Asia Now

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced key changes to the regulatory framework governing investments by Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) in Government Securities, aimed at improving ease of investment and simplifying compliance requirements. Under the revised framework, FPIs investing through the General Route will no longer be required to comply with short-term investment limits, security-wise limits, and concentration limits. The move is expected to provide greater

Maharashtra BJP President Ravindra Chavan has announced the list of 17 official Mahayuti candidates for the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections scheduled for 18th of this month. Addressing a joint press conference in Mumbai, Mr Chavan expressed confidence that all 17 candidates of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP alliance would be elected. He said the seat-sharing arrangement was finalised after consultations among Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Ekna

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has instructed district administrations, Relief Commissioner’s Office, and concerned departments to maintain continuous monitoring and ensure immediate action in the event of any disaster following incidents of storms, rainfall, and severe weather in several districts. Many districts, including the state capital Lucknow, witnessed a change in weather yesterday, providing some relief from the scorching heat. Several districts record

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held talks with his Surinamese counterpart Melvin Bouva in Paramaribo yesterday. The Indian and Surinamese delegations engaged in a comprehensive review of India-Suriname relations, under the aegis of the 9th Joint Commission Meeting. They covered trade, investment, defence and energy, development assistance and capacity building, health and mobility, culture and people-to-people exchanges. Dr Jaishankar expressed confidence that the

The Government has decided to provide full Customs Duty exemption on critical petrochemical products till 30th June, 2026, in view of the ongoing conflict in West Asia and the consequent disruptions in global supply chains. The Ministry of Finance has said that this measure has been taken as a temporary and targeted relief to ensure the continued availability of critical petrochemical inputs for the domestic industry. It noted that the step will help reduce cost pressures on

According to Supreme Court directives, appellate tribunals are scheduled to commence proceedings today to hear cases of voters whose names were excluded from the list under consideration within the framework of the SIR. All applications, documents, and information submitted both online and offline will be made available to the tribunals for their decisions. Yesterday, during the hearing of the SIR-related matter, the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant an

A BJP delegation led by senior party leaders and Union Ministers, including Piyush Goyal, Kiren Rijiju and Dr Sukanta Manjumdar, met the Election Commission of India today. Addressing the media after the meeting, Mr Rijiju said free and fair elections should be conducted in West Bengal. He alleged that the Chief Minister of West Bengal and Senior Trinamool Congress Leader Mamata Banerjee and her party have completely hijacked the electoral process in the state. Mr Rijiju adde

Union Cabinet today approved the launch and implementation of the Regional Connectivity Scheme – Modified UDAN for a period of ten years from 2026-27 to 2035-36 with a total outlay of 28,840 crore rupees. Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting in New Delhi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 100 airports will be developed from existing unserved airstrips to enhance regional connectivity. This will lead to enhanced regional air connectivity to un

The Rajya Sabha has paid tributes to its former member Datta Meghe, who passed away recently at the age of 89. He served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha from April. He also served as a Member of the Lok Sabha for four terms. In his obituary reference, Rajya Sabha Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan said that in the passing away of Datta Meghe, the nation has lost an able parliamentarian, a veteran legislator and a dedicated social worker. The members of the House also observed silence

The Indian Embassy in Doha informed that Qatar Airways operated 25 flights to India between the 20th and 22nd of this month, carrying around 7,750 Indian nationals. As advised by Qatar Airways earlier, flight ticket bookings can be made through the Qatar Airways website, App or through travel agents. The advisory issued by the Embassy urged the Indian community to closely follow and abide by the guidelines and advisories issued by the authorities in Qatar. It said that the lo

The Budget Session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly will begin today. The session is scheduled to run till the 25th of this month. Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta reviewed the preparations for the second part of the fourth session of the Eighth Legislative Assembly. The session will start with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta attending the kheer ceremony and tabling Delhi’s Economic Survey report. In a statement, the Delhi Assembly said that a full rendition of the national

Keralam Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U Kelkar has said that the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee has started its work as part of the assembly elections. He informed that the certification of political advertisements given in visual and social media and monitoring of paid news in connection with the general elections will be carried out at the state level by a four-member committee headed by the Additional CEO. LDF candidate V Sivankutty filed his nomination pape

Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan has urged students that, while following a modern and progressive mindset, they should not forget the rich and diverse cultural heritage of our country. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan was addressing the 29th National Youth Parliament at the Maharshi Vyas Auditorium in Dr. Hedgewar Smriti Mandir in Reshimbagh at Nagpur today. While stressing participation of youths in Developed India, the Vice President called upon the youth to uphold the

Government sources said a media report claiming that Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February for safe passage of Indian‑flagged vessels is baseless. Sources said there has been no discussion of this nature between Indian and Iranian authorities. They said in any case, the three vessels are not Iranian owned.

The government has approved the revision of commission rates payable to Arthiyas and cooperative societies engaged in procurement of wheat and paddy on behalf of the government. The revised commission rates will be effective from the Rabi Marketing Season 2026-27 onwards. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution informed that after the revision, the commission payable to Arthiyas for wheat in Punjab and Haryana will increase from 46.00 rupees per quintal

Amid heightened volatility in the financial markets due to the ongoing West Asia conflict, SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey has urged investors to remain calm. Addressing an event to celebrate 30 years of the NIFTY 50 in Mumbai last evening, Mr. Pandey said India’s domestic fundamentals have continued to remain strong and provide resilience amid such uncertainties. Stating that global markets are currently experiencing turbulence as the war in West Asia has disrupted key ship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the Post-Budget Webinar on the theme ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas – Fulfilling Aspirations of People’ through video conferencing today. Under this theme, multiple breakout sessions will be organised across sectors, including education and skilling, health and AYUSH, tourism and hospitality, among others. The discussions will cover initiatives such as strengthening education-to-employment pathways, development of Animation, Visual Effects,

President Droupadi Murmu has extended her greetings to fellow citizens on the occasion of Holi. In her message, the President said Holi is a festival of joy and celebration that conveys the message of social harmony. President Murmu said the festival spreads love and hope in society and strengthens the spirit of social cohesion. She called Holi a symbol of unity in diversity. Vice President C P Radhakrishnan has extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of Holi. In a s

The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced nine candidates for the 2026 biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha across six states. From Bihar, where five seats are falling vacant, the BJP nominated party chief Nitin Nabin and state leader Shivesh Kumar. Tomorrow is the last date of filing nominations for the March 16 elections. In Assam, where three seats go to the polls, the BJP fielded sitting MLA Terash Gowalla and cabinet minister Jogen Mohan. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa S

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast scattered and moderate rainfall along with thunderstorms and lightning over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Kerala and Mahe today. The Met Department also predicted thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim till tomorrow. The IMD estimated that Jammu and Kashmir will experience isolated light rainfall or snowfall on the 3rd and 4th of March. Meanwhile, the weath