VK News Today https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html BPSC exam row: Chaotic scenes unfold in Patna as cops & students face-off; all you need to know US removes Syria from terrorism list after 46 years – what it means for the Middle East country File photo: A plane prepares to land at an airport in New Delhi NEW DELHI: Commercial pilots in India could soon be subjected to annual dope tests that may be conducted at random for the surprise factor. After the pilot in command of Air India’s Aug 4 Phuket-Delhi flight had reportedly tested positive, govt had directed the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to review the existing rules for these tests.“The DGCA is having stakeholder consultation right now on what the current regulation says and how do we ensure there is a strict policy around this (drug tests for pilots) in the future. This consultation is going on right now. There are multiple ways of approaching this dope test. So right now the rule says 10% across the overall pilot network but just like I said DGCA is engaging and one of the opinions from our side is that everyone has to go through it in the year at a random time,” Union aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu said Tuesday.“We have to see how all the stakeholders are going to respond to this because one is the safety aspect of to ensure safety intact and the second is the operational impact. That also has to be taken into consideration.. We are going to balance both. If we do 100%, if every pilot has to go through the dope test once a year, then what can happen, what can be the impact of that, that is what DGCA is looking at,” Naidu added.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesAir India group has initiated a one-time dope test on all its pilots. Other airlines are also doing the same voluntarily, the minister said.The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing the why the Air India Airbus A320 had suffered a sudden loss of altitude by about 300 while operating as AI 2379 on Aug 4 from Phuket to Delhi which had left 20 passengers and four crew members injured. European aerospace major Airbus and France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) also joined the probe under AAIB whose report is expected in a week, according to officials.“Because everything is intact, the data recorder and everything is intact, the plane has also been in their possession…So I believe that we can expect some preliminary report very early from now,” Naidu said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosSupreme 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 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | Exclusive123PhotostoriesOptical illusion personality test: The object you spot first reveals the trait you’re probably in denial about‘They don’t love you, they love your name’:Asim Riaz takes explosive dig at ex Himanshi Khurana, calls her a ‘fame digger’First egg, now chicken? 7 things to know about the Salmonella outbreak in the UKHow to remove coconut flesh from the shell easily: 5 simple tricks without wasting the coconutFrom flamingos to puffins: 5 birds whose beaks look hand-painted by an artistMaria Sharapova to Naomi Osaka: 5 athletes who are serving major fashion moments off the courtSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude123Hot PicksGurgaon schoolAAP councillorsNew 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 ICSI CS Executive June result 2026 declared; Vidhi Suthar secures rank 1: Direct link to download here ‘Awarapan 2’ box office collection Day 12 [LIVE]: Can Emraan Hashmi and Disha Patani film cross Rs 200 crore worldwide before Yash’s ‘Toxic’ releases? The object you spot first reveals the trait you’re probably in denial about Taxpayers in waist-deep water: Gurgaon’s annual infrastructure betrayal CTET September 2026: CBSE reopens application window, candidates can apply till September 1 Quote of the day by Woody Allen: ‘The talent for being happy is appreciating and liking what you have, instead of what you don’t have,’ the ‘Annie Hall’ star’s words on finding happiness in what you already have How to make juice without a mixer: 5 simple alternatives using everyday kitchen items | In 1972, Costa Rica began protecting a misty mountain forest: Decades later, Monteverde’s 10,500 hectares have become a remarkable conservation story Apple says farewell to Tim Cook with OneRepublic, tributes from Steve Jobs’ wife Laurene Powell Jobs, and a ‘personal life update’ from the Cook himself after 12 years Taylor Swift’s life mantra for dealing with challenges: ‘Everything that comes is worth it as long as I get to still make music’ 300 kg paneer seized and destroyed in Noida just days before Raksha Bandhan: Here’s what happened In 2014, scientists set off 23 explosions and deployed 3,500 seismographs around Mount St Helens; the experiment helped image a magma reservoir roughly 4 to 15 km beneath the volcano 2013 rape case: Supreme Court directs Tarun Tejpal to surrender within two weeks In 1912, New Zealand released wallabies near Rotorua; they now occupy more than 200,000 hectares and, if left unchecked, could spread across a third of the country by 2065, causing $84 million in damage a year NSA Ajit Doval calls on Chinese Vice President Han Zhang ahead of border talks NEW DELHI: National security advisor Ajit Doval on Tuesday met Chinese vice president Han Zheng in Beijing, with the two sides discussing ways to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border and further strengthen India-China relations across economic, political and multilateral platforms.The meeting came ahead of the 25th round of special representatives talks on the India-China boundary question between Doval and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi later on Tuesday.Sharing details of the meeting, the Embassy of India in China said, “On 25 August, NSA and Special Representative on the India-China Boundary Question, Ajit Doval called on Han Zheng, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China.”The embassy said Doval and Han discussed ways to strengthen peace and tranquillity in the border areas and further improve bilateral ties “across economic, political and multilateral fora”, in line with the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries.Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday for a two-day visit to participate in the Special Representatives talks with Wang Yi, who is also China’s Foreign Minister. Watch Ajit Doval Breaks Silence On Operation Sindoor, Reveals PM Modi’s Immediate Response After PahalgamThe talks are expected to focus on the boundary question, along with bilateral, regional and international issues.The Chinese Foreign Ministry has described the Special Representatives mechanism as the “main channel” for negotiations between the two countries on the boundary question and an important platform for communication on issues of mutual interest.The mechanism was established in 2003 to address the India-China boundary dispute, which stretches across roughly 3,488 km.The 24th round of talks was held in August last year, when the two sides held what Beijing described as candid and in-depth discussions and reached several common understandings.The upcoming round assumes significance as India and China seek to stabilise ties following years of tensions along the Line of Actual Control.The discussions come amid efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to gradually improve bilateral relations after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the prolonged military stand-off in eastern Ladakh severely strained ties.Doval and Wang had also met in June in New Delhi on the sidelines of the BRICS National Security Advisers’ meeting. The Ministry of External Affairs had described those discussions as “constructive and forward-looking”.MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, “The two sides reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations and noted progress towards gradual normalisation. NSA underlined that stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations contribute to building trust and better understanding between the two sides. The discussions were constructive and forward-looking.”The latest talks also come amid efforts by the two countries to build on a series of high-level engagements between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.The leaders had welcomed positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations during their meeting on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin last year, after their previous meeting in Kazan in October 2024.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesThey had reaffirmed that India and China are development partners rather than rivals and that differences should not be allowed to become disputes.”A stable relationship and cooperation between India and China and their 2.8 billion peoples on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity are necessary for the growth and development of the two countries, as well as for a multipolar world and a multi-polar Asia befitting the trends of the 21st century,” the MEA had said after the leaders’ meeting.Despite the gradual improvement in ties, differences over the boundary and Arunachal Pradesh remain sensitive issues between New Delhi and Beijing.Both Doval and Wang are designated Special Representatives for the boundary talks mechanism. While the process has not resolved the long-running border dispute, officials on both sides continue to regard it as an important channel for managing tensions and maintaining communication.The talks also come ahead of Xi’s expected visit to New Delhi for the BRICS summit on September 12-13, which could provide an opportunity for another meeting between Xi and PM Modi and further discussions on the bilateral relationship.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAyush PandeyAyush Pandey is a journalist at The Times of India, covering breaking news, politics, defence, and major legal and policy developments across India and the world. His reporting focuses on elections, national security, and institutional affairs, tracking the decisions and conflicts that shape public life. He specialises in sharp explainers and in-depth feature stories that go beyond headlines to decode political shifts, defence strategy, geopolitical flashpoints, and changing public sentiment. His work combines speed, clarity, and depth for a fast-moving digital audience.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’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 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada123Photostories‘They don’t love you, they love your name’:Asim Riaz takes explosive dig at ex Himanshi Khurana, calls her a ‘fame digger’First egg, now chicken? 7 things to know about the Salmonella outbreak in the UKHow to remove coconut flesh from the shell easily: 5 simple tricks without wasting the coconutFrom flamingos to puffins: 5 birds whose beaks look hand-painted by an artistMaria Sharapova to Naomi Osaka: 5 athletes who are serving major fashion moments off the courtSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wild123Hot PicksGurgaon schoolAAP councillorsKPMG AustraliaTrump 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 25, 2026, 13:33 IST DU NCWEB fourth cut-off 2026 released for BA Programme, BCom; admissions begin today Kareena Kapoor shares a glimpse from her day at work with a glam selfie Quote of the Day by Albert Einstein: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving” BPSC row: Students break barricades, march towards Raj Bhavan in Patna In 1964, NASA bounced a laser off a satellite; today, the same technology helps track melting ice The movie will include Sadhguru’s narration of yogic tradition. Sadhguru has announced a collaboration with Graphic India this Shravan to produce an animated feature film on Shiva as Adiyogi, described in the yogic tradition as the first yogi and the source of Yoga.The film will draw on yogic lore narrated by Sadhguru and explore the origins of Yoga and the story of Shiva as Adiyogi through animation and cinematic storytelling. Graphic India co-founder Sharad Devarajan will serve as the film’s producer, co-creator and writer.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelines“In the yogic culture, Shiva is not seen as a God. For us, Shiva is the Adiyogi – the first yogi, and the Adiguru – the first guru. For the first time in the history of humanity, Shiva the Adiyogi introduced the idea that the simple laws of nature are not permanent restrictions. If one is willing to strive, one can go beyond all limitations and attain to liberation. Breaking the laws of physical nature is a spiritual process. In this sense, we are outlaws, and Shiva is the ultimate outlaw,” Sadhguru said.The film is currently in development and is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release in 2027. It will focus on the story of Adiyogi and the origins of Yoga, according to the announcement.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’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 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada123Photostories‘They don’t love you, they love your name’:Asim Riaz takes explosive dig at ex Himanshi Khurana, calls her a ‘fame digger’First egg, now chicken? 7 things to know about the Salmonella outbreak in the UKHow to remove coconut flesh from the shell easily: 5 simple tricks without wasting the coconutFrom flamingos to puffins: 5 birds whose beaks look hand-painted by an artistMaria Sharapova to Naomi Osaka: 5 athletes who are serving major fashion moments off the courtSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wild123Hot PicksGurgaon schoolAAP councillorsNew 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 Updated: Aug 25, 2026, 12:58 IST MP ITI admissions 2026: 6th CLC round choice filling begins today; check complete schedule ‘Raaz’ actress Malini Sharma was married to ‘Tum Bin’ actor Priyanshu Chatterjee, has been away for the limelight for 24 years after divorce, now is spending her life farming and lives in Sahyadri hills In 1993, Princess Diana wrote a chilling letter to her butler: ‘My husband is planning an accident in my car’ – 4 years before her fatal crash Ravi Teja’s ‘Irumudi’ lands in controversy as Andhra Teachers’ Federation objects government school and teacher portrayal – Report | Scientists reidentify Ireland’s famous “Kerry Cow” bones as ancient bear and wild boar remains, challenging a long-held theory about how farming reached the island Rahul, Kharge write to PM Modi over caste census NEW DELHI: Congress high-command Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged the PM Modi-led government to change the way caste information is being collected in the census, warning that the current method could result in inaccurate data.The grand old party leaders also called for withdrawal of existing questionnaire, terming those “misleading”.Kharge, Rahul requested PM Modi-led government to opt for a different way to detail on caste.In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two leaders said accurate caste data was necessary for implementing social justice policies. “The policies of social justice in India cannot be properly implemented without accurate data,” they said.Kharge and Rahul objected to the use of an “open-ended question” to record caste details. Under the system, people can provide the name of their caste, which is then recorded in that form.The Congress leaders said the same caste may be known by different names, sub-castes or local names in different parts of India. If these different names are recorded separately, “a single caste could end up being divided into thousands of names,” they said.They warned that this could lead to a very large number of caste categories and make the data generated by the caste census difficult to use.“If the correct number of members of a community is not recorded, its situation will also be assessed incorrectly,” the two leaders said. They argued that inaccurate data could affect backward, extremely backward and other disadvantaged communities.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesAccording to Rahul and Kharge, the impact could extend to government decisions on education, employment, welfare schemes and social justice.They also raised concerns over the lack of clarity about the size of country’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) population. “We would not even know how large the OBC population is in India,” they said, pointing out that the term “backward class” is not included in the census process.Another Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also targeted BJP-led Centre over census. Ramesh said, “Government’s current efforts towards a caste census are just whitewash”.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAbhishek MishraAbhishek Mishra is a Digital Content Producer at The Times of India, working with the news desk. He writes with a keen eye on foreign policy, defence developments, and the shifting currents of geopolitics-and yes, Indian politics always finds a way onto his radar too.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’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 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada123Photostories‘They don’t love you, they love your name’:Asim Riaz takes explosive dig at ex Himanshi Khurana, calls her a ‘fame digger’First egg, now chicken? 7 things to know about the Salmonella outbreak in the UKHow to remove coconut flesh from the shell easily: 5 simple tricks without wasting the coconutFrom flamingos to puffins: 5 birds whose beaks look hand-painted by an artistMaria Sharapova to Naomi Osaka: 5 athletes who are serving major fashion moments off the courtSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wild123Hot PicksGurgaon schoolAAP councillorsNew 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 Updated: Aug 25, 2026, 13:09 IST Zeeshan Ansari: ‘India A and IPL exposure has made me a better leg-spinner’ IIT Guwahati researchers develop low-cost system to remove two dangerous groundwater contaminants After Kangana Ranaut, Kriti Sanon’s Raksha Bandhan ad row grows as Suzanne Bernert calls it ‘way off’ and questions its portrayal of the festival: ‘Wearing less clothes being sold as empowerment’ Psychology says your favourite time of day may reveal something about your personality From 600 to 5,000 packages an hour: FedEx unveils $150 million Delhi cargo hub Dr DisRespect vs Nickmercs controversy: Streamer threatens to assault Nickmercs during Call of Duty stream Calcutta HC protects Abhishek Banerjee from arrest and allows overseas travel for medical treatment. NEW DELHI: The Calcutta high court has clarified that Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee can travel abroad for medical treatment, subject to the conditions permitted by the Supreme Court.The clarification came in connection with a travel restriction imposed on Banerjee in a case involving an allegedly provocative speech made during an election campaign. Watch TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee Moves Supreme Court Over Delay In Disqualification Of 20 Rebel TMC MPsThe development comes after Banerjee approached the Calcutta high court seeking permission to travel overseas for eye treatment. He had sought relaxation of the restriction to allow him to stay abroad for about a week.The matter was placed before Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya.Separately, the Calcutta high court has granted Banerjee protection from arrest until November 30 in three FIRs registered against him.The cases come amid multiple proceedings involving the Diamond Harbour MP and Trinamool Congress national general secretary.The developments also come as the CID continues its investigation into a case involving Banerjee’s alleged ‘DJ’ remark during an election campaign.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesA Bidhannagar court on Tuesday allowed the CID to collect Banerjee’s voice sample as part of the probe. The magistrate accepted the agency’s plea and scheduled the collection for June 30.Banerjee had moved the Calcutta high court earlier seeking permission to travel abroad for eye treatment.The travel plea relates to restrictions imposed by a single bench of the high court in connection with the case involving his alleged speech during election campaigning.The latest clarification allows Banerjee to undertake foreign travel for medical reasons within the framework already permitted by the Supreme Court.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorAyush PandeyAyush Pandey is a journalist at The Times of India, covering breaking news, politics, defence, and major legal and policy developments across India and the world. His reporting focuses on elections, national security, and institutional affairs, tracking the decisions and conflicts that shape public life. He specialises in sharp explainers and in-depth feature stories that go beyond headlines to decode political shifts, defence strategy, geopolitical flashpoints, and changing public sentiment. His work combines speed, clarity, and depth for a fast-moving digital audience.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’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 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada123Photostories‘They don’t love you, they love your name’:Asim Riaz takes explosive dig at ex Himanshi Khurana, calls her a ‘fame digger’First egg, now chicken? 7 things to know about the Salmonella outbreak in the UKHow to remove coconut flesh from the shell easily: 5 simple tricks without wasting the coconutFrom flamingos to puffins: 5 birds whose beaks look hand-painted by an artistMaria Sharapova to Naomi Osaka: 5 athletes who are serving major fashion moments off the courtSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wild123Hot PicksGurgaon schoolAAP councillorsKPMG AustraliaTrump tariffIOB LBO recruitmentNEET 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 25, 2026, 12:47 IST Why Trump may have to target China to make its Iran ‘economic D-Day’ work UPSC Recruitment 2026: Applications open for Central government posts, apply online by September 11 In 1997, Shah Rukh Khan dreamt of buying ‘Mannat’; years later, his dream came true, but he hardly had any money for designing: ‘The lunch that he served us, telling us how he’ll design the house, was way more than the salary’ ‘Toxic’ actress Rukmini Vasanth brings sunshine to Chennai in orange strapless maxi dress Meet Jeremiah Bents, the Minnesota student who recreated Mars soil in a lab to test whether future astronauts could clean contaminated water From 10% to 100%: Aviation ministry weighs annual dope tests for all pilots “I deceived people, I lied”: A 37 year old woman pretrended to be a child for years and convinced families she needed protection; now she is convicted of fraud Women cannot participate fully in the economy if they carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work. For years, CSR programmes aimed at women have focused on familiar themes such as scholarships, skill training, self-help groups and entrepreneurship. But a more fundamental barrier is increasingly coming into focus: women cannot participate fully in the economy if they carry a disproportionate share of unpaid care work.India’s 2024 Time Use Survey found that 81.5% of women aged six and above participated in unpaid domestic services on a given day, compared with 27.1% of men. Women who participated spent an average of 289 minutes a day on such work, against 88 minutes for men. The gap is also visible in unpaid caregiving, where 34% of women participated compared with 17.9% of men. Watch Are Indian Careers Judged Before They’re Even Chosen?The economic consequences are clear. India’s female labour force participation rate was 40% in 2025, compared with 79.1% for men. Among women outside the labour force, 44.4% cited childcare or commitments in homemaking as their main reason.This is changing how the private sector can think about inclusion. Instead of asking only how to train or employ more women, CSR programmes can address issues that prevent them from entering and staying in paid work.Women continue to shoulder a far greater share of unpaid domestic and caregiving work than men, a gap that affects labour-force participation and is increasingly being addressed through childcare, livelihood and inclusion-focused CSR initiatives.Childcare is an obvious starting point. The govt’s Palna scheme provides day-care facilities for children aged six months to six years, including early stimulation, pre-school education, nutrition and health services. By March 2025, 11,395 Anganwadi-cumcreches were approved across states and UTs, although only 1,761 were operational.This gap creates space for corporate and civil society partnerships. Vedanta’s Nand Ghar initiative is one example. Mobile Creches offers another model, combining childcare with support for children from marginalised communities.The significance of such programmes is that childcare need not be viewed simply as a welfare service. It can be economic infrastructure. If reliable childcare frees up women’s time, the next question is whether that time translates into income, assets and greater economic agency.This is where CSR-backed livelihood programmes can connect with care interventions. Mann Deshi Foundation, for example, reports having supported more than 1 million women, with 9 lakh reached through its women’s business schools since 2012.Its 2024-25 data shows that 94% of trained women reported an increase in monthly average income, with the average rise at 56%, while 76% gained ownership of assets. Its Rural Chamber of Commerce for Women reports reaching 1.3 lakh women for financial linkages, with average monthly income rising from Rs 4,300 to Rs 15,296 afterwards.The lesson for CSR is important. Training women without looking at constraints on their time, access to finance and ability to reach markets can produce limited gains. A more complete intervention connects childcare and care services with skilling, credit, entrepreneurship, market access and asset ownership.The same principle applies to disability inclusion. CSR-led organisations are increasingly helping move disability programmes from charity towards employment and economic participation. Other CSR and civil society partnerships address livelihood barriers among vulnerable groups.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesWhat emerges is a broader understanding of inclusion. Women cannot be empowered simply by giving them a training certificate. A person with a disability cannot be included simply by providing an assistive device. A migrant worker cannot be protected merely by registration on a government portal. Effective social investment must address the barriers between a person and economic participation: care, mobility, documentation, accessibility, skills, credit and employment. For CSR, that represents a shift from funding individual interventions to building pathways. The opportunity is significant.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos’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 2030Fresh Kashmiri Pandit Threat: Hit List Reveals Addresses, Phone Numbers, Vehicle Details OnlineDelhi-NCR Rain Fury: Gurugram Under Orange Alert, Work From Home Advisory Issued For August 25’Ram-Ram Inside, Fish Feast Outside’: Yogi Adityanath Slams Cong Over Ayodhya Event; Ajay Rai ReactsDisplaced By Ken-Betwa Project, Tribals Now Struggle For Basic Amenities | ExclusiveIn Leaked Audio, Lawrence Bishnoi’s Aide Goldy Brar Claims He Killed Hardeep Nijjar In Canada123Photostories‘They don’t love you, they love your name’:Asim Riaz takes explosive dig at ex Himanshi Khurana, calls her a ‘fame digger’First egg, now chicken? 7 things to know about the Salmonella outbreak in the UKHow to remove coconut flesh from the shell easily: 5 simple tricks without wasting the coconutFrom flamingos to puffins: 5 birds whose beaks look hand-painted by an artistMaria Sharapova to Naomi Osaka: 5 athletes who are serving major fashion moments off the courtSreeleela’s fish-cut saree just gave traditional draping a seriously savage upgrade10 beautiful baby girl names that capture a sense of wonderOptical Illusion personality test: What you spot first reveals the weak spot in your love lifePriyanka Chopra’s architectural black gown just proved that red-carpet glam needs a little more attitude10 of the world’s most colourful birds to see in the wild123Hot PicksGurgaon schoolAAP councillorsKPMG AustraliaTrump 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 ‘They’ve fallen behind a little bit’: Rahul Dravid on Team India’s WTC final hopes