Author: Team Admin

New Delhi: The Meitei Alliance has urged the Centre and Manipur government to delay the census until people displaced by the ethnic violence can return to their original homes. The group said conducting the census now could produce a distorted demographic picture because the May 2023 conflict displaced more than 50,000 people and changed population patterns across the state. It warned that such data could have long term consequences and potentially deepen ethnic divisions. The alliance called for the “safe and dignified” return of internally displaced persons before census enumeration begins. The demand comes amid separate concerns over…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: The Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) has detained two foreign nationals in Goa in separate cases involving alleged visa violations, as immigration authorities intensify checks across the State. One of those detained is a 36-year-old woman from Nigeria who allegedly continued to stay in India long after her medical visa had expired. Officials said she entered the country in 2021 for medical treatment, but her visa was valid only for a limited period that year. The woman allegedly remained in India despite the expiry of her immigration documents. Officials also found that her passport had reportedly expired…

New Delhi: Parliament has passed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman clarifying that the legislation does not impose any charge on consumers using UPI. The Bill cleared the Rajya Sabha through a voice vote after being passed by the Lok Sabha. Sitharaman said UPI payments have remained free for consumers and will continue to remain so. The legislation changes the legal framework governing Merchant Discount Rate, or MDR, for UPI, RuPay and other digital payments. While users and person to person transactions will remain free, the new framework could allow limited MDR on…

New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has appealed to protesting students to maintain peace and resolve their concerns through dialogue, hours after police action during a march towards the state Assembly left several protesters injured. Addressing the students, Soren acknowledged their right to raise their demands in a democratic system and said the government had taken note of their concerns. He assured the aspirants that their demands would be considered with seriousness and sensitivity. The Chief Minister said senior ministers had remained in communication with the protesting students and that the government was committed to addressing shortcomings in the…

New Delhi: The Centre has ruled out any immediate reduction in petrol and diesel prices, saying retail fuel rates are determined by market conditions and are set by public sector oil marketing companies. The clarification came in the Rajya Sabha amid questions over whether falling international crude oil prices could lead to cheaper fuel for consumers. The government said it does not directly determine retail petrol and diesel prices and has made no fresh announcement on reducing them. The Petroleum Ministry also detailed the impact of the sharp rise in crude prices following the US Israel conflict with Iran. India’s…

Team Goemkarponn PANAJI: Schools across Goa will follow a new approach to evaluating students from Classes I to VIII during the 2026-27 academic year, with SCERT introducing an assessment system designed to look beyond examination marks. The new framework places greater importance on what students understand and how they use their knowledge. Along with academic learning, schools will consider areas such as reasoning, creativity, communication, practical abilities, teamwork and problem-solving. A major change is the introduction of the Holistic Progress Card (HPC). Instead of presenting a student’s performance mainly through marks and grades, the new card will document different aspects…

New Delhi: India has expanded its e visa facility by adding 11 more international entry points, including the Attari land border in Punjab along the India Pakistan frontier. The move increases the total number of designated entry points for e visa holders to 88 across the country. The latest additions include two airports and nine land ports. The new airports are Bhopal and Tirupati, while the newly notified land ports include Darranga, Gede, Ghojadanga, Haridaspur, Jaigaon, Dawki, Moreh and Attari Road, along with another newly designated entry point. With the expansion, e visa holders can now enter India through 37…