The forging of a common position within Brics on the Iran-US conflict has been impacted as some members of the grouping are involved in developments in West Asia, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.. Jaishankar and Iran FM Araghchi discuss Brics cooperation. Iranian foreign minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi had emphasised the role of Brics, currently led by India, in playing a constructive role to support security and stability in the region during a phone call with external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday night.. External affairs minister S Jaishankar told a media briefing on Friday that India is talking to all Brics members on the situation in West Asia “so that a consensus position can be evolved”.. The people cited above said on condition of anonymity that hurdles have arisen in these discussions as some members of Brics are “directly involved” in the situation in West Asia.. Also Read: Jaishankar, Iran FM discuss Brics role in regional security amid West Asia conflict. “This has impacted the forging of a consensus on a common Brics position on the ongoing conflict,” a person said.. Besides Iran, which joined Brics in January 2024, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is also indirectly involved in the conflict.. The people said India, as the chair of Brics, has been facilitating discussions among members of the grouping through the Sherpa channel. The last virtual Brics Sherpa meeting was held on March 12, they said.. In addition, India’s leadership has been engaging with the leaders of Brics members in the region, the people said. India will continue these engagements, they said.. Brics has so far not issued any statement on the developments in West Asia. India is expected to host the Brics Summit in the third quarter of this year. 

 The Supreme Court on Friday said that a law mandating menstrual leave may not be in the best interest of women, leaving it to the government to deliberate the issue while refusing to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) in this regard.. The Supreme Court of India. (PTI). Citing “practical realities” women may face in the job market if such leave were to be made mandatory by the court, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant said, “You do not know the kind of mindset this can create in the workplace and job market. The moment you introduce a law, you cannot imagine the long term problem they may face.”. The court was hearing a PIL filed by a lawyer Shailendra Mani Tripathi, who said that there is no uniform policy across the country on this , with some institutions and companies providing menstrual leave as a matter of policy, and others not doing so.. Senior advocate MR Shamshad appearing for the petitioner said that states of Odisha and Karnataka have come up with a policy of menstrual leave while Kerala allows menstrual leave to students in the state universities, allowing them up to 60 days in a year. Both Odisha and Karnataka provide 12 paid leaves annually for women working in the government sector, and the Karnataka policy extends to the private sector as well.. “If it is voluntary, it is good. We are in agreement with you that affirmative action has to be recognised. But we have to look at the practical reality in the job market,” said the bench, also comprising justice Joymalya Bagchi.. “From a business point of view, will an employer be willing to allow a person to take leave for two to three days every month? In the judiciary too, they may not be assigned cases that require a long trial,” the court said.. Shamshad said that the petitioner had approached the court on past occasions as well. In his first petition decided on February 24, 2023, the top court allowed him to move a representation to the Union government. He complied with this order and again approached the court after a year, this time seeking a model policy on menstrual leave. This too was decided by the court on July 8, 2024 with a direction issued to the Union ministry of women and child development to hold consultation with all stakeholders, both at the Union and at the level of states, and consider framing a model policy for all .. The bench said it wondered what is stopping the government from “coming out with a policy framework.” Disposing Tripathi’s petition for the third time, the bench said, “It is not necessary for the petitioner to approach the court time and again. We have no doubt that the competent authority will earnestly consider our February 24, 2023 and July 8, 2024 orders on framing model policy for consideration by all stakeholders.” 

 Raipur: Chhattisgarh has secured the first position among bigger states in the February 2026 national ranking under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, marking a significant milestone in the field of women’s health, nutrition and empowerment, officials said on Wednesday.. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. (PTI). Chhattisgarh recorded 93.37 per cent enrollment, an approval rate of 83.87 per cent, and 93.95 per cent timely grievance redressal, reflecting the state’s efficient implementation of the scheme, an official release stated.. The proportion of cases pending for more than 30 days remained limited to 7.07 per cent, while the pending grievance rate stood at only 4.96 per cent, indicating effective monitoring and transparent service delivery, it said.. Notably, the state improved its position by six ranks compared to the previous month, emerging as the top-performing state in the country, it added.. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the honour reflects the state’s sustained commitment to strengthening maternal welfare programmes.. Sai congratulated officials, employees, Anganwadi workers and field-level staff of the Women and Child Development Department, stressing that maternal and child health are the top priorities for the government.. He noted that the PMMVY plays a key role in promoting safe motherhood by providing financial assistance to pregnant women.. Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwade described the achievement as a proud moment for Chhattisgarh.. She said that under the guidance of the chief minister, Chhattisgarh has effectively implemented women’s welfare programmes among the leading states, attributing the success to the coordinated efforts, commitment, and timely work of departmental officials, staff, and Anganwadi workers.. Rajwade informed that in the financial year 2025-26 to date, a total of 1,86,586 pregnant women have been enrolled under the PMMVY in Chhattisgarh, and an amount of ₹72,24,89,000 has been directly transferred to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.. The effective implementation of the PMMVY has strengthened maternal and child healthcare services in the state, with Chhattisgarh increasingly emerging as a model for other states across the country.. Under the scheme, a cash incentive of ₹5,000 in three instalments is paid directly to pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first living child of the family, subject to them fulfilling specific conditions, officials said. 

 Raipur: Chhattisgarh has secured the first position among bigger states in the February 2026 national ranking under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, marking a significant milestone in the field of women’s health, nutrition and empowerment, officials said on Wednesday.. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. (PTI). Chhattisgarh recorded 93.37 per cent enrollment, an approval rate of 83.87 per cent, and 93.95 per cent timely grievance redressal, reflecting the state’s efficient implementation of the scheme, an official release stated.. The proportion of cases pending for more than 30 days remained limited to 7.07 per cent, while the pending grievance rate stood at only 4.96 per cent, indicating effective monitoring and transparent service delivery, it said.. Notably, the state improved its position by six ranks compared to the previous month, emerging as the top-performing state in the country, it added.. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the honour reflects the state’s sustained commitment to strengthening maternal welfare programmes.. Sai congratulated officials, employees, Anganwadi workers and field-level staff of the Women and Child Development Department, stressing that maternal and child health are the top priorities for the government.. He noted that the PMMVY plays a key role in promoting safe motherhood by providing financial assistance to pregnant women.. Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Rajwade described the achievement as a proud moment for Chhattisgarh.. She said that under the guidance of the chief minister, Chhattisgarh has effectively implemented women’s welfare programmes among the leading states, attributing the success to the coordinated efforts, commitment, and timely work of departmental officials, staff, and Anganwadi workers.. Rajwade informed that in the financial year 2025-26 to date, a total of 1,86,586 pregnant women have been enrolled under the PMMVY in Chhattisgarh, and an amount of ₹72,24,89,000 has been directly transferred to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.. The effective implementation of the PMMVY has strengthened maternal and child healthcare services in the state, with Chhattisgarh increasingly emerging as a model for other states across the country.. Under the scheme, a cash incentive of ₹5,000 in three instalments is paid directly to pregnant women and lactating mothers for the first living child of the family, subject to them fulfilling specific conditions, officials said. 

 A self-styled godman was arrested on Friday for allegedly raping a 23-year-old woman on the pretext of giving her medicine to conceive a son, officials here said.. The victim was later rescued by her family members from the spot, following which they approached the police. (PTI/representative image). The accused, Bhagwandin, a resident of Balrampur village, had reportedly been practising occultism and providing traditional medicines for the last four to five years.. Circle Officer Puranpur Pratik Dahiya told reporters that an FIR was registered against the accused under relevant sections, including rape, based on a complaint filed by the victim’s husband.. According to the police complaint, the victim’s husband and mother-in-law had taken her to Bhagwandin’s house. The accused allegedly lured them with the promise of a son through rituals and medicine.. “On March 11, after performing some rituals, the accused took the woman to a relative’s house in Bilandpur Ashok village under the guise of administering the medicine. He reportedly asked the family members to stay outside and then sexually assaulted the woman inside a room,” a police official said.. The victim was later rescued by her family members from the spot, following which they approached the police.. A forensic field unit has visited the crime scene to collect evidence. The accused is currently being interrogated, and further legal proceedings are underway, police added.