VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html Taurus Horoscope Today, August 26, 2026: Jupiter and Moon bring unexpected optimism Cole Tucker and wife Vanessa Hudgens’ combined net worth in 2026: Inside MLB earnings, endorsements, investments, family life and luxury lifestyle Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu also announced plans for the country’s first Trade Acceleration Zone. Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu called upon Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to pivot away from being framed solely by climate vulnerability and isolation, while also urging global leaders and private sector partners to view island economies as dynamic “laboratories for innovation”.Delivering a keynote statement at the opening ceremony of the Small Island Developing States Global Business Network (SIDS GBN) Forum 2026, Muizzu outlined an economic modernization plan aimed at turning geographic constraints into digital and strategic advantages.With the global dialogue surrounding small island nations focused on their acute climate risk, geographical isolation, and structural economic constraints, Muizzu stressed that vulnerability represents only half the story.”For too long, the story of Small Island Developing States has been told primarily through the lens of vulnerability. The other part is our determination. Our scale can become an advantage. SIDS can serve as laboratories for innovation and incubators for ideas, technologies, and solutions,” he said.The president’s address focused on the Maldives 2.0 agenda, designed to leverage technology to overcome the traditional barriers of an archipelagic state. Under this strategic initiative, the Maldivian government aims to expand its digital and creative sectors, setting a target for these industries to account for 15 percent of national GDP by 2030.“We have identified the digital economy and digitalisation as central to advancing our economy. Through our Maldives 2.0 agenda, we are working to use digital connectivity to overcome the limitations of geography and scale — making government and financial services more accessible, enabling businesses to operate more efficiently, and connecting Maldivian enterprises and talent to global markets,” said Muizzu.The Maldives is enhancing financial technology accessibility for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Key measures include launching homegrown digital payment platforms such as BML Swipe and expanding international gateway integration through services like PayPal.Muizzu also announced plans for the country’s first Trade Acceleration Zone, set to launch by January 1, 2027, to incentivize enterprise development and fast-track commercial growth.While reaffirming the Maldives’ commitment to attracting international capital through a modernized foreign investment framework, Muizzu stressed that foreign partnerships must align with national interests. New legal safeguards have been introduced to protect domestic commerce by reserving specific commercial activities strictly for local entities, ensuring economic growth directly benefits Maldivian citizens, he stressed.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesMuizzu called upon international investors, technology companies, and global financial institutions to establish concrete commercial partnerships with small island states. He reiterated the Maldives’ commitment to implementing the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS), urging global stakeholders to bridge the gap between initial innovation and sustainable commercial financing.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosPak’s Nuke Storage Area Kirana Hills Hit In Op Sindoor? Ex-cds Anil Chauhan Reveals Shocking DetailsBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? China Prepares Massive Delegation As India-China Ties Show Fresh ThawExplained: Why Are Sugar Prices Rising In India Despite Record Sugarcane Production?Supreme Court Notice To 20 Rebel TMC MPs On Abhishek Banerjee’s Disqualification Plea’People Were Shot In The Head’: Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Inquiry Report Into 2025 Ladakh ViolenceAjeet Bharti EXCLUSIVE On ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’, Harsh Dubey, CJP & His Criticism Of BJPTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration Blow123PhotostoriesWho is Sheikha Moza? The Qatari royal who made haute couture her signature5 iconic places in Maharashtra where Ganesh Chaturthi is more than a festivalChinese singer Liu Yu’s Manish Malhotra couture moment in Paris is proof that Indian craftsmanship needs no introduction10 baby girl names that sound modern but have ancient roots5 traditional Bengali sarees you probably haven’t heard ofFrom castor to coconut oil: Natural oils for faster beard growthTraitors 2: From Shalini Passi’s over Rs 2,000 crore family wealth to Mallika Sherawat’s Rs 170 crore fortune, here’s a look at the net worth of popular contestantsYour blood pressure could be rising because of these 7 everyday habits you may think are completely harmless7 simple ways to live every day like a holiday like Dua Lipa, despite working full-timeUrvashi Rautela makes a tricolour statement in a one-of-a-kind gown that took 3 months to create123Hot PicksBPSC exam rowSugar priceNew Zealand social media banTrump tariffICSI CS june resultNEET UG 2026Sridhar VembuTrump’s SpaceXNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingBandra Parsi BungalowSuresh GowdaRupali ChakankarKarnataka Food Licence SuspensionAllahabad High CourtMumbai Airport DemolitionRam RahimDelhi Women AccidentDelhi Gurgaon RainMaharashtra Hill Tragedy Aug 26, 2026, 00:52 IST In 1929, Benjamin and Estella Loomis gave Lassen Volcanic National Park 40 acres, a museum and a seismograph building; they kept only a tiny lifetime lease, while their museum became the first privately built one donated to a US national park Chad Ochocinco points to Week 3 as Deshaun Watson’s Browns future hangs in balance with Shedeur Sanders Ajit Doval and Wang Yi after the meeting. Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India next month, India and China held the 25th round of Special Representatives (SR) Dialogue on the Boundary Question, endorsing efforts to formalise the recent turnaround in the relationship on the back of border peace and discussing issues like de-escalation, boundary demarcation and border management.After the talks chaired by Special Representatives Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, while India said both sides agreed to work towards a political settlement of the boundary question in their long-term interests, Beijing also recalled a 2005 bilateral agreement to stress its proposal for a package solution.Doval was quoted as saying by the Chinese side that India and China are partners, not competitors, and developing a stable, predictable, and forward-looking India-China relationship carries great significance also for Asia and the world.“The normalcy we have witnessed in our relationship has been a direct result of both sides maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” said Doval, stressing the significance of border peace for further progress in bilateral ties. Wang, however, reiterated China’s position that the border issue must be placed in an “appropriate position” in ties.According to a Chinese readout, Doval and Wang held “in-depth communications” on advancing boundary demarcation negotiations, improving border management and control and promoting cross-border cooperation, while reaffirming their commitment to the 2005 agreement on political parameters and guiding principles for a “fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable package settlement” to the boundary question.China had dropped the mention of package settlement, which seeks a quid-pro-quo approach, in its readout of the last round of talks but had used it regularly for SR meetings earlier. Indian governments in the past, like in 2007 in Parliament, have said that they were exploring a “final package settlement” covering all sectors of the boundary under the 2005 bilateral agreement but India has not used that formulation recently, stressing instead on a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement framework.On this occasion, the Indian government said in a statement that under the strategic guidance of PM Narendra Modi and President Xi, – in a constructive and forward-looking spirit – Doval and Wang had a candid exchange of views and agreed to continue their work in seeking a “political settlement of the boundary question in the context of their overall and long-term interests”.The SR talks took place ahead of likely back-to-back bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi – first in Kyrgyzstan on the margins of the upcoming SCO summit and second at the BRICS summit that India will host on September 12-13. Xi is expected to arrive in India on September 12 for his first visit to the country in 7 years. While the schedule is yet to be confirmed, official sources said he will have a bilateral meeting with Modi and attend the PM’s welcome dinner for BRICS leaders on September 12, before participating in the BRICS summit the next day.On the boundary issue, the Chinese side further said that both countries agreed to properly handle the boundary question through dialogue and consultation, jointly safeguarding peace and tranquility in the border areas.According to Beijing, Wang said that China-India relations have surpassed the bilateral scope and hold global and strategic significance and pointed to consensus reached in Modi-Xi metings in Kazan and Tianjin.”China is willing to join hands with India to grasp bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, strengthen communication, enhance understanding, resolve differences, overcome obstacles, and serve as good neighbors, friends, and mutually enabling partners, thereby realizing the vision of the Dragon-Elephant Tango,” said Wang.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesDoval also called on Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng during the visit and discussed ways to strengthen peace and tranquility in the border areas and further improve bilateral relations across economic, political and multilateral forums.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosPak’s Nuke Storage Area Kirana Hills Hit In Op Sindoor? Ex-cds Anil Chauhan Reveals Shocking DetailsBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? China Prepares Massive Delegation As India-China Ties Show Fresh ThawExplained: Why Are Sugar Prices Rising In India Despite Record Sugarcane Production?Supreme Court Notice To 20 Rebel TMC MPs On Abhishek Banerjee’s Disqualification Plea’People Were Shot In The Head’: Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Inquiry Report Into 2025 Ladakh ViolenceAjeet Bharti EXCLUSIVE On ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’, Harsh Dubey, CJP & His Criticism Of BJPTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration Blow123PhotostoriesWho is Sheikha Moza? The Qatari royal who made haute couture her signature5 iconic places in Maharashtra where Ganesh Chaturthi is more than a festivalChinese singer Liu Yu’s Manish Malhotra couture moment in Paris is proof that Indian craftsmanship needs no introduction10 baby girl names that sound modern but have ancient roots5 traditional Bengali sarees you probably haven’t heard ofFrom castor to coconut oil: Natural oils for faster beard growthTraitors 2: From Shalini Passi’s over Rs 2,000 crore family wealth to Mallika Sherawat’s Rs 170 crore fortune, here’s a look at the net worth of popular contestantsYour blood pressure could be rising because of these 7 everyday habits you may think are completely harmless7 simple ways to live every day like a holiday like Dua Lipa, despite working full-timeUrvashi Rautela makes a tricolour statement in a one-of-a-kind gown that took 3 months to create123Hot PicksBPSC exam rowSugar priceNew Zealand social media banTrump tariffICSI CS june resultNEET UG 2026Sridhar VembuTrump’s SpaceXNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingBandra Parsi BungalowSuresh GowdaRupali ChakankarKarnataka Food Licence SuspensionAllahabad High CourtMumbai Airport DemolitionRam RahimDelhi Women AccidentDelhi Gurgaon RainMaharashtra Hill Tragedy Aries Horoscope Today, August 26, 2026: Significant advancements in work routines observed today; home life radiates warmth and connection 8 terror suspects held in Kashmir; arms-ammo, posters seized Mentmore Towers, Batman Begins’ Wayne Manor in Buckinghamshire, could be seized as owners face deadline to repair crumbling mansion and conduct bat surveys to save historic property Baglihar stage-I in Ramban district has remained non-operational for a week (Photo for representation) SRINAGAR: Jammu & Kashmir is grappling with power shortages and unscheduled outages after key hydroelectric projects, including the 450MW Baglihar stage I and the Salal project, were shut for silt-flushing operations. Baglihar stage-I in Ramban district has remained non-operational for a week, with accumulated silt at its gates delaying restoration work.Officials said desilting work at Baglihar stages I and II and the Salal project began on Aug 18. While Baglihar stage II resumed generation on Aug 22, stage I is yet to restart. Salal is expected to resume operations on Tuesday.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe prolonged shutdown has widened the region’s power deficit. Jammu & Kashmir’s peak electricity demand stands at about 2,500MW in summer and 3,000MW in winter. With both Baglihar units largely unavailable for most of the past week, Jammu & Kashmir faced a shortfall of nearly 900MW.Built on the Chenab river, Baglihar stages I and II are among Jammu & Kashmir’s key power sources. Following the disruption, the power department is exploring alternative arrangements to bridge the supply gap.The crisis comes amid criticism of the Omar Abdullah-led govt over rising electricity tariffs. From Sept 1, power consumers in Jammu & Kashmir will face a 6.83% tariff hike.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosPak’s Nuke Storage Area Kirana Hills Hit In Op Sindoor? Ex-cds Anil Chauhan Reveals Shocking DetailsBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? China Prepares Massive Delegation As India-China Ties Show Fresh ThawExplained: Why Are Sugar Prices Rising In India Despite Record Sugarcane Production?Supreme Court Notice To 20 Rebel TMC MPs On Abhishek Banerjee’s Disqualification Plea’People Were Shot In The Head’: Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Inquiry Report Into 2025 Ladakh ViolenceAjeet Bharti EXCLUSIVE On ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’, Harsh Dubey, CJP & His Criticism Of BJPTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration Blow123PhotostoriesWho is Sheikha Moza? The Qatari royal who made haute couture her signature5 iconic places in Maharashtra where Ganesh Chaturthi is more than a festivalChinese singer Liu Yu’s Manish Malhotra couture moment in Paris is proof that Indian craftsmanship needs no introduction10 baby girl names that sound modern but have ancient roots5 traditional Bengali sarees you probably haven’t heard ofFrom castor to coconut oil: Natural oils for faster beard growthTraitors 2: From Shalini Passi’s over Rs 2,000 crore family wealth to Mallika Sherawat’s Rs 170 crore fortune, here’s a look at the net worth of popular contestantsYour blood pressure could be rising because of these 7 everyday habits you may think are completely harmless7 simple ways to live every day like a holiday like Dua Lipa, despite working full-timeUrvashi Rautela makes a tricolour statement in a one-of-a-kind gown that took 3 months to create123Hot PicksBPSC exam rowSugar priceNew Zealand social media banTrump tariffICSI CS june resultNEET UG 2026Sridhar VembuTrump’s SpaceXNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingBandra Parsi BungalowSuresh GowdaRupali ChakankarKarnataka Food Licence SuspensionAllahabad High CourtMumbai Airport DemolitionRam RahimDelhi Women AccidentDelhi Gurgaon RainMaharashtra Hill Tragedy In 1965, a mountaineer found a dead seabird high in New Zealand’s mountains. Then, spent next 50 years to save its species from extinction In 1973, Dr Martin Cooper made world’s first mobile phone call to his rival at Bell Labs; but all he heard back was silence as … New Mexico has protected nearly 11,000 acres along the Mimbres River as a new wildlife area, safeguarding historic water rights, rare river habitat and a 2-mile stretch of the desert stream Two separate accidents occurred at NHAI construction sites in Samba and Jammu districts (Representative image) JAMMU: Two workers, aged 25 and 45, died in two separate accidents at NHAI construction sites in Samba and Jammu districts in J&K on Tuesday.“Gotam Sahu, from Bihar, was engaged in laying the pier of a bridge on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra project in Samba’s Jakh, when a concrete structure collapsed suddenly, killing him on the spot. Another worker, also from Bihar, suffered injuries,” said NHAI project director Rajiv Kumar.Officials said Sahu’s wife has been given an immediate relief of Rs 5 lakh from the contractor and Rs 5 lakh from the state administration. Another Rs 5 lakh will be credited to her account, they added.In a similar incident, Budhi Singh (45), from Ramban, died after falling from a height at his workplace near Sidhra Tawi Bridge construction site in Jammu on Tuesday, officials said.“He was rushed to Govt Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu, where doctors declared him dead,” an official said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosPak’s Nuke Storage Area Kirana Hills Hit In Op Sindoor? Ex-cds Anil Chauhan Reveals Shocking DetailsBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? China Prepares Massive Delegation As India-China Ties Show Fresh ThawExplained: Why Are Sugar Prices Rising In India Despite Record Sugarcane Production?Supreme Court Notice To 20 Rebel TMC MPs On Abhishek Banerjee’s Disqualification Plea’People Were Shot In The Head’: Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Inquiry Report Into 2025 Ladakh ViolenceAjeet Bharti EXCLUSIVE On ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’, Harsh Dubey, CJP & His Criticism Of BJPTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration Blow123PhotostoriesWho is Sheikha Moza? The Qatari royal who made haute couture her signature5 iconic places in Maharashtra where Ganesh Chaturthi is more than a festivalChinese singer Liu Yu’s Manish Malhotra couture moment in Paris is proof that Indian craftsmanship needs no introduction10 baby girl names that sound modern but have ancient roots5 traditional Bengali sarees you probably haven’t heard ofFrom castor to coconut oil: Natural oils for faster beard growthTraitors 2: From Shalini Passi’s over Rs 2,000 crore family wealth to Mallika Sherawat’s Rs 170 crore fortune, here’s a look at the net worth of popular contestantsYour blood pressure could be rising because of these 7 everyday habits you may think are completely harmless7 simple ways to live every day like a holiday like Dua Lipa, despite working full-timeUrvashi Rautela makes a tricolour statement in a one-of-a-kind gown that took 3 months to create123Hot PicksBPSC exam rowSugar priceNew Zealand social media banTrump tariffICSI CS june resultNEET UG 2026Sridhar VembuTrump’s SpaceXNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingBandra Parsi BungalowSuresh GowdaRupali ChakankarKarnataka Food Licence SuspensionAllahabad High CourtMumbai Airport DemolitionRam RahimDelhi Women AccidentDelhi Gurgaon RainMaharashtra Hill Tragedy Urvashi Rautela faces backlash over Tiranga-inspired gown at Miss Universe India, defends her look: ‘It is a theatrical, high-fashion homage’ Dolly Parton, iconic American singer and songwriter who shaped country music, dies at 80 Florida voters have approved $35 million to buy and transform 5.8 miles of underused railroad into a trail that will form part of an 11.4-mile greenway and help close a gap in a planned 400-mile trail network “E20 fuel hazardous for pre-2023 vehicles, auto firms silenced by fear of raids”: Arvind Kejriwal AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday stepped up his attack on the Centre’s nationwide rollout of E20 petrol, alleging that auto majors are being forced to stay silent on its risks.Addressing a press conference in Goa ahead of a town hall on the issue, Kejriwal claimed top officials of leading car and bike companies have privately admitted that E20 fuel can cause severe damage to vehicles manufactured before 2023, but are refusing to speak publicly due to government pressure.Kejriwal said he wrote letters to 29 automobile manufacturing companies, asking them whether E20 fuel could be safely used in vehicles manufactured by them before 2023. He said he received no response to the letters.”I wrote letters to 29 auto manufacturing companies. I asked them whether E20 fuel could be safely used in vehicles they had manufactured prior to 2023. I received no response,” Kejriwal said.He said he subsequently spoke to officials from nine automobile companies, who, according to him, spoke candidly about the issue but requested that their identities and the names of their companies not be disclosed.According to Kejriwal, the officials told him that E20 is a “very dangerous fuel” and that using it in petrol-based vehicles manufactured before 2023 would be “extremely hazardous” for those vehicles.However, he claimed that the officials were unwilling to speak publicly about the issue because they were under pressure from the Central Government.”They stated that E20 is a very dangerous fuel and using it in petrol-based vehicles manufactured before 2023 would be extremely hazardous for the vehicles,” Kejriwal said.He further alleged that the automobile company officials feared that speaking against E20 could result in action by central investigative and tax agencies.”However, they said they could not speak out publicly because they are under immense pressure from the Central Government, and speaking against E20 could trigger raids by the ED, CBI, or Income Tax Department against them, or even lead to the closure of their plants,” he said.Kejriwal also claimed that the officials were being “harassed in various ways” and therefore did not want their identities or company names to be made public.His remarks came in the context of concerns over the use of E20 fuel in petrol vehicles manufactured before 2023.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe AAP leader did not disclose the names of the companies or the officials he said he had spoken to.Opposing the Centre’s forced rollout of E20 fuel (20% ethanol, 80% petrol), the Aam Aadmi Party said the blend has triggered complaints of reduced mileage, engine damage and early wear of fuel components, with pre-2023 vehicles being the worst hit.Kejriwal’s remarks come as part of AAP’s series of town halls across major states. The party has been demanding that the Central Government reinstate consumer choice at petrol pumps by offering standard petrol alongside ethanol blends.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? 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The Qatari royal who made haute couture her signature5 iconic places in Maharashtra where Ganesh Chaturthi is more than a festivalChinese singer Liu Yu’s Manish Malhotra couture moment in Paris is proof that Indian craftsmanship needs no introduction10 baby girl names that sound modern but have ancient roots5 traditional Bengali sarees you probably haven’t heard ofFrom castor to coconut oil: Natural oils for faster beard growthTraitors 2: From Shalini Passi’s over Rs 2,000 crore family wealth to Mallika Sherawat’s Rs 170 crore fortune, here’s a look at the net worth of popular contestantsYour blood pressure could be rising because of these 7 everyday habits you may think are completely harmless7 simple ways to live every day like a holiday like Dua Lipa, despite working full-timeUrvashi Rautela makes a tricolour statement in a one-of-a-kind gown that took 3 months to create123Hot PicksBPSC exam rowSugar priceNew Zealand social media banTrump tariffICSI CS june resultNEET UG 2026Sridhar VembuTrump’s SpaceXNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingBandra Parsi BungalowSuresh GowdaRupali ChakankarKarnataka Food Licence SuspensionAllahabad High CourtMumbai Airport DemolitionRam RahimDelhi Women AccidentDelhi Gurgaon RainMaharashtra Hill Tragedy Kishor challenges Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary, leader of oppn Tejashwi to clear Class 10 exam H-1B contracting firms under stricter scrutiny in new regulation: ‘Why no new regulation for H-2B who work at Mar-a-Lago’ Amit Shah NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the Narendra Modi govt has set a goal to make the country illegal immigration-free in a “very short period of time” and, for this purpose, reached out to the border states over the past eight months, sharing with them its document on a quadrangular approach to border security.The policy drawn up by the Centre enlists the border guarding forces, state and district administration, relevant arms of govt of India and local citizens as key stakeholders in securing the borders.Addressing the valedictory session of the national security strategy conference (NSSC) organised by Intelligence Bureau here, Shah reiterated that “this country is not a Dharamshala and only the citizens have the right to live here”. “Infiltrators are a threat of the country’s security, economy and trigger unnatural demographic shifts,” he stated at the event attended by over 850 officials of the Central security agencies and forces, the state/UT police and intelligence agencies.With NSSC focused on anticipating security trends and challenges over the next 15-20 years and devising strategies to avert them, Shah underlined that challenges should be identified and destroyed before they become big. “By creating such an ecosystem, we will be able to create a secure, infiltrator-free and narcotics free India,” he told the officers that included both young ones at the cutting-edge level and their seasoned, experienced seniors.Stating that PM Narendra Modi had set the target of making the nation developed by 2047, Shah said the first condition for this would be making its internal security more robust.Commending the state police forces, central agencies and the Central armed police forces (CAPFs) for having eliminated the challenge posed by three hotspots — J&K, Left-wing extremism-hit areas and the north-east — the home minister said that had the past governments visualised these problems before they became acute, the country would not have had to bear the brunt of them for decades.Shah also described the dismantling of the Popular Front of India (PFI) network “in one night” (in multi-state raids of Sept 2022), apart from imposing a ban on it, as “an excellent instance of Centre-state coordination”.The home minister emphasised on the need to take the country’s first anti-terror doctrine — PRAHAAR — from document to practice, to “eradicate terrorism and dismantle the terror ecosystem”. He said the govt has strengthened the anti-fugitive drive, having deported 274 fugitives from different countries between 2019 and 2026. “All the states should aim to bring the fugitives back to face the law here,” he stated.Stating that global instability, lack of energy security, supply chain disruption and increasing radicalisation of cyber misinformation have emerged as the key challenges, Shah insisted that the security policy taken each of these into account and aim to effectively tackle them.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesWith the latest focus of the home minister being to eliminate the drugs menace, Shah sought the cooperation of the states in making the country narcotics-free.”Police of all states should implement the Narcotics Control Vision Document 2026-2029 on the ground to protect the new generation and work on three D’s ‘detect, disrupt and destroy’ for “a drug-free India,” he stated.Shah also asked the officers to used the integrated data bank of CCTNS, ICJS, Natgrid and NAFIS to develop actionable intelligence through data integration, analysis and identification of modus operandi through AI, so that future challenges can be prevented.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorBharti JainBharti Jain is senior editor with The Times of India, New Delhi. She has been writing on security matters since 1996. Having covered the Union home ministry, security agencies, Election Commission and the ‘prime’ political beat, the Congress, for The Economic Times all these years, she moved to TOI in August 2012. Her repertoire of news stories delves into the whole gamut of issues related to terrorism and internal strife, besides probing strategic affairs in India’s neighbourhood.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? 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(Representative image) NEW DELHI: Patients in India could get faster access to some newer medical devices already approved in the European Union, with the government expanding its list of trusted foreign regulatory jurisdictions while also easing licensing requirements for manufacturers outsourcing sterilisation.The Health Ministry has amended the Medical Devices Rules, 2017 to include the European Union among jurisdictions recognised for waiver of clinical investigation requirements for eligible medical devices that do not have a predicate device in India. The list earlier included the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Japan.The change means eligible devices that have already received regulatory approval in the EU can potentially avoid a fresh clinical investigation in India, reducing the time and regulatory steps required before they can be made available to patients. The waiver remains subject to the conditions prescribed under the rules.The government said the move would reduce regulatory timelines for manufacturers and importers and facilitate faster availability of advanced medical technologies in India. The addition of the EU also brings India’s medical-device regulatory framework closer to international regulatory practices.Separately, manufacturers outsourcing sterilisation to a facility with a valid licence will no longer need a separate loan licence, reducing paperwork, compliance costs and delays. However, they will still have to print the sterilisation facility’s licence number on the device label, with six months to comply. The labelling requirement had drawn industry concerns over added compliance burden and possible export delays.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThe government has also introduced a standard fee schedule for testing and evaluation of medical devices. The new charges include Rs 5,000 for implantation tests, Rs 2,000 for sterility testing, Rs 1,000 for syringes and needles and Rs 3,000 for surgical sutures. Testing fees for condoms and intrauterine devices have been fixed at Rs 2,500 each.For tests not specified in the schedule, the charges will be decided by the concerned laboratory or medical device testing officer. The prescribed fees will automatically rise by 5% annually.The three changes are aimed at cutting regulatory duplication, making compliance costs more predictable and speeding up access to medical devices while retaining requirements for quality, safety and traceability. The sterilisation and testing-fee amendments were notified as the Medical Devices (Second Amendment) Rules, 2026.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAnuja JaiswalAnuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? 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They underlined that the word “OBC” has not even been used in Census.In the backdrop of the controversy triggered by the questionnaire, Kharge and Rahul told PM “your govt” has adopted an “open-ended question” to collect information about caste and that enumerators will have to take for answer whatever a person replies to the caste question.They argued that a caste is known by different names and sub-castes depending on the region, which would result in one caste being recorded by thousands of names. “This would result in lakhs of castes being registered in the country and the entire data recorded in the caste census would become useless,” the letter said.“We don’t approve of the caste census being done through this methodology. Govt should cancel the present questionnaire and prepare a fresh one through consultations with political parties, experts and public, so that a correct headcount of every caste and community is collected, and the caste census is precise, relevant and beneficial,” it said.Kharge and Rahul said a readymade solution to the problem is that a “drop down menu” comprising list of castes be added to the questionnaire. “This very methodology is used for counting SCs and STs (in Census)…this methodology was adopted in the caste surveys of Bihar and Telangana. We are enclosing the caste lists of the two surveys for understanding,” they said.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesFurther, they said such a list of castes for Census can easily be compiled on the basis of existing govt lists like Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and Anthropological Survey of India.Releasing the letter, AICC spokesman Jairam Ramesh and OBC department chairperson Anil Jaihind said govt had in an affidavit to Supreme Court in Sept 2021 submitted that a “drop down menu” with list of castes will have to be used if a caste census was to be done.Ramesh said census enumerators can carry the said list of OBCs and record precise answers to the question on caste. He accused govt of “sabotaging” caste census.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBihar BPSC Protest Explodes In Patna As Students Break Barricades, Police Use Water Cannons | WatchIndia Opens DRDO Missile Technologies To Defence Firms In Major Push For Indigenous ProductionXi-Modi Meeting In Delhi? China Prepares Massive Delegation As India-China Ties Show Fresh ThawExplained: Why Are Sugar Prices Rising In India Despite Record Sugarcane Production?Supreme Court Notice To 20 Rebel TMC MPs On Abhishek Banerjee’s Disqualification Plea’People Were Shot In The Head’: Sonam Wangchuk Seeks Inquiry Report Into 2025 Ladakh ViolenceAjeet Bharti EXCLUSIVE On ‘Reservation Hatao Andolan’, Harsh Dubey, CJP & His Criticism Of BJPTMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsTrump Pushes $103,265 H-1B Fee; 71% Indian Professionals Brace For Major Immigration BlowJaishankar Meets Putin In Moscow, India-Russia Trade Soars As Both Sides Target $100 Billion By 2030123Photostories5 iconic places in Maharashtra where Ganesh Chaturthi is more than a festivalChinese singer Liu Yu’s Manish Malhotra couture moment in Paris is proof that Indian craftsmanship needs no introduction10 baby girl names that sound modern but have ancient roots5 traditional Bengali sarees you probably haven’t heard ofFrom castor to coconut oil: Natural oils for faster beard growthTraitors 2: From Shalini Passi’s over Rs 2,000 crore family wealth to Mallika Sherawat’s Rs 170 crore fortune, here’s a look at the net worth of popular contestantsYour blood pressure could be rising because of these 7 everyday habits you may think are completely harmless7 simple ways to live every day like a holiday like Dua Lipa, despite working full-timeUrvashi Rautela makes a tricolour statement in a one-of-a-kind gown that took 3 months to createOptical illusion personality test: The object you spot first reveals the trait you’re probably in denial about123Hot PicksBPSC exam rowSugar priceNew Zealand social media banTrump tariffICSI CS june resultNEET UG 2026Sridhar VembuTrump’s SpaceXNEET PG 2026 admit cardTop TrendingBandra Parsi BungalowSuresh GowdaRupali ChakankarKarnataka Food Licence SuspensionAllahabad High CourtMumbai Airport DemolitionRam RahimDelhi Women AccidentDelhi Gurgaon RainMaharashtra Hill Tragedy Yash’s ‘Toxic’ gets legal protection from Bengaluru court against circulation of false content ahead of August 26 release