Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on the 21st day of his hunger strike after his health deteriorated sharply. Doctors reported dangerously low potassium and blood sugar levels due to severe dehydration and recommended immediate treatment with IV fluids. However, Wangchuk has refused IV fluids, oral fluids, and medication. His hospitalisation comes just days before a planned march to Parliament and follows directions from the Delhi High Court to ensure regular medical monitoring.

Sonam Wangchuk hospitalised on 21st day of hunger strike | refuses IV fluids despite critical health

The Ram Temple donation theft investigation has entered a new phase as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) widens its probe into recruitment practices, trust oversight, and administrative lapses. Investigators are examining how cash-counting staff were appointed after reports suggested that many employees were recruited through recommendations from trust office bearers and their associates. The SIT has arrested several individuals and is now scrutinizing the backgrounds of dozens of employees involved in counting devotees' donations. Preliminary findings reportedly highlight procedural lapses, security gaps, and inadequate supervision in the donation counting process.

Ram Temple Donation probe widens | SIT targets recruitment process, trust officials under scanner


In today's top world news: India creates history as Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1, the country's first privately developed orbital rocket, successfully reaches low Earth orbit. Iran reportedly targets another power facility in Kuwait, while Bahrain claims it intercepted Iranian attacks. Iraq signs 48 agreements with American companies during Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani's US visit. Meanwhile, gold prices remain on track for their biggest weekly decline in six weeks.

India's Vikram-1 launch | Iran attacks | Iraq-US deals | Gold prices fall

India has achieved a historic milestone in space exploration as Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, the country's first privately developed orbital rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The successful liftoff marks a major breakthrough for India's rapidly growing private space industry following the government's space sector reforms. The four-stage Vikram-1 rocket completed key mission objectives, including successful ignition, stage separation, and payload fairing separation, while carrying multiple payloads toward orbit. The mission places India among leading nations encouraging private participation in space launches and commercial space exploration.

Skyroot Aerospace launches Vikram-1, India’s first private orbital rocket, successfully lifts off

<p>An FIR was registered against a Muslim cleric in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, for suggesting that Lord Krishna offered namaz five times a day. Meanwhile, a Hindu seer has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone who "cuts off" the cleric’s tongue. The controversial statement was made at a gathering in Jharkhand by Maulana Jarjis Ansari. The video is old, as per the social media page, and is only now spreading on social media.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Ansari has ignited tensions by claiming that Lord Krishna was a Muslim and offered namaz five times a day. He referred to Chapter 6, Verse 10 of the Bhagavad Gita to back his claim. He went on to recite the verse and gave his own interpretation, claiming that even the Hindu scriptures carried Muslim teachings. He has been slammed for making the deduction, with scholars and critics pointing out that the verse makes no such assertion.</p><h2><strong>Muslim cleric slammed for hurting sentiments of Hindus</strong></h2><p>Hindu organisations have hit out against Ansari for hurting religious sentiments by making such an absurd claim. &nbsp;A complaint was subsequently lodged in Lucknow, after which the police registered an FIR for promoting enmity and outraging religious feelings. Officials have said that legal action will be taken based on evidence following an investigation. Hindu organisations have slammed the cleric for trying to distort Hindu scriptures.</p><h2><strong>Seer announces reward for “cutting off” Ansari's tongue</strong></h2><p>Mahamandaleshwar Vishnu Das bashed Ansari for his statement while talking to reporters in Ayodhya. He said Ansari has insulted Lord Krishna, has no understanding of Sanskrit and has deliberately misinterpreted verses from the Bhagavad Gita to provoke religious sentiments. He has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for "cutting off" the Maulana’s tongue. The police are examining whether the reward announcement amounts to criminal intimidation or incitement. Ansari has made controversial religious and social statements in the past as well.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p>

Maulana Jarjis Ansari told a religious gathering in Jharkhand that Lord Krishna was a Muslim and offered namaz five times a day. The controversial claim has angered Hindu groups, with one Seer offering a reward for cutting off his tongue.

An FIR was registered against a Muslim cleric in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, for suggesting that Lord Krishna offered namaz five times a day. Meanwhile, a Hindu seer has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for anyone who "cuts off" the cleric’s tongue. The controversial statement was made at a gathering in Jharkhand by Maulana Jarjis Ansari. The video is old, as per the social media page, and is only now spreading on social media. Ansari has ignited tensions by claiming that Lord Krishna was a Muslim and offered namaz five times a day. He referred to Chapter 6, Verse 10 of the Bhagavad Gita to back his claim. He went on to recite the verse and gave his own interpretation, claiming that even the Hindu scriptures carried Muslim teachings. He has been slammed for making the deduction, with scholars and critics pointing out that the verse makes no such assertion. Muslim cleric slammed for hurting sentiments of Hindus Hindu organisations have hit out against Ansari for hurting religious sentiments by making such an absurd claim. A complaint was subsequently lodged in Lucknow, after which the police registered an FIR for promoting enmity and outraging religious feelings. Officials have said that legal action will be taken based on evidence following an investigation. Hindu organisations have slammed the cleric for trying to distort Hindu scriptures. Seer announces reward for “cutting off” Ansari's tongue Mahamandaleshwar Vishnu Das bashed Ansari for his statement while talking to reporters in Ayodhya. He said Ansari has insulted Lord Krishna, has no understanding of Sanskrit and has deliberately misinterpreted verses from the Bhagavad Gita to provoke religious sentiments. He has announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for "cutting off" the Maulana’s tongue. The police are examining whether the reward announcement amounts to criminal intimidation or incitement. Ansari has made controversial religious and social statements in the past as well.

<p>Maulana Jarjis Ansari told a religious gathering in Jharkhand that Lord Krishna was a Muslim and offered namaz five times a day. The controversial claim has angered Hindu groups, with one Seer offering a reward for cutting off his tongue.</p>

Muslim cleric says 'Lord Krishna offered namaz'. Seer calls to 'cut off' his tongue

India has launched its first hydrogen fuel cell-powered train, marking a significant step toward clean and sustainable rail transportation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the 10-coach hydrogen train in Haryana's Jind, where it will begin operations on the Jind–Sonipat route under Northern Railway. The pilot project aims to test hydrogen propulsion technology, dedicated refueling systems, and operational efficiency while reducing carbon emissions and dependence on diesel-powered trains. With this launch, India joins countries such as Germany, Japan, China, and the United States in operating hydrogen-powered rail services. Indian Railways also plans to explore the use of hydrogen technology on heritage routes, supporting its long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions and greener transportation.

PM Modi flags off India's first hydrogen-powered train | Indian railways begins green rail revolution

In today's top world headlines, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval urged stronger BIMSTEC cooperation to address shared security and economic challenges, including global supply chain disruptions. Iran warned that any U.S. interference in the Strait of Hormuz would cross a "red line," while explosions were reported near Iran's Jabar Port amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran. Israel reaffirmed its military presence in security zones across Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, and Russian ballistic missile strikes killed civilians in Kyiv. Meanwhile, Toronto recorded the world's worst air quality due to wildfire smoke, Indian stock markets traded flat after a volatile session, and Zee Group Chairman Dr. Subhash Chandra announced the establishment of Sri Nand Kishor Goenka University in Hisar.

Iran threatens U.S. | BIMSTEC summit | Toronto air quality worsens | Kyiv missile attack | WION News

India is strengthening regional security cooperation ahead of the Fifth BIMSTEC National Security Advisers' Meeting in New Delhi. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a series of high-level bilateral meetings with senior officials from Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh to discuss key regional security issues. The discussions focused on maritime security, intelligence sharing, counterterrorism cooperation, law enforcement coordination, and regional stability. Ajit Doval also reviewed bilateral security cooperation with Myanmar and explored deeper collaboration with Thailand on intelligence sharing and security coordination. During his meeting with Bangladesh's Defence Adviser, the two sides discussed emerging security challenges facing the Bay of Bengal region, including cross-border crime, terrorism, insurgency, narcotics trafficking, and climate-related security risks.

Ajit Doval meets BIMSTEC security chiefs to boost regional security and counterterrorism cooperation

Senior security officials from the seven BIMSTEC nations are meeting in New Delhi for the 5th National Security Advisors' Meeting to strengthen regional security cooperation. The discussions focus on maritime security, counterterrorism, cybersecurity, piracy, organized crime, drug trafficking, disaster response, and the impact of the Strait of Hormuz crisis on the Bay of Bengal. India is hosting the two-day meeting as it pushes for stronger regional coordination and capacity building among South and Southeast Asian nations.

BIMSTEC NSA meeting | India hosts 7-nation security summit | Ajit Doval leads key talks

<p>India has once again thrown its hat into the ring for the United Nations Security Council, launching its campaign for a non-permanent seat for 2028-29 even as it continues pushing for long-term reforms that would eventually give it a permanent place at the table. The move may look contradictory at first glance, but there's a method behind the madness. WION Decodes.</p><h2><strong>Why go for a temporary seat at all?</strong></h2><p>In UN diplomacy, a temporary seat is often one of the few practical ways to build support for a bigger ambition. India is campaigning for a UNSC seat because the Security Council is where the real action happens.</p><p>A non-permanent seat gives India a direct vote on wars, sanctions, peacekeeping mandates and other major security decisions for two years. It may not come with veto power, but it does give New Delhi a chance to shape negotiations, build alliances and push its priorities inside the UN’s most powerful body.</p><p>That matters because India wants to be seen not just as a claimant for reform, but as a country that already contributes to the system.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-formally-launches-campaign-for-un-security-council-seat-with-new-shanti-vision-what-it-means-1783991884972"><strong>India formally launches campaign for UN Security Council seat with new 'SHANTI' vision | Watch</strong></a></p><h2><strong>India launches 'SHANTI' vision</strong></h2><p>At the launch of its campaign, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar framed India’s bid around the "SHANTI" vision, short for Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity. India says its priorities include peacekeeping reform, maritime security, counter-terrorism, climate action, sustainable development and a stronger voice for the Global South.</p><p>India noted that it has deployed nearly 300,000 peacekeepers across about 50 UN missions since the UN was founded, with 4,300 personnel currently serving in active missions. It also highlighted its development work across 79 countries.</p><h2><strong>So why not skip straight to permanent membership?</strong></h2><p>Because permanent membership is far harder to get. Any structural reform of the Security Council needs consensus among all the current members, including the five permanent members, each of whom has a veto. That is exactly why reform has remained stuck for years, despite broad support for change.</p><p>Backing India's permanent membership bid and the nation's long-standing demand for UNSC reforms, Poland on Tuesday (Jul 14) noted the Council’s structure is difficult to change because every permanent member has the power to block reform.</p><p>"We do want India as a non-permanent member. We discussed with India also bigger changes in the structure of the Security Council of the United Nations. The problem is, and has always been, that in order to make changes, all members have to agree. And since every member has a veto, there's always somebody who doesn't want to change because they like to have a small club than a larger club... We certainly support India in this quest," Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski told ANI.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/weapon-of-war-india-at-un-condemns-conflict-related-sexual-violence-highlights-role-of-women-peacekeepers-1783645114228"><strong>'Weapon of war': India at UN condemns conflict-related sexual violence, highlights role of women peacekeepers</strong></a></p><h2><strong>The real play</strong></h2><p>A non-permanent seat gives India visibility, leverage and more diplomatic credibility. It lets New Delhi influence debates now while continuing to argue that the Council itself needs to be expanded and reformed for the world of today, not the world of 1945.</p><p>In other words, India is not choosing between temporary and permanent. It is using one to keep pushing for the other.</p>

India has launched its campaign for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat for 2028-29, even as it continues demanding permanent membership. Why seek a temporary seat if the real goal is a permanent one? Scroll down to understand India's game plan.

India has once again thrown its hat into the ring for the United Nations Security Council, launching its campaign for a non-permanent seat for 2028-29 even as it continues pushing for long-term reforms that would eventually give it a permanent place at the table. The move may look contradictory at first glance, but there's a method behind the madness. WION Decodes. Why go for a temporary seat at all? In UN diplomacy, a temporary seat is often one of the few practical ways to build support for a bigger ambition. India is campaigning for a UNSC seat because the Security Council is where the real action happens. A non-permanent seat gives India a direct vote on wars, sanctions, peacekeeping mandates and other major security decisions for two years. It may not come with veto power, but it does give New Delhi a chance to shape negotiations, build alliances and push its priorities inside the UN’s most powerful body. That matters because India wants to be seen not just as a claimant for reform, but as a country that already contributes to the system. Also read | India formally launches campaign for UN Security Council seat with new 'SHANTI' vision | Watch India launches 'SHANTI' vision At the launch of its campaign, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar framed India’s bid around the "SHANTI" vision, short for Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity. India says its priorities include peacekeeping reform, maritime security, counter-terrorism, climate action, sustainable development and a stronger voice for the Global South. India noted that it has deployed nearly 300,000 peacekeepers across about 50 UN missions since the UN was founded, with 4,300 personnel currently serving in active missions. It also highlighted its development work across 79 countries. So why not skip straight to permanent membership? Because permanent membership is far harder to get. Any structural reform of the Security Council needs consensus among all the current members, including the five permanent members, each of whom has a veto. That is exactly why reform has remained stuck for years, despite broad support for change. Backing India's permanent membership bid and the nation's long-standing demand for UNSC reforms, Poland on Tuesday (Jul 14) noted the Council’s structure is difficult to change because every permanent member has the power to block reform. "We do want India as a non-permanent member. We discussed with India also bigger changes in the structure of the Security Council of the United Nations. The problem is, and has always been, that in order to make changes, all members have to agree. And since every member has a veto, there's always somebody who doesn't want to change because they like to have a small club than a larger club... We certainly support India in this quest," Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wladyslaw Teofil Bartoszewski told ANI. Also read | 'Weapon of war': India at UN condemns conflict-related sexual violence, highlights role of women peacekeepers The real play A non-permanent seat gives India visibility, leverage and more diplomatic credibility. It lets New Delhi influence debates now while continuing to argue that the Council itself needs to be expanded and reformed for the world of today, not the world of 1945. In other words, India is not choosing between temporary and permanent. It is using one to keep pushing for the other.

<p>India has launched its campaign for a non-permanent UN Security Council seat for 2028-29, even as it continues demanding permanent membership. Why seek a temporary seat if the real goal is a permanent one? Scroll down to understand India's game plan.</p>

If India wants a permanent UNSC seat, why is it still contesting for a temporary one? WION Decodes

Bangladeshi-born author Taslima Nasrin is set to return to Kolkata nearly 18 years after she was forced to leave the city following violent protests in 2007. The internationally acclaimed writer will participate in an event focused on secularism, freedom of expression, and resistance against religious fundamentalism. The program, organized by secular and rationalist groups in West Bengal, will provide Nasrin an opportunity to present her literary work and discuss issues related to free speech and women's rights. Taslima Nasrin has lived in exile across Europe and the United States after facing threats in both Bangladesh and India over her writings, including her controversial novel Lajja

Taslima Nasrin to return to Kolkata after nearly two decades | Free speech debate rekindled

<p>A series of targeted killings involving terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir over the past three years has dealt a significant blow to organisations such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In one of the latest incidents, Abdul Majid, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist originally from Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, reportedly died under mysterious circumstances in Islamabad. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the cause of his death, and Pakistani authorities have not issued any official clarification.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-occupied-kashmir-man-sent-back-month-after-he-crossed-border-to-meet-snapchat-lover-in-j-k-s-uri-1783211727559">Pakistan-occupied Kashmir man sent back month after he crossed border to meet Snapchat lover in J&amp;K's Uri</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The continuing killings of terrorists based in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir have increased pressure on groups involved in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Since 2023, dozens of individuals linked to various terrorist organisations have reportedly been killed in separate incidents across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Among those reported killed are Bashir Ahmad Peer (Hizbul Mujahideen) in Rawalpindi in February 2023; Syed Khalid Raza (Al-Badr) in Karachi in February 2023; Syed Noor Shalobar, a recruiter linked to Kashmir-focused terrorist groups, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in March 2023; Paramjit Singh Panjwar (Khalistan Commando Force) in Lahore in May 2023; Hussain Arai (Jamaat-ud-Dawa) in Karachi in August 2023; Abu Qasim Kashmiri (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in September 2023; Zia ur Rehman (Hizbul Mujahideen) in Karachi in September 2023; Mufti Qaiser Farooq (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Karachi in October 2023; Mullah Bahaur in Balochistan in October 2023; Abdullah Shaheen (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in December 2023; Sheikh Jameel-ur-Rehman (United Jihad Council) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in March 2024; Mufti Fayaz (Jaish-e-Mohammed) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in May 2024; Maulana Kashif Ali (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in February 2025; Mufti Shah Mir in Balochistan in March 2025; Abu Qatal (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Punjab, Pakistan, in March 2025; and Saifullah Khalid (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Sindh in May 2025.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-monsoon-cloudburst-hits-kashmir-uttarakhand-landslides-imd-issues-heavy-rain-alert-1783842124166">India monsoon: cloudburst hits Kashmir, Uttarakhand landslides, IMD issues heavy rain alert</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Many of these cases remain unsolved, with limited official information available about the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Security analysts note that there is no independently verified figure for the number of members of Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, or Lashkar-e-Taiba killed in such incidents. However, open-source reporting suggests that a significant number of terrorists affiliated with these organisations have died over the past three years.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The incidents have fuelled speculation over who may be responsible. At various times, Pakistani authorities have alleged foreign involvement, while analysts caution that there is no conclusive public evidence attributing responsibility for most of the killings. Alternative explanations put forward by observers include internal factional rivalries, criminal disputes, action by Pakistani security agencies, or covert operations.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>For Hizbul Mujahideen in particular, the repeated loss of senior operatives is widely viewed by analysts as a setback for the organisation, contributing to the gradual erosion of its leadership structure over recent years.</p>

A string of targeted killings in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir has claimed the lives of several terrorists linked to Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed since 2023. The latest case involves Hizbul terrorist Abdul Majid, who reportedly died in Islamabad.

A series of targeted killings involving terrorists in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir over the past three years has dealt a significant blow to organisations such as Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). In one of the latest incidents, Abdul Majid, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist originally from Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, reportedly died under mysterious circumstances in Islamabad. Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the cause of his death, and Pakistani authorities have not issued any official clarification. Also Read: Pakistan-occupied Kashmir man sent back month after he crossed border to meet Snapchat lover in J&K's Uri The continuing killings of terrorists based in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir have increased pressure on groups involved in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Since 2023, dozens of individuals linked to various terrorist organisations have reportedly been killed in separate incidents across Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Among those reported killed are Bashir Ahmad Peer (Hizbul Mujahideen) in Rawalpindi in February 2023; Syed Khalid Raza (Al-Badr) in Karachi in February 2023; Syed Noor Shalobar, a recruiter linked to Kashmir-focused terrorist groups, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in March 2023; Paramjit Singh Panjwar (Khalistan Commando Force) in Lahore in May 2023; Hussain Arai (Jamaat-ud-Dawa) in Karachi in August 2023; Abu Qasim Kashmiri (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in September 2023; Zia ur Rehman (Hizbul Mujahideen) in Karachi in September 2023; Mufti Qaiser Farooq (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Karachi in October 2023; Mullah Bahaur in Balochistan in October 2023; Abdullah Shaheen (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in December 2023; Sheikh Jameel-ur-Rehman (United Jihad Council) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in March 2024; Mufti Fayaz (Jaish-e-Mohammed) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in May 2024; Maulana Kashif Ali (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in February 2025; Mufti Shah Mir in Balochistan in March 2025; Abu Qatal (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Punjab, Pakistan, in March 2025; and Saifullah Khalid (Lashkar-e-Taiba) in Sindh in May 2025. Also Read: India monsoon: cloudburst hits Kashmir, Uttarakhand landslides, IMD issues heavy rain alert Many of these cases remain unsolved, with limited official information available about the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Security analysts note that there is no independently verified figure for the number of members of Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, or Lashkar-e-Taiba killed in such incidents. However, open-source reporting suggests that a significant number of terrorists affiliated with these organisations have died over the past three years. The incidents have fuelled speculation over who may be responsible. At various times, Pakistani authorities have alleged foreign involvement, while analysts caution that there is no conclusive public evidence attributing responsibility for most of the killings. Alternative explanations put forward by observers include internal factional rivalries, criminal disputes, action by Pakistani security agencies, or covert operations. For Hizbul Mujahideen in particular, the repeated loss of senior operatives is widely viewed by analysts as a setback for the organisation, contributing to the gradual erosion of its leadership structure over recent years.

<p>A string of targeted killings in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir has claimed the lives of several terrorists linked to Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed since 2023. The latest case involves Hizbul terrorist Abdul Majid, who reportedly died in Islamabad.</p>

Pakistan sees surge in killings of terrorists linked to Kashmir-focused groups

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Auckland during the final leg of his historic New Zealand visit. Speaking to a packed audience, PM Modi highlighted the deep people-to-people ties between India and New Zealand, praised the contribution of the Indian community, and reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening bilateral relations. The event marked the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to New Zealand in four decades and showcased growing cooperation in trade, education, culture, and strategic partnerships.

PM Modi addresses the Indian Diaspora in New Zealand

<p>India has tightened rules governing the sale of oral medicines that contain alcohol. In an order dated 8 July 2026, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that starting January 2027, oral medicines containing more than 12 per cent ethyl alcohol and sold in bottles larger than 30 ml will no longer be sold over the counter (OTC).</p><h2><strong>What exactly has changed?</strong></h2><p>The amendment makes two key changes to the Drugs Rules, 1945. Under the Drugs (Tenth Amendment) Rules, 2026, oral medications containing more than 12 per cent alcohol can no longer be sold over the counter. This means they will be treated as prescription medicines under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945 and a prescription from a medical professional would be required for their purchase. Additionally, these products will now have to comply fully with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/weapon-of-war-india-at-un-condemns-conflict-related-sexual-violence-highlights-role-of-women-peacekeepers-1783645114228"><strong>'Weapon of war': India at UN condemns conflict-related sexual violence, highlights role of women peacekeepers</strong></a></p><p>In simple terms, medicines that meet both conditions, more than 12 per cent ethyl alcohol and a bottle size above 30 ml, will no longer be freely sold across pharmacy counters. The new rules will come into force six months after their publication in the Official Gazette, meaning the changes are expected to take effect in January 2027.</p><h2><strong>Why has the government done this?</strong></h2><p>While the notification does not explicitly state the reason, the move is widely seen as an effort to prevent the misuse of alcohol-based medicinal formulations, particularly cough syrups and similar oral medicines that are sometimes consumed for intoxication rather than treatment.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mahadev-app-mastermind-sourabh-chandrakar-arrested-in-oman-inside-the-240-crore-a-day-betting-empire-wion-decodes-1783578959074"><strong>Mahadev app mastermind Sourabh Chandrakar arrested in Oman: Inside the ₹240-crore-a-day betting empire | WION Decodes</strong></a></p><p>The Health Ministry said the amendments were made after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, the country's highest technical body on drug regulation. The initiative is in line with the Government's continued efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework for drugs, promote the rational and responsible use of medicinal products and safeguard public health.<br>&nbsp;</p>

Buying certain alcohol-based oral medicines won't be as easy from January 2027. The government has ruled that medicines containing more than 12% alcohol and sold in bottles larger than 30 ml can no longer be sold over the counter. Scroll down to see which medicines are affected.

India has tightened rules governing the sale of oral medicines that contain alcohol. In an order dated 8 July 2026, the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said that starting January 2027, oral medicines containing more than 12 per cent ethyl alcohol and sold in bottles larger than 30 ml will no longer be sold over the counter (OTC). What exactly has changed? The amendment makes two key changes to the Drugs Rules, 1945. Under the Drugs (Tenth Amendment) Rules, 2026, oral medications containing more than 12 per cent alcohol can no longer be sold over the counter. This means they will be treated as prescription medicines under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945 and a prescription from a medical professional would be required for their purchase. Additionally, these products will now have to comply fully with the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Also read | 'Weapon of war': India at UN condemns conflict-related sexual violence, highlights role of women peacekeepers In simple terms, medicines that meet both conditions, more than 12 per cent ethyl alcohol and a bottle size above 30 ml, will no longer be freely sold across pharmacy counters. The new rules will come into force six months after their publication in the Official Gazette, meaning the changes are expected to take effect in January 2027. Why has the government done this? While the notification does not explicitly state the reason, the move is widely seen as an effort to prevent the misuse of alcohol-based medicinal formulations, particularly cough syrups and similar oral medicines that are sometimes consumed for intoxication rather than treatment. Also read | Mahadev app mastermind Sourabh Chandrakar arrested in Oman: Inside the ₹240-crore-a-day betting empire | WION Decodes The Health Ministry said the amendments were made after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, the country's highest technical body on drug regulation. The initiative is in line with the Government's continued efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework for drugs, promote the rational and responsible use of medicinal products and safeguard public health.

<p>Buying certain alcohol-based oral medicines won't be as easy from January 2027. The government has ruled that medicines containing more than 12% alcohol and sold in bottles larger than 30 ml can no longer be sold over the counter. Scroll down to see which medicines are affected.</p>

Prescription only: India changes rules for alcohol-based cough syrups and oral medicines

<p>A viral video showing a First AC cabin on the Nandigram Express decorated with flowers and rose petals has led to the suspension of a staff member of the South Central Railway. A couple hired a decorator online to set up the coupe for them. The unauthorised entry has been termed a serious security lapse. The decorator got on the "honeymoon coach" at the Jalna station. South Central Railway said in a statement on X, "A couple travelling in Train No. 11002 Nandigram Express on 6th July, 2026 had privately engaged a decorator online to decorate their 1st AC coupe. The decorator's entry into the coach at Jalna station was unauthorised and is viewed as a serious lapse."</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The Chief Ticket Inspector, Girish Kumar, on duty, has been suspended, and a case against the decorator under the Railway Act has been registered. The action was taken after the video of the decorated coupe on Train No. 11002 went viral on social media. The coupe can be seen decorated with heart-shaped ornaments, red-and-white balloons, flowers and rose petals. The folded upper berth had an "I Love You" message. This led to it being dubbed the "honeymoon coach".</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Honeymoon coach on Indian Railways. Ticket checker suspended. <br><br>South Central Zone <br><br>A couple travelling in Train No. 11002 Nandigram express on 6/7/26 had privately engaged a decorator online to decorate their 1st AC coupe. <br><br>The decorator&#39;s entry into the coach was… <a href="https://t.co/1ati4A13G4">pic.twitter.com/1ati4A13G4</a></p>&mdash; Rajendra B. Aklekar (@rajtoday) <a href="https://x.com/rajtoday/status/2074880084708868273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p>Reacting to the story, netizens questioned the couple's civic sense. “Indians stupidity at it's peak, train is public property and people have no civic sense. Couple and decorator shall be penalised,” a user wrote.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The couple was travelling on the Nandigram Express on June 7, 2026. They hired a decorator who boarded the train without permission. Questions are being raised about the safety measures, even in a First AC cabin and how an outsider was able to enter it. Maharashtra-based Rahat Room Decoration originally shared the video. The decorators said that the couple travelled by car from Aurangabad to Jalna railway station. The coupe was decorated before they reached, and they later boarded the Chennai-bound train at Jalna station.</p>

The “Honeymoon coach” on the Nandigram Express is generating buzz on the internet, with people shocked by the civic sense of the said couple. The ticket checker on duty has been suspended, and a case has been filed against the decorator.

A viral video showing a First AC cabin on the Nandigram Express decorated with flowers and rose petals has led to the suspension of a staff member of the South Central Railway. A couple hired a decorator online to set up the coupe for them. The unauthorised entry has been termed a serious security lapse. The decorator got on the "honeymoon coach" at the Jalna station. South Central Railway said in a statement on X, "A couple travelling in Train No. 11002 Nandigram Express on 6th July, 2026 had privately engaged a decorator online to decorate their 1st AC coupe. The decorator's entry into the coach at Jalna station was unauthorised and is viewed as a serious lapse." The Chief Ticket Inspector, Girish Kumar, on duty, has been suspended, and a case against the decorator under the Railway Act has been registered. The action was taken after the video of the decorated coupe on Train No. 11002 went viral on social media. The coupe can be seen decorated with heart-shaped ornaments, red-and-white balloons, flowers and rose petals. The folded upper berth had an "I Love You" message. This led to it being dubbed the "honeymoon coach".

<p>The “Honeymoon coach” on the Nandigram Express is generating buzz on the internet, with people shocked by the civic sense of the said couple. The ticket checker on duty has been suspended, and a case has been filed against the decorator.</p>

Indian Railways invites criticism over 'Honeymoon coach' debacle, netizens question civic sense - 'Stupidity at its peak'

<p>India's diplomatic focus is increasingly moving toward the eastern maritime region of the Indian Ocean as New Delhi deepens its Act East policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visits to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand come on the heels of recent outreach to Mauritius, Seychelles, and Japan, signalling a broader effort to strengthen India's strategic, economic, and security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. This shift reflects India's growing emphasis on securing vital sea lanes, expanding trade links, countering China's rising influence, and playing a larger role in the region's evolving geopolitical landscape.</p><p>Within this push, India’s role in securing vital maritime corridors like the Malacca Strait is far more consequential than basic security patrols suggest. On paper, New Delhi's involvement looks like a standard mix of navigation monitoring, routine naval presence, and maritime safety. In reality, this narrow stretch of water links directly to India’s core energy stability, commercial trade routes, and overall strategic leverage across the Indo-Pacific. If these waters choke, the shockwaves hit India's economy almost immediately.</p><p>The math is simple: a massive portion of India's seaborne trade relies entirely on the Malacca Strait. As one of the world's absolute busiest maritime checkpoints, the corridor acts as an economic pressure valve. Everything from crude oil and consumer cargo to industrial machinery, fertilisers, and food supplies flows through this single bottleneck. Any traffic slowdown or sudden blockade creates an instant ripple effect across the region.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-s-brahmos-vs-usa-s-tomahawk-russia-s-kalibr-and-china-s-yj-18-why-nations-are-lining-up-for-the-make-in-india-missile-1782892168517"><strong>India's BrahMos vs USA's Tomahawk, Russia's Kalibr and China's YJ-18: Why nations are lining up for the Make-in-India missile</strong></a></p><h2><strong>Why the Strait of Malacca matters</strong></h2><p>The Malacca Strait is a tight, 900-kilometre funnel connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, serving as the primary highway between West Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific.</p><p>A massive share of the country's imported fuel depends on clear passage through these waters. Beyond imports, New Delhi has also carved out offshore energy interests in the extended neighbourhood, including active exploration blocks within Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Securing the strait isn’t just about protecting daily shipments; it is about guaranteeing long-term energy access.</p><p>Commercial infrastructure vulnerabilities add another layer of risk. India historically relies heavily on regional megahubs like Singapore and Colombo to handle transhipment because its own mainland lacks adequate deep-water port capacity. Shifting cargo to these foreign ports drains both time and money.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/70-to-90-hour-work-weeks-meet-karoshi-the-japanese-phenomenon-india-should-think-twice-before-importing-1783064331804"><strong>India-Japan ties go far beyond trade. Here's one thing India shouldn't import: Karoshi</strong></a></p><h2><strong>How India projects power at the chokepoint</strong></h2><p>India is actively positioning itself to dominate this space. Its geographic trump card is the Andaman and Nicobar Islands archipelago, which sits right at the mouth of the main east-west shipping lane.</p><p>The military uses the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) as a joint-services forward eye, giving the Indian Armed Forces a direct line of sight over the western approach to the Strait of Malacca.</p><p>New Delhi leverages this position through constant regional diplomacy and joint naval operations. The Indian Navy conducts regular coordinated patrols (CORPATs) with littoral neighbours like Indonesia and Thailand, alongside major multilateral drills focused on countering piracy, illegal fishing, and maritime trafficking. While these exercises appear routine, they form the operational foundation for regional coalition-building.</p><h2><strong>The intelligence grid</strong></h2><p>India's maritime strategy is increasingly built on real-time data sharing. Operating out of Gurugram, India’s Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) aggregates shipping data from dozens of partner countries, building a live, transparent picture of commercial vessel movements. This shared tracking system is critical at a time when global shipping networks are facing heightened geopolitical strain.</p><p>Diplomatically, New Delhi consistently uses international forums to insist that freedom of navigation must be upheld under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This legal stance gives India a distinct diplomatic advantage, allowing it to frame its growing naval presence not as aggressive power projection, but as a necessary defence of global maritime law.</p><p>Ultimately, the Strait of Malacca is much more than a routine commercial trade route. For India, it remains an irreplaceable strategic lifeline.</p>

Why is PM Modi suddenly focusing so heavily on the eastern Indian Ocean? The answer lies in a narrow 900-km waterway called the Malacca Strait. WION Decodes.

India's diplomatic focus is increasingly moving toward the eastern maritime region of the Indian Ocean as New Delhi deepens its Act East policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visits to Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand come on the heels of recent outreach to Mauritius, Seychelles, and Japan, signalling a broader effort to strengthen India's strategic, economic, and security partnerships across the Indo-Pacific. This shift reflects India's growing emphasis on securing vital sea lanes, expanding trade links, countering China's rising influence, and playing a larger role in the region's evolving geopolitical landscape. Within this push, India’s role in securing vital maritime corridors like the Malacca Strait is far more consequential than basic security patrols suggest. On paper, New Delhi's involvement looks like a standard mix of navigation monitoring, routine naval presence, and maritime safety. In reality, this narrow stretch of water links directly to India’s core energy stability, commercial trade routes, and overall strategic leverage across the Indo-Pacific. If these waters choke, the shockwaves hit India's economy almost immediately. The math is simple: a massive portion of India's seaborne trade relies entirely on the Malacca Strait. As one of the world's absolute busiest maritime checkpoints, the corridor acts as an economic pressure valve. Everything from crude oil and consumer cargo to industrial machinery, fertilisers, and food supplies flows through this single bottleneck. Any traffic slowdown or sudden blockade creates an instant ripple effect across the region. Also read | India's BrahMos vs USA's Tomahawk, Russia's Kalibr and China's YJ-18: Why nations are lining up for the Make-in-India missile Why the Strait of Malacca matters The Malacca Strait is a tight, 900-kilometre funnel connecting the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, serving as the primary highway between West Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific. A massive share of the country's imported fuel depends on clear passage through these waters. Beyond imports, New Delhi has also carved out offshore energy interests in the extended neighbourhood, including active exploration blocks within Vietnam’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Securing the strait isn’t just about protecting daily shipments; it is about guaranteeing long-term energy access. Commercial infrastructure vulnerabilities add another layer of risk. India historically relies heavily on regional megahubs like Singapore and Colombo to handle transhipment because its own mainland lacks adequate deep-water port capacity. Shifting cargo to these foreign ports drains both time and money. Also read | India-Japan ties go far beyond trade. Here's one thing India shouldn't import: Karoshi How India projects power at the chokepoint India is actively positioning itself to dominate this space. Its geographic trump card is the Andaman and Nicobar Islands archipelago, which sits right at the mouth of the main east-west shipping lane. The military uses the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) as a joint-services forward eye, giving the Indian Armed Forces a direct line of sight over the western approach to the Strait of Malacca. New Delhi leverages this position through constant regional diplomacy and joint naval operations. The Indian Navy conducts regular coordinated patrols (CORPATs) with littoral neighbours like Indonesia and Thailand, alongside major multilateral drills focused on countering piracy, illegal fishing, and maritime trafficking. While these exercises appear routine, they form the operational foundation for regional coalition-building. The intelligence grid India's maritime strategy is increasingly built on real-time data sharing. Operating out of Gurugram, India’s Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) aggregates shipping data from dozens of partner countries, building a live, transparent picture of commercial vessel movements. This shared tracking system is critical at a time when global shipping networks are facing heightened geopolitical strain. Diplomatically, New Delhi consistently uses international forums to insist that freedom of navigation must be upheld under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This legal stance gives India a distinct diplomatic advantage, allowing it to frame its growing naval presence not as aggressive power projection, but as a necessary defence of global maritime law. Ultimately, the Strait of Malacca is much more than a routine commercial trade route. For India, it remains an irreplaceable strategic lifeline.

<p>Why is PM Modi suddenly focusing so heavily on the eastern Indian Ocean? The answer lies in a narrow 900-km waterway called the Malacca Strait. WION Decodes.</p>

Modi's Indo-Pacific push: Why the Malacca Strait matters to India's future

<p>Residents of Gurugram’s DLF Phase-3 were left questioning the system, the taxes and the exorbitant rents they were paying when they were asked to leave their homes within one hour, gathering up their lives. Illegal constructions and unauthorised commercial activities are facing action in the area following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Properties that have been allegedly modified beyond the approved plans, and residential buildings being used for commercial purposes, are the target. However, while the landlords knew exactly what they were doing and kept collecting rents for years, it was the families who were trying to build a life in the city who ultimately paid the price.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>According to the residents, the authorities did not give them any prior warning. An Instagram post reveals what the people went through on Sunday (June 21). Around 40 families of a residential complex in the S Block area were left with nowhere to go after the illegal building with multiple apartments was sealed. Utsav Kamboj, an architect by profession, shared on Instagram, "They gave 40 families exactly one hour to pack up their entire lives and get out," adding, “There was no warning before it happened...no notice period, no grace window. Just an order to vacate immediately.”</p><h2><strong>40 apartments made on plot permitted for only 4 families</strong></h2><p>She revealed that one person had paid Rs 1.5 lakh just days before, and the landlord happily took it despite knowing what was coming. There was a senior couple who had reached the same day to be with their child, but were caught off guard by the sudden action. People had to break locks to get their belongings, as no one knew how long their homes would remain sealed. Kamboj said that the plot of land where the apartments were built was sanctioned only for four families, but more than "40 separate units" were carved out of it.</p>

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ3_Z1iCTl5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Utsav Kamboj | Architect | Urban Designer (@utsav_kamboj)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>She questioned why it was allowed to stay that way for all these years, with the landlord being allowed to collect rent and profit extra every month. The post slammed authorities for letting the violation exist, with the people who had no idea they were sitting on a violation ultimately paying the price. "The real anger here should be at a system that lets this happen to the most powerless person in the chain every single time.'</p><h2><strong>Gurugram resident slammed authorities for throwing people on the road</strong></h2><p>Another person, who didn't live in the same building, said she was in Odisha when she received the call to pack up and leave. She said in "absolute panic", but her friend broke the lock and packed up her clothes and important documents. "The broken lock will probably be deducted from my ‘Security Deposit’ - a hilarious term." She questioned the owner, officials who "took belly-full bribes for years", and the government for letting this ecosystem flourish and now "throwing innocent citizens onto the road".</p><h2><strong>Netizens demand action against landlord and the officers who allowed the construction</strong></h2><p>The incident has triggered anger among netizens. One user wrote, "Corruption at peak in Gurgaon," with another adding, "All citizens have lost faith in government because of these actions." The post continued, "...rather than removing those tenants, the government should have picked the landlord and the officers who approved this building, the house tax inspector who was well aware, the electricity and water department. They all must have been well aware of these 40 families."<br>&nbsp;</p>

A crackdown on illegal construction in Gurugram’s DLF Phase-3 left families scrambling to gather their belongings in just one hour before their homes were sealed. People are demanding action against the landlord and the people who allowed it for years. 

Residents of Gurugram’s DLF Phase-3 were left questioning the system, the taxes and the exorbitant rents they were paying when they were asked to leave their homes within one hour, gathering up their lives. Illegal constructions and unauthorised commercial activities are facing action in the area following directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Properties that have been allegedly modified beyond the approved plans, and residential buildings being used for commercial purposes, are the target. However, while the landlords knew exactly what they were doing and kept collecting rents for years, it was the families who were trying to build a life in the city who ultimately paid the price. According to the residents, the authorities did not give them any prior warning. An Instagram post reveals what the people went through on Sunday (June 21). Around 40 families of a residential complex in the S Block area were left with nowhere to go after the illegal building with multiple apartments was sealed. Utsav Kamboj, an architect by profession, shared on Instagram, "They gave 40 families exactly one hour to pack up their entire lives and get out," adding, “There was no warning before it happened...no notice period, no grace window. Just an order to vacate immediately.” 40 apartments made on plot permitted for only 4 families She revealed that one person had paid Rs 1.5 lakh just days before, and the landlord happily took it despite knowing what was coming. There was a senior couple who had reached the same day to be with their child, but were caught off guard by the sudden action. People had to break locks to get their belongings, as no one knew how long their homes would remain sealed. Kamboj said that the plot of land where the apartments were built was sanctioned only for four families, but more than "40 separate units" were carved out of it.

<p>A crackdown on illegal construction in Gurugram’s DLF Phase-3 left families scrambling to gather their belongings in just one hour before their homes were sealed. People are demanding action against the landlord and the people who allowed it for years.&nbsp;</p>

Families paying lakhs in rent left homeless in Gurugram after only 1 hour warning

The world's most and least liked countries list the places people found the friendliest. The survey took into account 46,000 participants from across 85 countries. See if people find Indians nice or not, and which countries got a negative score.

<p>The world's most and least liked countries list the places people found the friendliest. The survey took into account 46,000 participants from across 85 countries. See if people find Indians nice or not, and which countries got a negative score.</p>

Index ranks world's most and least liked countries. Check India's position

A devastating industrial accident at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant claimed the lives of at least 10 workers after molten steel reportedly spilled during operations inside the facility. Several others were injured in the incident as emergency teams rushed to contain the situation and carry out rescue efforts.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident, while safety concerns at industrial plants have once again come under scrutiny. Visuals from the site showed heavy emergency deployment as workers and officials assessed the extent of the damage. The tragedy has sparked grief and outrage, with calls for stricter workplace safety measures and accountability.

Vizag Steel Plant Fire: 8 Workers Die After Molten Steel Spilled at Plant

<p>To augment the country's efforts in underwater robotics development, India's National Maritime Security Coordinator, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, inaugurated the Centre for Marine Autonomous Robotics Systems(CMARS) at the government-run National Institute of Ocean Technology(NIOT), Chennai. Underwater robotics plays a vital role in search and rescue, mapping, scientific discovery, national security, and resource exploration, among others. Operating under India's Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), NIOT has been developing underwater systems and technologies for over three decades. NIOT is in the process of developing and testing India's crewed submersible 'Matsya-6000', which is meant to carry out exploration missions 6000 meters below the ocean surface.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/critical-anchor-hegseth-at-shangri-la-dialogue-lauds-india-calls-new-delhi-a-pillar-of-regional-stability-1780120209830"><strong>'Critical anchor': Hegseth at Shangri-La Dialogue lauds India, calls New Delhi a pillar of regional stability</strong></a></p><p>Explaining the core purpose of the CMARS facility, NIOT Director Dr Balaji Ramakrishnan said it helps create an ecosystem for different stakeholders to participate in our technology development efforts and work with us. This can be done through internships or industry partnerships, in which we provide support and resources. Our Institute has a hyperbaric pressure chamber capable of reaching 1,500 bar, which simulates conditions found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Testing of hardware and systems meant to be deployed in underwater environments can be undertaken here. We aim to offer a conducive ecosystem for those who wish to work with us.</p><p>Highlighting the strategic importance of the maritime domain, Vice Admiral Dasgupta said that Blue Economy refers to a country's economy enhanced by the oceans. Over the last 20 years, from shipping to tourism, every endeavour connected to the maritime domain has evolved and increased exponentially. On the strategic front, he touched upon the importance of deep-sea exploration, undersea internet cables, and naval submarine operations. Meanwhile, he cautioned that maritime threats are increasing rapidly and there are significant challenges in the undersea domain.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-s-controversial-1-8-billion-weaponisation-fund-dead-for-now-doj-says-it-will-abide-by-court-s-freeze-order-1780366163823"><strong>Trump's controversial $1.8 billion weaponisation fund 'dead for now'? DoJ says it will abide by court's freeze order</strong></a></p><p>While NIOT develops its fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles and related technologies such as homing &amp; docking, swarm drones, and high-endurance drones, the Institute is also conducting Underwater Robotics Workshops to create synergy between researchers, academicians, industry experts, students, policymakers, and stakeholders working in the maritime and undersea domain.</p><p>Elaborating on the rationale behind such collaborative efforts, Dr Balaji said that collating the national expertise in a single place helps establish the strengths and areas for improvement, understand the supply chain perspective, take stock of the overall national capability and set a roadmap for the future of undersea exploration.&nbsp;</p>

India has launched a new centre dedicated to underwater robotics as it pushes deeper into ocean exploration, maritime security and next-generation autonomous systems. The move is also closely linked to the ambitious Matsya-6000 deep-sea mission.

To augment the country's efforts in underwater robotics development, India's National Maritime Security Coordinator, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, inaugurated the Centre for Marine Autonomous Robotics Systems(CMARS) at the government-run National Institute of Ocean Technology(NIOT), Chennai. Underwater robotics plays a vital role in search and rescue, mapping, scientific discovery, national security, and resource exploration, among others. Operating under India's Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), NIOT has been developing underwater systems and technologies for over three decades. NIOT is in the process of developing and testing India's crewed submersible 'Matsya-6000', which is meant to carry out exploration missions 6000 meters below the ocean surface. Also read | 'Critical anchor': Hegseth at Shangri-La Dialogue lauds India, calls New Delhi a pillar of regional stability Explaining the core purpose of the CMARS facility, NIOT Director Dr Balaji Ramakrishnan said it helps create an ecosystem for different stakeholders to participate in our technology development efforts and work with us. This can be done through internships or industry partnerships, in which we provide support and resources. Our Institute has a hyperbaric pressure chamber capable of reaching 1,500 bar, which simulates conditions found in the deepest parts of the ocean. Testing of hardware and systems meant to be deployed in underwater environments can be undertaken here. We aim to offer a conducive ecosystem for those who wish to work with us. Highlighting the strategic importance of the maritime domain, Vice Admiral Dasgupta said that Blue Economy refers to a country's economy enhanced by the oceans. Over the last 20 years, from shipping to tourism, every endeavour connected to the maritime domain has evolved and increased exponentially. On the strategic front, he touched upon the importance of deep-sea exploration, undersea internet cables, and naval submarine operations. Meanwhile, he cautioned that maritime threats are increasing rapidly and there are significant challenges in the undersea domain. Also read | Trump's controversial $1.8 billion weaponisation fund 'dead for now'? DoJ says it will abide by court's freeze order While NIOT develops its fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles and related technologies such as homing & docking, swarm drones, and high-endurance drones, the Institute is also conducting Underwater Robotics Workshops to create synergy between researchers, academicians, industry experts, students, policymakers, and stakeholders working in the maritime and undersea domain. Elaborating on the rationale behind such collaborative efforts, Dr Balaji said that collating the national expertise in a single place helps establish the strengths and areas for improvement, understand the supply chain perspective, take stock of the overall national capability and set a roadmap for the future of undersea exploration.

<p>India has launched a new centre dedicated to underwater robotics as it pushes deeper into ocean exploration, maritime security and next-generation autonomous systems. The move is also closely linked to the ambitious Matsya-6000 deep-sea mission.</p>

Indian Govt's CMARS lab at NIOT to develop Marine Autonomous Robots

<p>India has climbed to the fifth most digitalised economy in the world and secured the fourth position in a standalone artificial intelligence index, outpacing Germany, France, Japan, Canada, and South Korea in AI performance, according to the State of India's Digital Economy (SIDE) 2026 report released Thursday by the ICRIER-Prosus Centre for Internet and Digital Economy.</p><p>The rankings, drawn from a 71-country benchmarking exercise covering 96 per cent of global GDP, mark a three-place jump from India's eighth position in 2025. But the report, while broadly affirming India's digital momentum, contains findings that complicate the headline numbers, and the most consequential of them has nothing to do with rankings.</p><p>India commands 26 per cent of global AI users. It attracts just 1 per cent of global private AI investment.</p><p>That gap, between the scale of India's digital footprint and the capital flowing into it, is the structural tension at the heart of what the report calls India's "defining challenge."</p><p><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260530/image-1780132787615.png"></p><p><i><strong>Top 10 Countries; India sits 5th globally, but its innovation score trails every country above it. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026</strong></i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Where India genuinely leads</strong></h2><p>The AI talent story is real and the numbers support it. India holds the world's second-largest concentration of AI talent after the United States. On relative AI skills penetration, a measure of how widely AI capabilities are distributed across occupations, India ranks first globally as of March 2026, and its lead over the US is widening.</p><p>On public trust in AI, India scores 83.4, the highest among the top four AI nations. Singapore scores 55.6. China 33.0. The United States has no available score on this indicator. In an era where AI deployment is increasingly a governance challenge, not just a technical one, that is not a trivial number.</p><p>India's digitally delivered trade figures are, by any measure, exceptional. At USD 328 billion, India is the world's fourth-largest exporter of digitally delivered services, after the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, despite being a lower-middle-income economy. Most developing countries of comparable income levels are net importers of digital services. India built a globally competitive IT and business services sector over decades, and that structural advantage is now showing up directly in trade data.</p><p>India also accounts for 19.9 per cent of global AI users, second only to China's 20.5 per cent, with the United States at 8.1 per cent. The report notes that China and India together account for nearly two-fifths of all AI users worldwide, a concentration that is reshaping how the technology diffuses globally.</p><p><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260530/image-1780132787660.png"></p><p><i><strong>India and China together own nearly 40% of all global AI users, dwarfing the entire developed world. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026</strong></i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Where the numbers demand scrutiny</strong></h2><p>The improved ranking needs to be read carefully. The report's authors acknowledge that part of India's jump reflects methodological changes between the 2025 and 2026 editions, an expanded country sample that improved India's scores on indicators like download speeds, and the exclusion of gender divide and fintech indicators where India has historically underperformed. Year-on-year comparisons are, in the report's own words, to be "interpreted with some caution."</p><p>That caveat matters. India's connectivity ranking within the 71-country sample is 11th, behind the UAE, Qatar, China, Brazil, and several smaller advanced economies. The depth and quality of digital access for the average Indian user remains significantly below advanced economy standards. On the Protect and Sustain pillar, covering cybersecurity preparedness, digital crime exposure, and environmental sustainability, India ranks 32nd, its weakest showing across all five assessment pillars.</p><p>Online financial crime and digital fraud are described in the report as among the most commonly reported forms of crime in India. Cybersecurity spending stands at USD 3,060 million, modest for an economy with India's digital scale. India recorded 137 enterprise ransomware victims in 2025 and accounts for 10 percent of G20 email leaks despite representing 31 percent of G20 population. The exposure is rising faster than the protection.</p><p><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260530/image-1780132787627.png"></p><p><i><strong>India scores 100 on AI skilled population, and 0.7 on open-source models. The same table tells both stories. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026</strong></i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>The capital problem</strong></h2><p>The AI investment numbers are stark. India attracted USD 1,160 million in private AI startup investment. The United States attracted USD 109,080 million. China attracted USD 9,290 million. India's figure is lower than South Korea, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the UAE.</p><p><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260530/image-1780132787589.png"></p><p><i><strong>The US attracted USD 109 billion in AI investment. India attracted USD 1.1 billion. This bar chart is the capital gap made visible. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026</strong></i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The report places India squarely in what it calls the "limited start-up capital, but strong talent base" quadrant, a position that has strategic implications. The AI supply chain, as the report describes it, is a five-layer stack: energy, infrastructure, compute, models, and applications. The first four layers are capital-intensive. India's comparative advantage sits almost entirely in the fifth, applications, and in the talent that feeds it.</p><p>That is not without value. The report argues that the next wave of AI, driven by applications and agents rather than frontier model development, should play to India's strengths. But talent without capital, compute access, and strong university-to-startup pipelines produces exactly the kind of structural stagnation that the data already hints at; world-class engineers building products funded largely by foreign capital, on foreign infrastructure, using foreign models. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/before-ai-summit-know-who-actually-controls-india-s-artificial-intelligence-not-india-1771143940592">WION earlier reported on India’s AI infrastructure reality in a separate report in February this year.&nbsp;</a></p><p><strong><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260530/image-1780132787641.png"></strong></p><p><i><strong>Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026</strong></i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>The broader picture</strong></h2><p>The report frames the global digital order as increasingly tripolar: the United States, a cluster of Indo-Pacific economies led by China and Singapore, and a declining North Atlantic bloc. India's fifth-place ranking places it inside that emerging bloc. Three of the world's top five digital economies, China, Singapore, and India, are now from the Indo-Pacific.</p><p>That is a genuine structural shift and India's position within it reflects real gains in connectivity, digital public infrastructure, and AI adoption. The USD 328 billion in digitally delivered trade is not a benchmark number; it is the output of decades of institutional capability-building that no other developing economy has replicated at comparable scale.</p><p>But the report is unambiguous on what comes next. Expanded compute access, mobilised risk capital, stronger university-startup linkages, shared datasets, and clearer commercialisation pathways are not aspirational additions to the India growth story. Without them, the gap between where India ranks and what India captures from the AI economy will continue to widen.</p><p><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260530/image-1780132787651.png"></p><p><i><strong>World-class talent, barely any startup capital, India's AI positioning in one scatter plot. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026</strong></i></p><p>The rankings are a reason to take stock but the 1 percent investment share is a reason to worry.</p>

India just cracked the world's top 5 digital economies and ranks 4th in AI, beating Germany, France and Japan. But behind the rankings lies a damning contradiction, India holds 26% of global AI users yet attracts just 1% of global AI investment. Read here what SIDE-2026 report finds out.

India has climbed to the fifth most digitalised economy in the world and secured the fourth position in a standalone artificial intelligence index, outpacing Germany, France, Japan, Canada, and South Korea in AI performance, according to the State of India's Digital Economy (SIDE) 2026 report released Thursday by the ICRIER-Prosus Centre for Internet and Digital Economy. The rankings, drawn from a 71-country benchmarking exercise covering 96 per cent of global GDP, mark a three-place jump from India's eighth position in 2025. But the report, while broadly affirming India's digital momentum, contains findings that complicate the headline numbers, and the most consequential of them has nothing to do with rankings. India commands 26 per cent of global AI users. It attracts just 1 per cent of global private AI investment. That gap, between the scale of India's digital footprint and the capital flowing into it, is the structural tension at the heart of what the report calls India's "defining challenge." Top 10 Countries; India sits 5th globally, but its innovation score trails every country above it. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026 Where India genuinely leads The AI talent story is real and the numbers support it. India holds the world's second-largest concentration of AI talent after the United States. On relative AI skills penetration, a measure of how widely AI capabilities are distributed across occupations, India ranks first globally as of March 2026, and its lead over the US is widening. On public trust in AI, India scores 83.4, the highest among the top four AI nations. Singapore scores 55.6. China 33.0. The United States has no available score on this indicator. In an era where AI deployment is increasingly a governance challenge, not just a technical one, that is not a trivial number. India's digitally delivered trade figures are, by any measure, exceptional. At USD 328 billion, India is the world's fourth-largest exporter of digitally delivered services, after the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, despite being a lower-middle-income economy. Most developing countries of comparable income levels are net importers of digital services. India built a globally competitive IT and business services sector over decades, and that structural advantage is now showing up directly in trade data. India also accounts for 19.9 per cent of global AI users, second only to China's 20.5 per cent, with the United States at 8.1 per cent. The report notes that China and India together account for nearly two-fifths of all AI users worldwide, a concentration that is reshaping how the technology diffuses globally. India and China together own nearly 40% of all global AI users, dwarfing the entire developed world. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026 Where the numbers demand scrutiny The improved ranking needs to be read carefully. The report's authors acknowledge that part of India's jump reflects methodological changes between the 2025 and 2026 editions, an expanded country sample that improved India's scores on indicators like download speeds, and the exclusion of gender divide and fintech indicators where India has historically underperformed. Year-on-year comparisons are, in the report's own words, to be "interpreted with some caution." That caveat matters. India's connectivity ranking within the 71-country sample is 11th, behind the UAE, Qatar, China, Brazil, and several smaller advanced economies. The depth and quality of digital access for the average Indian user remains significantly below advanced economy standards. On the Protect and Sustain pillar, covering cybersecurity preparedness, digital crime exposure, and environmental sustainability, India ranks 32nd, its weakest showing across all five assessment pillars. Online financial crime and digital fraud are described in the report as among the most commonly reported forms of crime in India. Cybersecurity spending stands at USD 3,060 million, modest for an economy with India's digital scale. India recorded 137 enterprise ransomware victims in 2025 and accounts for 10 percent of G20 email leaks despite representing 31 percent of G20 population. The exposure is rising faster than the protection. India scores 100 on AI skilled population, and 0.7 on open-source models. The same table tells both stories. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026 The capital problem The AI investment numbers are stark. India attracted USD 1,160 million in private AI startup investment. The United States attracted USD 109,080 million. China attracted USD 9,290 million. India's figure is lower than South Korea, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the UAE. The US attracted USD 109 billion in AI investment. India attracted USD 1.1 billion. This bar chart is the capital gap made visible. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026 The report places India squarely in what it calls the "limited start-up capital, but strong talent base" quadrant, a position that has strategic implications. The AI supply chain, as the report describes it, is a five-layer stack: energy, infrastructure, compute, models, and applications. The first four layers are capital-intensive. India's comparative advantage sits almost entirely in the fifth, applications, and in the talent that feeds it. That is not without value. The report argues that the next wave of AI, driven by applications and agents rather than frontier model development, should play to India's strengths. But talent without capital, compute access, and strong university-to-startup pipelines produces exactly the kind of structural stagnation that the data already hints at; world-class engineers building products funded largely by foreign capital, on foreign infrastructure, using foreign models. WION earlier reported on India’s AI infrastructure reality in a separate report in February this year. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026 The broader picture The report frames the global digital order as increasingly tripolar: the United States, a cluster of Indo-Pacific economies led by China and Singapore, and a declining North Atlantic bloc. India's fifth-place ranking places it inside that emerging bloc. Three of the world's top five digital economies, China, Singapore, and India, are now from the Indo-Pacific. That is a genuine structural shift and India's position within it reflects real gains in connectivity, digital public infrastructure, and AI adoption. The USD 328 billion in digitally delivered trade is not a benchmark number; it is the output of decades of institutional capability-building that no other developing economy has replicated at comparable scale. But the report is unambiguous on what comes next. Expanded compute access, mobilised risk capital, stronger university-startup linkages, shared datasets, and clearer commercialisation pathways are not aspirational additions to the India growth story. Without them, the gap between where India ranks and what India captures from the AI economy will continue to widen. World-class talent, barely any startup capital, India's AI positioning in one scatter plot. Source credit: IPCIDE Team, State of India's Digital Economy 2026 The rankings are a reason to take stock but the 1 percent investment share is a reason to worry.

<p>India just cracked the world's top 5 digital economies and ranks 4th in AI, beating Germany, France and Japan. But behind the rankings lies a damning contradiction, India holds 26% of global AI users yet attracts just 1% of global AI investment. Read here what SIDE-2026 report finds out.</p>

India ranks 5th in Global Digital Economy, 4th in AI, but a capital gap threatens its ambitions: SIDE-26 report

India’s first hydrogen-powered train is set to launch on the Jind-Sonipat route after receiving approval from the Ministry of Railways. Developed in India, the train produces zero emissions and positions the country among global leaders using hydrogen-powered rail technology.

<p>India’s first hydrogen-powered train is set to launch on the Jind-Sonipat route after receiving approval from the Ministry of Railways. Developed in India, the train produces zero emissions and positions the country among global leaders using hydrogen-powered rail technology.</p>

India set to launch first-ever 10-coach hydrogen train on Haryana’s Jind-Sonipat route | In Pics

<p>Oracle has cancelled several campus placement and pre-placement offers at India’s engineering institutes, including IITs and NITs. The move comes shortly after the company laid off around 30,000 employees globally in April, according to reports.&nbsp;</p><p>Sources said affected students were informed earlier this week that their job offers had been withdrawn. The decision has created uncertainty for many freshers who had already secured positions through campus placements.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Students affected across top institutes</strong></h2><p>The impact has been reported across several institutions, including NIT Warangal, VNIT Nagpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT Hyderabad and IIT (BHU) Varanasi.</p><p>Many of the affected students had received pre-placement offers (PPOs) after internships with the company. These offers are usually considered final and often prevent students from participating in further placement rounds.</p><p>Students said they were informed about the cancellations through placement cells, leaving limited time to explore alternative job opportunities.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>‘One student, one job’ policy adds pressure</strong></h2><p>Most top engineering institutes follow a “one student, one job” rule, which means once a student accepts an offer, they are not allowed to sit for other placement drives.</p><p>Because of this policy, many students who accepted Oracle’s offer did not apply for other companies during campus recruitment.</p><p>With the offers now revoked, these students are facing difficulty in securing new opportunities as most placement cycles have already ended.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Reason behind offer cancellations</strong></h2><p>According to sources, the cancellations are linked to internal restructuring within Oracle.</p><p>The company had hired freshers for roles such as application development and server technology teams. However, one of its business units, related to health and application infrastructure, has reportedly been shut down.</p><p>This closure is said to have led to the withdrawal of job offers for roles associated with that division.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>Impact of global layoffs on hiring</strong></h2><p>Oracle’s decision follows a broader trend in the technology sector, where companies are adjusting hiring plans after large-scale layoffs.</p><p>Industry experts note that companies often reassess workforce requirements after restructuring, which can affect campus hiring commitments.</p><p>The situation highlights how global business decisions can directly impact entry-level hiring and fresh graduates.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>What this means for students and institutions</strong></h2><p>The revocation of offers has raised concerns among students and placement authorities about job security during campus recruitment.</p><p>Institutions may need to review policies and provide additional support to affected students, including reopening placement opportunities or connecting them with other employers. For students, the development underlines the importance of flexibility in job planning, especially in a changing job market.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It remains unclear whether Oracle will offer alternative roles or compensation to affected students. Placement cells are expected to engage with the company and explore possible solutions. As the hiring cycle progresses, institutes may also reach out to other recruiters to create additional opportunities for impacted candidates.</p><p>The situation reflects a larger shift in hiring trends, where economic conditions and business decisions continue to influence job markets globally.</p>

Oracle has cancelled multiple campus placement and pre-placement offers (PPOs) at top Indian institutes including IITs and NITs. The move comes after large-scale global layoffs and internal restructuring, leaving many fresh graduates without job options at the final stage of placements.

Oracle has cancelled several campus placement and pre-placement offers at India’s engineering institutes, including IITs and NITs. The move comes shortly after the company laid off around 30,000 employees globally in April, according to reports. Sources said affected students were informed earlier this week that their job offers had been withdrawn. The decision has created uncertainty for many freshers who had already secured positions through campus placements. Students affected across top institutes The impact has been reported across several institutions, including NIT Warangal, VNIT Nagpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT Hyderabad and IIT (BHU) Varanasi. Many of the affected students had received pre-placement offers (PPOs) after internships with the company. These offers are usually considered final and often prevent students from participating in further placement rounds. Students said they were informed about the cancellations through placement cells, leaving limited time to explore alternative job opportunities. ‘One student, one job’ policy adds pressure Most top engineering institutes follow a “one student, one job” rule, which means once a student accepts an offer, they are not allowed to sit for other placement drives. Because of this policy, many students who accepted Oracle’s offer did not apply for other companies during campus recruitment. With the offers now revoked, these students are facing difficulty in securing new opportunities as most placement cycles have already ended. Reason behind offer cancellations According to sources, the cancellations are linked to internal restructuring within Oracle. The company had hired freshers for roles such as application development and server technology teams. However, one of its business units, related to health and application infrastructure, has reportedly been shut down. This closure is said to have led to the withdrawal of job offers for roles associated with that division. Impact of global layoffs on hiring Oracle’s decision follows a broader trend in the technology sector, where companies are adjusting hiring plans after large-scale layoffs. Industry experts note that companies often reassess workforce requirements after restructuring, which can affect campus hiring commitments. The situation highlights how global business decisions can directly impact entry-level hiring and fresh graduates. What this means for students and institutions The revocation of offers has raised concerns among students and placement authorities about job security during campus recruitment. Institutions may need to review policies and provide additional support to affected students, including reopening placement opportunities or connecting them with other employers. For students, the development underlines the importance of flexibility in job planning, especially in a changing job market. It remains unclear whether Oracle will offer alternative roles or compensation to affected students. Placement cells are expected to engage with the company and explore possible solutions. As the hiring cycle progresses, institutes may also reach out to other recruiters to create additional opportunities for impacted candidates. The situation reflects a larger shift in hiring trends, where economic conditions and business decisions continue to influence job markets globally.

<p>Oracle has cancelled multiple campus placement and pre-placement offers (PPOs) at top Indian institutes including IITs and NITs. The move comes after large-scale global layoffs and internal restructuring, leaving many fresh graduates without job options at the final stage of placements.</p>

Freshers hit as Oracle reportedly cancels job offers across top engineering institutes

<p>The Government of India, in a significant energy policy reset, has reduced the royalty rates on the production of crude oil and natural gas across multiple categories of fields, including deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks. This comes as disruptions due to the West Asia conflict continue to disrupt global supply chains and fuel import concerns and as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to reduce dependence on imported goods, cut fuel consumption, avoid unnecessary foreign exchange spending, and embrace "Vocal for Local."</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pakistan-two-timed-trump-report-reveals-islamabad-quietly-sheltered-iranian-military-aircraft-while-brokering-peace-talks-1778551810479"><strong>Pakistan two-timed Trump? Report REVEALS Islamabad quietly sheltered Iranian military aircraft while playing mediator in Iran war</strong></a></p><h2><strong>Royalty rates reduced</strong></h2><p>The Centre has sharply reduced royalty rates on crude oil and natural gas production, in what is being seen as a direct push to boost domestic exploration at a time when global energy anxieties are intensifying.</p><p>The revised framework, notified by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on May 8, lowers effective royalty on onshore crude oil production to 10 per cent and offshore crude production to 8 per cent. For natural gas, royalty has been cut to 8 per cent through a new flat deduction formula that changes how "well head price" is calculated.</p><p>In simpler terms, India is making it cheaper and more attractive for companies to drill at home, especially in technically difficult and expensive fields.</p><h2><strong>Why now?</strong></h2><p>The timing is hard to miss; on Monday (May 11), PM Modi urged Indians to avoid personal activities that incur expenditure in foreign exchange. He also advised people to use less petrol and diesel and use public transport more often. While Modi's message triggered panic, the broader message was that India wants to shield itself from external shocks by tightening domestic economic resilience, and energy is central to that strategy.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/new-tamil-nadu-cm-vijay-orders-closure-of-717-liquor-shops-near-schools-temples-and-bus-stands-1778561237334"><strong>Tamil Nadu TASMAC shop closure: CM Vijay orders closure of 717 liquor shops near schools, temples and bus stands</strong></a></p><h2><strong>Deepwater, ultra-deepwater get the biggest boost</strong></h2><p>Under the revised policy, deepwater and ultra-deepwater fields under DSF and HELP regimes will attract zero royalty for the first seven years, a major concession aimed at attracting fresh capital into geographies that are expensive, risky and underexplored.</p><p>After that, royalty remains concessional at just 5 per cent for deepwater and 2 per cent for ultra-deepwater blocks.</p><p>Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has framed the move as a structural correction, calling it a landmark step that removes long-standing inconsistencies and creates a more stable, investor-friendly upstream framework.</p><p>The bigger picture</p><p>India still imports a significant share of its oil and gas needs, making the country deeply vulnerable to geopolitical instability. As global uncertainty grows, New Delhi appears to be sending a blunt signal: if imports become riskier, India wants its own wells working harder.<br>&nbsp;</p>

India has cut oil and gas royalty rates, including major incentives for deepwater drilling, making domestic exploration cheaper as West Asia turmoil rattles global energy markets. The big question: Is this just policy reform, or India’s bigger push to shield itself from import shocks? 

The Government of India, in a significant energy policy reset, has reduced the royalty rates on the production of crude oil and natural gas across multiple categories of fields, including deepwater and ultra-deepwater blocks. This comes as disruptions due to the West Asia conflict continue to disrupt global supply chains and fuel import concerns and as Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to reduce dependence on imported goods, cut fuel consumption, avoid unnecessary foreign exchange spending, and embrace "Vocal for Local." Also read | Pakistan two-timed Trump? Report REVEALS Islamabad quietly sheltered Iranian military aircraft while playing mediator in Iran war Royalty rates reduced The Centre has sharply reduced royalty rates on crude oil and natural gas production, in what is being seen as a direct push to boost domestic exploration at a time when global energy anxieties are intensifying. The revised framework, notified by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on May 8, lowers effective royalty on onshore crude oil production to 10 per cent and offshore crude production to 8 per cent. For natural gas, royalty has been cut to 8 per cent through a new flat deduction formula that changes how "well head price" is calculated. In simpler terms, India is making it cheaper and more attractive for companies to drill at home, especially in technically difficult and expensive fields. Why now? The timing is hard to miss; on Monday (May 11), PM Modi urged Indians to avoid personal activities that incur expenditure in foreign exchange. He also advised people to use less petrol and diesel and use public transport more often. While Modi's message triggered panic, the broader message was that India wants to shield itself from external shocks by tightening domestic economic resilience, and energy is central to that strategy. Also read | Tamil Nadu TASMAC shop closure: CM Vijay orders closure of 717 liquor shops near schools, temples and bus stands Deepwater, ultra-deepwater get the biggest boost Under the revised policy, deepwater and ultra-deepwater fields under DSF and HELP regimes will attract zero royalty for the first seven years, a major concession aimed at attracting fresh capital into geographies that are expensive, risky and underexplored. After that, royalty remains concessional at just 5 per cent for deepwater and 2 per cent for ultra-deepwater blocks. Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has framed the move as a structural correction, calling it a landmark step that removes long-standing inconsistencies and creates a more stable, investor-friendly upstream framework. The bigger picture India still imports a significant share of its oil and gas needs, making the country deeply vulnerable to geopolitical instability. As global uncertainty grows, New Delhi appears to be sending a blunt signal: if imports become riskier, India wants its own wells working harder.

<p>India has cut oil and gas royalty rates, including major incentives for deepwater drilling, making domestic exploration cheaper as West Asia turmoil rattles global energy markets. The big question: Is this just policy reform, or India’s bigger push to shield itself from import shocks?&nbsp;</p>

India cuts oil, gas royalty in major policy shift as Modi pushes ‘Vocal for Local’ amid West Asia crisis

<p>A viral video on social media shows a man attacking a woman with what appears to be a knife, as bystanders intervene and save her. Netizens are praising people for stopping the man from harming the victim instead of being meek spectators. The incident reportedly happened in Bengaluru, India, where the culprit allegedly attacked his wife following domestic issues. The video shows him stopping his scooter near a woman walking by and grabbing hr by the neck. He then tries to injure her with the weapon. A man stops and hits him from behind. Soon, others nearby also start beating the man as more people gather around. The attacker was later handed over to the police. According to reports, the man is named Sanjay, who hails from Bihar, and assaulted his estranged wife, Sonali, 27, on the road with a knife.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Proud of you Bengaluru and these Youngsters who refused to let a lunatic b¢head his wife; instead of watching and making videos, they decide to act: <a href="https://t.co/yMyg64brsB">pic.twitter.com/yMyg64brsB</a></p>&mdash; Mihir Jha (@MihirkJha) <a href="https://twitter.com/MihirkJha/status/2052445032565915679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>She is said to have separated from him because of the 35-year-old's drinking problems. Despite being attacked in broad daylight on the road, Sonali refused to file a police complaint against her husband. The video on X carries the caption: "Proud of you Bengaluru and these Youngsters who refused to let a lunatic b¢head his wife; instead of watching and making videos, they decide to act." However, several netizens questioned "mob mentality" on display in the video. Several people can be seen repeatedly hitting the man until long after the woman escaped. A user commented, "OK but is it neccesary to lynch him?. Sorry this is mob mentality taking over. Tie him and bring her to safety and then call a police officer. This is no better than what he was doing to that girl."</p><p>Most people were just relieved that the woman was saved. "Don't know the full context but it was nice to see men rushing to help her instead of just recording and watching from a distance," a user wrote, while another added, "Appreciate intervention by these people to save the Lady."<br> </p>

A video from Bengaluru shows a man attacking a woman on the road in broad daylight with a knife. Upon seeing this, people jump in and save her. The attacker is hit by several people multiple times. People are praising them for 

A viral video on social media shows a man attacking a woman with what appears to be a knife, as bystanders intervene and save her. Netizens are praising people for stopping the man from harming the victim instead of being meek spectators. The incident reportedly happened in Bengaluru, India, where the culprit allegedly attacked his wife following domestic issues. The video shows him stopping his scooter near a woman walking by and grabbing hr by the neck. He then tries to injure her with the weapon. A man stops and hits him from behind. Soon, others nearby also start beating the man as more people gather around. The attacker was later handed over to the police. According to reports, the man is named Sanjay, who hails from Bihar, and assaulted his estranged wife, Sonali, 27, on the road with a knife.

<p>A video from Bengaluru shows a man attacking a woman on the road in broad daylight with a knife. Upon seeing this, people jump in and save her. The attacker is hit by several people multiple times. People are praising them for&nbsp;</p>

Viral video shows bystanders saving woman from knife attack in Bengaluru, she refuses to file complaint

<p>Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, this week, approved the 'One District-One Cuisine' (ODOC) scheme and has now notified an exhaustive district-wise culinary map. Under this ‘One District-One Cuisine’ (ODOC) scheme, each of 75 districts have been assigned few signature dishes for branding, marketing and export. The government said it is aimed at promoting and marketing traditional cuisines from across the state. However, the list does not include any non-vegetarian item. A list shared by Awanish K Awasthi, advisor to UP CM shows products ranging from sweets to fruits to the street smart samosa, but omits the much sort after delicacies like galawati kebab, Awadhi biryani, Kakori kebab, etc.</p>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="hi" dir="ltr">“एक जिला–एक व्यंजन” पहल के तहत उत्तर प्रदेश अपने पारंपरिक पकवानों को आधुनिक ब्रांडिंग और बेहतर पैकेजिंग के साथ वैश्विक पहचान देने जा रहा है।<br>यह कदम स्थानीय कारीगरों को सशक्त बनाते हुए रोजगार और उद्यमिता को नई गति देगा। माननीय मुख्यमंत्री जी, के नेतृत्व में यूपी अब स्वाद,… <a href="https://t.co/XKQd6AeaFl">pic.twitter.com/XKQd6AeaFl</a></p>&mdash; Awanish K Awasthi (@AwasthiAwanishK) <a href="https://twitter.com/AwasthiAwanishK/status/2051584328849559850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/vijay-brings-back-mgr-magic-in-tamil-nadu-election-result-kamal-hassan-trisha-jayalaitha-affair-thalapathy-vaathi-coming-tvk-who-will-be-tamil-nadu-cm-1777898435333"><strong>Tamil Nadu Election Results: Vijay-Trisha story similar to MGR-Jayalalithaa?</strong></a></p><h2>What are the products in the list?</h2><ul><li>Sultanpur – peda, samosa, kadhai puri, red peda, jalebi</li><li>Barabanki – chandrakala, red peda</li><li>Amethi – samosa, jaggery kheer, gulgula</li><li>Ambedkar Nagar – balushahi, chaat, khajla</li><li>Devipatan division (Gonda) – dahi vada</li><li>Bahraich – chamcham, kachori</li><li>Balrampur – coconut barfi, kalakand, ghamanja, chaat</li><li>Shravasti – imarti</li><li>Lucknow – revdi, mango products, chaat, malai makkhan</li><li>Hardoi – aloo puri, laddoo, laozhad</li><li>Lakhimpur Kheri – banana, jaggery, khoya peda, kheer mohan, rasgulla</li><li>Raebareli – spices</li><li>Sitapur – makhan malai, samosa, mirchi pakoda, peda</li><li>Unnao – kala jamun, samosa, kushli, trilok pari</li><li>Ayodhya – chandrakala, balushahi, dahi</li><li>Azamgarh –white carrot halwa</li><li>Mahoba – date jaggery</li><li>Hamirpur – Bundeli dal-based preparations</li><li>Varanasi – thandai, lassi and Banarsi paan,&nbsp;</li><li>Jaunpur – imarti</li></ul><p>Though, Lucknow being recognised as a global city of gastronomy by UNESCO, several products were missing. Moradabadi biryani, popular not only in the state but all over the country is also absent.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/tamil-nadu-elections-results-vijay-can-becomes-cm-tvk-falls-short-of-majority-4-options-governor-power-magic-number-floor-test-explained-1778034233739"><strong>How can Vijay become Tamil Nadu CM despite TVK not getting majority?</strong></a></p><h2><strong>What is One District One Product (ODOP) scheme?</strong></h2><p>The One District One Product (ODOP) UP scheme is a flagship program launched by the Uttar Pradesh government in 2018 to boost traditional, indigenous, and specialized crafts/industries. It aims to generate employment, preserve heritage, and boost economic growth by supporting specific products in each of the 75 districts. It includes financial aid, marketing support, and skill training. The initiative was unveiled by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on November 8, 2025, and later officially rolled out by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 24 this year. It is inspired by Centre's ‘One District, One Product’ model. The government has allocated ₹150 crore for its rollout. Under the scheme, artisans and entrepreneurs can avail subsidies of up to 25 per cent, with a maximum cap of ₹20 lakh. However, the benefit can be claimed only once, and detailed guidelines of the subsidy are still awaited.</p>

The One District-One Cuisine scheme approved by Yogi Adityanath maps signature dishes across 75 districts to boost branding and exports. However, the list notably excludes popular non-vegetarian staples like kebabs and biryani, sparking debate.

Uttar Pradesh government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, this week, approved the 'One District-One Cuisine' (ODOC) scheme and has now notified an exhaustive district-wise culinary map. Under this ‘One District-One Cuisine’ (ODOC) scheme, each of 75 districts have been assigned few signature dishes for branding, marketing and export. The government said it is aimed at promoting and marketing traditional cuisines from across the state. However, the list does not include any non-vegetarian item. A list shared by Awanish K Awasthi, advisor to UP CM shows products ranging from sweets to fruits to the street smart samosa, but omits the much sort after delicacies like galawati kebab, Awadhi biryani, Kakori kebab, etc.

<p>The One District-One Cuisine scheme approved by Yogi Adityanath maps signature dishes across 75 districts to boost branding and exports. However, the list notably excludes popular non-vegetarian staples like kebabs and biryani, sparking debate.</p>

NO galauti kebab! UP's 'One District-One Cuisine' list sidelines biryani, picks only veg items: FULL LIST here

<p>In the emotional aftermath of the cruise boat accident at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district, one photograph in particular spread like fire across social media. The heartbreaking image showed a mother clutching her child tightly in a final, desperate attempt to protect him. However, the image that purportedly captured what may be the most moving last moments of the tragedy's victims may be fake.</p><h2><strong>A lie to play with people's sympathy?</strong></h2><p>Nine people died in the tragic Jabalpur cruise boat tragedy. As news of the boat sinking spread, a picture appeared across WhatsApp groups, Facebook posts and X timelines, often accompanied by claims that a mother and her four-year-old son died while clinging to each other. For many, the image became an instant symbol of the disaster's human cost. But officials now say that story is false.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jabalpur-cruise-boat-tragedy-mother-son-s-bodies-found-clinging-to-each-other-as-death-toll-rises-to-9-1777644741455"><strong>Jabalpur cruise boat tragedy: Mother, son’s bodies found clinging to each other</strong></a></p><p>The Jabalpur District Administration in a post on X has publicly rejected the viral claim, stating that the image has no connection to the Bargi Dam accident. In an official statement, authorities said the photograph is either AI-generated or taken from an entirely unrelated source.</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20260502/image-1777704155733.png"></figure><p>"This photograph is either AI-generated or originates from a different source. It bears no relation whatsoever to the Bargi cruise accident," the administration said through the official social media handle of the Jabalpur Collector.</p><p>The clarification came as rescue and recovery operations continue at the dam, where multiple deaths have already been confirmed, and several people remain missing.</p><h2><strong>9 people killed; 28 rescued - What happened?</strong></h2><p>On Thursday (Apr 30), a tourist boat cruise carrying around 40 passengers capsized in the Bargi Dam reservoir. The incident occurred around 6:15 PM (local time) near Khamaria Island (Tapu), a popular tourist spot within the reservoir built on the Narmada River. According to reports, sudden adverse weather conditions, characterised by high-velocity winds and heavy rain, made the water dangerously choppy. The cruise boat reportedly lost balance against the surging waves before overturning and gradually sinking.</p><p><strong>Also read | </strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fact-check-india-s-lpg-atf-prices-hiked-all-we-know-strait-of-hormuz-iran-war-1777607068757"><strong>Fact Check: India's LPG, ATF prices hiked? How much will cylinders cost now? All we know</strong></a></p><p>Families of the victims have meanwhile alleged that negligence could have led to the disaster. "They were saying that people were advising against going further. They still took the cruise forward, and it got stuck in the storm there. And it was quite an old cruise. That's why all these incidents happened. I would call it negligence, and in terms of security too, because life jackets were not given to them on time," said Gladvin, whose sister, mother, and 4-year-old nephew remain missing after the tragedy.</p><p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died in the Jabalpur cruise tragedy and Rs 50,000 for the injured.</p>

Did that viral photo of a mother clutching her child really capture the Jabalpur boat tragedy’s most heartbreaking moment, or was public grief manipulated? Authorities now say the image may be fake, raising disturbing questions about misinformation in the middle of disaster. Scroll down.

In the emotional aftermath of the cruise boat accident at Bargi Dam in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district, one photograph in particular spread like fire across social media. The heartbreaking image showed a mother clutching her child tightly in a final, desperate attempt to protect him. However, the image that purportedly captured what may be the most moving last moments of the tragedy's victims may be fake. A lie to play with people's sympathy? Nine people died in the tragic Jabalpur cruise boat tragedy. As news of the boat sinking spread, a picture appeared across WhatsApp groups, Facebook posts and X timelines, often accompanied by claims that a mother and her four-year-old son died while clinging to each other. For many, the image became an instant symbol of the disaster's human cost. But officials now say that story is false. Also read | Jabalpur cruise boat tragedy: Mother, son’s bodies found clinging to each other The Jabalpur District Administration in a post on X has publicly rejected the viral claim, stating that the image has no connection to the Bargi Dam accident. In an official statement, authorities said the photograph is either AI-generated or taken from an entirely unrelated source. "This photograph is either AI-generated or originates from a different source. It bears no relation whatsoever to the Bargi cruise accident," the administration said through the official social media handle of the Jabalpur Collector. The clarification came as rescue and recovery operations continue at the dam, where multiple deaths have already been confirmed, and several people remain missing. 9 people killed; 28 rescued - What happened? On Thursday (Apr 30), a tourist boat cruise carrying around 40 passengers capsized in the Bargi Dam reservoir. The incident occurred around 6:15 PM (local time) near Khamaria Island (Tapu), a popular tourist spot within the reservoir built on the Narmada River. According to reports, sudden adverse weather conditions, characterised by high-velocity winds and heavy rain, made the water dangerously choppy. The cruise boat reportedly lost balance against the surging waves before overturning and gradually sinking. Also read | Fact Check: India's LPG, ATF prices hiked? How much will cylinders cost now? All we know Families of the victims have meanwhile alleged that negligence could have led to the disaster. "They were saying that people were advising against going further. They still took the cruise forward, and it got stuck in the storm there. And it was quite an old cruise. That's why all these incidents happened. I would call it negligence, and in terms of security too, because life jackets were not given to them on time," said Gladvin, whose sister, mother, and 4-year-old nephew remain missing after the tragedy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those who died in the Jabalpur cruise tragedy and Rs 50,000 for the injured.

<p>Did that viral photo of a mother clutching her child really capture the Jabalpur boat tragedy’s most heartbreaking moment, or was public grief manipulated? Authorities now say the image may be fake, raising disturbing questions about misinformation in the middle of disaster. Scroll down.</p>

Bargi Dam cruise boat tragedy: Heartbreaking photo of mother and son clinging to each other fake? Jabalpur collector says...

<p>Loud music playing at a wedding procession killed 140 chickens at a poultry farm in Sultanpur, India. A police complaint has been registered against the DJ operator in the matter. The chickens are said to have died from shock and sudden fear from the music that blared as the wedding group passed the poultry farm. The incident happened on April 25 in Dariyapur village. The farm owner claims that 140 of his birds died from the shock of the loud music. The groom had come with his guests from Ram Bhadra Purwa village in the Kudwar area to wed Babban Vishwakarma's daughter, who is a local in the area. As is the tradition, the procession started making its way through the city to reach the venue. Its path took it past a poultry farm owned by Sabir Ali. He said that the processions crossed his farm at around 9:30 pm. He has alleged that the noise triggered panic amongst his flock of chickens, who started running around, after which they died from the shock. Ali filed a complaint with the police. &nbsp;"The noise was so intense that the chickens got frightened and died," the complaint stated.</p><h2>Poultry farm owner claims DJ music killed 140 of his birds</h2><p>A complaint was registered against Kavi Yadav, the DJ operator, who lives in Parsipur in the Kudwar area. Sub-Inspector Bharat Singh said that the matter is being investigated to determine what exactly killed the chickens and whether the loud DJ music was responsible for the deaths. The police will also probe whether the DJ crossed permissible sound limits at the time. The bizarre incident has led to curiosity among the residents who have been left dumbfounded by the incident. It has also raised concerns about noise pollution and its impact on not only humans but also animals. Experts say that high-intensity sound waves can trigger severe stress responses in birds and animals, and they are also likely to suffer cardiac arrest.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p>

A bizarre incident happened in a town in Uttar Pradesh, India, where a man claimed that loud music being played in a wedding procession scared his chickens, which died from shock. The poultry farm owner filed a police complaint against the DJ. 

Loud music playing at a wedding procession killed 140 chickens at a poultry farm in Sultanpur, India. A police complaint has been registered against the DJ operator in the matter. The chickens are said to have died from shock and sudden fear from the music that blared as the wedding group passed the poultry farm. The incident happened on April 25 in Dariyapur village. The farm owner claims that 140 of his birds died from the shock of the loud music. The groom had come with his guests from Ram Bhadra Purwa village in the Kudwar area to wed Babban Vishwakarma's daughter, who is a local in the area. As is the tradition, the procession started making its way through the city to reach the venue. Its path took it past a poultry farm owned by Sabir Ali. He said that the processions crossed his farm at around 9:30 pm. He has alleged that the noise triggered panic amongst his flock of chickens, who started running around, after which they died from the shock. Ali filed a complaint with the police. "The noise was so intense that the chickens got frightened and died," the complaint stated. Poultry farm owner claims DJ music killed 140 of his birds A complaint was registered against Kavi Yadav, the DJ operator, who lives in Parsipur in the Kudwar area. Sub-Inspector Bharat Singh said that the matter is being investigated to determine what exactly killed the chickens and whether the loud DJ music was responsible for the deaths. The police will also probe whether the DJ crossed permissible sound limits at the time. The bizarre incident has led to curiosity among the residents who have been left dumbfounded by the incident. It has also raised concerns about noise pollution and its impact on not only humans but also animals. Experts say that high-intensity sound waves can trigger severe stress responses in birds and animals, and they are also likely to suffer cardiac arrest.

<p>A bizarre incident happened in a town in Uttar Pradesh, India, where a man claimed that loud music being played in a wedding procession scared his chickens, which died from shock. The poultry farm owner filed a police complaint against the DJ.&nbsp;</p>

Deadly beats linked to mass chicken deaths in India: Loud DJ triggers cardiac arrest in 140 birds

<p><a href="https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/no-address-proof-needed-for-5-kg-lpg-cylinders-centre-eases-access-for-migrants-students20260405192316">No address proof needed for 5-kg LPG cylinders; Centre eases access for migrants,</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In what is being seen as a relief to migrants, an order issued late on Monday (Apr 6) by the Petroleum Ministry said that the daily quantity of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders available in each State for distribution to migrant labourers is being doubled. Amid ongoing Iran-US war and wordwide energy crisis, the Indian government refuted reports suggesting that migrants are returning to their home states in large numbers. In its letter to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, the Ministry stated that these 5 kg FTL cylinders will be placed at the disposal of the respective State Governments or their Food/ Civil Supplies Departments. The cylinders are to be supplied exclusively to migrant labourers, with logistical and operational support from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). It also said that the increase is based on the average daily supply of cylinders provided to migrant labourers during March 2 to 3, and is beyond the earlier limit of 20 per cent mentioned in the Ministry's letter dated 21.03.2026.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-asia-war-two-indian-flag-vessels-carrying-lpg-have-safely-transited-strait-of-hormuz-1775478022566/amp">West Asia war | Two Indian-flag vessels carrying LPG have safely transited Strait of Hormuz</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A high-level review meeting, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), with State officials, underscored measures to ensure adequate LPG supply across the country. States were directed to prioritise LPG distribution -- particularly for domestic and essential needs -- while maintaining strict vigilance against hoarding, diversion, and the spread of misinformation. On reports concerning Free Trade LPG (FTL) supplies to migrant workers, States clarified that there is no disruption in LPG supply affecting migrants and that supplies remain stable. The Secretary also informed that States may consider managing targeted distribution of 5 kg FTL LPG cylinders based on local requirements, in coordination with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs).</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-confirms-it-is-importing-iranian-crude-and-lpg-1775302997381">India confirms it is importing Iranian crude and LPG</a></p>

<h3>Sale of 5 kg FTL cylinders without address proof</h3><p>The government has also allowed the sale of 5-kilogram Free Trade LPG (FTL) cylinders without requiring address proof. People can now get these cylinders from authorised distributors by showing only a valid ID card. Chandra Prakash, President of the All India LPG Distributors Federation, welcomed the decision and called it "a good gesture" for vulnerable sections. "FTL connections can be given to needy and migrant workers who are not able to avail a domestic new connection," he said, adding that “migrant maids, daily-wage labourers, students, and professionals who lack a permanent address can now access cooking fuel without bureaucratic hurdles,” he said while speaking to ANI. He said migrants who face difficulty in cooking for themselves or their families can visit the nearest LPG distributor with a valid ID and a self-declaration letter. The letter should state that they live in the area and will use the cylinder only for cooking purposes. The facility is also available for migrant students and professionals who do not have an existing LPG connection. He added, “These FTL cylinders are not meant for commercial customers.”</p><h3>Government refutes reports of mass migrant return</h3><p>The government refuted reports suggesting that migrants are returning to their home states in large numbers due to the ongoing LPG crisis triggered by the West Asia conflict. Top government sources told ANI that a ground-level assessment was conducted across major railway stations to gauge the actual movement of migrant workers. "After a week of monitoring, we found no signs of migrants returning to their native places in large numbers," a senior official told ANI. A fact-check report based on the week-long ground assessment has since been prepared and submitted to the Prime Minister's Office. The government's rebuttal comes amid circulating reports that the LPG crisis has triggered panic among migrant workers, prompting many to head back to their villages. According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the LPG supply situation across the country remains firmly under control, with several indicators pointing to stable and improving distribution.</p>

Petroleum Ministry doubles daily 5 kg FTL LPG supply for migrant workers. Cylinders now available without address proof via distributors. Over 6.75 lakh sold since March 23, 2026. LPG supply stable nationwide amid West Asia conflict; states urged to ensure fair distribution.

No address proof needed for 5-kg LPG cylinders; Centre eases access for migrants, In what is being seen as a relief to migrants, an order issued late on Monday (Apr 6) by the Petroleum Ministry said that the daily quantity of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders available in each State for distribution to migrant labourers is being doubled. Amid ongoing Iran-US war and wordwide energy crisis, the Indian government refuted reports suggesting that migrants are returning to their home states in large numbers. In its letter to the Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories, the Ministry stated that these 5 kg FTL cylinders will be placed at the disposal of the respective State Governments or their Food/ Civil Supplies Departments. The cylinders are to be supplied exclusively to migrant labourers, with logistical and operational support from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). It also said that the increase is based on the average daily supply of cylinders provided to migrant labourers during March 2 to 3, and is beyond the earlier limit of 20 per cent mentioned in the Ministry's letter dated 21.03.2026. Also Read: West Asia war | Two Indian-flag vessels carrying LPG have safely transited Strait of Hormuz A high-level review meeting, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG), with State officials, underscored measures to ensure adequate LPG supply across the country. States were directed to prioritise LPG distribution -- particularly for domestic and essential needs -- while maintaining strict vigilance against hoarding, diversion, and the spread of misinformation. On reports concerning Free Trade LPG (FTL) supplies to migrant workers, States clarified that there is no disruption in LPG supply affecting migrants and that supplies remain stable. The Secretary also informed that States may consider managing targeted distribution of 5 kg FTL LPG cylinders based on local requirements, in coordination with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Also Read: India confirms it is importing Iranian crude and LPG

<p>Petroleum Ministry doubles daily 5 kg FTL LPG supply for migrant workers. Cylinders now available without address proof via distributors. Over 6.75 lakh sold since March 23, 2026. LPG supply stable nationwide amid West Asia conflict; states urged to ensure fair distribution.</p>

India govt's BIG relief for migrant workers: Petroleum Ministry doubles allocation of 5 kg LPG cylinders

<p>A travel vlogger who came to India after spending weeks in China has highlighted the sharp contrast between the two countries, triggering mixed reactions. The vlogger named Mr Schnaider described how landing in India felt like he had come to a “different planet”. He said in the video that despite being only four hours away, both countries are drastically different. "After spending 6 weeks in China followed by a short three-hour flight, landing in India felt like stepping into an entirely different world," Mr Schnaider said. While clearly saying that "only Indians can judge their own culture", he said the Chinese culture was very different. The first things he noticed after landing in India were the "raw energy, chaos, overcrowding, and visible poverty", while pointing out "cleanliness, organisation, and smooth systems" in China. “What surprised me the most was the contrast," he said.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWhiTdWjCxW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by @mr.schnaider</a></p></div></blockquote>
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<p>“People came up to me and kept grabbing my hand, saying ‘please, please’. But who am I to judge this culture? Chinese culture is different, Indian culture is different, my country culture is different, only Indians can judge their own culture," he added in the video. The vlogger is facing flak from some people for making the comparison, while others agree with him. An Indian who lives in China commented, “I am an Indian living in China, and whatever he said is absolutely true. Instead of getting offended, we should try to improve ourselves. China is really clean and well-organised.”</p><h2><strong>People point out differences between India and China&nbsp;</strong></h2><p>Another user added, &nbsp;“I see some hate comments telling the guy to go back. It is time we accept reality. He is sharing his personal experience, and unfortunately, it is true. Hopefully, we will improve one day." However, others pointed out the big difference in the way things run in China as compared to India. “China has facial recognition surveillance everywhere. They will pick you up from home for non-compliance. You people will go nuts if the government starts following China. The responsibility of citizens to keep areas clean is greater than that of the government, but Indians lack that acknowledgement," a user wrote.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Another user pointed out something similar: “India and China are both populous countries, but their governance models are different. China has stricter control. India is a democracy." Meanwhile, there were those who pointed out how India is far better than advanced countries like the US and Canada. "Ever been to Canada or America? They have lots of homeless people, although they are developed countries," a user wrote.</p>

A vlogger has triggered debate after comparing India and China, saying how contrasting the two countries are. He said in a video that China is clean and organised, while India presents a completely different picture despite being just hours away.

A travel vlogger who came to India after spending weeks in China has highlighted the sharp contrast between the two countries, triggering mixed reactions. The vlogger named Mr Schnaider described how landing in India felt like he had come to a “different planet”. He said in the video that despite being only four hours away, both countries are drastically different. "After spending 6 weeks in China followed by a short three-hour flight, landing in India felt like stepping into an entirely different world," Mr Schnaider said. While clearly saying that "only Indians can judge their own culture", he said the Chinese culture was very different. The first things he noticed after landing in India were the "raw energy, chaos, overcrowding, and visible poverty", while pointing out "cleanliness, organisation, and smooth systems" in China. “What surprised me the most was the contrast," he said.

<p>A vlogger has triggered debate after comparing India and China, saying how contrasting the two countries are. He said in a video that China is clean and organised, while India presents a completely different picture despite being just hours away.</p>

Vlogger who travelled from China to India says it feels like a 'different planet', triggers debate

<p>When India’s National Investigation Agency swept up six Ukrainian nationals and one American citizen at airports in Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata last week, the immediate charge was terrorism. But the geography of the alleged conspiracy pointed somewhere older and deeper: a border corridor in Mizoram that, for decades, has been one of the Golden Triangle’s most reliable entry points into India carrying first opium, then heroin, then industrial-scale methamphetamine, and now, if the NIA’s allegations hold, drones.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The accused allegedly entered Mizoram without mandatory Restricted Area Permits, crossed into Myanmar, met ethnic armed groups hostile to India and helped ferry large consignments of drones from Europe into the region, according to NIA submissions before Patiala House Court in New Delhi this week. A Delhi court has remanded them in custody until March 27. All charges remain at the allegation and investigation stage.</p><h2><strong>THE MACHINE BEHIND IT</strong></h2><p>No drug charges have been filed in this specific case. The connection, however, is structural. The ethnic armed organisations the NIA names operate across the same geography, Myanmar’s Shan and Chin states, that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime identifies as the epicentre of the world’s largest illicit methamphetamine and opium economy. In Myanmar, the drug trade and the gun trade have long been financed by the same hands.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Myanmar overtook Afghanistan as the world’s largest illicit opium producer in 2023, following the Taliban’s near-total ban on poppy cultivation. By 2025, UNODC data showed opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar had climbed a further 17 per cent to approximately 53,100 hectares, a ten-year high, with the sharpest increases in areas that border India directly. Simultaneously, methamphetamine seizures across East and Southeast Asia reached 236 tonnes in 2024, a 24 per cent rise over an already record-breaking prior year, even as wholesale prices fell, a sign, UNODC noted, that supply was outpacing enforcement by a significant margin.</p><h2><strong>INDIA’S NUMBERS</strong></h2><p>India is absorbing the consequences in hard numbers. Nationwide seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants, the category that includes methamphetamine, more than doubled from 34 quintals in 2023 to 80 quintals in 2024, India’s Press Information Bureau reported in 2025. The total value of all narcotics seized across India in 2024 rose roughly 55 per cent year-on-year to approximately 25,330 crore rupees. In November 2024 alone, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted a Myanmarese fishing vessel in the Andaman Sea carrying approximately 5,500 kilograms of methamphetamine, the single largest drug haul in the service’s history, according to an official Coast Guard release.</p><h2><strong>NAMING IT FOR WHAT IT IS</strong></h2><p>That trajectory has forced a vocabulary shift at the highest levels. At the launch of the International Narcotics Control Board’s 2023 Annual Report at UN House in New Delhi in April 2024, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau Deputy Director General Monika Ashish Batra stated that investigations were showing drug proceeds “increasingly being used to fund terrorism, and to support armed groups” a framing she described as rising narco-terrorism. The INCB report itself warned that drug-trafficking profits in South Asia were being channelled to fund armed groups. Earlier, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah has separately stated that drug money is financing Naxalism, terrorism and separatism, with the NIA and Enforcement Directorate deployed to financially choke these networks.</p><h2><strong>THE FORENSIC TRAIL</strong></h2><p>On the eastern front, Indian security agencies and researchers at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses have for years documented that outfits including NSCN(K) and anti-talks ULFA are embedded in the drug economy of Kachin and Shan states, using opium cultivation and trafficking revenue to sustain cadres, purchase weapons and fund operations.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While the record on India’s western front already carries the argument in court-filed detail. In the Salaya case, the NIA has told a Gujarat court that 500 kilograms of heroin smuggled by sea from Pakistan was part of a “transnational narco-terror conspiracy” to finance Lashkar-e-Taiba, with masterminds traced to Pakistan, the UAE, Italy and Australia, according to NIA charge sheets. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Handwara network investigated since 2020 yielded heroin seizures, over 1.15 crore rupees in cash and 91 lakh rupees buried in a dismissed BSF officer’s field,&nbsp; described by the NIA in its charge sheet as drug proceeds destined for Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen.</p><h2><strong>THE ESCALATION</strong></h2><p>The NIA’s latest case, if its allegations are proven, would mark a qualitative escalation in that calculus. Narco-funded ethnic armed groups now allegedly stand accused of acquiring drone technology capable of supporting more sophisticated operations against Indian security forces, and of using a European supply chain to do it. The agency has told the Delhi court it is seeking custody partly to “ascertain the alleged source of funding,” a phrase that suggests investigators are already following the money and asking whether it leads back through the same narco-financing structures.</p>

NIA’s arrest of foreign nationals in a Mizoram-linked case highlights a deeper nexus between drugs, arms and insurgency. With Myanmar’s booming opium and meth trade, agencies warn of rising narco-terrorism

When India’s National Investigation Agency swept up six Ukrainian nationals and one American citizen at airports in Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata last week, the immediate charge was terrorism. But the geography of the alleged conspiracy pointed somewhere older and deeper: a border corridor in Mizoram that, for decades, has been one of the Golden Triangle’s most reliable entry points into India carrying first opium, then heroin, then industrial-scale methamphetamine, and now, if the NIA’s allegations hold, drones. The accused allegedly entered Mizoram without mandatory Restricted Area Permits, crossed into Myanmar, met ethnic armed groups hostile to India and helped ferry large consignments of drones from Europe into the region, according to NIA submissions before Patiala House Court in New Delhi this week. A Delhi court has remanded them in custody until March 27. All charges remain at the allegation and investigation stage. THE MACHINE BEHIND IT No drug charges have been filed in this specific case. The connection, however, is structural. The ethnic armed organisations the NIA names operate across the same geography, Myanmar’s Shan and Chin states, that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime identifies as the epicentre of the world’s largest illicit methamphetamine and opium economy. In Myanmar, the drug trade and the gun trade have long been financed by the same hands. Myanmar overtook Afghanistan as the world’s largest illicit opium producer in 2023, following the Taliban’s near-total ban on poppy cultivation. By 2025, UNODC data showed opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar had climbed a further 17 per cent to approximately 53,100 hectares, a ten-year high, with the sharpest increases in areas that border India directly. Simultaneously, methamphetamine seizures across East and Southeast Asia reached 236 tonnes in 2024, a 24 per cent rise over an already record-breaking prior year, even as wholesale prices fell, a sign, UNODC noted, that supply was outpacing enforcement by a significant margin. INDIA’S NUMBERS India is absorbing the consequences in hard numbers. Nationwide seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants, the category that includes methamphetamine, more than doubled from 34 quintals in 2023 to 80 quintals in 2024, India’s Press Information Bureau reported in 2025. The total value of all narcotics seized across India in 2024 rose roughly 55 per cent year-on-year to approximately 25,330 crore rupees. In November 2024 alone, the Indian Coast Guard intercepted a Myanmarese fishing vessel in the Andaman Sea carrying approximately 5,500 kilograms of methamphetamine, the single largest drug haul in the service’s history, according to an official Coast Guard release. NAMING IT FOR WHAT IT IS That trajectory has forced a vocabulary shift at the highest levels. At the launch of the International Narcotics Control Board’s 2023 Annual Report at UN House in New Delhi in April 2024, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau Deputy Director General Monika Ashish Batra stated that investigations were showing drug proceeds “increasingly being used to fund terrorism, and to support armed groups” a framing she described as rising narco-terrorism. The INCB report itself warned that drug-trafficking profits in South Asia were being channelled to fund armed groups. Earlier, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah has separately stated that drug money is financing Naxalism, terrorism and separatism, with the NIA and Enforcement Directorate deployed to financially choke these networks. THE FORENSIC TRAIL On the eastern front, Indian security agencies and researchers at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses have for years documented that outfits including NSCN(K) and anti-talks ULFA are embedded in the drug economy of Kachin and Shan states, using opium cultivation and trafficking revenue to sustain cadres, purchase weapons and fund operations. While the record on India’s western front already carries the argument in court-filed detail. In the Salaya case, the NIA has told a Gujarat court that 500 kilograms of heroin smuggled by sea from Pakistan was part of a “transnational narco-terror conspiracy” to finance Lashkar-e-Taiba, with masterminds traced to Pakistan, the UAE, Italy and Australia, according to NIA charge sheets. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Handwara network investigated since 2020 yielded heroin seizures, over 1.15 crore rupees in cash and 91 lakh rupees buried in a dismissed BSF officer’s field, described by the NIA in its charge sheet as drug proceeds destined for Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. THE ESCALATION The NIA’s latest case, if its allegations are proven, would mark a qualitative escalation in that calculus. Narco-funded ethnic armed groups now allegedly stand accused of acquiring drone technology capable of supporting more sophisticated operations against Indian security forces, and of using a European supply chain to do it. The agency has told the Delhi court it is seeking custody partly to “ascertain the alleged source of funding,” a phrase that suggests investigators are already following the money and asking whether it leads back through the same narco-financing structures.

<p>NIA’s arrest of foreign nationals in a Mizoram-linked case highlights a deeper nexus between drugs, arms and insurgency. With Myanmar’s booming opium and meth trade, agencies warn of rising narco-terrorism</p>

Drones, drugs and insurgents: The Golden Triangle is arming India’s Northeast?

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