with Pakistani intelligence since 2023 and was sharing sensitive information in exchange for money.”

SENSITIVE DEFENCE DETAILS LEAKED

Interrogation revealed that Kumar allegedly shared critical details about Air Force installations, including Air Force Station Chabua and Air Force Station Nal in Bikaner.

The information included locations of fighter aircraft and missile systems, along with confidential details about officers and personnel.

Investigators also found that he helped create social media accounts for Pakistani handlers using mobile numbers issued in his name.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-air-force-employee-arrested-espionage-assam-pakistani-handlers-terrorism-rajasthan-2885667-2026-03-23

Haflong’s sitting MLA Nandita Gorlosa was denied a ticket by the BJP, which fielded Rupali Langthasa from the seat after dropping several sitting legislators.

After being denied a party ticket for next month’s assembly polls, Assam BJP minister Nandita Gorlosa joined the Congress late on Sunday night and would be contesting as its candidate for the Haflong (ST) constituency.

The Congress had named Nirmal Langthasa as its candidate from Haflong in its fifth list released on Sunday. Following Gorlosa’s induction, the party leadership replaced Langthasa and fielding her instead.

Gorlosa joined the Congress in the presence of party leaders, including Assam Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Nirmal Langthasa.

“We are very happy to announce that Nandita Gorlosa has joined the Congress party….Congress will declare her as our candidate for Haflong seat tomorrow,” said Congress in a statement.

“Gorlosa is set to contest the election in congress ticket from the Haflong seat as Sh Langthasa has proactively volunteered to vacate there seat in larger public interest. The formalities for the same will be duly completed shortly,” it added.

The switch happened before the last date for filing of nomination on Monday. Voting for the single phase assembly election to all 126 seats will take place on April 9.

A sitting MLA from Haflong, she was denied a ticket by the BJP, which fielded Rupali Langthasa from the seat after dropping several sitting legislators.

She reacted soon after the BJP announced its candidate list on March 19. Senior leaders, including Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had reached out to her.

Sarma visited Dima Hasao on Sunday before travelling to Silchar to meet party leaders. BJP leaders in Haflong said Gorlosa did not attend the meetings during the visit.

Speaking to reporters in Guwahati late Sunday night, Sarma initially said only a few leaders had left the party and that Gorlosa was not quitting the BJP. He later revised his statement after learning of her move.

“I had spoken to her and she seemed satisfied. The Congress had already announced its candidate from Haflong. I don’t know why she is joining that party,” he said.

Gorlosa was elected in 2021 and was inducted into the state cabinet. She handled the mines, minerals and tribal faith portfolios.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bjp-minister-nandita-garlosa-joins-congress-day-before-assam-nomination-deadline-to-contest-from-halflong-101774231984996.html

 

The finance minister is scheduled to introduce the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 “to amend” the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act.

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to introduce a bill to amend corporate laws in the Lok Sabha on Monday for further ease of doing business, decriminalise minor offences, replace certain criminal provisions with civil penalties and reduce compliance burdens for small firms, startups and produce companies set up by farmers.

According to the Lok Sabha’s agenda for Monday, the finance minister is scheduled to introduce the Corporate Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 “to amend” the Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Act, 2008 and the Companies Act, 2013. While the Company Act deals with incorporation, governance, disclosures and dissolution of a firm, more flexible LLP Act provides limited liabilities for partners, people aware of the development said, requesting anonymity. The cabinet cleared the bill on March 10.

Both laws had been amended in the past and current amendments are aimed at not only to further ease of doing business but also to introduce ease of living for corporates by decriminalising more provisions, the people said. The Company Act was earlier amended four times since 2015 to rationalise compliance requirements. The LLP Act was earlier emended in 2021 with similar objectives.

“The bill is expected to propose several changes for ease of compliance, including decriminalisation of several provisions, regulatory ease for small firms, startups and producer companies,” one person said. A producer company is incorporated by people involved in activities such as agriculture, fishery, animal husbandry, horticulture, floriculture, pisciculture, forestry and forest products.

The amendments in the laws are made on the basis of the Company Law Committee (CLC) constituted by the government to facilitate greater ease of doing business for business entities. The CLC has submitted its last report to the government on March 21, 2022. An 11-member CLC was constituted in September 2019. Its members included former Lok Sabha secretary general TK Viswanathan, Kotak Mahindra Bank managing director Uday Kotak, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co executive chairman Shardul S Shroff, chartered accountant G Ramaswamy, and Xpro India chairman Sidharth Birla.

With regard to the Companies Act, 2013, some recommendations of the CLC included, facilitating certain companies to communicate with their members in only electronic form, easing the requirement of raising capital in distressed companies, allowing submitting affidavits with self-certification, allowing companies to hold general meetings in virtual, physical or hybrid modes, strengthening the National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) and prohibiting conversion of co-operative societies into a company. Under LLP Act, it recommended to ease incorporation and compliance requirements for producer organisations of farmers, fishermen or artisans.

Recommendations of CLC were deliberated by various stakeholders and considered by the High-Level Committee on Non-Financial Regulatory Reforms (HLC-NFRR), chaired by former cabinet secretary and NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba. In her 2025-26 budget speech, the finance minister had announced about constituting the committee. “A High-Level Committee for Regulatory Reforms will be set up for a review of all non-financial sector regulations, certifications, licenses, and permissions,” she said on February 1 last year.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/us-doctor-shares-5-dietary-additions-to-lower-ldl-cholesterol-levels-naturally-omega-3s-garlic-extract-and-more-101774187679429.html

 

On Sunday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 29.5°C, which was 2°C below the seasonal average. The minimum temperature stood at 15.6°C, about 1.7°C below normal.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted Delhi may see another spell of light rain on Monday, even as temperatures are expected to gradually rise through the week despite persistent cloudy conditions.

The development follows the unusual rainfall that brought relief from the heat on Thursday and Friday.

The cooling impact of those showers continued into Sunday, although both maximum and minimum temperatures edged up slightly compared to Saturday, remaining below normal levels.

On Sunday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 29.5°C, which was 2°C below the seasonal average. The minimum temperature stood at 15.6°C, about 1.7°C below normal.

For Monday, the IMD has predicted “generally cloudy skies with a possibility of very light rain accompanied with thunderstorm/lightning during forenoon to afternoon.”

Cloudy weather is expected to persist throughout the week, with maximum temperatures likely to climb to 32–34°C by Saturday and minimum temperatures ranging between 16°C and 18°C.

“A feeble western disturbance is expected to bring cloudy weather along with isolated light to moderate rains across Delhi-NCR, Haryana, North Punjab, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh on Monday morning into late evening hours. These won’t bring widespread rains like the previous ones as the western disturbance is feeble,” meteorologist Navdeep Dahiya posted on X.

Skymet president Mahesh Palawat, however, said the system is unlikely to significantly affect Delhi.

Source : https://www.news18.com/cities/new-delhi-news/delhi-may-get-another-spell-of-light-rain-today-temperatures-to-rise-after-brief-cool-spell-ws-kl-9991495.html

The government held a high-level meeting chaired by PM Modi to assess the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which poses substantial risks to the global economy and specifically to India’s energy supply.

The Centre on Sunday said that the ongoing conflict in West Asia will have significant short, medium, long term impact on global economy and its effects on India were assessed at Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting. The high-level meeting which took place on Sunday evening, was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with almost all Union Ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Nirmala Sitharaman, Hardeep Singh Puri, among others. The agenda of the meeting was to review the availability of energy resources including oil and natural gas, logistics issues that have been impacted due to the closure of strategic sea pass — Strait of Hormuz, reduction in energy production in Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia amid fears of Iranian attacks.

The conflict in the middle east first began on February 28 when US and Israel in a joint attack pounded over 30 bombs on Iran, eliminating its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several of his close aides and family members. Iran, which blamed the West for imposing war on them, started targeting energy rich Gulf nations including UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar apart from Israel in retaliation and to pressure the United States. Iran closed Strait of Hormuz, a key sea passage from where a third of world’s energy trade takes places, threatening logistics operations, attacked oil and gas facilities to disturb energy production.

The conflict is now impacting Asian and European nations as it has halted and slowed down energy flows, especially for India as it sources 90 per cent of its natural gas requirement from this region. Therefore, in order to assess the developing situation, PM Modi chaired a crucial CCS meeting to review status of energy supplies to India and the region.

Cab drivers in Gurugram went on strike demanding mandatory customer KYC, citing safety concerns and lack of grievance redressal, causing travel disruptions.

Explore Ayurveda’s vast herbal wisdom through a scientifically curated global database, offering detailed insights into medicinal plants, their properties, uses, and the powerful healing potential of traditional Ayurvedic knowledge.

Recently, Patanjali added another feather to its cap with the World Herbal Encyclopedia (WHE), a well-structured, reference-based, and scientifically curated knowledge document. Patanjali also launched the WHE portal, which digitally archives global medicinal plant data. It helps explore the world’s most extensive medicinal plants. You can buy WHE books and botanical artworks online.

What to Find

The portal offers dynamic data filtration using scientific names, synonyms, or vernacular terms. Refine searches by phylogenetic groups, families, genera, countries, medicinal uses, and more. There is tailored data with access to plant profiles and their detailed botanical, chemical and therapeutic information.

Use custom search combinations with multiple filters to achieve specific results. The user-friendly data search is perfect for botanists, scientists, doctors, and herbal practitioners seeking detailed plant data.

An NRI installed a Statue of Liberty replica on his Jalandhar home, drawing visitors and going viral online.

A unique architectural addition in Punjab’s Jalandhar has caught the attention of social media users after an NRI recreated a miniature version of the Statue of Liberty on his home.

According to PTI, Gurjeet Singh Matharu, who has been living in New York for the past 26 years, installed a replica of the iconic monument on the fourth floor of his house in the Kishanpura area. The structure has since become a local attraction, with people travelling from nearby areas and even farther locations to catch a glimpse.

Speaking with news agency PTI, Matharu shared the inspiration behind his unusual creation. “The idea came from seeing the Statue of Liberty often in New York and keeping it as a memory of the city when I visit India each year,” he said.

A landmark in the neighbourhood

The Statue of Liberty, one of the most recognisable symbols of the United States, represents freedom and hope. By recreating it in Jalandhar, Matharu appears to have built a personal bridge between his life abroad and his roots back home.

Take a look here at the post:

Divya Porwal, a Google techie, highlights that high salaries in India don’t equate to luxury purchases. Instead, earnings go towards taxes and living expenses.

 

A Bengaluru-based Google techie has renewed the conversation around tech salaries in India after saying that even top software engineers can’t casually buy things worth multiple crores. Divya Porwal said that some people labour under the delusion that Google techies earn enough to buy fancy cars on a whim. In a post shared on X, she issues a clarification on tech salaries in India.

“I don’t even earn a crore in a year”

Porwal, a software engineer who recently joined Google, said that someone once said to her, “Bro you work at Google, you can easily buy a Lamborghini.”

In her post, she offered a reality check on being able to buy a Lamborghini in India. Porwal said that a Lamborghini costs between ₹4 to 5 crore in India. She, on the other hand, does not even earn a crore in a year.

“Lamborghini in India starts from around ₹4–5 crore. And I don’t even earn a crore in a year,” the Bengaluru techie said in her X post.

See more

Lamborghini in India starts from around ₹4–5 crore.
And I don’t even earn a Crore😂 in a year.
Someone said: “Bro you work at Google, you can easily buy one 😭”
Really? Lol
After taxes, rent, family responsibilities, daily life…⁰a big chunk of salary is already gone.
A…

— Divya Porwal (@divyaporwal_) March 19, 2026

Porwal said that a big chunk of her salary goes on taxes, rent, utilities, family responsibilities etc. In reality, even a high-paying job does not give one access to crazy luxuries, she said.

“After taxes, rent, family responsibilities, daily life… a big chunk of salary is already gone. A high-paying job gives you comfort. Not crazy luxury,” she wrote.

Tech salaries in India

The Google techie added that the kind of money which buys luxuries usually comes from startup wins or businesses, not salaries. In India, even top software engineers cannot buy things worth multiple crores, unless they have generational wealth and zero responsibilities, she opined.

“In India, even top software engineers can’t casually buy things worth multiple crores (they can if they have generational wealth and 0 responsibilities),” wrote Porwal on X. “That level of money usually comes from startup wins, business, or equity. Not just a monthly salary,” she concluded.

Her post has been going steadily viral on X, where many agreed with her opinion.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/google-engineer-says-indian-tech-salaries-can-t-buy-5-crore-luxuries-like-lamborghini-101774148366325.html

 

The case has been registered at the Ranjit Avenue police station under the Amritsar Police Commissionerate.

Shortly after Punjab transport and jails minister Laljit Singh Bhullar resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government following his alleged link to a suicide case, a case was registered against him and his father under the charges of ‘abetment of suicide’.

Bhullar stepped down from his post on Saturday after his name surfaced in the controversy related to the alleged suicide of a district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar. The district manager, who allegedly consumed a poisonous substance, claimed he had taken the extreme step out of fear of Bhullar.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against Bhullar, his father, Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and another aide in the case, said Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Commissioner of Police, Amritsar. Charges under Sections 109, 351(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita have been imposed.

The case has been registered at the Ranjit Avenue police station under the Amritsar Police Commissionerate. Another official stated that the decision regarding the FIR against Bhullar was taken at midnight.

Bhullar’s resignation as the transport and jails minister makes him the third minister directly linked to criminal or ethical misconduct to be shown the door in the Bhagwant Mann-led government.

What led to Bhullar’s resignation, FIR

The resignation and an FIR against the Punjab minister comes amid allegations of abetment of suicide of a state warehousing corporation official.

Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, the district manager of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar, allegedly took his own life after consuming a poisonous substance at around 7 am on Saturday.

A video surfaced on social media on Saturday in which Randhawa was purportedly heard saying that he had consumed some poisonous substance and accused the transport minister of harassment.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/hours-after-resignation-fir-against-punjab-minister-laljit-singh-bhullar-sukhdev-bhullar-abetment-charges-suicide-case-101774146204196.html

Addressing reporters, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, however, clarified that the measure is temporary and assured that the deferred amounts would be returned once the financial situation improves.

Facing a severe financial crunch, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday announced a temporary delay of a portion of salaries across the political executive and senior bureaucracy, with 50 per cent of his own salary, 30 per cent of Deputy CM and cabinet ministers’ salaries, and 20 per cent of MLAs’ salaries to be deferred for the next six months.

Sukhu made the announcement during the presentation of the state budget for the 2026-27 financial year. It comes after the discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant, which has put additional pressure on the state’s finances.

Addressing reporters later, the Himachal CM, however, clarified that the measure is temporary and assured that the deferred amounts would be returned once the financial situation improves. “This is only a temporary deferment, and the amount will be returned as soon as the state’s financial condition improves,” he said.

The delay will also apply to political appointees and top bureaucrats. A 20 per cent cut has been announced for chairpersons, vice-chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of boards and corporations as well as advisors. Among officials, a 30 per cent deferment will apply to the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, the Director General of Police and Additional DGPs.

Furthermore, 20 per cent of salaries of Secretaries, Heads of Departments, IGs, DIGs, SSPs and equivalent ranks will be delayed, while Group A and Group B officers will see a 3 per cent deferment for six months.

Sukhu said that Group C and Group D employees have been exempted from the measure and will continue to receive their full salaries.

Despite the monetary strain, the budget includes multiple relief measures. The monthly salary of non-regularised medical officers has been hiked from Rs 33,600 to Rs 40,000. Meanwhile, the salaries of staff nurses, lab technicians, pharmacists and operation theatre technicians have been rationalised to a flat Rs 25,000.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/himachal-pradesh/story/himachal-pradesh-sukhwinder-singh-sukhu-chief-minister-ministers-salaries-delayed-deferred-six-months-portions-financial-crunch-state-budget-2885337-2026-03-21

The FIR was lodged at the Ranjit Avenue Police Station in Amritsar following a complaint filed by the deceased’s wife, Upinder Kaur, who accused the trio of sustained harassment, physical assault, mental torture and coercion that allegedly drove her husband to take his own life.

Punjab Police on Saturday lodged an FIR against former minister Laljit SIngh Bhaullar, his father Sukhdev Singh Bhullar, and his personal assistant (PA) in connection with the suicide of Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, an employee of the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation in Amritsar.

The FIR was lodged at the Ranjit Avenue Police Station in Amritsar following a complaint filed by the deceased’s wife, Upinder Kaur, who accused the trio of sustained harassment, physical assault, mental torture and coercion that allegedly drove her husband to take his own life.

Randhawa, who was posted as a District Manager in Amritsar, died during treatment at a private hospital on Friday after he consumed a poisonous substance in a bid to take his own life. Before his death, Randhawa recorded a 12-second video in which he blamed the former minister for forcing him to take the drastic step.

Before the FIR was eventually lodged against the AAP MLA, Shiromani Akali Dal, Congress & BJP leaders came together to protest outside the Police Station.

Randhawa’s death sparked a major political controversy in the state, forcing Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to sack Bhullar, who held the jail and transport portfolios.

CM Mann also ordered Punjab Chief Secretary KAP Sinha to investigate the circumstances leading to Randhawa’s death, adding that losing an officer to political pressure would not be tolerated.

OPPOSITION SLAMS MANN GOVERNMENT

Meanwhile, Opposition parties said they would “gherao” the Chief Minister’s residence on Sunday, demanding strict action against Bhullar.

SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia called Bhullar’s resignation an “eyewash” and demanded a CBI probe into the matter. “The government is indulging in drama and Bhullar could be given a clean chit within days. If the government is serious about justice, it should register a murder case under Section 302,” the SAD leader said.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar claimed that Chief Minister Mann no longer had any moral basis to remain in power and sought Bhullar’s immediate arrest. “Earlier, people in Punjab were dying by suicide due to their inability to pay extortion money. Now, even government officers are being forced to take their lives as they can’t meet ministers’ demands,” Jakhar added.

Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Gurjeet Aujla also met Randhawa’s family in Amritsar on Saturday.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/fir-against-punjab-aap-minister-after-officer-alleges-harassment-before-killing-self-2885385-2026-03-22

At an Eid event in Kolkata, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee called PM Narendra Modi the “biggest infiltrator” and accused the BJP of trying to influence upcoming Assembly elections. She pledged to protect voter rights in the state, slammed the party as “traitors,” and criticized Modi’s narrative on Hindu-Muslim issues, drawing sharp political lines ahead of polls.

Attending an Eid event at Kolkata’s Red Road area, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday had called Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘biggest infiltrator’.

Mamata also mentioned that the SIR exercise was part of a larger effort to influence upcoming Assembly elections.

“BJP hatao, Desh Bhachao. Modi and his party leaders are the biggest infiltrators. Those who are targeting Bengal will go to hell. I have been to the Supreme Court to move against the exercise. We will neither allow BJP nor Modi to take away the voting rights of the genuine voters,” said Mamata.

Notably, infiltrators issue is a major poll plank for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as in several public rallies both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over infiltration issue in the state.

Taking further potshots at Modi, Mamata stated that BJP is the party of ‘traitors’.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/west-bengal-cm-mamata-banerjee-calls-pm-modi-biggest-infiltrator-vows-to-protect-bengal-voters

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of acting as BJP’s “B-team” ahead of Assembly polls. He claimed Rahul’s positions have helped the BJP and weakened opposition unity. Vijayan also said the BJP will not win a single seat in the state as the LDF seeks a third straight term.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has slammed Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and accused him of “effectively acting as the leader of BJP’s B-team.”

Speaking to India Today just ahead of the state polls, the CM said, “Rahul Gandhi is effectively acting as the leader of BJP’s B-team. That is the experience of the country. His positions have repeatedly helped the BJP,” he said.

Vijayan claimed that the Congress weakened opposition unity in states like Delhi and Haryana. He also pointed to the party’s stance towards the Arvind Kejriwal-led government, alleging a lack of consistent support.

“BJP will not win single seat”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi amid the West Asia conflict, discussing recent developments and regional impact. He also conveyed Nowruz and Eid greetings. Separately, PM Narendra Modi spoke to Iran’s President, condemning attacks on infrastructure and stressing secure shipping routes.

Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi and conveyed greetings for Nowruz and Eid.

Notably, this is the fifth time the leaders have spoken since the conflict began on 28 February. During the discussion, they talked about recent developments and their wider regional impact.

Taking to X, the EAM wrote, “Spoke this evening to FM @araghchi of Iran. Conveyed greetings for Navroz and Eid. Our conversation was on the latest developments regarding the conflict. And its implications for the larger region.”

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Spoke this evening to FM @araghchi of Iran. Conveyed greetings for Navroz and Eid.

Our conversation was on the latest developments regarding the conflict. And its implications for the larger region.

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) March 21, 2026

The conversation comes hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a discussion with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, extending greetings on the occasions of Eid and Nowruz and expressing hope for peace, stability, and prosperity across West Asia.

During the call, PM Modi strongly condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, warning that such actions threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains.

Taking to X PM Modi wrote,“Spoke with President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings. We expressed hope that this festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia. Condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains.”

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/west-asia-war-eam-jaishankar-speaks-to-iranian-counterpart-araghchi-discusses-conflicts-implications-for-wider-region

 

Astrologer Ashok Kharat is accused of raping a woman and exploiting several others. State women’s commission chief Rupali Chakankar resigned after outrage over her alleged links with him.

The fallout from the scandal surrounding astrologer Ashok Kharat – accused of raping a woman and exploiting several others – has reached a boiling point, claiming its first major casualty.

Rupali Chakankar, an NCP leader who served as the chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, resigned from the post on Friday following a direct intervention by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, the political tremors have not subsided and the spotlight has shifted to NCP Maharashtra President Sunil Tatkare, with the opposition and some within his own party demanding his resignation.

Chakankar’s resignation followed outrage over photos and videos of her with Kharat, a former Merchant Navy officer who was known as ‘Captain’. One image showed her holding an umbrella for him and, in a video, she was allegedly seen washing his feet. While she cited “moral responsibility” and a desire for a transparent probe, the move is widely seen as a forced, strategic retreat by the ruling Mahayuti government to manage optics.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sushma Andhare has claimed Chakankar is just the tip of the iceberg of an organised crime network, and the focus has now shifted to Tatkare.

The NCP president is also facing attacks from within, and party leader Sangeeta Tiwari has openly accused him of actively shielding Chakankar. Tiwari alleged that both he and Chakankar were aware of the “rituals” carried out by Kharat to exploit women, but provided him with political cover.

Tatkare and Chakankar’s photos have also reportedly begun disappearing from official NCP banners in Pune, signalling a potential distancing by the party high command.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ashok-kharat-sunil-tatkare-rupali-chakankar-after-womens-panel-chief-calls-for-ncp-state-chief-to-quit-over-maharashtra-astrologer-scandal-11248714?pfrom=home-ndtv_topstories

The cap had been imposed after ticket prices rose following the IndiGo disruptions in December last year.

Domestic airfares are set to be deregulated from Monday, with the government removing the temporary cap on ticket prices, opening the door for airlines to freely set fares amid rising operating costs.

The move comes months after the Centre had imposed a ceiling on domestic fares in December 2025 following widespread flight disruptions, particularly by IndiGo, which had triggered a sharp spike in ticket prices across the sector.

With the cap now lifted, airlines will no longer be bound by the earlier upper limit of approximately Rs 18,000 (based on distance) for a one-way economy ticket and can price tickets according to demand and market conditions.

In its order removing the limit, the Civil Aviation ministry said “excessive or unjustified surge in fares during periods of peak demand, disruptions, or exigencies, will be viewed seriously” and that fare caps or other interventions can be reintroduced “if required in public interest”.

The fare caps had been brought in as an emergency measure to protect passengers from sudden price surges after mass cancellations led to reduced capacity and inflated ticket prices.

The removal also comes against the backdrop of increasing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and geopolitical tensions impacting flight operations, both of which have significantly raised airline expenses.

Officials said the decision aims to restore normal market dynamics in the aviation sector, allowing carriers greater pricing flexibility as the industry stabilises after the disruption-led volatility.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/iran-israel-war-air-ticket-prices-atf-ticket-prices-likely-to-soar-as-centre-lifts-domestic-airfare-cap-11248750?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Assam Elections 2026: As Assam prepares for its Assembly elections, key campaign issues will revolve around illegal immigration, eviction drives, and development initiatives.

Infiltration, eviction drives, and development projects are set to dominate the campaign narrative as political parties gear up for the Assam Assembly elections, with both the ruling alliance and opposition sharpening their positions on key issues.

Assembly elections in Assam will be held on a single day on April 9 and votes will be counted on May 4. The model code of conduct has come into effect immediately with the announcement of the poll schedule. There are 126 assembly seats, and the BJP has been in power in the Northeastern state since 2016. Himanta Biswa Sarma has been the chief minister since 2021.

Anaya Bangar, the daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, has announced the completion of her gender-affirming surgery in Thailand

The intersection of professional sports and personal identity remains a complex arena in India, often governed by traditional social structures. However, a significant shift in this narrative occurred on Saturday, as Anaya Bangar, daughter of former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar, announced the completion of her gender-affirming surgery in Thailand. Her three-year journey, documented via social media, has provided a rare, high-profile case study of transition within the context of elite Indian sports.

From the Pitch to Personal Realignment

Before her transition, Anaya was known to the cricketing circuit as Aryan Bangar. Influenced by her father’s career—Sanjay Bangar represented India in both Tests and ODIs before becoming a high-level batting coach—she was a proficient left-handed batter. Her competitive record includes representing Mumbai at the Under-16 and Under-19 levels, followed by a stint in the English county circuit with Leicestershire.

Despite her athletic progression, Anaya has since detailed the internal conflict she faced during this period. She described leading a “double life”, where the physical requirements of professional cricket were increasingly at odds with her gender identity. In her accounts, the highly gendered environment of the locker room served as a catalyst for her eventual decision to step away from her previous identity and begin the transition process.

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The Physiological Impact of Medical Transition

Anaya’s transition involved a prolonged period of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which she referred to as a “second puberty”. This medical process resulted in fundamental physiological changes. For an athlete, these shifts represent significant professional hurdles; Anaya has been transparent about the reduction in muscle mass, strength, and bone density she experienced.

Notably, she stated that she lost nearly 95% of her former muscle mass during the process. By sharing these specific data points, Anaya has contributed to the ongoing global debate regarding “biological advantages” in transgender female athletes, arguing that the physical changes brought about by HRT significantly alter an individual’s athletic profile. The final stage of this process was completed recently in Thailand, a primary destination for specialised gender-affirming healthcare.

Familial Dynamics and Public Support

A central element of this story has been the public evolution of the relationship between Anaya and her father. Sanjay Bangar, a figure associated with the disciplined and traditional values of Indian cricket, initially found it difficult to process his daughter’s transition. Anaya has previously acknowledged this early friction and the period of adjustment required for her family.

By 2026, this dynamic has shifted towards active support. Sanjay Bangar accompanied his daughter through her medical procedures in Thailand, a gesture that activists note is significant in a country where many transgender individuals face familial estrangement. The Bangar family’s public stance provides an important template for how traditional Indian households might navigate the complexities of transition through a framework of patience and eventual reconciliation.

The Future of Advocacy and Sport

Anaya Bangar now occupies a unique position at the heart of an international policy debate. The International Cricket Council (ICC) currently maintains a ban on transgender women who have gone through any stage of male puberty, effectively limiting Anaya’s options in professional women’s cricket at the highest level.

Source : https://www.news18.com/cricket/from-cricketing-legacy-to-identity-debate-why-anaya-bangars-transition-is-a-turning-point-in-indian-sports-9990378.html

 

In Delhi, the price of one litre of diesel sold for industrial uses like manufacturing, logistics and power generation was hiked to Rs 109.59 from earlier rate of Rs 87.67, an increase of Rs 21.92 per litre or over 25%.

Amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, public-sector oil marketing companies in India on Friday started a selective price hike, with premium petrol becoming costlier by up to Rs 2.35 per litre and diesel used for industrial purposes witnessing a steep 25% jump in rate. The move could make products costlier, leading to higher inflationary pressure.

In Delhi, the price of one litre of diesel sold for industrial uses like manufacturing, logistics and power generation was hiked to Rs 109.59 from earlier rate of Rs 87.67, an increase of Rs 21.92 per litre or over 25%.

However, the price of diesel sold to retail customers like car, bus and truck users remains unchanged. In Delhi, retail users will continue to get normal diesel at Rs 87.67 a litre.

Diesel is used as a key source of energy by various industrial sectors, including manufacturing, logistics and power generation. The increase in cost of production due to higher diesel prices is likely to result in a jump in prices down the supply chain, impacting the pocket of common people.

Inflation has increased sharply in recent months. Retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index rose to 10-month high of 3.21% in February, while wholesale price inflation jumped to 11-month high of 2.13%, as per the latest official data.

Public-sector oil marketing companies like Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) also announced up to Rs 2.35 per litre increase in the price of premium or high-grade petrol.

Price of IOCL’s XP95, BPCL’s Speed and HPCL’s Power has been increased in the range of Rs 2.09 to Rs 2.35 per litre.

Oil retailers sell premium petrol under different branding and varying rates. However, the price of normal petrol in Delhi remains unchanged at Rs 94.77 per litre.

“There is no increase in the price of normal petrol. There is some increase only in the premium category,” said Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

She claimed that premium petrol hardly makes up for 2-4% of the entire petrol sold in the country.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/industrial-diesel-price-up-by-25-may-fuel-inflation-3939335

According to sources, she met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier in the evening, and he asked her to resign.

In a major development following the arrest of celebrity astrologer ‘Captain’ Ashok Kharat in a case of sexual assault and making objectionable videos of women, Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) chairperson Rupali Chakankar tendered her resignation on Friday night.

Chakankar, who is also president of the NCP women’s wing, had come under fire over her alleged connection with Kharat after videos surfaced showing her with the self‑styled godman, in which she was heard praising him.

Earlier in the day, amid mounting attacks from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, NGOs and activists, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had reportedly asked Chakankar to step down.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/maharashtra/under-fire-over-links-with-rape-accused-godman-maharashtra-womens-panel-chief-chakankar-quits-3939272

One of the 10 pledges of the manifesto focuses on empowerment of women, with the party promising to enhance financial assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday released the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections, detailing 10 key pledges focused on welfare expansion, job creation, infrastructure development and economic growth.

Addressing a gathering while unveiling the manifesto in Kolkata, the TMC chairperson slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, alleging it has “imposed an undeclared President’s Rule” in the state and is planning to carve out a new state from northern districts along with parts of Bihar.

The manifesto’s 10 pratigyas (pledges) widen the ambit of the existing 100-plus state-aided social welfare schemes for women, youth, students, farmers, widows, senior citizens, migrant workers and the unemployed.

“In the next five years, I pledge to turn our collective dreams into living reality, to tend to this land with the same love and devotion that Bengal has always inspired in her children,” Banerjee wrote in the manifesto’s preface, which focused on the “dignity” and “honour” of Bengalis.

One of the 10 pledges focuses on empowerment of women, with the party promising to enhance financial assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme by increasing the monthly support by ₹500 — taking it to ₹1,500 for general category women and ₹1,700 for SC/ST women.

Another key pledge is a commitment to provide monthly financial assistance of ₹1,500 to unemployed youth under the Banglar Yuba-Sathi scheme.

The manifesto proposes a ₹30,000 crore agriculture budget to support farmers, including landless cultivators, and ensure sector-wide upgrades.

The TMC has promised to ensure pucca houses for all families and piped drinking water supply to every household across the state. The party has also pledged to organise annual Duare Chikitsa health camps in every block and town for doorstep health care delivery, upgrade infrastructure in all government schools, and expand pension coverage for senior citizens and widows.

“A survey is underway to bring more widows and senior citizens under the existing pension schemes. Also, as part of our Duare Sarkar (government at the doorstep) scheme, we will be having regular medical camps in every community block,” Banerjee said.

The manifesto promised to position West Bengal as the third-largest economy in India within the next 10 years. “A state-of-the-art landmark infrastructure, the Global Trade Centre, the dense river and deep sea port network, new logistics hubs will be set up to position Bengal as India’s gateway of trade for all of Eastern India,” the document said.

Administrate reforms include the establishment of seven new districts and expand the number of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

BJP West Bengal unit president Samik Bhattacharya said that the promises on industrial growth in the TMC’s manifesto is a tactic to fool people. ““Banerjee holds her so-called global business summit every year but the invitees shift their projects to other states. TMC’s extortion rackets stand in the path of progress,” he said.

During the event, Banerjee slammed the BJP and referred to the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) recent order to transfer several IAS and IPS officers, calling it a “conspiracy”.

“It is shameful that they imposed an undeclared President’s rule. I would rather call it declared. Bengal has been their target for a long time. They don’t want Bengal and its language, culture and honour to survive. The Government of India has targeted Bengal because they are jealous,” Banerjee said. “Those who have declared an indirect President’s rule are living in a fool’s paradise. You did it in Bihar but the strategy won’t work here.”

She further alleged that the ruling BJP has plans to form a new state featuring parts of north West Bengal.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/fashion/deepika-padukone-goes-regal-in-stunning-suit-and-jewellery-to-attend-a-concert-with-ranveer-singh-mom-and-sister-101774062678181.html

Jurors were asked to decide if two tweets and comments Musk made on a podcast in May 2022 amounted to him intentionally defrauding Twitter shareholders

A jury in the federal court in San Francisco found Elon Musk liable for misleading investors. It said he deliberately drove down Twitter’s stock price in the months leading up to his $44 billion acquisition of the social media company in 2022. However, it absolved him of some fraud allegations, finding that he did not “scheme” to mislead investors.

The civil trial was focused on a class-action lawsuit filed just before Musk took control of Twitter, which he later renamed X. Jurors were reportedly asked to decide if two tweets and comments Musk made on a podcast in May 2022 amounted to him intentionally defrauding Twitter shareholders, who sold their shares based on Musk’s statements, Associated Press reported.

After nearly four days of deliberations, the nine-person jury reached its verdict, close to three weeks after the trial began on March 2. It held Musk liable for misleading investors through two tweets, including one that said the Twitter deal was “temporarily on hold.”

It also cleared Musk over comments made on a podcast, finding no intentional scheme to defraud.

The panel awarded shareholders damages ranging from about $3 to $8 per share per day, which lawyers for the plaintiffs said adds up to roughly $2.1 billion. Musk’s net worth is estimated at around $814 billion, much of it tied to his stake in Tesla.

What was the trial about?

A large part of the trial centred on Musk’s claims about fake accounts on Twitter. He argued that the number of bots was far higher than the 5% reported by the company. Musk used what he called Twitter’s misrepresentation of the number of fake accounts on its service as a reason to retreat from the purchase.

When Musk attempted to withdraw, Twitter sued him in a Delaware court to force the deal through. Just before the trial was set to begin, Musk reversed his decision and agreed to go ahead with the original purchase.

The case mainly examined whether Musk’s tweets were intended to push down Twitter’s stock price. These tweets, including one from May 13, 2022, saying the deal was “temporarily on hold.”

The jury found that while Musk did mislead investors with two tweets, he did not do so with a statement he made on a podcast because it was an opinion. The jurors also absolved him of scheming to drive down the stock.

What did Musk say?

In his testimony, Musk maintained that Twitter’s leadership lied about the number of bots on the platform and withheld information from him about how the number of fake accounts was calculated.

Musk also asserted that his decision to follow through on the deal at the original sales price provided a huge windfall for most Twitter shareholders.

But Twitter’s shares fell below $33, or about 40% below Musk’s original purchase price, while the deal was hanging in limbo. That downturn cost shareholders who sold their stock during the uncertainty caused by what the lawsuit alleges was Musk’s deceitful behaviour.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/art-culture/quote-of-the-day-by-rani-mukerji-i-want-adira-to-grow-up-in-environment-where-there-is-equal-respect-for-men-and-women-101774003970001.html

The aircraft was a Boeing 777-200LR, while Air India currently has approval to operate only its Boeing 777-300ER fleet on services to Canada.

It was a flight to nowhere for the passengers on board an Air India flight bound for Vancouver yesterday. It returned to Delhi after nearly eight hours in the air as the airline mistakenly deployed an aircraft that did not have the regulatory clearance to enter Canada.

Flight AI185 took off from Delhi at 11:34 am with passengers and initially proceeded on an eastward route. However, after about four hours into the journey, when the aircraft entered the Chinese airspace near Kunming, the airline realised that the aircraft was not authorised to operate in Canada.

With that much time spent on its way back, the aircraft flew for a total of 7 hours and 54 minutes to land where it had taken off from.

The aircraft was a Boeing 777-200LR, while Air India currently has approval to operate only its Boeing 777-300ER fleet on services to Canada. Aviation approvals granted by countries can vary widely: some are issued on an airline basis, while others are specific to aircraft types or even to individual aircraft tail numbers.

Following the realisation, the aircraft was called back to Delhi mid-flight. It landed safely nearly nine hours after departure. All passengers and crew disembarked without incident.

Air India, in a statement, cited an “operational issue” for the return and said the decision was taken in line with the standard operating procedures. “The aircraft landed safely, and all passengers and crew disembarked. We regret the inconvenience caused to our guests,” the airline said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/wrong-aircraft-air-indias-canada-flights-u-turn-after-4-hours-in-air-11243441?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

The police have taken Sohail Malik and Mehak (Sane Iram), the two masterminds, along with four others, into their custody.

The Ghaziabad police on March 14 arrested six individuals for allegedly being associated with a spying network that held ties with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI. These individuals are accused of installing CCTV cameras at various places to transmit live video feeds about army routes, troop forces, and weaponry.

According to sources, the Ghaziabad Police took Sohail Malik, the mastermind of this racket, into custody. Malik, a resident of Meerut, received Rs 10,000 for each video clip he transmitted. Along with Sohail, a woman named Mahek (Sane Iram) has also been arrested. Mahek had the responsibility of recruiting young members to the network. Both Mahek and Sohail also had the responsibility to pay all the members based on their work.

Subsequently, the police arrested Praveen, Raj Valmiki, Shiva Valmiki, and Ritik Gangwa for being involved in the operation. Their phones, electronic gadgets, and several other documents have been seized.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that the gang covertly installed CCTV cameras in Delhi Cantonment Railway Station and Sonipat Railway Station. They also planned to install 50 cameras across locations, spanning from Delhi to Kashmir, with the intention of gathering information on military bases, troop activities, and their movements.

THE MANHUNT IS ON

The Ghaziabad Police is presently looking for an individual named Mohammad/ Sardar.

According to sources, the accused played a pivotal role in hatching the conspiracy. Mohammad allegedly provided funds for the installation of the CCTV cameras. He also had a key role in selecting the places for installing the CCTV cameras.

It has come to light that the accused possesses a UK-based mobile number. He also engaged in frequent phone calls with Sohail and Mahek, using a particular number.

HOW THE CRIME UNRAVELLED

The accused received online training on how to install the CCTV cameras. Despite that, they failed to install CCTV cameras and reached out to several technicians in the jurisdiction of the Kaushambi Police Station.

The matter drew attention to one of the beat constables of the local police. As he reported the matter to his superiors, the senior officials picked up the suspects and started questioning them.

As the investigation unfolded, they stumbled upon the existence of the gang and its links to the ISI.

SOHAIL THREATENED ONE OF THE MEMBERS

Following the incident, India Today spoke with the family members of one of the accused, Raj Valmiki. His parents told India Today that Sohail threatened his son by kidnapping his sister if he did not buy him three SIM cards.

“In a panic, my son bought him three SIM Cards,” his father said.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/up-police-arrest-six-for-being-associated-with-isi-linked-spy-network-2884747-2026-03-20

The Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia cited ‘recent developments’ on March 18 as the cause behind the death of the Indian national. On that day, Saudi Arabia downed four ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh. However, some debris fell near a refinery south of the city.

An Indian national was killed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, amid the Middle East conflict, taking the total casualties from India to six. While the circumstances regarding the Indian national’s death are not clear, the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia cited “recent developments” on March 18 as the cause.

The embassy, in a post on X, said it was in touch with the Indian national’s family and was providing all necessary assistance.

On March 18 (Wednesday), Saudi Arabia claimed it downed four ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh, and some debris fell near a refinery south of the city. The Indian national likely died after being hit by falling debris.

The attack was in response to Israeli strikes on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest such facility. It is the backbone of Iran’s domestic electricity production as well as global LNG supplies.

In fact, according to a report in Al Jazeera, the developments on March 18 marked the first time many in Riyadh heard blasts or received warning messages via text.

Since the conflict began on February 28, Iran has fired a barrage of missiles and low-cost drones towards Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, in an effort to pile up economic pressure by choking energy supply chains. However, Riyadh has intercepted a vast majority of the projectiles.

It must be remembered that the Gulf states host lakhs of Indian expatriates, many of whom work in construction, healthcare, hospitality, and finance sectors.

So far, six Indians have been killed amid the ongoing Middle East conflict.

On March 14, two Indians were killed following a drone strike in Sohar, Oman. A week ago, an Indian national was killed in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia, when an Iranian missile, meant to target radar systems, hit a residential area.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/indian-national-killed-riyadh-saudi-arabia-iran-war-2884869-2026-03-20

Punjab has carried out a record doctor recruitment drive and expanded its healthcare workforce significantly. The state has also boosted cancer diagnosis and infrastructure with new PET scan units and a medical college.

The Punjab government has completed one of the largest doctor recruitment drives in the state since Independence, while also expanding key diagnostic and cancer care infrastructure, according to official announcements.

Sharing updates on X, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said the Bhagwant Mann-led government has taken significant steps to strengthen healthcare services across Punjab.

Among the major initiatives, PET scan facilities for cancer diagnosis have been started in Amritsar, Faridkot, Mohali and Patiala. In addition, more than 200 private centres have been empanelled to provide free X-ray and ultrasound services, especially benefiting women patients. The government also plans to introduce CT scan facilities in eight more state hospitals soon.

Highlighting recruitment efforts, the government said it has completed the largest-ever hiring of doctors in Punjab. Over the past four years, 35 per cent of the total government doctor workforce has been recruited. This includes the appointment of 948 general doctors and 627 specialist doctors. The recruitment process has also covered 300 nursing staff and 250 pharmacists, while the hiring of 2,000 nurses is currently underway.

Meanwhile, Punjab Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh announced the establishment of a new government medical college in Kapurthala. The institute, named Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji State Institute of Medical Sciences, will be built within the existing district hospital complex.

The minister said all formalities, including the tendering process, have been completed and work orders have been issued. Construction is scheduled to begin on March 25 and is expected to be completed within 24 months, by March 2028.

The project will be developed at a cost of Rs 275 crore and will include a 300-bedded hospital along with a medical college offering 100 MBBS seats annually. The facility is expected to strengthen medical education in the state and reduce the need for students to seek expensive education abroad.

Once operational, the institute will provide advanced secondary and tertiary healthcare services and is expected to generate significant employment, directly benefiting over 1,000 people while creating indirect opportunities for thousands more.

As part of the expansion, the government hospital in Sultanpur Lodhi will be upgraded into an urban centre, while the Begowal government hospital will be developed as a rural centre. Both will be linked to the upcoming medical college in Kapurthala.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/punjab-doctor-recruitment-largest-pet-scan-kapurthala-medical-college-aap-2884854-2026-03-20

The move follows internal challenges faced by both leaders. Ramadoss, founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), has been at odds with his son Anbumani Ramadoss over control of the party. Despite being the founder, he has been unable to legally reclaim the party symbol or leadership post. Sasikala, a close aide of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has also struggled to regain influence within the AIADMK.

In a significant political development in Tamil Nadu, S Ramadoss and VK Sasikala have joined hands to form a new alliance, signalling a fresh realignment ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The alliance plans to field candidates in all 234 constituencies, with polling scheduled in a single phase on April 23.

The move follows internal challenges faced by both leaders. Ramadoss, founder of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), has been at odds with his son Anbumani Ramadoss over control of the party. Despite being the founder, he has been unable to legally reclaim the party symbol or leadership post.

Sasikala, a close aide of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, has also struggled to regain influence within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). After failing to unify the party, she launched her own outfit, the All India Puratchi Thalaivar Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AIPTMMK).

Sources said the two leaders decided to join forces after a series of discussions, viewing the alliance as a way to rebuild political relevance and consolidate support bases.

The announcement followed a nearly two-hour meeting at Ramadoss’s residence in Thailapuram near Tindivanam in Villupuram district.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ramadoss-sasikala-join-hands-to-form-new-political-alliance-in-tamil-nadu-ahead-of-assembly-polls-2885067-2026-03-21

Aman Gupta, a Shark Tank India judge, regrets missing an investment in The Health Factory, now earning Rs 20-30 crore monthly.

Even seasoned investors have their off days and Aman Gupta is candid enough to admit it. The Shark Tank India judge recently opened up about a missed investment opportunity and even shared how he once showed up to shoot an episode while dealing with a hangover.

Gupta, who has been part of Shark Tank India since its debut season and has backed over 150 startups on the show, revealed that one of his biggest regrets was not investing in the food brand The Health Factory during Season 2.

Speaking in an interview, he said that none of the sharks chose to invest in the company at the time, even though it has since grown significantly. The brand, founded by Vinay Maheshwari and Mohit Sankhala, had pitched for Rs 75 lakh in exchange for 2.1% equity, valuing the company at Rs 35.71 crore. According to Gupta, the business is now generating revenues of Rs 20–30 crore per month.

During the pitch, fellow judge Peyush Bansal had remarked, “I am sure we will repent this decision” to which Gupta responded, “I hope we do.”

The episode also featured other sharks including Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, and Anupam Mittal.

Gupta also spoke about his on-screen persona and how his candid style sometimes draws attention. Reflecting on feedback from the channel, he said, “Sometimes I say whatever comes to my mind. One day, I was angry and I spoke in a Delhi-like fashion, ‘Abe tu karta kya hai? Pata bhi hai kya baat kar raha hai? (What are you doing? Do you even know what you are saying?)’ Sony kept it and people were like, ‘Why is he using such language?’”

He further acknowledged that every judge has their own style, referencing former shark Ashneer Grover, and admitted that he too has had difficult days on set.

Source : https://www.news18.com/movies/television/i-was-drinking-until-4-am-aman-gupta-recalls-shooting-shark-tank-india-episode-in-hungover-state-ws-l-9988998.html

Ahead of Kerala’s elections, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed confidence in the LDF’s ability to secure a third consecutive victory. He highlighted significant developmental changes in the state, attributing them to successful projects initiated after 2016.

Ahead of the upcoming election season in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed confidence that the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) will secure a historic third consecutive term in power. In an exclusive conversation with Times Now, Vijayan highlighted what he described as a decade of transformative governance, pointing to major strides in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation across the state. He also spoke about the BJP’s chances in the state elections next month.

“All the people have a hope that is based on the experiences of the past. During these ten years, Kerala has undergone major changes in various fields. Kerala as a state has already gained the attention of the country. But many sectors have broken by 2016. There was a general belief that it could not be resolved. But after 2016, there was a significant change in that. Many projects that were thought to be impossible started happening,” he said.

The Kerala CM also discussed how there is an elevation in overall development. “In the first five years, our plan was to do developmental projects worth 50,000 crores, but when we completed the projects that we took, it came up to Rs 62,000 crores. In 10 years we did developmental projects worth Rs 1,16,000 crores. We have done multiple developmental projects in the education sector, roads, buildings, and hospitals. Through different projects, Kerala has seen significant development. When we look at Kerala’s development, we have spoken about overall development. In one place every sector is developing, other place, every family, every individual is getting the benefits of the development. That is Kerala’s development.”

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Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan speaks to TIMES NOW

When you speak to people on the ground, it is clear that such a sentiment (Anti-incumbency) does not exist…- CM @pinarayivijayan tells @ArpithaAja10359

(Translation by Sanil Sam) pic.twitter.com/WezszxkXgD

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 20, 2026

Discussing the highlights of the state government, he shared how Kerala is the first to be declared an extreme poverty-free state. “The youth of Kerala, we want better life opportunities and employment opportunities. Better education opportunities to get a better job. We are hoping to create favourable situation for all of these factors,” he remarked.

 

According to the police FIR, Ashok Kharat, who refers to himself as ‘Captain’ as he is a retired Merchant Navy officer, used to summon women to his office by luring them with promises of resolving their personal problems.

An influential astrologer, Ashok Kharat, has been arrested for allegedly repeatedly raping a 35-year-old woman under the guise of spirituality in Maharashtra’s Nashik, police said.

The victim alleges that under the pretext of performing rituals, the 67-year-old astrologer administered an intoxicant to her, hypnotised her, and exploiting her faith sexually assaulted her.

Police investigation has revelead that the sexual exploitation was not limited to just one woman.

According to the police FIR, Kharat, who refers to himself as ‘Captain’ as he is a retired Merchant Navy officer, used to summon women to his office by luring them with promises of resolving their personal problems.

Once there, he would hypnotise them by administering an intoxicant, police said.

Subsequently, he would rape the women by instilling fear in them -specifically, by threatening them with the death of their husbands or by invoking the dread associated with occult practices, the police said.

The investigation has revealed that Kharat had installed hidden CCTV cameras within his office.

The police have recovered a pen drive that reportedly contains video clips depicting obscene acts involving 58 different women.

The state government has constituted a Special Investigation Team, or SIT, led by IPS officer Tejaswini Satpute, to investigate the matter.

The Nashik Crime Branch Unit 1 is conducting a thorough examination of the incriminating videos and documents recovered from the accused.

The accused maintained an office named ‘Oakus Property Dealers and Developers’ in Nashik’s upscale Canada Corner locality. However, it is alleged that the business conducted was not that of real estate, but of crime.

He had successfully positioned himself within society as a highly accomplished astrologer and a possessor of divine powers.

He is rumoured to have political connections spanning from Delhi all the way to the corridors of power in Maharashtra.

In Mirgaon, he owns the Ishanyeshwar Temple and a lavish retreat, where prominent and influential figures would frequently visit to pay their respects.

As the chairman of the Shri Ishanyeshwar Temple Trust, located in Nashik’s Sinnar, Kharat was widely recognised as a spiritual guide to prominent politicians, celebrities, and business tycoons.

How The Arrest Happened?

To prevent any leak regarding the impending arrest, the police team executed a highly covert operation to arrest the accused from his Nashik farmhouse.

Under the cover of darkness, they police created a chaotic scene outside the accused’s residence by shouting “thief, thief”. Using this commotion as a pretext, the team gained direct entry into Kharat’s home, and before he could even comprehend what was happening, the police arrested him right from his bedroom.

During the ongoing raids, a pistol, live cartridges, and several spent cartridges were recovered from his farmhouse.

An intensive search was also conducted at the temple and hermitage located in Mirgaon, yielding to the discovery of several suspicious documents.

Additionally, multiple properties owned by him across Maharashtra have come under the scope of the investigation, police said.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/ashok-karat-captain-influential-astrologer-67-arrested-for-repeatedly-raping-35-year-old-woman-11238108?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

EAM S Jaishankar spoke to Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar amid rising West Asia tensions, discussing the conflict’s repercussions. He earlier urged dialogue between Israel and Iran as the crisis disrupted the Strait of Hormuz. India called attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure “deeply disturbing”. Meanwhile, the Israel–Iran war entered day 19, escalating across multiple fronts.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Thursday spoke to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. Both leaders disussed the ongoing West Asia conflict and its many repercussions.

“Had a telecon with FM @GidonSaar of Israel this evening. Exchanged views on the ongoing West Asia conflict and its many repercussions,” the EAM said on X.

Earlier, too, Jaishankar had urged de-escalation through dialogue with both Israel and Iran to end the conflict, which has now snowballed into a full-fledged crisis that has caused a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which is located between Iran and Oman and is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. Significant global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments pass through it every day.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) termed the attacks against energy infrastructure in the Gulf region as “deeply disturbing”.

“India had previously called for the avoidance of targeting civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region. Recent attacks against energy installations in different locations across this region are therefore deeply disturbing and only serve to further destabilise an already uncertain energy scenario for the whole world. Such attacks are unacceptable and need to cease,” the statement shared by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal read.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/eam-s-jaishankar-speaks-to-israeli-counterpart-to-discuss-repercussions-of-west-asia-conflict

The Embassy of Ukraine in India expressed serious concern over the March 13 detention of six Ukrainian nationals and one US citizen by the NIA in Mizoram. The embassy said publicly available reports suggested possible Russian influence, raising fears the case could be politically motivated. Kyiv called for full consular access, legal assistance, and a transparent investigation.

The Embassy of Ukraine in India has expressed serious concern over the detention of six Ukrainian nationals by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), saying the circumstances surrounding the case raise questions about whether it could be “orchestrated and politically motivated”.

The six Ukrainians were detained on March 13 along with one US citizen over allegations linked to unauthorised entry into Mizoram, possible illegal movement across the India–Myanmar border and suspected involvement in activities such as providing weapons training to ethnic armed groups in neighbouring Myanmar.

In a detailed statement issued on Thursday, the Ukrainian Embassy said publicly available information, including certain media reports, suggested that the investigation may have been initiated following inputs from the Russian side. The embassy said this raised concerns about possible external influence in the case.

“Taking into account publicly available information, including reports indicating that the initiation of this proceeding was prompted by information provided by the Russian side, the Embassy expresses serious concern about circumstances that point to a possible orchestrated and politically motivated nature of this case,” the statement said.

The embassy firmly rejected any suggestion that the Ukrainian state could be involved in supporting terrorism. It stressed that Ukraine itself faces the consequences of “Russian terror” and therefore maintains a strict and uncompromising stance against terrorism in all its forms.

Lalduhoma also told the Assembly that between June and December 2024 nearly 2,000 foreign nationals entered Mizoram. While many arrived legally, authorities became cautious after noticing that some visitors headed directly towards border areas instead of visiting tourist locations.

Responding to the broader concerns, the Ukrainian Embassy said any allegations related to terrorism must be examined strictly on the basis of verified facts and transparent procedures. It also stressed the importance of full cooperation between the authorities of the two countries.

The embassy reiterated that Ukraine and India share a clear and principled position against terrorism. It referred to the joint statement issued after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ukraine on August 23, 2024, where the leaders of both nations strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and emphasised the need for international cooperation in tackling the threat.

Ukraine said it was ready to cooperate fully with Indian authorities through existing bilateral mechanisms, including the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, which provides a framework for cooperation between the two countries in criminal investigations.

At the same time, the embassy called for transparency in the ongoing investigation and urged the Indian authorities to ensure that the rights of the detained Ukrainian citizens are protected under international law. It also reiterated its request for immediate and unhindered consular access to the detainees and said efforts were underway to provide them legal assistance.

Earlier, the Ukrainian Ambassador had formally approached India’s Ministry of External Affairs and handed over a diplomatic note seeking clarity on the case and access to the detained nationals.

The embassy emphasised that Ukraine has no interest in any activity that could threaten India’s security. Instead, it said Kyiv remains committed to strengthening trust, security cooperation and friendly relations with India.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/ukraine-questions-motive-behind-arrest-of-six-citizens-in-mizoram-seeks-transparent-probe

 

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch seized Rs 2.38 crore of fake currency, arrested seven from Surat, uncovered a printing unit, links to the Satyam Foundation, and the use of AI tools; hunt on for wider network and Ahmedabad agents.

The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has busted a major fake currency racket, seizing counterfeit notes worth Rs 2.38 crore and arresting seven people, officials said.

Of the total haul, fake notes worth Rs 2.10 crore were recovered from Ahmedabad, while Rs 28 lakh was seized during a follow-up raid in Surat.

According to police, the accused were caught while transporting the counterfeit currency from Surat to Ahmedabad in a white Toyota Fortuner. The vehicle was intercepted near Amraiwadi after a tip-off.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ajit Rajiyan said teams had been deployed in advance after receiving intelligence inputs.

“Our teams were waiting for a white Fortuner car (GJ05 RS 5252). As soon as the vehicle reached between metro pillars 29 and 30, it was stopped. During the search, bundles of fake Rs 500 notes were found packed inside a white plastic box in a black bag,” he said.

Police detained all occupants of the car, including a woman. Officials said the serial numbers on the seized notes were different, indicating a large-scale operation.

Further investigation led the Crime Branch to a house in Surat’s Sarthana area, where counterfeit notes were being printed. In a joint raid with Surat Police, officers recovered fake currency worth Rs 28 lakh along with printing equipment, ink, and raw materials.

During questioning, police uncovered the alleged involvement of Pradeep Jotangia, a yoga instructor who runs the Satyam Foundation in Surat. Investigators said the accused had been operating the racket for the past six months and were selling fake currency at a 25% commission.

The main accused, Mukesh Thummar, allegedly set up the printing unit at his residence. Police said he sourced green security thread paper marked “RBI” and “Bharat” from Chinese suppliers through websites such as Alibaba and made payments via digital gateways.

Officials added that Thummar, who is skilled in Photoshop editing, used advanced techniques to design the counterfeit notes. The accused also allegedly used AI tools, including ChatGPT, to make the fake currency appear more realistic.

Those arrested have been identified as Pradeep Jotangia, Mukesh Thummar, Ashok Mawani, Ramesh Balar, Divyesh Rana, Bharat Kakadiya, and a woman, all residents of Surat.

Police said the Fortuner used in the operation belonged to Jotangia and carried a board of the Ministry of AYUSH, raising further suspicion about the network’s methods.

So far, officials have recovered 42,000 fake Rs 500 notes from Ahmedabad and 5,600 such notes from Surat. Other items seized include security thread paper rings, an electric press machine, a note-counting machine, printers, a laptop, paper-cutting machines, and ink.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/ahmedabad-crime-branch-busts-fake-currency-racket-seizes-rs-238-crore-7-arrested-2884457-2026-03-20

India flagged Pakistan’s clandestine nuclear proliferation history as a global threat, echoing concerns raised in a recent US intelligence assessment.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said Pakistan’s track record of clandestine nuclear proliferation poses a serious global threat, echoing concerns raised in a recent US intelligence assessment.

Addressing a regular press briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to remarks by US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and said Pakistan’s past continues to raise alarm internationally.

“As far as Pakistan is concerned, they have a history. They have a history of clandestine nuclear nonproliferation, and statements like this again make it clear what kind of threat they pose to the world because of their clandestine nuclear operations,” Jaiswal said.

The remarks come after a report issued on March 18 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) classified Pakistan, along with Russia and China, among countries posing a significant nuclear threat to the United States.

Presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Gabbard highlighted concerns over Pakistan’s evolving military capabilities, regional role, and links to terrorism.

The report noted that Pakistan is actively researching and developing a range of advanced missile delivery systems. It also flagged concerns that Islamabad’s long-range ballistic missile programme could potentially include Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking the US.

“The US secure nuclear deterrent continues to ensure safety in the Homeland against strategic threats. However, Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that put our Homeland within range,” Gabbard said.

The assessment further identified Pakistan as a continuing concern in the global fight against Islamist militancy. It said the US faces a complex and evolving threat landscape, with terrorist groups seeking to expand their global reach despite weakened capacities of al-Qaida and ISIS compared to their peak years.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-pakistan-nuclear-threat-mea-tulsi-gabbard-report-landestine-history-2884401-2026-03-19

One Mumbai-based buyer purchased one plot, while another secured three by placing the top bids. Authorities have not yet revealed the identities of either of the successful bidders.

Properties linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district have finally been sold after several unsuccessful attempts over the years. The Central government conducted the auction on March 5, 2026, marking a significant breakthrough in disposing of assets tied to criminal activities.

The auction involved four agricultural plots located in Mumbake village in Ratnagiri. These lands were registered in the name of Ibrahim’s mother, Amina Bi, and had been seized under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (SAFEMA), which allows authorities to confiscate properties linked to smuggling and illicit wealth.

According to officials, two buyers emerged in the latest auction. One Mumbai-based individual secured a single plot, while another bidder acquired the remaining three parcels by quoting the highest prices. However, the identities of both buyers have not yet been disclosed.

Efforts to sell these properties had been ongoing for years, with auctions conducted in 2017, 2020, 2024 and 2025 failing to attract successful bids.

In some instances, there were no bidders at all, including a November 2025 attempt that drew no participation, underscoring the challenges in selling assets associated with controversial figures.

This time, authorities set varied reserve prices for the four plots, ranging from a few thousand rupees to over Rs 9 lakh.

One of the prime plots, which had a reserve price of approximately Rs 9.41 lakh, was eventually sold for more than Rs 10 lakh, indicating improved buyer interest.

Advocate Bhupendra Bhardwaj had earlier secured Dawood Ibrahim’s ancestral land parcels through SAFEMA auctions, including plots with mango orchards.

In early 2024, he completed registration and performed a puja on the property near the underworld don’s ancestral bungalow, which was acquired by Delhi-based lawyer Ajay Srivastava, who later transferred it to a trust.

Srivastava had also won bids for two plots in 2024, including one for Rs 2.01 crore, but failed to complete payment, leading to the properties being re-auctioned.

Officials said the successful bidders are required to deposit the full payment by April 2026. The transaction will be finalised after receiving approval from the competent authority, following which ownership will be legally transferred.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/dawood-ibrahim-ancestral-lands-auctioned-maharashtra-ratnagiri-safema-sale-2884194-2026-03-19

A growing rift inside Congress over the West Asia conflict reveals sharp differences on India’s foreign policy, with senior leaders backing the government even as the party leadership questions New Delhi’s moral and strategic stance.

A fresh rift has surfaced within the Congress over India’s response to the escalating conflict in West Asia, with senior leaders Manish Tewari and Shashi Tharoor backing the Centre’s cautious approach even as the party leadership sharpens its criticism.

Congress MP Manish Tewari backed the government’s stance, arguing that India has limited stakes in the region’s conflicts and should remain careful in its positioning.

“It’s important to understand that there is not one war which is happening in West Asia. There are multiple wars which are taking place,” he said.

Calling the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States complex, Tewari added, “Well, it’s not our war. We’ve always been rather marginal players in the greater Middle East.”

He argued that India’s current approach reflects strategic thinking. “If we are circumspect, I think probably we are doing the right thing, because that is really what strategic autonomy is about.”

Shashi Tharoor also endorsed the government’s handling of the situation, describing it as an exercise in “responsible statecraft” rather than a failure of moral positioning.

In a newspaper column, he wrote that while the conflict raises concerns under international law, India’s restraint reflects “strategic prudence and a clear-eyed assessment of national interest”.

He added that silence should not be seen as support for military action and cautioned against what he called rhetorical moralism.

The remarks stand in contrast to the Congress leadership’s position. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge, along with Rahul Gandhi, Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, have questioned the government’s response, particularly on Israeli military actions and reports of targeted killings in Iran.

Rahul Gandhi has argued that India must clearly oppose unilateral military action, while other leaders have warned that silence risks diluting India’s long-standing foreign policy principles.

Since the conflict escalated, India has consistently called for “dialogue and diplomacy” while also condemning Iranian strikes across the Gulf. At the same time, New Delhi has stepped up engagement with Tehran to secure oil and gas supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route.

This is not the first time differences have emerged within the Congress on foreign policy. Similar tensions were visible during Operation Sindoor, when Tharoor’s support for the government’s diplomatic outreach drew criticism from within the party.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/congress-leaders-manish-tewari-and-shashi-tharoor-back-indias-cautious-west-asia-stance-while-party-leadership-criticises-government-approach-2884124-2026-03-19

 

The prime suspect in the case was identified as Kamruddin, a Firozabad native who now stands accused of running a sprawling occult network.

When police discovered a white Tata hatchback parked on the service lane of Delhi’s Peeragarhi flyover on February 8, a routine check led to a shocking discovery – three dead bodies inside, with no immediate link between the victims. Investigators soon found themselves in the middle of one of the most intriguing multi-state investigations centreing on a 72-year-old former bangle trader who, they discovered, was the alleged mastermind of an occult racket blending superstition and psychology, and suspected in multiple deaths over four decades.

The prime suspect in the case was identified as Kamruddin, a Firozabad native who now stands accused of running a sprawling occult network. Despite being previously accused in at least two murders, he managed to continue his so-called “practice” and is suspected to have killed more people than he has been formally charged with.

The Peeragarhi deaths

On February 8, the bodies of Randhir Singh, 76, property dealer Shiv Naresh, 47, and Laxmi, 40, from Jahangirpuri, were found inside a car around 4pm after passing motorists alerted police.

While it was not immediately clear how they all knew each other, investigators pieced together a timeline through CCTV footage and call detail records. Around 9.52am, Randhir met Shiv at his house. They reached Haiderpur at 10.40am, picked up Laxmi, crossed Khajuri Khas at 11.10am, and arrived at Kamruddin’s Loni residence around 11.44am. Ten minutes later, CCTV showed them returning with two bags.

The next time the car was spotted, was around 1pm at Peeragarhi – around 30km away – where at 1.13pm Kamruddin was seen inside the car holding a packet in his hand, which investigators presume contained the laddos. The car was stationary at the Peeragarhi flyover for nearly 45 minutes.

Forensic analysis revealed what investigators describe as a lethal mix of sulphas (aluminium phosphide) and sleeping pills in high concentration. “Sulphas has a distinctive smell which can be masked if the person has consumed alcohol,” an investigator said, noting the combination can cause rapid death. A bottle of alcohol was recovered from the car.

Investigators said the victims had visited a day earlier but were sent back for not bringing “cold items” required for the ceremony. “They had insisted the Dhanvarsha should happen at their chosen place. We suspect he decided to kill them because they had chosen the location and he had little control. If it was his place, he could have simply made an excuse for the Dhanvarsha not having happened,” an officer said.

By 3pm, the victims’ car was found near Peeragarhi flyover. All were dead. “They were promised ₹3 crore against ₹2 lakh. They went to all lengths to make that money and died in the process,” an officer closely investigating the case said.

A history of similar deaths

This was not the first time Kamruddin faced serious allegations. HT accessed charge sheets and spoke to investigators to see that there was at least a decade-old pattern.

In February 2014, in Rajasthan’s Rajkhera, he was accused of killing a woman along with her husband, allegedly instigating a man to murder his wife over infertility. He was arrested and spent 390 days in jail before being released on bail.

According to the chargesheet, 30-year-old Anita married school teacher Narayan Singh in 2004 but was unable to bear children. In 2013, she and her husband began visiting Kamruddin in Firozabad. On February 25, Anita went missing; two days later, her body was found about 300m from her house.

Before her marriage, Anita had been in love with a man named Udayveer. In 2014, they reconnected, causing marital strife. Parallelly, both Anita and her husband consulted Kamruddin regularly, believing his occult practices would help them conceive.

According to the chargesheet, Anita met Kamruddin on February 23 in her husband’s absence and spoke to him seven times on February 24. “On February 26, Kamruddin was in Rajkhera but didn’t speak to either Anita or Narayan Singh despite being in the area, which raises suspicion. The postmortem indicated she was killed 24 hours before her body was found, meaning February 26,” the document read.

Investigators believed Narayan Singh conspired with Kamruddin to kill Anita over her alleged relationship and infertility. Her postmortem revealed death by poisoning.

Kamruddin was arrested on charges of murder and kidnapping. However, after 390 days in jail, he was released in 2015. A Rajasthan police officer explained that lack of direct evidence was the case, “The court gave bail on the grounds that the evidence was circumstantial. He could not be directly linked to the murder. Anita’s husband was the prime accused.”

Arrested in 2025 for double murder

A decade later, in May 2025, Kamruddin was again arrested – this time in connection with two deaths allegedly linked to poison-laced offerings during similar rituals.

According to the FIR from Makkhanpur police station in Firozabad, complainant Ram Singh alleged that his brother Ramnath and relative Pooran died after Kamruddin poisoned them. Singh alleged Kamruddin had lured the men with promises of recovering “hidden treasures” through tantric practices, taking money for rituals and refusing to return it.

On May 8, Kamruddin called the two to his house on the pretext of performing rituals. Their bodies were discovered the following morning near a glass factory, with glasses, laddoos, lemon and other ritual items placed nearby.

Initially registered as abetment of suicide, the case was converted to murder after forensic reports showed traces of “organophosphorus insecticide” in the victims’ bodies. Investigating officer of the case, Chaman Kumar Sharma, said, “Examination of laddoos, glasses, lemons, and viscera reports confirmed Kamruddin mixed poison in the laddoos and bhabhuti (ash) he administered. Kamruddin confessed in his disclosures.”

Despite this, Kamruddin secured bail from the Allahabad High Court on September 9, 2025. His lawyer successfully argued that the FIR was filed four days after the bodies were discovered, that there was “no direct or ocular evidence,” and that “organophosphorus insecticide cannot be administered by force because it has a pungent smell.” Crucially, the lawyer claimed Kamruddin had no criminal history – a claim police failed to challenge, not having checked his 2014 Rajasthan case.

“Kamruddin’s willingness to murder for financial greed and his diminished fear of the law are evident in the fact that he killed three people in Delhi by poisoning despite being bailed out just five months ago,” a Delhi Police officer said. The murder case is currently on trial, with Kamruddin allegedly failing to appear in court despite bail conditions requiring his presence.

The racket

Raids at Kamruddin’s premises in Loni and Firozabad uncovered hundreds of photographs of women and men, with addresses on the back, which investigators believe were used for “Dhanvarsha.” Victims allegedly paid amounts ranging from ₹1,800 to ₹2.75 lakh for rituals claiming to locate hidden treasure, cure infertility, or ensure wealth.

Speaking to HT, 35-year-old Neha Devi from Wazirpur, who visited Kamruddin twice in February 2025, said she was referred by her husband’s colleague when she complained of chronic illness. After narrating her problem, Kamruddin gave her eight laddoos to consume at home – which her husband made her throw away. On a second visit, Kamruddin performed what he called an “operation,” placing a white cloth on her stomach, reciting phrases, and producing a bloodied black cloth with knots, claiming he had extracted the source of her illness. She remains unwell, she told HT.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/kamruddin-delhis-peeragarhi-triple-murder-case-accused-and-occult-who-preyed-on-fear-greed-101773968953529.html

Iranian attacks ‌have knocked out 17% of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity, causing an estimated $20 billion in lost annual revenue and threatening supplies to Europe and Asia, QatarEnergy’s CEO and state minister for energy affairs told Reuters on Thursday.
Saad al-Kaabi said two of Qatar’s 14 LNG trains and one of its two gas-to-liquids (GTL) facilities were damaged in ​the unprecedented strikes. The repairs will sideline 12.8 million tons per year of LNG for three to five years, he said ​in an interview.

“I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that Qatar would be – Qatar and the region – ⁠in such an attack, especially from a brotherly Muslim country in the month of Ramadan, attacking us in this way,” Kaabi said.
Hours earlier ​Iran had aimed a series of attacks at Gulf oil and gas facilities after Israeli attacks on its own gas infrastructure.
State-owned QatarEnergy will have to ​declare force majeure on long-term contracts for up to five years for LNG supplies bound for Italy, Belgium, South Korea, and China due to the two damaged trains, Kaabi said.
“I mean, these are long-term contracts that we have to declare force majeure. We already declared, but that was a shorter term. Now it’s whatever the period ​is,” he said.

EXXONMOBIL IMPACT AND BYPRODUCTS

QatarEnergy had declared force majeure on its entire output of LNG, after earlier attacks on its Ras Laffan production ​hub, which came under fire again on Wednesday.
“For production to restart, first we need hostilities to cease,” he said.
U.S. oil major ExxonMobil (XOM.N), is a partner in ‌the damaged ⁠LNG facilities, while Shell (SHEL.L), is a partner in the damaged GTL facility, which will take up to a year to repair.

Texas-based ExxonMobil holds a 34% stake in LNG train S4 and a 30% stake in train S6, Kaabi said.
Train S4 impacts supplies to Italy’s Edison (EDNn.MI), and EDFT in Belgium, while Train S6 impacts South Korea’s KOGAS, EDFT and Shell in China.
The scale of the damage from the attacks has set the region back 10 ​to 20 years, he said.
“And of ​course, this is a safe ⁠haven for a lot of people, to have a safe place to stay and so on. And that image, I think, has been shaken.”

The fallout extends well beyond LNG. Qatar’s exports of condensate will drop by ​around 24%, while liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will fall 13%. Helium output will fall 14%, and naphtha and ​sulphur will both drop ⁠by 6%.
Those losses have implications ranging from LPG used in restaurants in India to South Korea’s chipmakers which use helium.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/iran-attack-damage-wipes-out-17-qatars-lng-capacity-three-five-years-qatarenergy-2026-03-19/

 

India has been hit ⁠hard by the jump in crude prices and disruption in oil and gas supplies, but unlike China it has not moved to ban exports of refined fuel.

India has ordered oil and gas companies to share details on exports, imports and inventories with a government agency, as the South Asian nation seeks to shield consumers ⁠from shortages amid rising global prices triggered by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

India ⁠has designated the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell to ‌collect and analyse the information, ​according to a government order issued late on Wednesday.

The companies must share information regardless of any “contract, agreement, commercial arrangement or confidentiality obligation,” the order said, adding no entity can refuse to share details by claiming it is “commercially sensitive ​or proprietary”.

India has been hit ⁠hard by the jump in crude prices and disruption in oil and gas supplies, but unlike China it has not moved to ban exports of refined fuel.

Any move to curtail fuel exports by ⁠India will ‌hit Reliance Industries, the operator of the world’s biggest refining complex, as other refiners have largely stopped exporting fuels.

All companies involved ‌in the oil and gas supply chain including oil producers, importers, refiners, fuel and gas retailers, ⁠liquefied natural gas importers, pipeline operators, and petrochemical plants were ordered to provide PPAC with data.

India, the ‌world’s fourth-largest refiner and third-biggest oil importer and consumer, meets ‌over 90% of its oil needs through purchases from overseas.

So far ‌the federal government has maintained that the country has adequate ‌crude supplies and refined fuel stocks to meet local fuel demand.

However, the world’s second-largest LPG importer is facing its worst cooking gas crisis in decades with shipments from ⁠the Strait of Hormuz ⁠almost halted due to the war.

India was sourcing more than 40% of its crude imports and 90% of its liquefied petroleum gas imports from the Middle East.

Indian refiners have bought millions of barrels of Russian oil floating on the high seas after Washington granted a sanctions waiver.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-orders-oil-gas-firms-to-share-import-export-data-3937214#google_vignette

US Ambassador Sergio Gor met NSA Ajit Doval on March 18 in New Delhi, discussing critical security and geopolitical issues. Gor said strategic cooperation between India and the US continues to advance. The talks come amid tensions in West Asia and on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, highlighting both nations’ shared commitment to regional stability.

US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor held a “fruitful meeting” with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Wednesday, discussing “critical security and geopolitical issues” and the ongoing strategic cooperation between the United States and India.

The meeting took place amid the current conflict in West Asia and the highly volatile security situation on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

“Just wrapped up an extremely fruitful meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Covered critical security and geopolitical issues. Strategic cooperation between the United States and India continues to advance,” Gor wrote on X after the meeting.

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Just wrapped up an extremely fruitful meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Covered critical security & geopolitical issues. Strategic cooperation between the United States and India continues to advance.

— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) March 18, 2026

On March 12, Lieutenant General Joel B Vowell, Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) held a meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi in New Delhi, discussing ways to further strengthen the defence partnership between both nations.

The discussions between two officials focused on regional security in the Indo-Pacific, enhancing interoperability through joint military exercises and exploring new avenues of engagement to deepen military-to-military cooperation across various domains.

“Lieutenant General Joel B Vowell, Deputy Commanding General, United States Army Pacific (USARPAC), called on General Upendra Dwivedi, COAS and discussed avenues to further strengthen the India-US defence partnership,” Indian Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) posted on X.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/us-ambassador-sergio-gor-nsa-ajit-doval-discuss-india-us-strategic-partnership-defence-cooperation