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: India's passport power slipped to the 85th rank out of 199 countries, losing its global mobility, according to a quarterly report of the 2025 Henley Passport Index released on Wednesday. The country previously stood at the 77th position in July. The quarterly report of the index, released by citizenship and residence consultancy firm Henley & Partners, assesses the strength of passports by determining how many destinations citizens can visit without obtaining a visa beforehand. While last year Indian passport holders could travel to 62 countries without a visa, the latest index shows that the number has dropped to 57. Between 2006 and 2025, India recorded its lowest ranking of 90 in 2021 and its highest ranking of 71 in 2006. Meanwhile, India's neighbours, Pakistan ranked 103rd, a drop from its 96th position in July, while Bangladesh stood at 100th. Singapore retained the top spot in the global passport index, with its citizens enjoying visa-free access to 193 destinations. South Korea followed in second place with 190 visa-free destinations, while Japan secured the third position with access to 189 destinations. For the first time in the index's 20-year history, the United States has dropped out of the world's top 10 most powerful passports. Once ranked the strongest in 2014, the U.S. passport has seen a steady decline and now stands at 12th place, tied with Malaysia, offering visa-free access to 180 out of 227 destinations. Meanwhile, Afghanistan continued to hold the weakest passport, with its citizens able to travel to only 24 countries without a visa.
Bengaluru: Days after Russian woman Nina Kutina was taken into custody for living in a cave inside the forest near Gokarna with her two daughters, her ex-husband, an Israeli citizen, is demanding shared custody of their daughters."I just want to be able to see my daughters a few times a week and take care of them. My concern is that if they go to Russia now, it will be tougher to keep in touch with them. I wish they could stay in India," Goldstein said on Wednesday.Dror Goldstein, 38, who lives f ...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 >
Kolkata, August 3: The money trail of the deposits accumulated in the two bank accounts of Santa Paul, the arrested Bangladeshi model from Kolkata, is currently under the scanner of the Kolkata Police. Sources said the investigating officials are also thoroughly examining the inward and outward remittances from these bank accounts to find out whether fictitious transactions were made through them. At the same time, city police insiders said, the investigating officials are also probing the source of funds for purchasing the four luxury cars that are registered in the names of the arrested Ban ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi Police's Crime Branch has busted a visa fraud racket operating from south Delhi's Zamrudpur, arresting three men for allegedly duping foreign job seekers. The accused -- Deepak Pandey (33), Yash Singh (23), and Wasim Akram (25) -- posed as representatives of a global outsourcing company handling visa, passport, and consular services. They allegedly extorted large sums of money by issuing fake appointment letters and visas. The case came to light after a consultant from VFS Global ...Read More >
In a post on X, Gogoi wrote, "Reading about the Golden visa in Dubai. It is a long-term residence visa which enables investors to live in the United Arab Emirates." The controversy stems from claims made by All India Congress Committee (AICC) Media and Publicity Department Chairman Pawan Khera, who alleged that documents suggested that Sarma's wife holds multiple active passports, raising questions over possible violations of Indian law. The issue gained traction after senior Congress leader Pa ...Read More >
PNN New Delhi [India], May 20: With rising temperatures and vacation time in summer just around the corner, summer travel to Europe is seeing a huge boom from Indian tourists. According to recent reports, there has been a whopping 29% increase in Schengen visa applications from India, signifying strong demand to discover the cultural festivals, historic cities, and picturesque landscapes Europe has in store. Due to more efficient processes and enhanced travel assistance, Indian travelers are now opting to apply Schengen visa online with Akbar Travels--one of India's most reliable travel bran ...Read More >
Pune, Sep 30 (PTI) Pune-based gangster Nilesh Ghaywal has managed to secure a passport and visa and travel abroad despite facing multiple serious criminal cases, prompting police to launch a probe into the matter, officials said. A Look Out Circular (LOC) had been issued against Ghaywal, believed to be abroad currently, even as he faced fresh criminal charges in a road rage case in which a man was shot at by five to six of his associates in Pune, police said on Sunday. "We have already issued an LOC against Ghaywal and now we are probing how he managed to obtain a passport despite having mul ...Read More >
ISLAMABAD: Indian authorities have confirmed that Sajid Akram, one of the perpetrators of the deadly terror attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach, was an Indian citizen originating from Hyderabad in Telangana. Akram, aged 50, migrated to Australia in 1998 and held an Indian passport at the time of the incident. Telangana Police stated that his radicalisation showed no links to India.The attack on December 14, 2025, targeted a Hanukkah celebration, resulting in 15 deaths and over 40 injuries. Australian officials described it as an ISIS-inspired terrorist act. Sajid Akram was killed during an exchange ...Read More >
Ahmedabad: A 36-year-old resident of Chanakyapuri registered a complaint of cheating, forgery, and forging documents against two visa consultants who allegedly duped the complainant and his wife out of Rs 37.50 lakh after promising to arrange a UK work permit visa. Based on the complaint by a senior executive at a firm in Sanand, Sola High Court police registered a case on Friday under BNS sections 318(4) (cheating, dishonestly inducing the person deceived to deliver any property to any person), 336(3) (forgery, intending that the document or electronic record forged shall be used for the purp ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 13 (ANI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to intervene in the matter related to Nimisha Priya facing the death penalty in Yemen. This comes amid reports of a 37-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala scheduled to be executed on July 16. The trial court convicted her of killing the Yemeni national, a decision that the country Supreme Judicial Council upheld in November 2023. Kindly find enclosed my letter dated March 24, 2025, to the Union Minister for External Affairs. It is learnt from the ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 15 (PTI) Two people died and four others were injured after a fire broke out at a house in east Delhi's Old Govindpura area on Tuesday evening, an official said. Police have identified the deceased as Tanveer (28) and Nusrat. A call was received at Jagatpuri police station at 8.46 pm regarding a fire incident at Band Gali, Old Govindpura, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Prashant Gautam said. When a police team reached the spot, it found that 10 people were trapped inside a residential building that caught fire, the DCP said. With the help of police personnel and fir ...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 >
One of the two men suspected of carrying out a mass shooting at Bondi Beach was originally from southern India but had "limited contact" with his family there, police sources have said. Sajid Akram, who died at the scene in Sydney on Sunday, was originally from the city of Hyderabad, a police official from the Indian state of Telangana said. He had travelled to India just six times since moving to Australia in 1998 and his family "expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities," th ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], April 1 (ANI): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday inaugurated the new Visa Application Centre operated by VFS Global in Bhubaneswar, marking a significant milestone in enhancing access to international visa services for the people of Odisha. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister highlighted that the establishment of this centre reflects Odisha's growing global connectivity and commitment to citizen-centric services. He noted that such initiatives enhance ease of travel, promote industries & tourism, and support international engagement, ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The RGIA police arrested one Satyanarayana for alleged involvement in an international human trafficking racket being run in the guise of a gold business, on Saturday. Satyanarayana was attempting to courier rolled gold jewellery samples to an agent in Muscat in Oman, RGIA Inspector Balaraju said. The arrest was followed by a complaint from one Lankapally Mary from West Godavari district, who lodged a complaint with the RGIA police two days back. In her complaint, Mary said that she was intending to go abroad for work when she came across Satyanarayana in August 2023. He promised ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission of India's (ECI) recent directive mandating large sections of voters in Bihar to furnish proof of citizenship in order to remain on the electoral rolls. Filed under Article 32 of the Constitution, the petition seeks to quash the ECI's June 24 order initiating a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. The plea argues that the directive violates constitutional provisions inclu ...Read More >
While on patrol last week looking for any tourists who might have gotten stuck in the landslide-prone forests in the southern Indian town of Gokarna, police inspector Sridhar S.R. spotted a statue of a Hindu deity peeking out through the lush green vegetation. Moving closer, he saw makeshift curtains made of red saris that obscured the entrance to a cave. When he looked in, he was surprised to find a woman and two young girls living inside. The discovery on July 9 in Karnataka State set off day ...Read More >
Washington DC [US], August 2 (ANI): The new Indian Consular Application Centres (ICACs) are located in Boston, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edison, Orlando, Raleigh, and San Jose, bringing the total number to 16 nationwide. A 17th centre is planned to open in Los Angeles later this month. The expansion, announced jointly by the Indian Mission and VFS Global, aims to make essential services more accessible to Indian Americans and other applicants seeking India-related documentation. The centres will handle a comprehensive range of services, including India visa applications, overseas Citizenshi ...Read More >
PNN New Delhi [India], March 30: If there is one travel destination that is slowly but steadily making its way to the top of the travel wish lists of people around the world, it is Vietnam. The Vietnam tourism boom 2026 is not only a phenomenon driven by the beauty and cost-effectiveness of the destination; rather, it is a phenomenon driven by trust. More travellers today are prioritising safety, and Vietnam is increasingly being recognised as a safest travel destination that doesn't compromise on experience. With international travel picking up pace again, Vietnam sees a surge in foreign to ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 14 (ANI): Russian woman Nina Kutina and her two children were rescued by Gokarna Police and processed by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru before being sent back to a rescue centre in Tumakuru. Kutina, who had been living with her daughters in a cave near Gokarna, defended her lifestyle and rejected the claims made about her situation. You give already a lot of lying information. We have big experience to stay in natural, in jungle, and we were not dying, and I did not bring my children, my daughters to die in jungle. They did ...Read More >
Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards will now be cancelled if the holder is sentenced to at least two years in prison or named in a charge sheet for an offence carrying a punishment of seven years or more, according to a new government notification. The home ministry announced the change through a gazette notification issued under clause (da) of section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955. "An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) registration shall be liable to get cancelled when a person has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years or has been charge-sheeted for an offen ...Read More >
New Delhi, September 3: A person from minority community including Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian from neighbouring nations including Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of it and entered into India on or before 31st December, 2024 - with or without valid documents including passport or other travel documents, will be exempted from any penal action, said a government notification. The declaration, allowing non-Muslim minority migrants to stay in the country without their passports, has been ma ...Read More >
India brought back 125 citizens from Thailand. They were freed from scam centers in Myanmar. This is part of a larger effort. Over 1,500 Indians have returned through Thailand since March. The Indian Air Force conducted the special flight. The government is working to rescue citizens trapped in Southeast Asia. Indians are warned about job scams and visa misuse. India on Wednesday repatriated 125 of its nationals from Thailand in a military transport aircraft, after they were released from scam centres in Myawaddy in Myanmar, according to the Indian Embassy in Bangkok. With this, a total of 1 ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) team has apprehended four foreign nationals, including two Nigerians and one each from Tanzania and Sudan, who were illegally residing in India even after their visas had expired. Police arrested Maxwell Anthony Izuchukwu (29) and Chinaza Nnanna Vivian alias Ibrahim Niasha (38), both from Nigeria, Mwajuma Almasi Masisila (30) from Tanzania, and Ahmed Hamid Abujabr Hamid (27) from Sudan. According to police, Mwajuma Almasi Masisila, a native of Tanzania, came to Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India, on a tourist visa. She has associations ...Read More >
Bengaluru, July 12: In a startling discovery, a Russian woman who overstayed her Indian visa by over seven years was found living with her two young daughters in a remote, landslide-prone cave atop Ramatirtha Hill in Karnataka's Gokarna. The woman, 40-year-old Nina Kutina, told police she had come from Goa seeking spiritual solitude and had chosen the forest cave to meditate and live away from urban distractions. According to the NDTV report, the discovery was made on July 9 around 5:00 PM during a routine patrol by Inspector Sridhar SR and his team, who spotted movement near a hazardous area ...Read More >
Bengaluru: Intwo separate crackdowns, the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested three Sri Lankan nationals for illegally staying in the city and busted a drug racket involving two foreign nationals among seven accused. According to police, three Sri Lankan citizens who had entered India illegally in 2024 were taken into custody from an apartment under Devanahalli police station limits. Investigations revealed that the accused had traveled from Jaffna by boat to Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and later reached Bengaluru with the help of another foreigner. For over a year, they had been r ...Read More >
New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested a 59-year-old man for his alleged involvement in espionage activities and a fake passport racket operating from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, officials said Tuesday. The accused, identified as Mohammad Adil Hussaini -- who also went by the names Syed Adil Hussain, Nasimuddin, and Syed Adil Hussaini -- was arrested from Seemapuri in Delhi two days ago, according to police. Investigators said Hussaini had allegedly been in contact with a foreign-based nuclear scientist and had traveled to several countries, including Pakistan. He is also accused of obtaining th ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi today inaugurated the new Visa Application Centre operated by VFS Global in Bhubaneswar, marking a significant milestone in enhancing access to international visa services for the people of Odisha. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister highlighted that the establishment of this centre reflects Odisha's growing global connectivity and commitment to citizen-centric services. He noted that such initiatives enhance ease of travel, promote industries & tourism, and support international engagement. The CM said that there was a growing need for ...Read More >
Reasi (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 12 (ANI): A suspected foreign national was apprehended by a team Jammu and Kashmir's Katra police for illegally entering Indian territory without valid travel documents, officials said on Saturday. According to officials, on July 11, during a flying squad deployment, the police party from Police station Katra, under the leadership of Station House officer Kyatimaan Khajuria, was performing routine checking duties. Also Read | Did RBI Order Banks To Stop Dispensing INR 500 Notes From ATMs by September 2025? PIB Fact Check Debunks Fake News Message Going ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 14 (ANI): Russian woman Nina Kutina and her two children were rescued by Gokarna Police and processed by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in Bengaluru before being sent back to a rescue centre in Tumakuru. Kutina, who had been living with her daughters in a cave near Gokarna, defended her lifestyle and rejected the claims made about her situation. 'You give already a lot of lying information. We have big experience to stay in natural, in jungle, and we were not dying, and I did not bring my children, my daughters to die in jungle. They di ...Read More >