India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi: Outlining each visa adjudication as a "national security decision", the US has asked applicants to reveal their social media usernames or handles of each platform they have used in the last five years. The US Embassy in India shared the information in a brief statement issued on Thursday, which also cautioned against "omitting" social media information as it could lead to "visa denial and ineligibility for future visas". The statement which was posted on X read, "Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit." The communication continued, "Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas." On June 23, the US Embassy asked those applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa to switch the privacy settings of their social media accounts to "public" to facilitate vetting, which it said was necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the US under law. The embassy had also said since 2019, the US has required visa applicants to provide "social media identifiers" on immigrant and non-immigrant visa application forms. In Thursday's communication, the embassy also attached two related digital posters. "Every U.S. visa adjudication is a national security decision," read the caption on the top of a poster followed by a note. The note read, "The United States requires visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on visa application forms. We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting."
New Delhi, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, J.P. Nadda, on Sunday emphasised the role of key government initiatives in transforming the lives of women across India, marking "11 years of Sashakt Nari" -- a sustained efforts toward women's empowerment under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Initiatives such as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Drone Didi, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with its focus on toilet construction, Mahila Shakti Kendras, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have empowered our sisters and opened countless new oppor ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, July 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Kerala government has come under heavy fire after it was revealed that Jyoti Malhotra, a social media influencer recently arrested on espionage charges, had visited the state as part of a government-sponsored tourism promotion campaign. Malhotra, a Haryana-based vlogger, is now accused of leaking sensitive information to Pakistan. Shockingly, her entire trip across Kerala was facilitated and funded by the state's Tourism Department under an official influencer outreach initiative. Documents obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act c ...Read More >
Berlin/New Delhi: Germany has introduced a visa that allows people from outside the European Union (EU), including Indians, to live and work in the country as freelancers for up to one year. Known as the Freelance Visa or Freiberufler visa, it is designed for self-employed professionals such as writers, designers, consultants and artists. The visa can later be extended for up to three years if the individual continues to meet the necessary requirements. It offers a chance to explore Germany's culture and economy while working independently. The Freelance Visa is part of Germany's larger visio ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) India on Friday welcomed the US designating Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) proxy TRF, which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack, as a global terrorist outfit. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described Washington's decision on The Resistance Force (TRF) as a "strong affirmation" of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. In a social media post, he specially complimented US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for designating the proxy of Pakistan-based LeT. "Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF - a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy - as a Fore ...Read More >
The situation has sparked panic among students and parents alike, with many considering alternative destinations such as Germany and Canada to avoid losing an academic year. The United States is witnessing a steep drop in Indian student arrivals this year, with education consultants reporting a 70-80 per cent dip in outbound traffic. The decline, largely from cities like Hyderabad, is being attributed to a persistent freeze in US visa appointment slots and a sharp spike in rejection rates, leavi ...Read More >
New Delhi: Investigators probing the recent cases of espionage have identified a Lahore-based woman with ties to the Pakistani Army and intelligence agency ISI. She used to trap visa seekers and get them to work for ISI, sources claimed. Naushaba Masood, who runs a travel agency in Pakistan, facilitated visas for those who 'cooperated' and supplied them with SIM cards to begin with.The return favours included a range of tasks, beginning with shooting pro-Pakistan videos and uploading them on YouTube to create a favourable narrative. This was a calculated move by ISI to expand its influence thr ...Read More >
Hyderabad: In a significant boost for 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbharta' in the aerospace and defence sector, and Hyderabad's growing stature as a global aerospace hub, the complete fuselage of the Rafale fighter jet will now be made in India at Hyderabad. This move marks the first time that these Rafale components will be manufactured outside France for the Indian as well as global markets.French aerospace major Dassault Aviation has signed four production transfer agreements with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) for manufacturing key sections of the Rafale fighter jet, including the lateral ...Read More >
Amritsar: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey from Jharkhand has claimed that Britain assisted India in executing the 1984 Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, stoking a new controversy.In a post on X on Monday, Dubey alleged that then PM Indira Gandhi "launched an attack on the Golden Temple in collaboration with Britain", with British Army officers present in Amritsar.He uploaded a classified British document, "Sikh Community", claiming that on Feb 23, 1984, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office mentioned in a letter that the Indian govt had sought British advice over a plan to remove Si ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 10, 2025 -- The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for greater transparency and due process in how Indian authorities handle social media restrictions, following reports of the temporary block of multiple international news organizations' X accounts over the weekend. X accused the Indian government of censoring the press. "This incident once again underscores the serious lack of transparency and accountability in how the Indian government issues and enforces orders for the removal of social media content and the blocking of accounts," said Kunāl Majumder, CPJ's India repre ...Read More >
MUMBAI: The Indian equity indices opened lower on Friday as heavyweights like Axis Bank and Bharti Airtel were among the top losers in the BSE benchmark. At 9.25 am, Sensex was down 171 points or 0.21 per cent at 82, 087 and Nifty was down 35 points or 0.14 per cent at 25, 075. In the Sensex pack, M&M, Tata Steel, Power Grid, L&T, UltraTech Cement, Infosys, Tata Motors, BEL, NTPC, TCS, Trent and Maruti Suzuki were top gainers. Axis Bank, Bharti Airtel, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Tech Mahindra , HDFC Bank, Eternal (Zomato), HUL, Sun Pharma, Bajaj Finance, ICICI Bank, Titan and Bajaj Finserv ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], January 10 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that people misunderstand the meaning of, "minimum government, maximum governance". He said that the efforts must be to increase the speed of work done by government departments and thus, he had made different ministries for skill, cooperatives, and fisheries. Speaking in a podcast with Zerodha Co-founder Nikhil Kamath, PM Modi said that the government took away 40,000 compliances to increase the speed of work in different departments. "We often misunderstand the concept of minimum government, maximum governance. Some bel ...Read More >
India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam ShowQuick Read Summary is AI-generated, newsroom-reviewed Political leadership forbade targeting Pakistani air defences in initial phase, Captain Shiv Kumar saidCongress criticised the BJP government for "misleading" the public on Operation SindoorOpposition demanded all-party meeting and special parliament session on the issue Did our AI summary help? Let us know. New Delhi: A comment by India's defence attache ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Tibet-related issue is a thorn in the China-India relationship, becoming a burden for India, and playing the "Xizang card" will definitely "end up shooting oneself in the foot", said the Chinese embassy spokesperson here taking note of recent remarks by members of the Indian strategic and academic communities.China had earlier formally registered a protest with India over PM Narendra Modi's birthday greetings to the Dalai Lama and remarks by Union minister Kiren Rijiju that the Tib ...Read More >
BENGALURU -- Police in India are trying to piece together the story of a Russian woman who was found living in a cave in the southern state of Karnataka with her two young daughters. Nina Kutina was rescued on 9 July by policemen who were on a routine patrol near Ramteertha hills in the Gokarna forest, which borders the tourist paradise of Goa. Authorities say the 40-year-old and her daughters - six and five years old - do not have valid documents to stay in India. They have been lodged in a detention centre for foreigners near Bengaluru, the state capital, and will be deported soon. Kutina ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 18 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday welcomed the United States decision to designate as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, The Resistance Front (TRF) which is a proxy of Pakistan Lashkar-e Tayyiba (LeT) terror group and that has claimed responsiblity for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Jaishankar termed the move by the US Department of State as a strong affirmation of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and S ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 27: The US Embassy in India has issued a strict warning for all visa applicants regarding social media disclosures on their DS-160 visa application forms. In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), the embassy stated, "Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas." All applicants are now required to list every social media username or handle they've used in the last five years -- regardless of whether the accounts are still active. This mandate is part of broader vetting procedures implemented by the US State Department to stren ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Silver prices on Thursday, crossed USD 35 mark per ounce and hit its highest level since March 2012, boosted by a combination of factors such as weaker US dollar, rising geopoltical tension and robust industrial demand. 'With the trust in dollar decreasing silver appears to be a good avenue for money to move to and the Gold Silver ratio was recently above 1.10 so the only way forward was either silver prices rise up or gold prices fall, and thats what has happened silver has risen far more than gold,' said Mrinesh Jain Director, Bombay Bullion Metal Hub LLP. ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday issued a stern reminder to Indian nationals traveling abroad following recent arrests in the United States, underscoring the critical need to adhere strictly to local laws and protect India's international reputation. The caution comes amid rising incidents of legal troubles faced by Indians overseas, highlighting the consequences of unlawful conduct in foreign countries. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal referred to two notable cases: an Indian tourist allegedly caught shoplifting goods valued at nearly $1,000 from a US store, and ...Read More >
The US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a foreign terrorist organization after it claimed responsibility for the deadly Pahalgam attack in 2025. This move, hailed by India, strengthens counter-terrorism cooperation between the two nations. India can now push for Pakistan's relisting on the FATF grey list. The US has designated The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba which had initially claimed responsibility f ...Read More >
Jammu- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the ongoing restoration work of the historic Mubarak Mandi complex, which was the power centre of the Dogra kings in Jammu, and stressed on enhancing its heritage appeal. The Mubarak Mandi Complex is one of Jammu's most significant architectural heritage sites and is envisioned as a comprehensive cultural centre, housing museums, conference venues and heritage hospitality services. Accompanied by Advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the visit, the chief minister was briefed in detail on the multi-phas ...Read More >
Imphal, June 7 (UNI) Three militants were nabbed in separate incidents during the last 24 hours in Manipur, police said on Saturday. Manipur Police arrested a militant from Moidangpok Awang Leikai from Khumbong Bazar under Imphal West District, they said. Security forces arrested a militant from the Elangkhanpokpi Mayai Leikai area under Kakching district. Security forces apprehended a militant from Wangoo Samushang in Bishnupur district and elected members from Kumbi area. In an operation, one M16 rifle, one bolt-action rifle, three pull-mechanism rifles, three improvised mortars, and fiv ...Read More >
Those persons who are staying illegally in the US or have committed visa fraud will be held responsible, the country's embassy in India said on Saturday. The US Embassy in a brief statement on X also said if anyone breaks the US law, they will be punished with "significant criminal penalties". "Those who are in the United States illegally or commit visa fraud will be held responsible. If you break US law, you will be punished with significant criminal penalties," the embassy said in its post. ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) A controversy has erupted over the remarks by the Indian defence attache in Indonesia suggesting that the Indian Air Force lost fighter jets in the initial phase of Operation Sindoor as it was constrained by the mandate to not attack Pakistani military establishment and only target terrorist infrastructure. As the purported video of the remarks made by Captain Shiv Kumar on June 10 at a gathering surfaced on Sunday, the Indian embassy in Jakarta said the officer only stated the fact that the Indian armed forces serve under political leadership, unlike some other countr ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): The social media accounts of several Pakistani actors and cricketers remain blocked after it was reported that certain celeb accounts were now accessible to Indian users. On Wednesday, the Instagram accounts of certain Pakistan actors such as Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor beifely appeared to be accesible to the Indian audience. This significant development sparked outrage on social media. However, as of Thursday morning these accounts continue to be withheld in India. Upon searching for their accounts, users can see ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The Uttar Pradesh administration has strengthened security arrangements across several districts including Lucknow, Sambhal, and Moradabad to ensure peace and avoid any disruption, as Muharram processions and the Kanwar Yatra are being held at the same time.Large crowds gathered for Muharram processions across different regions, while preparations for the Kanwar Yatra are also underway. Police personnel have been deployed in all sensitive areas, and surveillance is being carried out using drones and CCTV cameras.In SambhalDistrict Magistrate Dr Rajender Pensiya while speaking to ANI ...Read More >
India on Friday (July 18, 2025) welcomed the U.S. designating Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) proxy The Resistance Front (TRF), which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack, as a global terrorist outfit. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described Washington's decision on The Resistance Force (TRF) as a "strong affirmation" of India-U.S. counter-terrorism cooperation. In a social media post, he specially complimented U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for designating the proxy of Pakistan-based LeT. "Appreciate @SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF -- a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba ( ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a story that reads like the plot of a high-stakes geopolitical thriller, Indian intelligence agencies have uncovered the presence of a mysterious Pakistani woman known as 'Madam N' - a suave and powerful business tycoon from Lahore with alleged orders straight from Pakistan's notorious spy agency - the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Her mission was to infiltrate India through culture, faith and charm and to raise a ghost army of 500 spies scattered quietly across Indian soil. What began as a routine interrogation of arrested social media influencers turned into the stunning ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on late Sunday concluded its high-level visit to the United States, wrapping up the final leg of a diplomatic mission aimed at building international consensus on India's counter-terrorism stance following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead.Taking to X as he wrapped up the US visit, Tharoor wrote: "If you are born a hundred times, you will do it a hundred times. I will love my country with all my heart... A Watan. The whole world now knows the truth. We are lovers of non-violenc ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Thousands of people who gathered at ashoorkhana in Dabeerpura on the 10th day of Muharram (Youm-e-Ashura) took part in the Bibi-ka-Alam procession. The procession commenced from Dabeerpura on an elephant and concluded at Chaderghat. The Shia mourners took out the procession to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Prophet Mohammad's grandson, Imam Hussain, on the 10th day of Muharram. Members of the Shia sect performed matam and participated in processions. The 10th Muharram is the day on which Imam Hussain was martyred in the battle of Karbala by Yazid and his army. The relic made of ...Read More >
The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi has warned Indian nationals they could have their American visas revoked if they commit serious crimes on U.S. soil. The advisory was issued days after police bodycam footage of an Indian woman allegedly shoplifting goods worth around $1,300 from a Target store in Illinois was widely shared online. The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, is reported to have spent several hours in the store in the town of Normal, before gathering the merchandise and heading for the exit. She was stopped by the store's employees, who called the police. The incident, whi ...Read More >