Month: March 2025

The 10th edition of the Raisina Dialogue is set be inaugurated on Monday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where the chief guest, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, will deliver the keynote address

Luxon who will attend the inaugural session will deliver the key note address with the theme “Kalachakra” (wheel of time).

The Raisina Dialogue is India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geo-economics, committed to addressing the most challenging issues facing the international community.

Representatives from about 125 countries, including ministers, former Heads of State and heads of government, military commanders, captains of industry, technology leaders, academics, journalists, scholars on strategic affairs, experts from leading think tanks, and youth will participate in the Raisina Dialogue.

The theme of the 2025 edition is ‘Kalachakra – People, Peace and Planet’. Over the course of three days, decision makers and thought leaders of the world will engage each other across conversations in various formats, over six thematic pillars: (i) Politics Interrupted: Shifting Sands and Rising Tides; (ii) Resolving the Green Trilemma: Who, Where, & How; (iii) Digital Planet: Agents, Agencies and Absences; (iv) Militant Mercantilism: Trade, Supply Chains & the Exchange Rate Addiction; (v) The Tiger’s Tale: Rewriting Development with a New Plan; and (vi) Investing in Peace: Drivers, Institutions, & Leadership.

More than 3,500 participants from about 125 countries will attend the Dialogue in person, and the proceedings will be viewed by millions worldwide on various digital platforms.

The conference is hosted by the Observer Research Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs. This effort is supported by several institutions, organisations and individuals who are committed to the mission of the conference.

In a statement, ORF stated, “Every year, leaders in politics, business, media, and civil society converge in New Delhi to discuss the state of the world and explore opportunities for cooperation on a wide range of contemporary matters.”

“The Dialogue is structured as a multi-stakeholder, cross-sectoral discussion, involving heads of state, cabinet ministers and local government officials, who are joined by thought leaders from the private sector, media and academia,” it added. (ANI)

The Bureau of Indian Standards, the country’s top product certification agency, has carried out search and seizure operations at multiple warehouse locations of leading e-commerce platforms, including Amazon and Flipkart.

The Consumer Affairs Ministry said in a statement that to curb the distribution of non-compliant products through e-commerce platforms, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted search and seizure operations in cities like Lucknow, Gurugram, and Delhi.

The government said that in the raid conducted on March 7 at an Amazon warehouse in Lucknow, the certification agency BIS seized 215 toys and 24 hand blenders, all of which lacked mandatory BIS certification.

Earlier, in February 2025, a similar operation at an Amazon warehouse in Gurugram resulted in the seizure of 58 aluminium foils, 34 metallic water bottles, 25 toys, 20 hand blenders, 7 PVC cables, two food mixers and one speaker – all found to be non-certified, the ministry’s statement said on Saturday evening.

Similarly, in a raid at a Flipkart warehouse in Gurugram operated by Instakart Services Pvt Ltd, BIS seized 534 stainless steel bottles (vacuum insulated), 134 toys, and 41 uncertified speakers.

“BIS’s investigations into multiple violations on both Amazon and Flipkart traced non-certified products back to Techvision International Pvt Ltd,” said the ministry.

Acting on this lead, BIS conducted raids at two different Techvision International facilities in Delhi, uncovering approximately 7,000 electric water heaters, 4,000 electric food mixers, 95 electric room heaters, and 40 gas stoves without BIS certification.

Non-certified products seized include brands like Digismart, Activa, Inalsa, Cello Swift, and Butterfly, among others, the statement said.

Following the seizure of material, BIS initiated legal action under the BIS Act, 2016, to hold the responsible entities accountable.

The government said BIS has already filed two court cases against M/s Techvision International Pvt Ltd for violations of Sections 17(1) and 17(3) of the BIS Act, 2016.

“Additional cases are in the process of being filed for other seizure operations. Under Section 17 of the BIS Act, 2016, defaulters face a penalty not less than two lakh rupees, which may extend up to ten times the value of the goods sold or offered for sale. Furthermore, depending on the severity of the violation, offenders may also face imprisonment of up to two years,” the statement said.

BIS is actively conducting market surveillance to ensure that consumer products available in the market, including on e-commerce platforms, comply with applicable safety and quality standards.

As part of surveillance, BIS purchases various consumer products and subjects them to rigorous testing to verify compliance with the prescribed standards.

The products under market surveillance include commonly used consumer goods such as domestic pressure cookers, hand-held blenders, food mixers, electric irons, room heaters, PVC cables, gas stoves, toys, two-wheeler helmets, switches, sockets, and aluminium foils for food packaging.

Considering the potential hazards posed by substandard quality products, the Central Government has made BIS certification mandatory for these products in the public interest.

During its surveillance activities, BIS has identified that several non-certified products are being sold on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, Myntra, and BigBasket even though BIS certification has been made mandatory for these products, the ministry said.

“Non-certified products include those that do not bear ISI Mark or bear an ISI Mark with an invalid license number (CM/L number). These non-certified products pose significant safety risks to consumers as they have not undergone independent third-party testing to ensure they meet minimum safety and performance standards.”

BIS urges consumers to make informed purchasing decisions by utilizing the BIS Care app. This app provides consumers with crucial information on products that require mandatory BIS certification and allows them to verify the authenticity of a product’s BIS certification by checking the ISI Mark and the manufacturer’s license number (CM/L).

Additionally, consumers can use the BIS Care app to lodge complaints about products that do not bear the ISI Mark or report quality concerns regarding BIS-certified products. (ANI)

‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’, a romantic entertainer starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor in the lead roles, has a new theatrical release date. According to the makers, the film will hit the big screens on September 12 this year.

Originally slated for a release on April 18 this year, the makers have now postponed the release date due to undisclosed reasons. The film is written and directed by Sashank Khaitan.

Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari is one of the highly anticipated films of the year as it marks the second film collaboration of Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor after the movie ‘Bawaal’ in 2023.

The film also stars Sanya Malhotra, Rohit Saraf, Maniesh Paul, and Akshay Oberoi in prominent roles. It is produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Shashank Khaitan.

Varun Dhawan, who plays Sunny in the film, often shares behind-the-scenes videos and photos from the sets of the movie. In one of the BTS videos, the ‘Badla’ actor was joined by the director Sashank Kha

Varun Dhawan dropped a funny behind-the-scenes video from the sets of his upcoming film ‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’ on Thursday. He was joined by the director Shashank Khaitan in the clip.

In the clip, the actor humorously introduces the characters of Sunny and Sanskari while keeping Tulsi Kumari’s identity under wraps. “Guys, we are on the sets of Sunny Sanskari. Tulsi Kumari, we can’t reveal right now. But Sunny & Sanskari are here.”

Apart from this romantic thriller, the actor is also currently busy in the shooting of Border 2. Directed by Anurag Singh, ‘Border 2’ is set to be a grand cinematic spectacle with a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Sunny Deol reprising his legendary role, Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty. (ANI)

The work of whitewashing of Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh’ Sambhal has begun after the Allahabad High Court granted permission on March 12.

Speaking to ANI, the contractor assigned by the ASI to whitewash the Sambhal Jama Masjid, stated that the work is likely to be completed within a week and a total of eight people have been working on it.

“A total of eight people are at work. The work of whitewashing has been started… We will finish the work within a week. We have been only directed to whitewash the mosque. We have been assigned by the ASI,” he said.

While hearing the case of the Sambhal Jama Masjid on March 12, the Allahabad High Court gave permission to whitewash the mosque from the outside and also decorate it with lights without tampering with anything. The next hearing in the case is on April 8.

Meanwhile, security was heightened in the Shahi Jama Masjid area of Sambhal after the Allahabad High Court directed a three-member committee to oversee the mosque’s painting ahead of Ramzan.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal mandated a panel consisting of officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), a scientific expert, and a local administration representative to ensure the work was conducted without causing structural damage to the mosque.

Sambhal ASP Shrish Chandra told ANI that heavy security arrangements have been put in place around the site. “Tight security arrangements have been made around the disputed site. An adequate police force has been deployed… Peace will be maintained… Surveillance is being conducted through CCTV and drones,” he said.

Earlier in February, the Uttar Pradesh police’s SIT filed a chargesheet of over 4,000 pages in six of the 12 cases in the November 24 Sambhal violence that erupted during the ASI’s examination of the Mughal-era mosque.

The violence resulted in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to several others, including officials and locals.

According to the chargesheet, 80 arrests have been made, and 79 are still pending. There are 159 total accused in the case.

The chargesheet also mentioned that the weapons recovered from the site of violence and other places were manufactured in the United Kingdom, USA, Germany, and Czechoslovakia. (ANI)

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and PWD Minister Parvesh Verma, inspected the Barapulla drain towards the Yamuna River at the Barapula Bridge on Sunday.

After the inspection, Rekha Gupta interacted with the reporters and said that the previous governments never took these drains seriously. She said that they were never cleaned, and the agencies were unclear as to who would clean them.

“These are the drains that were never taken seriously by the previous governments. The drains were never cleaned. There was no clarity among the agencies as to which agency would clean them… We have given the responsibility of desilting to the irrigation and flood control department”, Rekha Gupta said.

Further, Gupta said that the government will have to ensure that no waterlogging happens in the upcoming rainy season, for which the work is being done on a war footing.

“We have to ensure that there is no waterlogging during the rainy season…The work is being done on a war footing…We will ask the MLAs in writing about the works being done about the desilting of drains and sewage,” she added.

Earlier on Saturday, Rekha Gupta held a meeting with farmers and took their suggestions for the upcoming Delhi budget 2025-26. Gupta said that the farmers have high hopes from the New Delhi government and emphasised that the that the Central and the Delhi governments, as a “double-engine government,” would work together to resolve farmers’ issues.

“We called the farmers from every corner of Delhi to consult about the budget. They have shared their suggestions with us,” Gupta said. She noted that in the last 15-20 years, villages in Delhi saw little development, leading to heightened expectations from the newly formed Delhi government.

“We called the farmers from every corner of Delhi to consult about the budget. They have shared their suggestion with us,” Gupta said. She noted that in the last 15-20 years, no work has been done for villages.

“They are now having a lot of hope from the new Delhi government. I assure them that all the problems they have put before us will be solved. Today, there is a double-engine government. The Central and Delhi governments together will solve every problem of the farmers,” she added. (ANI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the Government will show “no mercy for drug cartels” and said that the Narendra Modi-led Central Government’s “bottom to top and top to bottom” approach to combat drug trafficking.

“No mercy for drug cartels. Accelerating the Modi govt’s march to build a drug-free Bharat, a massive consignment of methamphetamine tablets worth Rs88 crore is seized, and 4 members of the international drug cartel are arrested in Imphal and Guwahati zones,” Shah said in a post on social media platform X.

“The drug haul is a testament to the stellar performance of the bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom approach to investigation,” he noted.

The Minister reiterated that the government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking will continue. “Our hunt for drugs continues,” he added, emphasizing the commitment to tackling illegal drug trade and maintaining national security.

Earlier on March 3, the Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with the Mizoram Police, seized methamphetamine tablets worth Rs 60.63 crore in the Champhai district of Mizoram. The operation was conducted on February 28 in the general area of Crossing Point One, Zokhawthar.

In a post on X, the official wrote, “AssamRifles, along with Mizoram Police, recovered Methamphetamine Tablets weighing 20.209 Kgs Worth Rs 60.627 Crores in general area Crossing Point One, Zokhawthar, Champhai District, Mizoram on 28 Feb 2025.”

On February 28, Assam Rifles and Mizoram Police conducted intelligence-based joint operations in Mizoram, leading to the apprehension of three individuals and the recovery of arms and ammunition.

On February 27, security forces launched an operation based on specific intelligence inputs in Lawngtlai town, Lawngtlai district. This operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals and the recovery of ammunition. (ANI)

Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman was hospitalised in Chennai after a bout of dehydration and neck pain following travel according to his team.

All tests taken by doctors showed Rehman, 58,  to be normal, and he is likely to be discharged today itself, they said.

The music maestro’s team also refuted “fake” reports, which claimed he had been admitted to hospital following “chest pain”.

“It’s fake news (on heart issues) spreading now. Rahman went to hospital because he got dehydrated and has neck pain due to travel,” said Rahman’s team. 

Rahman is currently busy with his music projects and several gigs. The singer had joined Ed Sheran during his Mathematics Tour concert performance in Chennai last month. 

Several visuals from the gig that had surfaced online showed Rahman joining Sheeran on stage. The duo not only interacted with fans but also belted out a remix of Ed’s Shape of You and Rahman’s Urvasi.

Hours after his performance, Ed took to Instagram and expressed his gratitude for receiving an “honour” to share the stage with Rahman.

“What an honor @arrahman,” he captioned the post.

AR Rahman is set to compose music for the Dhanush and Kriti Sanon starrer ‘Tere Ishk Mein’, which is a spiritual sequel to the blockbuster film Raanjhanna. It is directed by Anand L Rai. 

Recently, Rahman’s ex-wife Saira Banu was hospitalised due to a medical emergency and had to undergo surgery. The news was shared by her lawyer, Vandana Shah, through an official statement. 

Saira Banu and AR Rahman announced their separation on November 19, 2024, after nearly 29 years of marriage. (ANI)

The much-awaited film ‘Test,’ which stars actors Nayanthara, R Madhavan, and Siddharth, is all set to release on Netflix next month, with makers keeping fans hooked by dropping character posters and teaser videos.

After unveiling the promos for Nayanthara and Siddharth, the latest teaser introduces R Madhavan’s character, Saravanan, a scientist, husband, and dreamer whose life takes a dramatic turn when he faces a difficult ‘test.’

Actor Suriya, who also happens to be a good friend of Madhavan, took to his Instagram account on Saturday to share the promo video, giving fans a sneak peek into the intense and emotional journey of Saravanan.

Take a look

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHOJ2vXJsZN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The teaser showcases Madhavan’s character as a man determined to turn his vision into reality while facing tough sacrifices along the way.

Speaking about his role in the powerful drama, Madhavan, in a press note, shared, “Watching @worldofsiddharth in ‘TEST’ feels like watching a cricketer who has spent years in the game. His technical understanding and love for the sport were evident through his prep, and now seeing it all come alive on screen, I know this film is going to be something special for him. Wishing the team of TEST all the success.”

This is also the second time Madhavan will be playing a scientist on screen. Previously, he portrayed aerospace engineer Nambi Narayanan in the film Rocketry: The Nambi Effect, which was based on real-life events. The film, which marked his directorial debut, was released in July 1, 2022.

Earlier this week, India’s spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin was left impressed after watching actor Siddharth’s performance in his character promo video from Netflix’s project ‘Test’.

Taking to Instagram, Ashwin wrote, “Watching @worldofsiddharth in ‘TEST’ feels like watching a cricketer who has spent years in the game. His technical understanding and love for the sport were evident through his prep, and now seeing it all come alive on screen, I know this film is going to be something special for him. Wishing the team of TEST all the success.”

Meanwhile, the film marks the directorial debut of S. Sashikanth and is set to premiere on Netflix on April 4. (ANI)

Veteran actress Neetu Kapoor marked her daughter-in-law Alia Bhatt’s 32nd birthday with a heartfelt social media post, calling her a “gorgeous friend” and sharing a special memory from their bond.

Taking to her Instagram stories, Neetu posted a photograph of herself and Alia, both smiling warmly while posing together.

The actress described the image as “precious”, revealing that it was the first picture ever taken of them together.

“Happy birthday my gorgeous friend. This pic is precious as it’s our first. Stay happy and blessed. Love, love, and more love,” Neetu captioned the post.

Alia, who married Ranbir Kapoor, son of Neetu Kapoor and the late Rishi Kapoor, in April 2022, had initially planned a Holi and birthday getaway to Alibaug.

However, she cut her trip short after learning about the passing of filmmaker Deb Mukherjee, the father of her close friend and director Ayan Mukerji.

Deb Mukherjee, a veteran of Indian cinema, passed away at the age of 83 on Friday.

Following the news, Alia, accompanied by her sister, Shaheen Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, visited Ayan Mukerji’s residence to offer condolences.

On March 12, Alia celebrated her birthday amidst the media, where she also shared insights about her upcoming film, ‘Love and War’.

Directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the film features Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal.

Discussing the film’s progress, Alia revealed that the cast is currently filming during night schedules to ensure a distraction-free environment for Bhansali’s signature elaborate storytelling. (ANI)