'Bail the rule': SC questions its own order in Umar Khalid case

Citing an earlier judgment that the stringent bail provisions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) would "melt down" in cases where prolonged incarceration and delayed trial "produce violation of Article 21", a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Monday expressed "serious reservations" about the decision of another two-judge bench to deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots case.

India eyes trade pact with Oman amid turmoil, FTA starts June 1

Amid the Strait of Hormuz blockade and uncertainty over peace talks between Iran and the US, the Commerce and Industry Ministry Monday said the India-Oman free trade agreement (FTA) signed in December could enter into force as early as June 1.

Bengal govt ends religion-based welfare schemes, scraps OBC list

The West Bengal BJP government on Monday held its second Cabinet meeting under the leadership of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, where it took several key decisions including on a monthly assistance of Rs 3,000 to women under the Annapurna Bhandar scheme and free travel for women in all state-run buses.

Citizenship rule change: Declare, surrender Pak, Bangladesh and Afghan passports

The Centre on Monday notified draft changes to the Citizenship Rules, 2009 that would require certain applicants to declare possession or surrender passports issued by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

In a gazette notification issued on Monday, the MHA said the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published under section 18 of the Citizenship Act, 1955, insert a new paragraph into Schedule IC of the 2009 rules.

India is now Naxal-free, Shah declares in Bastar

On his first visit to Bastar after the March 31 deadline that he had set to eradicate Left-wing extremism, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday declared India "Naxal-free".

India and Sweden: Delivering growth, resilience and sustainability... together

At a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty, energy insecurity and economic fragmentation, the world faces a defining choice-retreat into narrow national approaches or strengthen partnerships that deliver growth, resilience and sustainability together.

India, Norway elevate bilateral ties to Green Strategic Partnership

India and Norway decided to elevate bilateral ties to "Green Strategic Partnership" and signed pacts on space, health and digital development following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Store in Oslo on Monday.

In federalism challenges, consensus is the solution

Cooperative federalism is curdling into contentious, even combative, federalism.

This has led to mounting grievances in different parts of India, and amongst religious minorities, leading to erosion of trust.

How does Earth protect itself from the Sun? New mission to find out

In a first, Chinese and European space agencies are sending a joint mission to study the Earth's defences against the Sun. The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) mission will be launched on Tuesday at 05:52 CEST (09:22 IST) on a European Vega-Crocket.

The mission aims to capture the first X-ray images of Earth's protective magnetic shield in action as it battles and deflects harmful charged particles and energies coming from the Sun.

For WTO to matter, it needs to recognise politics behind trade

The old DDA-related concerns remain unaddressed.

Chinese overcapacity cannot be solved by trade measures alone.

National security barely features in WTO discussions. Planetary rights are scarcely present in trade debates.

Behind Netherlands visit, a semiconductor push

What Made PM Modi's visit to the Netherlands particularly consequential was not merely the symbolism of diplomatic engagement, but the growing convergence between India's technological ambitions and the Dutch dominance in the semiconductor ecosystem. The visit came at a time when semiconductors have become the new geopolitical currency of power, shaping economic competitiveness, military capability, AI, and digital sovereignty.

US gets small rare earth win, but China's export curbs will stay

China Will address US concerns about rare earth shortages, the White House said on Sunday in a recap of agreements struck at last week's leaders summit that fell short of calling for the removal of restrictions that have disrupted US aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing.

Introduced in April 2025 in retaliation for US President Donald Trump's so-called Liberation Day tariffs, Beijing' controls continue to tightly restrict exports of certain rare earths despite a deal at last October's Busan summit where the White House said China committed to "effectively eliminate" all current and proposed critical mineral export controls.