NEW DELHI: Seeking to harness cutting-edge technology to offer foreign visitors a smoother visa and immigration experience, while also strengthening national security, the Union cabinet Wednesday approved continuation of the immigration, visa, foreigners registration and tracking (IVF-RT) scheme for a further five years until March 2031, with a Rs 1,800 crore outlay.Sources in the govt…
A UK court has rejected fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen his extradition order, bringing him closer to facing charges in India, reports Rajshekhar Jha.The High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, while handing down the judgment, observed that the petition and the circumstances surrounding it were not exceptional to revisit earlier extradition order,…
NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday told leaders at the all-party meeting that India is not a ‘go-between country’ like Pakistan, amid growing reports of mediation efforts in the ongoing Iran conflict, according to reportsThe remarks came as multiple countries, including Pakistan, Turkey have stepped up efforts to act as intermediaries between…
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee for the ministry of defence on the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in New Delhi, where discussions focused on border infrastructure, defence preparedness and ongoing strategic connectivity projects, according to an official release. Focus on border connectivity and defence preparedness The meeting…
NEW DELHI: On a day Parliament put its stamp of approval on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2026 amid demands from opposition MPs that the bill be referred to a standing committee for wider consultation, two National Council for Transgender Persons members from the community sent their resignation to the social justice minister…
SRINAGAR: PDP legislator Waheed Parra’s private member’s bill proposing the creation of 16 new districts in J&K and two additional divisions in Jammu, has come in for scathing criticism from governing NC as well as opposition BJP, who questioned the intent behind the proposed legislation.NC said the bill was a “deliberate attempt to arouse public…
JAMMU: Border Security Force (BSF) troops Wednesday detained a Pakistani intruder along the international border in Ramgarh sector of J&K’s Samba district. Later in the day, Kathua SSP Mohita Sharma conducted an extensive security review and inspection of Kathua’s border areas.Officials said BSF personnel manning the border noticed a suspect near Bhaller border outpost in…
SRINAGAR: The J&K administration has defended its order to ban 25 Kashmir-related books in a reply filed in high court Wednesday on a set of petitions challenging the order.Senior additional advocate general (AAG) Mohsin Qadri told TOI, “We have defended the decision to ban the books on grounds of state security and public order. They…
NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh government has taken action against 26 engineers for alleged negligence in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, with 12 of them suspended, an official statement said Wednesday.The action follows complaints regarding the poor execution of works under the scheme aimed at providing tap water to every rural household. Officials…
Nirav Modi’s petition to reopen proceedings against his extradition to India was rejected on Wednesday by the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, in London, which ruled that the application did not meet the threshold of “exceptional circumstances” required to revisit the case. The court held that the grounds presented, including reliance on the…
