SC refers UAPA bail curbs question to larger Bench 

The Supreme Court on Friday granted six months of interim bail to two accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case while referring to a larger Bench the question of whether prolonged incarceration and delay in trial can override the stringent bail curbs under anti-terror laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA).

Smart border project set to make frontiers 'impregnable': Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the government has decided to not only stop infiltration but also expel each infiltrator, ensuring that there are no unnatural demographic changes in the country.

Birth rate, infant deaths fall in India, finds survey

The bulletin from the recent Sample Registration Survey (SRS) 2024 provides the sharpest picture yet of India in the throes of demographic transition.

As per the latest estimate, while the country's birth rate has fallen between 2014 and 2024 and the death rate is down marginally, good gains have been reported with the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), amid substantial progress made over the last decade.

Parents, students challenge CBSE three-language rule in apex court

Parents and students approached the Supreme Court on Friday for an urgent hearing against a Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) policy that has made the study of three languages compulsory for Class 9 students from July 1.

Alarm bells

India's economy seems to have begun the financial year 2026-27 on a decidedly tepid note, going by the data released so far for April 2026. The latest of these, the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI), shows that growth in these key sectors stood at a modest 1.7% in April. It would be easy to attribute this to the ongoing crisis in West Asia, and that is certainly a factor, but the slowdown started well before the war broke out.

Cyber warfare is outpacing global legal accountability

Cyber conflict is challenging traditional principles governing force and state responsibility.

Centre promised more legislative powers for Ladakh, says delegation

The Union Home Ministry has proposed a new mechanism to grant Ladakh greater legislative, financial, and administrative powers within the existing Union Territory framework, according to civil society members who attended a sub-committee meeting with Ministry officials on Friday.

India, Cyprus elevate bilateral ties to strategic partnership; ink pact for defence cooperation

In a sign of India's expanding involvement in the eastern Mediterranean region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India's ties with Cyprus are based on "respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity".

Welcoming Cypriot President Nikos Christodou lides, Mr. Modi laid out an ambitious canvas for the bilateral relationship, presenting Cyprus as an "investment gateway" to the European Union (EU). Cyprus currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Jaishankar to host Quad Ministers' meet on May 26; discuss 'free Indo-Pacific'

Days after U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China, India will chair a meeting of the Quad's Foreign Ministers on Tuesday, with talks about a "free and open Indo-Pacific" on the top of the agenda.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will host his counterparts from the U.S., Australia, and Japan on May 26, at the end of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's bilateral visit to India.

Centre asks States, U.T.s to step up Ebola surveillance

Following the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the Centre has directed all States and Union Territories to strengthen surveillance, hospital preparedness, and rapid response systems.

Govt. restricts Pregabalin sale after reports of drug abuse

Pregabalin has been included under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945, vide a Gazette Notification, according to information released by the Union Health Ministry on Friday. The drug, which is prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, neuropathies, fibromyalgia, and certain neurological conditions, has reportedly been misused for its sedative, euphoric, and dissociative effects. The H1 prescription drug comes with caution that it is dangerous to take this preparation except in accordance with the medical advice and that it cannot be sold by retail without the prescription of a registered medical practitioner.

India successfully test-fires Agni-1 ballistic missile

India on Friday successfully tested the short-range ballistic missile Agni-1 from the Integrated Test Range in Balasore, Odisha. According to the Defence Ministry, the launch, carried out under the aegis of Strategic Forces Command, validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile system.

Demand driving growth, but economic outlook somewhat clouded: RBI report

While India's domestic demand remains a key driver of growth, the near-term outlook for the economy is "somewhat clouded" due to supply side pressures brought on by the West Asia crisis, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in a new report.

"Domestic demand continues to be the key driver of growth," the central bank said in its latest State of the Economy report as a part of its monthly bulletin for April 2026.

'India sees relations with China in a bilateral context, but Beijing has never seen it that way'

In every sense, India had the potential to become a rival, and it was always China's intention to keep that rival in check, if not cut it down, says Gokhale; in any conflict China has engaged in, both hot wars and grey zone conflicts, they have looked at where it will place them in terms of larger global balance of power, the former Foreign Secretary adds.

EU moves to sanction Iran over Hormuz blockade

European Union nations moved on Friday towards imposing sanctions on Iranian officials and others responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz, the EU said.

Tehran effectively closed the key shipping lane for global gas and oil in retaliation to U.S.-Israeli strikes launched in February.