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Category: India

  • IMD warns of heavy rain in Northeast, thunderstorms in Northwest, and heat waves in East India

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a weather forecast predicting significant weather events across India over the next few days, including heavy rainfall in the Northeast, thunderstorms in the Northwest, and heat wave conditions in parts of East India.

    The IMD has warned of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall over Northeastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, until June 5, with a decrease in intensity thereafter. Isolated very heavy rainfall is expected in Assam and Meghalaya on June 3 and 4, and in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura on June 3. Light to moderate rainfall is likely to persist across the region for the next seven days, driven by an upper air cyclonic circulation over east Bihar and a north-south trough along Longitude 92°E.

    Northwest India, including Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, is expected to experience light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (40-50 kmph) on June 3 and 4. This weather is attributed to a western disturbance seen as a cyclonic circulation over Punjab, along with upper air cyclonic circulations over Haryana and northwest Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, isolated hailstorms were reported in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and dust storms were observed in Rajasthan over the past 24 hours.

    Heat wave conditions are likely to persist over Gangetic West Bengal on June 3 and 4, and over Odisha from June 3 to 6. The IMD has urged residents to take precautions amid rising temperatures in these regions.

    The Southwest Monsoon’s northern limit continues to pass through key coordinates, including Mumbai, Ahilyanagar, Adilabad, Bhawanipatna, Puri, and Balurghat, indicating steady progress. The monsoon’s advance is expected to influence weather patterns across the country.

    Over the past 24 hours until 8:30 AM IST on June 3, heavy rainfall was recorded at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Gujarat, and East Rajasthan. Thunderstorms with squally winds (70-100 kmph) were reported in Bihar, while gusty winds (40-70 kmph) occurred in several states, including Jammu-Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and others. Hailstorms and dust storms were also observed in parts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan.

    The IMD advises residents to stay updated with local weather warnings and take necessary precautions.

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Michelin Guide is Eurocentric and elitist − yet it will soon be an arbiter of culinary excellence in Philly

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Tulasi Srinivas, Professor of Anthropology, Religion and Transnational Studies, Emerson College

    Could a Philly cheesesteak joint actually get a Michelin star?

    The famed Michelin Red Guide is coming to Philadelphia, and inspectors are already scouting local restaurants to award the famed Michelin star.

    Michelin says the selected restaurants will be announced in a Northeast cities edition celebration later this year. Boston will also be included for the first time.

    As an anthropologist of ethics and religion who has an expertise in food studies, I read the announcement with some curiosity and a lot of questions. I had seen this small red guide revered by chefs and gourmands alike around the globe.

    How did the Michelin guide begin reviewing restaurants? And what makes it an authority on cuisine worldwide?

    The Michelin Guide has retained its iconic red cover for more than a century.
    Matthieu Delaty/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

    From tires to terrines

    It all began in 1889 in the small town of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. Brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin founded their world-famous Michelin tire company, fueled by a grand vision for France’s automobile industry – though there were fewer than 3,000 cars at the time in the whole of France.

    To encourage travel, they distributed a red-bound guide filled with maps and helpful tips on routes and destinations. Initially free to automobile owners, it soon started to sell for seven francs – roughly US$1.50 at the time. The guide later added lists of restaurants and eateries along with other points of travel interest.

    Being French, readers had questions about the quality of the food at these establishments, so the brothers started a rating system of a single star to denote high-quality establishments worthy of their elite customers and their fancy automobiles.

    But that wasn’t enough for discerning diners. So the guide created a discriminating hierarchy of one-, two- and three-star establishments: one star for “high-quality cooking worth a stop,” two stars for “excellent cooking worth a detour,” and three stars for “exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.”

    An army of anonymous inspectors

    How do restaurants get a Michelin star – or three? According to the guide, restaurants have to be consistently extraordinary to garner three stars. To ensure a restaurant’s excellence is consistent, Michelin has to surveil them repeatedly, which it does using a stable of mysterious diners called “inspectors.”

    You might be thinking of Inspector Clouseau, the klutzy, misguided detective from the Pink Panther movies played by the inimitable Peter Sellers.

    Mais non!

    Michelin inspectors are dreaded anonymous restaurant reviewers. They dine at restaurants unannounced and undercover, and inevitably write scathing critiques of everything – ingredients, food, chefs and dishes – in their reports.

    In the 2015 Bradley Cooper movie “Burnt,” the restaurant is obsessed with the mystery Michelin inspectors, who dine incognito. Restaurateur Tony, played by Daniel Bruhl, instructs the dining room staff on how to spot them:

    “No one knows who they are. No one. They come. They eat. They go. But they have habits. One orders the tasting menu, the other orders a la carte. Always. They order a half a bottle of wine. They ask for tap water. They are polite. But attention! They may place a fork on the floor to see if you notice.”

    Japan’s Chizuko Kimura, a Michelin-star chef, at her restaurant Sushi Shunei in Paris.
    Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

    Holy grail for chefs

    The inherent elitism of the iconic Michelin Guide was central, though left unspoken.

    To counteract the guide’s existential classist bias, Michelin introduced the Bib Gourmand award in 1997 to identify affordable “best value for money restaurants.” Bib Gourmand restaurants are easier on the wallet than Michelin-starred establishments and offer casual dining. The award’s logo is the Bibendum, also known as the inflatable Michelin Man, licking his lips.

    In 2020, the guide introduced yet another award: the green star for eateries with farm-to-table fresh quality.

    Today, the Michelin Guide has become a vaunted yet controversial subjective yardstick by which restaurants are measured.

    Getting a Michelin star has become a holy grail for many chefs, a Nobel prize of cuisine. Chefs speak of earning a star as an honor they have envisaged for a lifetime, and starred chefs often become celebrities in their own right.

    The 2022 dark comedy “The Menu” stars Ralph Fiennes as one such celebrity Michelin chef, whose exclusive island restaurant has a lavish modern menu that culminates in a mystery performance. His greatest fear is losing his Michelin star – a cause for lament, mental health crises and, sometimes, murder.

    Three stars for Eurocentrism

    The Michelin Guide evaluates restaurants on the quality of their ingredients, the mastery of their flavors, the chef’s personality in their cooking, the harmony of flavors, and the consistency of the cuisine over the course of numerous visits.

    Yet somehow, all these factors, seemingly easily translatable across the world’s cuisines, has led to an intensely parochial guide.

    Only in 2007, 118 years after its inception, did the guide recognize Japanese cuisine as worthy of its gaze. Soon after, stars rained down on Tokyo’s many stellar eateries.

    On a contemporary map charting where the Michelin Guide is found, huge swathes of the world are missing. There is no Michelin Guide in India, one of the world’s greatest and oldest cuisines, or in Africa with its multiplicity of cultural flavors.

    Perhaps a side of racism with the boeuf bourguignon?

    Despite a movement to decolonize food by rethinking colonial legacies of power and extractive ways of eating, Michelin has derived its stellar reputation primarily from reviewing metropolitan European cuisine. It has celebrated obscure European gastronomic processes such as “fire cooking” in Stockholm’s famous Ekstedt restaurant, and new chemical processes such as “molecular gastronomy” in Spain’s famed el Bulli eatery.

    One could say Michelin is a somewhat conservative enterprise. Rather than leading the way, it has followed consumers’ expanding palates.

    In 2024, in a rare break with tradition, Michelin awarded one star to a small family-run taqueria, El Califa De León, in Mexico City. The taqueria is known for its signature tacos de gaonera – thinly sliced rib-eye steak cooked in lard on fresh corn masa tortillas with a squeeze of lime.

    Some discerning diners worried that Michelin had gone downhill.

    Quelle horreur!

    The decision to give a star to a Mexican restaurant that is essentially just a steel counter, fridge and griddle was so unlike Michelin that it resorted to describing El Califa tacos as “elemental and pure”; language previously reserved only to describe elite cuisine.

    The Michelin-starred taqueria El Califa de León in Mexico City is known for its tacos de gaonera.
    Apolline Guillerot-Malick/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    A big bill

    Soon-to-be-reviewed Philadelphia boasts a portfolio of epicurean excellence, with contributions from a global diaspora of culinary creators. Restaurants such as Zahav, Kalaya and Mawn – which serve Israeli, Thai and Cambodian food, respectively – are surely eyeing their prospects for a starry future.

    That Boston and Philadelphia’s tourism boards likely paid for the pleasure of the guide visiting their cities has been a topic of discussion among food cognoscenti. Reportedly, the Atlanta Tourism Board paid nearly $1 million for Michelin to visit their city. Is Michelin merely a well-regarded shakedown? A few stars in exchange for a million dollars?

    After indirectly footing that big bill, what can local diners look forward to in the wake of Michelin awards scattering across the Northeast?

    Since Michelin restaurants are notoriously difficult to get into – the award invariably prompts a surge in customers and reservations – the enhanced reputation of the restaurants might translate to price increases for diners.

    Starred restaurants will also likely feel tremendous pressure to maintain high food quality and service, and this too can add to cost – particularly in an era of tariffs on foreign ingredients and alcohols.

    Diners won’t escape unscathed. Industry officials suggest that Michelin stars add an average of $100 per diner per star. But, on the upside, diners may be able to gawk at local and international celebrities at dinner, since hanging out at Michelin-starred establishments has long been a celebrity preoccupation.

    So if you have a favorite hot restaurant in Philadelphia, better make that reservation immediately, before a Michelin star makes it impossible to get in.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

    Tulasi Srinivas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The Michelin Guide is Eurocentric and elitist − yet it will soon be an arbiter of culinary excellence in Philly – https://theconversation.com/the-michelin-guide-is-eurocentric-and-elitist-yet-it-will-soon-be-an-arbiter-of-culinary-excellence-in-philly-256667

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Syncfusion® Launches Canadian Data Center for BoldSign®

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Syncfusion, Inc.®, the enterprise technology provider of choice, today announced the launch of a data center in Toronto, Canada, for BoldSign®, the company’s eSignature solution. This expansion lets Canadian organizations using BoldSign comply with local privacy laws and regulatory standards while also enhancing platform performance.

    “Canadian organizations need trusted tools that support compliance and deliver speed,” said Daniel Jebaraj, CEO of Syncfusion. “The investment in a new data center reflects our commitment to delivering a secure, high-performance, affordable eSignature solution to our growing Canadian customer base.”

    Hosting data in Canada aligns with data residency laws and provides faster, more reliable signing experiences. The Toronto data center is certified compliant with SOC 2® standards. It minimizes cross-border data exposure, while Canadian jurisdiction offers added legal clarity and protection.

    The BoldSign platform delivers fast, secure, and scalable eSignature functionality with modern APIs, automated workflows, and audit-ready compliance. With data centers in the U.S., the European Union, and now Canada, as well as qualified electronic signature (QES) certification for EU customers, BoldSign is purpose-built to meet the performance and regulatory needs of global organizations.

    To learn more about compliance and security features in BoldSign and its affordable, transparent pricing, visit https://boldsign.com.

    About Syncfusion, Inc.
    Headquartered in the technology hub of Research Triangle Park, N.C., Syncfusion, Inc.® delivers an award-winning ecosystem of developer control suites, embeddable BI platforms, and business software. Syncfusion was founded in 2001 with a single software component and a mission to support businesses of all sizes—from individual developers and start-ups to Fortune 500 enterprises. Though its pilot product, the Essential Studio® suite, has grown to over 1,900 developer controls, its mission remains the same. With offices in the U.S., India, and Kenya, Syncfusion prioritizes the customer experience by providing feature-rich solutions to help developers and enterprises solve complex problems, save money, and build high-performance, robust applications.

    Contact: Brittany Kearns
    Phone: 571-271-7211
    Email: brittany@crossroadsb2b.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on India Home Loan Ltd., Mumbai, Maharashtra

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 27, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹32,000 (Rupees Thirty Two Thousand only) on India Home Loan Ltd., Mumbai, Maharashtra (the company) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 52A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.

    The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by the National Housing Bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the company were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The company had failed to:

    1. carry out periodic review of risk categorisation of accounts with such periodicity being at least once in six months; and

    2. conduct periodic updation of KYC of its customers.

    This action is based on the deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/469

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Khush Housing Finance Private Limited, Mumbai, Maharashtra

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 19, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹16,000 (Rupees Sixteen Thousand only) on Khush Housing Finance Private Limited, Mumbai, Maharashtra (the company) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 52A of the National Housing Bank Act, 1987.

    The statutory inspection of the company was conducted by the National Housing Bank with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2022 and March 31, 2023. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the company advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the company’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the company was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The company had failed to carry out risk categorisation of its customers.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the company with its customers. Further, imposition of monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the company.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/468

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lisa Nandy speech at Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Lisa Nandy speech at Media & Telecoms 2025 and Beyond Conference

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s keynote speech at the Deloitte and Enders Analysis’ Media & Telecoms 2025 & Beyond Conference in London.

    I said when I addressed the Royal Television Society at the end of last year that there is a choice ahead of us, whether we choose to be the last guardians of this chapter or the first pioneers of the next. And those of you in this room are those pioneers, public service broadcasters, providing an engine room of talent development and creativity, a strong independent sector producing and distributing British content seen at home and around the world on screens big and small, a rich and varied press holding the powerful to account, not always comfortably for us in government, but essential to the functioning of a healthy democracy, and an advertising ecosystem that underpins all of this and makes it possible. 

    You and your sectors are central to the cultural, democratic and economic life of this country and many other countries around the world. This government values what your sectors bring to the economy, to skills and good jobs, and as a symbol of that, we have chosen to back the creative industries as one of the eight highest growth industries in the UK in our forthcoming industrial strategy. Over the last decade, the creative industries have increased their output at more than one and a half times the rate of the rest of the economy. They, you, are a major UK employer. You drive growth at home and you project the UK overseas. Collectively, you underpin a hugely important industry for this country. And whilst we will have more to say on the sector plan shortly, that will put rocket boosters under the creative industries, I want to say now that this government recognises your value and we have your back.

    But the media is, and always has been, about much more than that. And there’s one issue above many others that I want to talk with you about today. Trust. Last summer, when many of our towns and cities went up in flames, nobody could ignore the fractured nature of society. We have found multiple ways to divide ourselves from one another over recent decades, and it feels at times that we’ve lost the ability to understand one another. When people are working harder than ever before, but can’t make ends meet, when their contribution is not seen or valued, when politicians display a violent indifference to the things that matter, a decent high street, transport, a viable football club, it is no wonder that people lose trust, trust in our leaders, trust in our democratic institutions and trust in each other.

    That’s when news and information becomes critical. Not the sort of news and information that helps to polarise and divide, but trust in news that builds a shared understanding of the world.

    And we’re all of us in this room custodians, custodians of our institutions, but more than that, custodians of a cohesive, self confident country. And who of us can look at this country and the world right now and say that we’re succeeding?

    We know that people rate traditional news sources high on trust, accuracy and impartiality. We also know that news sourced via social media is rated significantly lower, and I think we’re all aware of the darker side of social media, where facts are disputed and division is sown. Against that backdrop, your work is not just important, it is central to the future of this nation.

    I’ve always believed in the power of media, because it is in my blood. My mum was one of the only female editors at Granada TV in 1989, running a busy newsroom on the day that Hillsborough happened. I remember vividly as a 10 year old sitting in the newsroom with my sister until late into the night as the horrific scenes unfolded, watching her make the agonising call for the cameramen on the ground to keep filming rather than aid the rescue effort. That footage would later become critical in achieving justice for the 97, revealing evidence of a cover up and improving safety in stands at football grounds.

    I watched my stepdad make the call to commission ‘Who Bombed Birmingham?’ and persist with the program over several months despite intense opposition. That documentary didn’t just go on to ensure the release of the Birmingham Six. It exposed a miscarriage of justice that would send shockwaves through the country and lead to major reforms to the criminal justice system that persist to this day. It’s in these moments that great journalism shines a light into the darkest parts of our country, holds up a mirror to those in power, and reasserts the power of the people.

    I can think of no better recent example of this than last summer, as our towns and cities were set ablaze by violent thugs. It was local media on the ground who countered mis- and disinformation in real time. And they told the real story, the story of our communities, who came together to defend all of us in all of our diversity and led the community fightback.

    Our national and local media is, in short, too important to fail. But we appreciate as a government that you are businesses with a bottom line, and you have been operating in the toughest of environments for some time. You don’t need me to tell you that consumer habits are changing. Seventy one percent of UK adults consume online news in some capacity, twice as many as a decade ago, and that includes some eighty eight percent of 16 to 24 year olds. Just one in 10 pick up a print newspaper, compared to over half of over 75s. And for Gen Z, internet influencers are considered almost as trustworthy as traditional media. So I’m glad that the next session in this conference is focused on news and media in the AI age. 

    But these aren’t the only changes that we are collectively grappling with. When it comes to the media sector, there is enormous upheaval. Print advertising is down by a third, but online advertising has more than doubled. Broadcast viewing is down by a quarter, but on demand viewing is soaring, and the advent of AI, with its enormous potential to support creativity, comes with fresh challenges around copyright, authorship and fair compensation. The consequences of this can be stark and they can be uneven. Take, for example, the dramatic shift in TV commissioning patterns that have seen the UK become a world leader in high end, at the same time that smaller producers have seen the value of their commissions fall by a third and too many talented creatives left out of work.

    We’re living through a revolution, but just as with the invention of the printing press and every revolution since, we don’t run from it, we adapt again, and we learn how to become stronger for it, in a new age. And at a crucial point in our history, governments have always proactively partnered with industry to forge a new path forward, like the Annan Committee in 1974, a landmark review into the future of broadcasting that my dad was a member of. It led to the creation of Channel Four, a recognition that the country had changed, with working classes, women and minority communities crying out to be heard in this new society and a nation that needed to define itself once again. 

    We’re in a similar period of transition now, and transitions need to be managed. Our job as a government is to create the framework so you can keep providing rigorous journalism in an evolving news landscape, among which the creative output that is only produced by people coming together across every part of the United Kingdom, that resonates with them and their lives. That’s why we’ve already acted in the last year to fix the foundations, implementing the Online Safety Act to keep users safe while protecting press and media freedom, recognising the value and importance of recognised news publisher content. Implementing the new digital markets regimes to allow you to challenge market dominance that negatively impacts your business, and convening the National Committee for the Safety of Journalists, to bring industry and government together to protect journalists and allow you to speak truth to power.

    I’ve heard from you the need for fair competition and a government that supports you. That’s why we’ve already acted to protect the sustainability of the sector, implementing the Media Act, delivering a new, more sustainable settlement for our public service broadcasters, so they can continue to invest in high quality original UK content, as well as a level playing field for our radio stations. Hearing your concerns about less healthy food advertising restrictions and acting quickly to support clarity and common sense. Increasing funding for community radio stations this year to £1 million to help support hyper local stations that represent and unite their communities. Providing clarity on foreign state ownership of newspaper enterprises, a tough and crucially workable regime to protect our newspapers from foreign interference, while ensuring sustainable investment so that our papers can thrive, and making changes to the media ownership regime to protect news in all its forms from influences that could risk our plural and trusted media.

    But I do want to pause for a moment on AI, which has been the subject rightly of so much debate, not just here, but across the world. We are determined to find a way forward that works for the creative industry and creators, as well as the tech industries. Creators are the innovators, fundamental to our economic success in the future. And with my colleague Peter Kyle, we’re working together to find a better solution. The issue of AI and copyright needs to be properly considered and enforceable legislation drafted with the inclusion, involvement and experience of both creatives and technologists. And so as soon as the Data Bill is passed by Parliament, Peter and I will begin a series of roundtables with representatives from across the creative industries to develop legislation, with both houses of Parliament given time to consider it before we proceed. We approach you with no preferred option in mind. During the consultation we have heard you loud and clear that what works for one part of the creative industries doesn’t work for another. Now you know as well as I do that in this international landscape, there are no easy solutions, but this government is determined to work with you to find a solution with transparency and trust as its foundation. We have heard you loud and clear. 

    I will never stop working for creatives to deliver solutions, transparency and the empowerment that you need in the digital age. We are a Labour government, and the principle of people must be paid for their work is foundational, and you have our word that if it doesn’t work for the creative industries, it will not work for us.

    People are at the heart of this industry, and so we’ve also acted to support the people at the heart of this sector, supporting the launch of CIISA to tackle head on the issues of workplace culture that have plagued our creative industries for too long and denied us a chance to harness the full range of talent that exists in our country. I’ve been particularly pleased to see the BBC’s recent announcement that it will no longer commission companies who are not signed up to the CIISA standards. That is what leadership looks like. I’m publishing updated online safety guidance to support journalists to report in the public interest without fear. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve together in just one year.

    But as the sector evolves, so must we, and we want a vibrant and sustainable media ecosystem with PSBs, streamers, indies, radio, TV, press, thriving across the UK, and not just individually, but collaborating together to invest in the skills, infrastructure and co-productions that we need, and when you do well, we won’t penalise you through new taxes and levies, but ensure that we have a regulatory framework that incentivises inward investment that creates opportunities for businesses, both big and small, and the UK talent to be showcased across the world.

    Take Bad Wolf as an example. First, a successful indie partnering with the BBC, then getting long term investment from Sky, HBO and most recently Sony, and now with the help of the Welsh Government, one of the anchor tenants of the Cardiff creative cluster. Or the growing cluster of audio producers in Manchester, such as Made in Manchester and Audio Always supported by the shift of BBC commissioning to the region.

    I told you this government would have your back, and we will. Over the coming months, we will build on Ofcom’s Public Service Media Review during the summer by taking action to ensure our public service broadcasters can continue to do what they do best long into the future. We will publish a Local Media Strategy to ensure that people in every town, city and village can access trust in news that reflects their lives as reserves better, helping them to hold local public services to account. As a government, we are committed to the biggest devolution of power out of Westminster and Whitehall in a generation, which will make local news and local media the most important that it has ever been. 

    We will launch the BBC Charter Review later this year to support a BBC that is empowered to continue to deliver a vital public service funded in a sustainable way. A BBC that can maintain the trust and support of the public in difficult times, support the wider ecosystem, and that is set up to drive growth in every part of the United Kingdom. 

    Later this month, we’ll publish a Creative Industries Sector Plan to turbocharge the growth of creative industries right across the UK. To support film and TV clusters from Birmingham to Belfast. To tap into the huge potential for growth that exists across our country.

    My commitment to you is an open and collaborative partnership with the government so that we can walk through this transition together. We will play our part, but we need you to play yours. We need more collaboration within your sector and especially between our public service broadcasters, to tackle these great social and economic challenges, working together in a number of areas, particularly tackling mis- and disinformation and promoting high quality news by investing in your journalism arms, partnering more rather than competing with or undercutting local news publishers, improving media literacy by helping consumers find and recognise accurate and impartial news reporting, supporting initiatives like BBC Verify and the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 

    We need you to work together to promote high quality children’s content. We all want our young people to grow up to see the high quality content that will educate and inform and equip them for the world. But also to inspire young people who see themselves and their opportunities in your content, bringing untold benefit to the industry in inspiring future generations of content makers. We make great children’s content in the United Kingdom, but we don’t collectively promote it enough.

    And also to understand how you can lead on this great transformation, thinking creatively about alternative ways to monetise your content and assets, and crucially, working together to move to where people are building on and developing more shared platforms and operations, like freely at radio player to help manage costs that make it easier for audiences to access your content.

    We need you to take seriously the need to shift resources, opportunities and commissioning power to every nation and region. There is a principle that will run through our industrial strategy like a thread: economic growth, good jobs, skills and opportunities. Not just in one part of the country, but in every single nation and region, across our towns, villages and cities. So we need you to step up and do more, not just paying lip service to the need for regional and national content, but really embedding yourselves in those communities to make sure that those voices are heard, those stories are told. Because talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.

    In a world where trust is at a premium, it’s easy to draw divisions: broadcasters versus streamers, online versus print, local versus national, big versus small. But we have to reject that way of thinking. Because despite all the talk of challenges, and there are many, the fundamentals of our media sectors are strong. They have great talent and infrastructure, and I hope that we can work together to create a great policy framework too, so that you can continue to be the custodians of our national life and usher this country into the coming decade.

    It’s my firm belief that this country has been through difficult times, buffeted by global forces and decision-making at home, and we need to take this moment to recover our sense of self confidence. When it comes to the creative industries, whether it’s film, TV, fashion, music, arts, culture, we are really good at this stuff. We light up the world with the content that we’re able to make and produce and we change lives here, at home and overseas. 

    Recently, I was in India and then Japan, and I couldn’t fail to be impressed by the esteem in which British media and creatives are held. Millions of people around the world watch big budget dramas like ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Bridgerton’, but they also watch a slew of other fantastic shows and formats from ‘Planet Earth’ to ‘Come Dine With Me’ and everything in between. They read our news, they watch our adverts, they listen to our podcasts. 

    What that does is not just project the UK to the rest of the world, but it connects people in an increasingly fragmented, divided and polarised world. So many of the people I spoke to wanted to come and make things in the UK with the UK, we are a cultural powerhouse. No one will be a more passionate advocate for our sectors than me or our ministerial colleagues at DCMS. 

    So know that you have our full support as we enter this new era. Know that I am confident that if we work together, we can face head-on these challenges and make the most of change as a country. We’ve been drifting too long, but now is the time to chart a new course, a media that is fiercely independent, that creates and produces some of the best content in the world. That draws on the talent that exists in every corner of our country to shape, define and give voice to our national story, and provide those moments that bring us together in shared experience at a time when so much of our consumption is fractured and polarising. As we look to this new era and a new country, let nobody say that it falls to anybody else. It falls to us.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Citizen Co-operative Bank Ltd., Noida

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 30, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹6.00 lakh (Rupees Six Lakh only) on The Citizen Co-operative Bank Ltd., Noida (the bank) for contravention of the provisions of Section 12B read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act) and non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of statutory provisions/non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions and directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charges against the bank were sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had:

    1. failed to ensure that prior permission of RBI was obtained by a person before issuing/allotting shares to him along with his relatives, beyond permissible limit; and

    2. failed to put in use a robust software, throwing alerts for identifying suspicious transactions.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/466

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Jammu and Kashmir State Co-operative Bank Ltd., Srinagar

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has, by an order dated May 30, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹2 lakh (Rupees Two Lakh only) on The Jammu and Kashmir State Co-operative Bank Ltd., Srinagar (the bank) for non-compliance with certain directions issued by RBI on ‘Know Your Customer (KYC)’. This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act).

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with RBI directions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said directions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had failed to obtain Officially Valid Documents (OVD) of its customers while establishing the account-based relationship.

    This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/467

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • More than 4 million refugees have fled Sudan civil war, UN says

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The number of people who have fled Sudan since the beginning of its civil war in 2023 has surpassed four million, U.N. refugee agency officials said on Tuesday, adding that many survivors faced inadequate shelter due to funding shortages.

    “Now in its third year, the 4 million people is a devastating milestone in what is the world’s most damaging displacement crisis at the moment,” U.N. refugee agency spokesperson Eujin Byun told a Geneva press briefing.

    “If the conflict continues in Sudan, thousands more people, we expect thousands more people will continue to flee, putting regional and global stability at stake,” she said.

    Sudan, which erupted in violence in April 2023, shares borders with seven countries: Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Central African Republic and Libya.

    More than 800,000 of the refugees have arrived in Chad, where their shelter conditions are dire due to funding shortages, with only 14% of funding appeals met, UNHCR’s Dossou Patrice Ahouansou told the same briefing.

    “This is an unprecedented crisis that we are facing. This is a crisis of humanity. This is a crisis of … protection based on the violence that refugees are reporting,” he said.

    Many of those fleeing reported surviving terror and violence, he added, describing meeting a seven-year-old girl in Chad who was hurt in an attack on her home in Sudan’s Zamzam displacement camp that killed her father and two brothers and had to have her leg amputated during her escape. Her mother had been killed in an earlier attack, he said.

    Other refugees told stories of armed groups taking their horses and donkeys and forcing adults to draw their own family members by cart as they fled, he said.

    (Reuters)

  • India’s cultural revival: a journey of pride and progress over 11 years

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Over the past eleven years, the Government of India has embarked on a wide-ranging cultural renaissance, blending tradition with progress and positioning India’s heritage at the heart of its national identity. From restoring ancient temples to honouring forgotten heroes, the country’s cultural revival is now seen as a pillar of both pride and progress.

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has prioritised the preservation, redevelopment and celebration of India’s civilisational legacy. Key religious and cultural landmarks across the country have witnessed transformative redevelopment, with improved infrastructure and public facilities designed to enhance the experience of pilgrims and tourists alike.

    Transforming Sacred Spaces

    The redevelopment of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi is among the most notable projects. The corridor has opened up previously congested lanes around the temple and connected it directly to the ghats of the Ganga, allowing lakhs of devotees to visit in a more streamlined and spiritually immersive environment.

    In Ujjain, the Mahakaal Lok Project has brought world-class amenities to the Mahakaleshwar Temple complex. The newly developed corridor and facilities reflect both ancient architecture and modern planning, turning the site into a cultural hub for spiritual tourism.

    The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, inaugurated in January 2024, has emerged as a major symbol of faith and heritage. The grand temple is not only a place of worship but also a tribute to the civilisational ethos that has shaped India’s spiritual history.

    Other key sites include Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, where integrated development work has restored access and beauty to the revered Himalayan shrine. The installation of the statue of Adi Shankaracharya, rebuilt after destruction in the 2013 floods, is a powerful reminder of India’s enduring spiritual continuity.

    Redevelopment efforts are also underway at the Juna Somnath Temple, including the construction of a scenic promenade and the Parvati Mandir, further enhancing the sanctity and accessibility of the Somnath complex.

    In the northeast, Ma Kamakhya Temple in Assam has received infrastructure upgrades and pilgrim-friendly facilities, marking the government’s commitment to cultural sites across regions.

    Protecting Intangible Heritage

    Beyond physical sites, the government has also turned its attention to India’s intangible cultural heritage. Traditional art forms such as classical music, dance, and folk traditions are being preserved using modern digital tools. Efforts are underway to ensure that these time-honoured practices are passed on to future generations through institutional support and innovation.

    Remembering the Forgotten

    In a move to correct historical oversight, the government has placed renewed focus on honouring unsung heroes of India’s past. Through national memorials, educational campaigns and cultural programming, these forgotten figures are being reintegrated into India’s national consciousness.

    A Civilisational Mission

    The press release notes that these efforts reflect a broader civilisational mission: to preserve the spirit of India’s heritage while ensuring that culture and tradition evolve in harmony with advancements in technology, health, and infrastructure.

    With projects that blend spiritual heritage, technological innovation, and inclusive access, India’s approach to cultural revival is both ambitious and holistic. As the nation looks to the future, it is doing so with one foot firmly planted in its rich and diverse past.

  • Indian delegation concludes visit to Liberia strengthening global consensus against terrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde concluded three-day visit to Liberia on Monday, reinforcing India’s global campaign against terrorism and strengthening bilateral ties with the West African nation.

    The delegation held meetings with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

    The delegation conveyed appreciation for President Boakai’s statement of condolence and condemnation addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22. They also acknowledged Liberia’s upcoming tenure as non-permanent member of UNSC for the term 2026-27 and its role from the platform in advancing the fight against terrorism.

    The Liberian leadership, in turn, reaffirmed its support for India’s principled response through “Operation Sindoor”, and emphasised the need for unified international efforts to combat terrorism.

    In his address to the Liberian Senate, first time by any Indian MP, Shinde spoke about India’s firm stand against cross-border terrorism and underlined the need for international solidarity in confronting the global menace.

    The delegation also met Liberian parliamentarians, think tanks, and members of the local media. The Liberian parliamentarians observed a moment of silence in memory of the Pahalgam terror attack victims.

    According to the Indian Embassy in Liberia, “The visit not only reflected the enduring friendship between India and Liberia, but also highlighted the two nations’ shared, unwavering stance against terrorism.”

    The Liberia visit concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to work together in building a peaceful, secure, and terror-free world.

    Apart from Shinde, the delegation included Bansuri Swaraj, Atul Garg, Manan Kumar Mishra, Sasmit Patra, E.T. Mohammed Basheer, S.S. Ahluwalia, and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy.

  • Egypt: Indian delegation meets Arab League chief, stresses unified stance against terrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule called on League of Arab States Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Tuesday, underscoring India’s unified stance and collective determination to combat terrorism.

    The leaders stressed that countering terrorism is a priority for both the Arab League and India. The discussions focused on India’s wide-ranging political, economic, and cultural engagement with the Arab States.

    The delegation also had an engaging interaction with the vibrant Indian community in Egypt.

    “The community welcomed the visit of the delegation and the message carried by them to combat terrorism,” said the Indian Embassy in Cairo.

    On Monday, the delegation was briefed by Indian Ambassador to Egypt Suresh Reddy on the India-Egypt Strategic Partnership, Egypt’s strong stance against terrorism, solidarity with India after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, and the close bilateral collaboration on counter-terrorism.

    Later, the delegation had a fruitful engagement at the Egyptian Senate House with Senator Hossam Al-Khouly of Mostaqbal Watan Party and MP Hazem Omar, including the Chairpersons and members of other Parliamentary Committees.

    The Senate reaffirmed solidarity with India and reiterated the importance attached to the close strategic partnership between India and Egypt.

    This was followed by productive discussions with Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman MP Karim Darwish and other distinguished members of the Egyptian House of Representatives.

    The Indian parliamentarians also had insightful discussions with key interlocutors in Egypt, including former Ministers, distinguished authors and thought leaders. The discussions facilitated an enhanced understanding and appreciation of India’s commitment to economic growth, equitable development, and zero tolerance to terrorism.

    The delegation also paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Al-Horreya Park in Zamalek, Cairo.

    The delegation, a part of India’s diplomatic outreach on Operation Sindoor and carrying forth India’s strong message on zero-tolerance against terrorism, reached Egypt after concluding a successful visit to Ethiopia, South Africa, and Qatar.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Economics: RBI imposes monetary penalty on The Bathinda Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Bathinda, Punjab

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed, by an order dated May 30, 2025, a monetary penalty of ₹3 lakh (Rupees Three Lakh only) on The Bathinda Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Bathinda, Punjab (the bank) for contravention of provisions of Section 26A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2023 and March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of non-compliance with statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice and oral submissions made by it during the personal hearing, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had failed to transfer eligible unclaimed amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed time.

    This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2025-2026/463

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • Markets decline for third straight day amid global weakness

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian equity benchmarks closed lower for the third consecutive trading session on Tuesday, as weak global cues and investor caution weighed on sentiment.

    The BSE Sensex dropped 636.24 points, or 0.78%, to end at 80,737.51, while the NSE Nifty fell 174.10 points, or 0.70%, to settle at 24,542.50.

    IT, PSU banks, financial services, FMCG, and energy stocks led the decline. However, midcap and smallcap indices fared better. The Nifty Smallcap 100 inched up 0.10% to 18,114, while the Nifty Midcap 100 shed 0.45% to close at 57,517.

    “After an initial uptick, the Nifty oscillated sharply in early trade; however, a sharp decline below the 20-day exponential moving average in the latter half of the session kept the tone negative,” said Ajit Mishra of Religare Broking.

    Analysts cited sustained foreign fund outflows, geopolitical tensions, and uncertainty over global trade deals as key factors behind the market’s weakness. They added that strength in select banking stocks may cushion further downside.

    Investors also appeared to be in wait-and-watch mode ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s upcoming interest rate decision.

    On the currency front, the rupee gave up Monday’s gains, impacted by risk aversion, a stronger U.S. dollar, and continued outflows. HDFC Securities’ Dilip Parmar expects the USD/INR pair to trade in the 85.10–85.90 range in the near term.

    Gold prices remained steady near ₹97,700 on the MCX after a sharp rally on Monday. Analysts said the market is consolidating ahead of key economic data releases from the U.S.

    -IANS

  • UP govt announces 20 percent reservation for Agniveers in police, PAC recruitment

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a major step to support Agniveers after their short-term military service, the Uttar Pradesh government has approved a 20 percent reservation for them in recruitment for various posts in the state police force and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC).

    The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday.

    According to the official statement, the reservation will apply to recruitment in categories such as constable (civil police), constable PAC, mounted police, and fireman. The move is aimed at providing employment opportunities to Agniveers who will complete their four-year tenure under the Agnipath scheme.

    The Agnipath scheme, launched by the Centre in June 2022, allows youth to serve in the armed forces for a period of four years. While 25 percent of Agniveers are to be absorbed into regular military service, the remaining 75 percent are released from duty after their term. The first batch of Agniveers is expected to complete its term in 2026.

    To further aid their transition into civilian life, the UP government has also decided to grant age relaxation of up to three years for Agniveers applying for these police and PAC posts.

    According to reports, the Uttar Pradesh Police is expected to announce recruitment for nearly 28,000 posts soon, including positions such as sub-inspector, jail warden, computer operator, and more. With this new provision, Agniveers will be eligible to apply for a substantial number of these positions.

    Uttar Pradesh joins Haryana in offering post-service support to Agniveers. Earlier, the Haryana government also approved 20 percent reservation for Agniveers in several government jobs.

    The move is being seen as a crucial step in providing job security to youth who have served in the armed forces under the new military recruitment framework, while also strengthening the manpower in state police departments.

    -IANS

  • MIL-OSI Banking: From Cities to Heartlands: Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Sparks Innovation in Bihar and Jharkhand

    Source: Samsung

     
    As Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Season 4 sweeps across the nation, its message is clear – innovation is not confined to metro cities; it belongs to every young dreamer with a problem to solve. After energizing campuses in the North, South, and North-East, the programme has now reached the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, drawing hundreds of students into the fold of purposeful innovation.
     
    At the heart of this new chapter were three prestigious institutions in Ranchi Gossner College, St. Xavier’s College, and Marwari College where design thinking open houses transformed classrooms into idea labs. Meanwhile, students from IIT Patna joined virtually, proving that geography is no barrier when it comes to shaping India’s future.
     
    For Suraj, a student from Marwari College, the workshop was an eye-opener. “It was the first time I saw how structured thinking could turn the problems around me into actual projects. I’ve always been aware of local issues — lack of sanitation, waste management — but now I feel equipped to do something about them,” he said, his notebook filled with early sketches of a waste-segregation solution designed for small towns.
     
    At Gossner College, the energy was electric as students engaged in empathy mapping and rapid prototyping. Neha, who is pursuing her graduation, couldn’t stop smiling as she shared her idea to build a low-cost, solar-powered attendance system for rural schools. “This workshop showed me how ideas can grow when you collaborate and think beyond the obvious,” she said. “It gave me the courage to believe my solution can work — not just in Ranchi but in every village with a chalkboard.”
     
    Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a nationwide contest designed to inspire students to create innovative solutions to address some of society’s most pressing challenges by leveraging technology.
     
    Samsung ‘Solve for Tomorrow 2025’ will provide INR 1 crore to the top four winning teams to support the incubation of their projects, along with hands-on prototyping, investor connects, and expert mentorship from Samsung leaders and IIT Delhi faculty.
     
    Prashant, who joined the online session from IIT Patna, was deeply moved by the larger purpose behind Solve for Tomorrow. “It’s not just about tech or startups. It’s about building the India we want to live in. I want to create a platform that helps farmers access real-time data about soil health and crop cycles — something my own family has struggled with,” he shared.
     
    In every city Solve for Tomorrow has touched, it has brought with it not just tools and techniques, but also belief. In St. Xavier’s College, Adnan, a computer science undergraduate, found his mission. “There’s so much talk about AI and automation — but very little about using it for people at the margins. I’m working on a chatbot that can assist elderly people in accessing government healthcare schemes. This programme made me realise that innovation is not just a Silicon Valley word. It belongs to us too.”
     
    A Movement for Nation Building
     
    Since its launch on April 29, Solve for Tomorrow has rapidly grown from a competition to a nation-building movement. With students from metros, towns, and heartland cities like Ranchi and Patna now thinking critically, ideating boldly, and designing empathetically, the next generation of changemakers is rising — from every corner of the country.
     
    Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is not just nurturing ideas — it’s nurturing a mindset. A belief that young Indians, no matter where they come from, have what it takes to solve for India and the world.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MoS Defence Sanjay Seth announces expansion of NCC by 3 lakh cadets at Bhopal Conference

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, on Tuesday announced a major expansion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), with plans to add three lakh new cadets across the country.

    The announcement came during the inauguration of a conference of Special Joint State Representatives and Additional/Deputy Directors General (JS R&A/D) of the NCC in Bhopal.

    Speaking at the event, Seth emphasized the NCC’s role in nation-building and youth development. “The NCC instills a spirit of nationalism and service. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resolved to raise the number of cadets to between 17 and 20 lakh. With support from all states, we will soon achieve this target,” he said.

    According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, several states have already expressed support for the initiative and have committed to fast-tracking the development of training infrastructure.

    Seth also highlighted new initiatives such as the recruitment of ex-servicemen as instructors, noting that it creates employment opportunities for military veterans.

    He lauded the NCC’s active participation in national missions such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Naya Savera scheme, and the Nasha Mukti Abhiyan. The minister also congratulated the NCC’s Mount Everest Expedition team, which successfully reached the summit on May 18, calling it “a powerful example of cadet courage and resilience.”

    Underscoring the importance of centre-state cooperation, Seth urged state governments to fulfill their commitments in terms of manpower, infrastructure, and funding to ensure the success of the NCC expansion plan.

    During the event, Director General of NCC, Lt Gen Gurbirpal Singh, outlined the organisation’s achievements and future plans. He stressed the need for robust training and camping infrastructure nationwide and emphasized efforts to boost youth participation and enhance cadet performance.

  • Break big smuggling syndicates, curb narcotics trade: FM Sitharaman tells DRI

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday asked the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) to adopt a holistic and technology-driven approach to tackle smuggling and narcotics trade amid increasingly complex geopolitical environment and security threats.

    In her address at the inaugural event of the DRI’s new headquarters, the Finance Minister said there was a need to go beyond surface-level enforcement and focus on uncovering deeper systemic threats.

    “Investigate holistically, keeping the big picture in mind, leverage all available resources to uncover deeper systemic risks and threads by connecting the dots,” she said.

    She emphasised that dismantling the entire smuggling syndicates must be the end-goal of any investigation, which must not stop at peripheral seizures.

    “It’s no good if you catch the small fish. The bigger smuggling chain has to be tracked and acted upon. We must take down those nefarious chains,” she added.

    Sitharaman identified narcotics as the most serious national threat and called for urgent coordination with state law enforcement agencies to prevent schools and colleges from being targeted by drug traffickers.

    She also underlined the importance of internal collaboration: “Internal coordination, when well managed, makes outcomes better.”

    The Finance Minister cited PM Modi’s ‘Reform, Perform and Transform’ mantra as the spirit with which the enforcement agencies should move forward.

    She spelt out three guiding principles for the agency’s approach: the rules must be applied fairly, public confidence in the trade system must be maintained, and the enforcement must be intelligent and high-impact.

    “Value- and trust-based compliance is important, not fear-induced compliance,” Sitharaman pointed out.

    She highlighted the need for deeper and faster integration of modern technology into enforcement frameworks. “There’s a lot of talk around AI, but I now want to see concrete output using AI,” she said, pressing for data-driven, intelligence-led action. “More modern technology use needs to be deeply and well integrated into the system – data analytics and so on,” she added.

    (With inputs from IANS)

     

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK and India hold high level dialogue in Delhi

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    World news story

    UK and India hold high level dialogue in Delhi

    Sir Oliver Robbins, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is in India.

    Sir Oliver Robbins, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office with India’s Foreign Secretary, Shri Vikram Misri

    Sir Oliver Robbins, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is in India to review progress across the UK and India’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He met India’s Foreign Secretary, Shri Vikram Misri, in New Delhi today [3 June] for the annual UK-India Foreign Office Consultations.

    They welcomed the significant breakthroughs achieved across the full breadth of the partnership since consultations in London last year, including the announcement of the historic trade deal. Economic growth is the number one mission of the UK Government. Both agreed to work towards implementing the shared vision of the two prime ministers for an ambitious partnership between the UK and India over the next decade.

    This year’s consultations included the inaugural Strategic Exports and Technology Cooperation Dialogue, aimed at building mutual understanding of systems and agreeing areas for future cooperation on key sectors such as technology and defence.

    Sir Oliver Robbins, Permanent Under-Secretary at the FCDO, said:

    I’m delighted to be in India to help advance one of the UK’s most vital partnerships in the world. In a more complex world, there is strong ambition from both governments to take this partnership to even greater heights. I’m looking forward to working with Foreign Secretary Misri to make that a reality.

    During the visit, Sir Oliver is also expected to meet a wide range of Indian government partners including on the G20 and home affairs.

    Further information:

    • Sir Oliver Robbins was appointed Permanent Under-Secretary (PUS) at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in January 2025. As PUS, he is Head of the UK’s Diplomatic Service and the most senior policy adviser to the Foreign Secretary. The PUS is responsible for the management of the FCDO in the UK and its embassies and high commissions around the world.

    • The UK and India agreed a landmark trade deal on 6 May, which will redefine the partnership for the next generation, strengthening trade links, supporting jobs, and delivering shared prosperity. The deal is expected to increase bilateral trade already worth £43 billion by another £25.5 billion.

    • The UK’s Plan for Change sets out milestones the UK Government aims to reach by the end of this Parliament.

    Media

    For media queries, please contact:

    Chloe Barry, Deputy Head of Communications,
    British High Commission, Chanakyapuri,
    New Delhi 110021. Tel: 24192100

    Media queries: BHCMediaDelhi@fcdo.gov.uk

    Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Youtube and LinkedIn

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • At least 27 Palestinians killed near Gaza aid site, medics say

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    At least 27 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded by Israeli fire near a food distribution site in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday, local health authorities said, in the third day of chaos and bloodshed to affect the aid operation.

    The Israeli military said its forces had opened fire on a group of individuals who had left designated access routes near the distribution centre in Rafah.

    It added it was still investigating what had happened.

    The deaths came hours after Israel said three of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip, as its forces pushed ahead with a months-long offensive against Hamas militants that has laid waste to much of the enclave.

    A spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross told media that its field hospital in Rafah received 184 casualties, adding that 19 of those were declared dead upon arrival, and eight died of their wounds shortly after.

    More than 35 patients required immediate intervention, the spokesperson added.

    The U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation launched its first distribution sites last week in an effort to alleviate widespread hunger amongst Gaza’s war-battered population, most of whom have had to abandon their homes to flee fighting.

    The Foundation’s aid plan, which bypasses traditional aid groups, has come under fierce criticism from the United Nations and established charities which say it does not follow humanitarian principles.

    The private group, which is endorsed by Israel, said it distributed 21 truckloads of food early on Tuesday and that the aid operation was “conducted safely and without incident within the site”.

    However, there have been reports of repeated killings near Rafah as crowds gather to get desperately needed supplies.

    On Sunday, Palestinian and international officials reported that at least 31 people were killed and dozens more injured. On Monday, three more Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire.

    The Israeli military has denied targeting civilians gathering for aid and called reports of deaths during Sunday’s distribution “fabrications” by Hamas.

    On Tuesday, it said IDF forces had identified “a number of suspects” moving towards them while deviating from the access routes. “The forces fired evasive shots, and after they did not move away, additional shots were fired near the individual suspects who were advancing towards the forces,” it said.

    MASS EVACUATIONS ORDERED

    U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday he was “appalled” by reports of Palestinians killed and wounded while seeking aid and called for an independent investigation.

    The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders to residents of several districts in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip late on Monday, warning that the army would act forcefully against militants operating in those areas.

    The military told residents to head west towards the Mawasi humanitarian area. Palestinian and United Nations officials say there are no safe areas in the enclave, and that most of its 2.3 million population has become internally displaced.

    The territory’s health ministry said on Tuesday that the new evacuation orders could halt work at the Nasser Hospital, the largest, still-functioning medical facility in the south, endangering the lives of those being treated there.

    Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 assault in which Hamas-led gunmen killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies.

    In the subsequent fighting, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, local health authorities say.

    (Reuters)

  • Astronomers fear impact of Musk’s Starlink on South Africa mega-telescope observations

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Astronomers working with South Africa‘s SKA telescope are pushing authorities to ensure that any licensing agreement with Elon Musk’s Starlink will protect their groundbreaking observations, a senior scientist said.

    Discussions to bring Musk’s internet service Starlink in South Africa have already been contentious, with parent company SpaceX criticising local shareholding laws while backing equity equivalent programmes.

    Attaching astronomy-linked licensing conditions may further complicate attempts to introduce Starlink to the country of Musk’s birth, where he has already said he is deterred by government Black empowerment policies.

    South Africa said it will review its Information and Communication Technology sector rules but will not back down on government policies to transform the economy three decades after white-minority rule ended.

    Scientists fear South Africa‘s Square Kilometre Array (SKA-Mid), the world’s most powerful radio telescope together with another array co-hosted in Australia, will have their sensitive space observations distorted by Starlink‘s low-orbiting satellites.

    “It will be like shining a spotlight into someone’s eyes, blinding us to the faint radio signals from celestial bodies,” Federico Di Vruno, co-chair of International Astronomical Union Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky, told Reuters in a telephone interview.

    Di Vruno said the SKA Observatory, where he is spectrum manager, and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) were lobbying for license requirements to reduce the impact on observations in certain frequency ranges, including some that SKA-Mid uses.

    That could direct Starlink to steer satellite beams away from SKA receivers or stop transmission for a few seconds to minimise interference, he said.

    South Africa‘s current SKA antennae, in the remote Northern Cape town of Carnarvon, use the 350 megahertz to 15.4 gigahertz bandwidth, a range also used by most satellite operators for downlinks.

    MAJOR OBSERVATIONS

    South Africa‘s MeerKAT radio telescope, a precursor to SKA-Mid which will be incorporated into the larger instrument, has already discovered a rare giant radio galaxy that is 32 times the size of the Milky Way.

    Last year, it found 49 new galaxies in under three hours, according to SARAO.

    SKA Observatory, an international body, also campaigns for conditions on licensing agreements with other major satellite operators such as Amazon and Eutelsat’s OneWeb to ensure quiet skies amid a boom in new satellite launches.

    “We are trying to follow different technical and regulatory avenues to mitigate this issue on the global stage,” Di Vruno said.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mikhail Mishustin takes part in the 10th conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” (CIPR) is the main business event on the digital economy and technologies in Russia. For many years, it has been a key platform for dialogue between business and government representatives on issues of digital transformation of society and various sectors of the economy.

    This year, the main track of the business program will be “Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State”. “CIPR-2025” will be visited by delegations from more than 30 countries: China, Serbia, Cuba, India, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the Philippines and others.

    Drive

    The conference business program will include more than 100 sessions covering the digitalization of key economic sectors and interaction with partner countries in the global market. International sessions will be held in partnership with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. The event will also feature bilateral panel discussions with representatives of the Republic of Belarus and the PRC.

    The exhibition of technological solutions will occupy three pavilions, including solutions from international participants from the BRICS and EAEU countries. International solutions from Chinese, Indian, Cuban and Belarusian companies will be presented here. In addition, for the second time, the CIPR site will feature a specialized stand of “digital attachés” – employees of Russian trade missions abroad who are engaged in the promotion of Russian IT products (the stand will reflect the experience of international cooperation in this area).

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Dutch far-right leader Wilders quits coalition, toppling government

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders’ PVV party left the governing coalition on Tuesday, in a move that is set to topple the right wing government and will likely lead to new elections.

    Wilders said his coalition partners were not willing to support his ideas on halting asylum migration.

    “No signature under our asylum plans. The PVV leaves the coalition,” Wilders said in a post on X.

    Wilders said he had informed Prime Minister Dick Schoof that all ministers from his PVV party would quit the government. Schoof has not yet reacted to the resignation.

    Wilders’ surprise move ends an already fragile coalition which has struggled to reach any consensus since its installation last July.

    It will likely bring new elections in a few months, adding to political uncertainty in the euro zone’s fifth-largest economy.

    It will likely also delay a decision on a possibly historic increase in defense spending to meet new NATO targets.

    And it will leave the Netherlands with only a caretaker government when it receives NATO country leaders for a summit to decide on these targets in The Hague later this month.

    DISBELIEF, ANGER

    Wilders’ coalition partners responded with disbelief and anger.

    “This is making us look like a fool,” the leader of the conservative VVD party Dilan Yesilgoz said. “There is a war on our continent. Instead of meeting the challenge, Wilders is showing he is not willing to take responsibility.”

    “This is incredible,” leader of the centrist NSC party Nicolien van Vroonhoven said. “It is irresponsible to take down the government at this point.”

    With PVV out, the others parties have the theoretical option to try and proceed as a minority government. They are not expected to, and have yet to confirm it.

    Wilders won the most recent election in the Netherlands, but recent polls show he has lost support since joining government.

    Polls now put his party at around 20% of the votes, roughly at par with the Labour/Green combination that is currently the second-largest in parliament.

    Wilders had last week demanded immediate support for his proposals to completely halt asylum migration, send Syrian refugees back to their home country and to close asylum shelters.

    Coalition partners did not embrace his idea, and had said it was up to the migration minister from Wilders’ own party to work on specific proposals. Wilders was not part of the government himself as its leader or a minister.

    He was convicted for discrimination after he insulted Moroccans at a campaign rally in 2014 and only managed to strike a coalition deal with three other conservative parties last year after he gave up his bid to become prime minister.

    Instead, the cabinet was led by the independent and unelected Schoof, a career bureaucrat who had led the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD and was the senior official at the ministry of justice.

    (Reuters)

  • Indian companies post satisfactory Q4 results despite global challenges: Bank of Baroda Report

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Corporate performance of Indian companies in the fourth quarter of financial year 2025 remained satisfactory despite a tough global economic environment, according to a recent report by Bank of Baroda.

    The report highlighted that most companies are optimistic about their future growth prospects, and there is potential for further improvement once consumption demand picks up in FY26.

    The report said, “Corporate performance in Q4 FY25 was on the whole satisfactory and there is scope for an upward movement once consumption pick up in FY26. Importantly, despite a challenging global environment, companies remain positive on future growth prospects”.

    The report pointed out that certain sectors are already showing signs of recovery. Sectors linked to infrastructure are experiencing steady growth even though they are being compared to a high base from last year.

    In the case of consumer-related sectors like FMCG and consumer durables, strong rural demand and seasonal factors have played a key role in supporting recovery.

    The services sector has also continued to grow at a steady pace, driven by strong demand.

    The report noted that stable commodity prices, low inflation in India, a favourable monsoon outlook, trade agreements, government spending on infrastructure, and tax benefits are expected to be important drivers of growth and demand in the coming months.

    According to the report, aggregate net sales of a sample of 1,893 companies increased by 5.4 per cent in Q4 FY25, while net profits rose by 7.6 per cent. Expenses and interest costs remained under control, which helped improve the debt repayment ability of companies.

    However, some slowdown in sales was seen in large sectors such as oil and gas, textiles, and iron and steel. This had a negative impact on the overall performance of the sample. But the report suggested that this is likely a one-time occurrence and not a long-term concern.

    Similarly, the BFSI (banking, financial services, and insurance) sector, which performed strongly last year, saw some moderation in growth. This has been linked to a slowdown in credit growth.

    Overall, the report painted a positive picture of India Inc’s performance in Q4 FY25 and suggests that companies are well-positioned to benefit from improving demand and supportive policy measures in the next financial year.

    (ANI)

  • India urges deeper BRICS cooperation for building future-ready digital ecosystem

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready digital development at the 11th BRICS Communications Ministers’ Meeting held in Brasília, Brazil.
     
    Delivering India’s national statement, Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development, Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, highlighted the country’s progress in digital governance under the theme set by Brazil’s BRICS presidency—Universal and Meaningful Connectivity, Space Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability, and the Digital Ecosystem.
     
    Dr. Chandra Sekhar showcased India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as a global model for inclusive and transformative digital governance. He underlined the impact of flagship platforms such as Aadhaar and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), stating that Aadhaar has empowered over 950 million Indians with secure digital identity and seamless access to services, while UPI has revolutionised real-time digital payments, contributing to 46 percent of the world’s digital transactions.
     
    He called upon BRICS nations to deepen collaboration and leverage digital public infrastructure for inclusive growth. “India’s DPI model, based on open and interoperable platforms, is a catalyst for good governance, financial inclusion and digital innovation while acting as a safeguard against monopolistic practices,” he added.
     
    Dr. Sekhar also spoke about India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, the growing digital skills network, and progressive legislations such as the Telecommunications Act and the Data Protection Act. Stressing the need for digital trust and user safety, he highlighted India’s Sanchar Saathi initiative to combat telecom-related fraud.
     
    The Minister emphasised the importance of international cooperation in areas such as cybersecurity, data protection and digital integrity, noting that the safety and trustworthiness of interconnected digital societies are crucial for the future.
     
    Reflecting on India’s digital progress, Dr. Sekhar said the country has transitioned from digital divide to digital leadership. He presented the Digital Bharat Nidhi programme as a flagship initiative that has supported projects like BharatNet, which now connects over 2.18 lakh gram panchayats through optical fibre. 
     
    He said that India’s indigenous development and mass deployment of 4G and 5G technologies have brought high-speed connectivity to over 95 percent of the population with 4G and more than 80 percent with 5G. India, he noted, also leads the world in affordable data access, with internet data prices as low as 12 cents per gigabyte.
     
    Speaking on the issue of space sustainability, the Minister said, “Space is no longer a distant frontier—it is now a vital part of our digital infrastructure.” He outlined India’s reforms in satellite communication, including streamlined SATCOM regulations and expanded licensing for mobile and IoT satellite services. He urged BRICS nations to work jointly on global issues such as orbital equity, spectrum management and space traffic regulation through cooperation rather than competition.
     
    Addressing environmental sustainability, Dr. Sekhar acknowledged the dual challenges of climate change and rising e-waste. Citing projections from the Global E-Waste Monitor, he warned that global e-waste could reach 82 billion kilograms by 2030. He informed the forum about India’s initiatives like the Green Development Pact from the G20 Summit in Delhi and the Panchamrit goals announced at COP-26. He urged BRICS members to adopt circular economy practices, integrate green energy into ICT infrastructure and support global frameworks like the ITU’s Green Digital Action.
     

  • IPL 2025: Rain in focus as RCB-PBKS take centerstage for title clash in Ahmedabad

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to welcome its new winner on Tuesday when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on each other in the title clash at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift their maiden silverware.

    RCB and PBKS have been part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. Both sides have come close to lifting the IPL trophy but ended as runners-up. RCB played three finals (2009, 2011, 2016) before this year’s title clash, while Punjab had their chance in 2014.

    With the excitement among fans of both franchises reaching the pinnacle, the encounter is going to be a nail-biting affair. However, the weather is likely to make it more intense for the fans with a rain threat looming around the match.

    According to AccuWeather, the temperature in Ahmedabad will be around 36°C at the beginning of the game, dropping to around 31°C by the end. Humidity levels will range between 52% and 63% during match hours. The sky is expected to be cloudy for most of the time, and there is around 2% to 5% chance of rain to interrupt the game.

    In case of a washout on Tuesday, the IPL 2025 final will be played on the reserve day – Wednesday. In case of a complete washout on both days, which is highly unlikely, the team that has finished at the top (Punjab Kings) will lift the title.

    Ahmedabad also hosted the IPL final in 2023, which was significantly disrupted by rain. The match, initially set for May 28, had to be postponed without a single ball being bowled. Fortunately, the Board of Control for Cricket in India utilised a reserve day to hold the final the following day.

    However, rain continued to interfere, leading to a shortened contest, with the second innings limited to just 15 overs. Ravindra Jadeja’s last-ball heroics guided Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title against the home side Gujarat Titans.

    (IANS)

  • After month-long exposition in Vietnam, holy Buddha relics return to India

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The holy relics of Lord Buddha returned to India on Tuesday after a month-long exposition tour across Vietnam.

    The relics were ceremoniously received at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi. The delegation accompanying the relics was led by Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati , along with representation from the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC) led by Shartse Khensur Jangchup Choeden Rinpoche, Secretary General, and National Museum officials.

    “The holy relics will be publicly displayed at the National Museum, Delhi, for a day, allowing devotees and dignitaries to offer their respects. A formal prayer meeting with senior monks, IBC officials, and diplomats will follow,” the IBC said in a post on X.

    “On June 4, the relics will travel in a Presidential cavalcade to Sarnath via Varanasi, where they will be ceremonially enshrined at Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, marking the grand conclusion of this historic international pilgrimage,” it added.

    The sacred tour in Vietnam, spanning multiple locations from the south to the north, drew more than 17.8 million devotees in total.

    External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar had called the exhibition of these relics in Vietnam an “expression of close and friendly ties over centuries.”

    The ceremonies included relic processions, meditative gatherings, chanting, and educational sessions, fostering spiritual mindfulness among attendees of all ages.

    The holy relics arrived in Vietnam from India on May 2 with an Indian delegation led by Union Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, which also included Andhra Pradesh Minister Kandula Durgesh, senior monks and officials.

    The relics were supposed to remain in Vietnam until May 21 as part of the UN Day of Vesak celebrations.

    However, India extended the enshrinement of sacred relics in Vietnam beyond May 21, on the recommendation of the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs after a formal request from Vietnamese government, said the local media.

    The relics were displayed at Thanh Tam Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City, then in Ba Den Mountain in Tay Ninh province, Quan Su Pagoda in Hanoi, Tam Chuc Pagoda in Ha Nam, Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh province, Phuc Son Pagoda, Bac Giang Province, Truc Lam Yen Tu Monastery in Quang Ninh, Chuong Pagoda in Hung Yen and Quan Am Ngu Hanh Son Pagoda in Da Nang City of Vietnam.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • Top UK leaders back India’s zero tolerance policy against terrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday held high-level engagements in London with UK ministers, lawmakers, leaders, think tanks, and India friendship groups, highlighting Operation Sindoor as a significant shift in the country’s counter-terrorism approach.

    The delegation received wide-ranging support during the discussion on strengthening India–UK collaboration against cross-border terrorism, reaffirming shared commitments to global security, justice, and strategic partnership.

    In an interaction at the British Parliament, the delegation apprised UK Minister for Citizenship and Migration Seema Malhotra of India’s resolve against fighting terrorism.

    Furthermore, the delegation met with UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, who reaffirmed Britain’s strong condemnation of terrorist attacks in India. She underscored India’s strategic and economic importance to the UK, particularly in promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region and driving global economic growth.

    As a country that has also endured the impact of terrorism, West stated that the UK firmly believes perpetrators of such acts must be held accountable, and emphasized the need for all nations to work collectively to achieve this goal.

    They also met with Labour Party India Friendship Groups – including Labour Friends of India, Labour Convention of Indian Organisations, Sikhs for Labour, and Hindus for Labour – who expressed their solidarity with India in a unified voice and extended firm support in their fight against terrorism.

    Both sides agreed that terror infrastructure must be dismantled wherever it exists and that terror financing must be addressed decisively, acknowledging that what affects India today could impact any nation, including the UK. They underscored the importance of continued dialogue to foster mutual understanding and expressed a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation and engagement between the Labour Party and India.

    Later, the delegation engaged with Co-Chair of the Conservative Party Dominic Johnson and Co-Chair of the Conservative Friends of India Koolesh Shah at Conservative Campaign Headquarters.

    Earlier, on Monday, the delegates interacted with UK-based think tanks.

    “Today, alongside my esteemed colleagues from the all-party delegation, I had the privilege of engaging with UK think tanks and the academic community, sharing India’s unwavering stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism. We highlighted the ‘new normal’ established by India in countering state-sponsored terrorism. Our dialogue with leading think tanks was fruitful, and we conveyed our concerns, explaining the purpose of our visit,” Ravi Shankar Prasad posted on X.

    “We emphasised India’s capability in handling Pakistan, which we have successfully done in the past. While we believe in peace and amity, we also recognise the need to take decisive action to protect our citizens from terrorism. The world must understand the scourge of terrorism. We also underscored India’s economic achievements, emerging as a manufacturing hub with global recognition. As a sovereign nation with a significant growth trajectory, we firmly believe terrorism and trade are incompatible,” he added.

    The delegation concluded the day by interacting with UK thought leaders over dinner, discussing the global threat posed to all societies by terrorism, its social impact, and the connected rise of radicalisation.

    The Indian delegation arrived in London on Saturday after concluding visits to France, Italy, and Denmark.

    Apart from Prasad, the nine-member delegation includes, Daggubati Purandeswari (BJP), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Ghulam Ali Khatana (BJP), Amar Singh (Congress), Samik Bhattacharya (BJP), M. Thambidurai (AIADMK), former Union Minister M.J. Akbar, and former Ambassador Pankaj Saran.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • PM Modi assures full central support to flood-hit northeast states

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke with the Chief Ministers of Assam and Sikkim and Manipur Governor Ajay Bhalla to assess the flood situation in the northeastern region. He assured them of all possible support from the Centre to aid relief and rehabilitation efforts.
     
    Heavy rainfall over the past several days has led to severe flooding across northeastern states including Assam, Sikkim, Manipur, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh. The situation has disrupted daily life, submerged vast stretches of land, and severed crucial supply links to remote areas.
     
    The Prime Minister expressed concern over the rising water levels in major rivers such as the Brahmaputra, Pachnoi, and Kushiyara, which are flowing above danger marks in several locations. Thousands have been displaced, with many forced to evacuate from low-lying areas.
     
    Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X that the Prime Minister had called him to inquire about the situation. “I briefed the Prime Minister on how continuous rainfall in Assam and adjoining states has led to flooding and impacted many lives. I also apprised him of the relief operation undertaken by the state government,” he posted. Sarma added that PM Modi assured full support from the Centre and offered guidance in tackling the crisis.
     
    Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang also expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for reaching out during the ongoing crisis. He stated that the state administration remains committed to managing the landslide and flood emergency and providing all necessary aid to those affected.
     
    In Manipur, the situation remains grim, particularly in the Imphal Valley. The Indian Army and Assam Rifles are leading extensive rescue operations under “Operation Jalrahat-II.” Over the past three days, more than 1,000 people have been rescued from flood-hit areas in Imphal East and West districts.
     
    According to a bulletin issued by the Manipur administration, over 56,000 people across 174 villages remain affected. Relief efforts include the distribution of 1,500 food packets and 4,000 bottles of clean drinking water. A dedicated medical camp was also set up on June 2 at Wangkhei Angom Leikai Rehabilitation Camp, where over 250 displaced individuals received medical aid.
     
    Medical teams provided treatment for injuries, dehydration, infections, and chronic conditions, with special focus on children, the elderly, and vulnerable patients. Awareness sessions on hygiene and disease prevention were also conducted to help reduce the risk of secondary health issues.
     
    (inputs from agencies )

  • Shashi Tharoor-led delegation meets Brazil’s Acting Foreign Minister, discusses enhancing anti-terror cooperation

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An all-party Indian Parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor held a meeting with Brazil’s Acting Foreign Minister Maria Laura da Rocha on Monday and discussed strengthening bilateral collaboration on anti-terrorism, multilateralism, and democratic values.

    The Indian Embassy in Brazil said in a statement, “A high-level All-Party Delegation led by MP Shashi Tharoor met Acting Foreign Minister of Brazil, Ambassador Maria Laura da Rocha. They thanked Brazil for its understanding against terrorism, shared views on the Pahalgam attack, and discussed strengthening cooperation on anti-terrorist cooperation, multilateralism, and democratic values.”

    Earlier, the delegation met Brazilian Senator Nelson Trad Filho, President of the India-Brazil Friendship Front in the Federal Senate, and conveyed India’s bipartisan resolve, while thanking Brazil for its support in the global fight against terror.

    The delegation also briefed Ambassador Celso Amorim, Head Adviser to the President of Brazil, on India’s resolute response to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and discussed the need for strengthened global cooperation against terrorism, alongside shared commitments to peace, security, and democratic values.

    In a post on X on Monday, Tharoor said: “Our day in Brasilia begins with a visit to the Presidential Palace, where we meet with my old friend the Diplomatic Advisor to the President, Ambassador Celso Amorim (Brazil’s longest-serving Foreign Minister twice & Defence Minister once). A full & rewarding discussion followed.”

    After successful visits to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, the nine-member Indian delegation arrived in Brazil on Sunday evening (local time).

    The delegation includes Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Shambhavi Choudhary, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha MP Sarfaraz Ahmad, Telugu Desam Party MP GM Harish Balayogi, Bharatiya Janata Party MPs — Shashank Mani Tripathi, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Tejasvi Surya, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora and Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

    (With inputs from IANS)