A day after he was released from the Jodhpur jail in Rajasthan, Ladakhi activist Sonam Wangchuk was all set for a hospital visit, his wife Gitanjali Angmo said on Sunday.. Sonam Wangchuk and Gitanjali Angmo in a photo she shared on social media. (X/@GitanjaliAngmo). “After a long time had a free flowing chat with [him] without glancing at the scary clock every now and then to make the most of the fleeting 60 minutes as in jail!” Ango posted on X, along with their pictures.. “Taking him for a health checkup as per the strong recommendations of our family doctor. He will be under medical observation for 36 hours in a good hospital!” she further wrote.. Arrested after statehood-demand protests in Leh turned violent last September, Wangchuk was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) until he was released on Saturday, after the central government decided to revoke the NSA detention.. Angmo made another X post just before this, explaining the conditions under which the couple met in jail through the six months he was there.. “Writing the final letter to the jail superintendent yesterday seeking permission to meet and inform [Sonam Wangchuk] of his release. While I thank Jodhpur for all the love and support, I am glad that [his] ordeal of being inside the jail for 170 days and my ordeal of making 2 trips a week every week for just a 60 minute meeting over the past 5 months has finally ended!” she wrote.. Also read | Activist Sonam Wangchuk out of jail 6 months after Ladakh protest: Why govt revoked NSA, what it said earlier. The Ministry of Home Affairs, in a press statement, said the government remains committed to fostering an environment of peace, stability, and mutual trust in Ladakh so as to facilitate constructive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders, and that the decision to revoke Wangchuk’s detention has been taken in furtherance of this objective “and after due consideration”.. The MHA pointed out that the “prevailing atmosphere of bandhs and protests has been detrimental to the peace-loving character” of Ladakh, and adversely affected various sections, including students, job aspirants, businesses, tour operators, tourists, and thus the economy.. His release was widely welcomed by political leaders, local representatives, and community members in Ladakh, who described it as a personal victory for Wangchuk and a positive step for the region.. Congress MP Jairam Ramesh criticised the Centre’s handling of Wangchuk’s detention, saying the government’s decision to revoke it “exposes” PM Narendra Modi-led BJP regime.. In a post on X, Ramesh wrote, “The INC had condemned the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk on completely bogus grounds six months back. Now the Modi Govt has done a total U-turn. It stands fully exposed. It should apologise to not only Mr. Wangchuk and his family, but to the people of Ladakh as well. It should also immediately release all those who were detained for staging peaceful and democratic protests. 

 New Delhi, The Supreme Court has directed the Centre to submit a comprehensive report on illegal constructions along the banks and flood plains of Ganga river and inform about the steps taken to remove encroachments.. SC directs Centre to submit comprehensive report on encroachments along Ganga. A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and KV Viswanathan asked the Union government to place on record steps taken so far for implementation and execution of notification on rejuvenation, protection and management of Ganga.. “What are the impediments or hurdles coming in the way of the Authority in giving effect to the better and effective implementation of the notification, referred to above?. “What steps the Authority intends to take to protect the river Ganga passing through all the States, referred to above, and ensure that the river plains and banks are free of all encroachments? the bench said.. The top court issued notices to several Ganga basin states and said the issue required a broader examination beyond individual cases.. The matter is listed for next hearing on April 23.. During the hearing, advocate Akash Vashishtha, appearing for the petitioner, submitted there are large-scale encroachments all over the banks which require immediate attention and pointed out that some parts of these riverbanks are very rich in fresh water Dolphins.. The apex court also sought to know from the Centre what type of directions the Authority would like to seek from this Court to give meaningful effect to the notification to make the river plains and the banks of Ganga river absolutely free of all encroachments.. The top court was hearing a plea filed by Patna resident Ashok Kumar Sinha against the June 30, 2020 order of the NGT dismissing his plea against illegal constructions and permanent encroachments on the eco-fragile flood plains.. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. 

 Public discourse in India often reveals how fragile the understanding of foundational concepts can be. A recent controversy surrounding remarks made by Kirti Azad, a Member of Parliament from the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), offers a telling example.. India national cricket team visited a Hanuman temple after their triumphant victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final on March 8. (ANI Video Grab). Azad reportedly criticised members of India national cricket team for visiting a Hanuman temple after their triumphant victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final on March 8. His comment suggested that such a visit was somehow inconsistent with the secular ethos that India claims to uphold.. Kirti Azad’s comment was impulsive, ill-thought-out, shallow and condemnatory in a manner that displayed an unfortunate lack of understanding of the meaning of secularism in India. In doing so, he trivialised secularism itself by applying it in circumstances where it is not threatened.. To my mind, the reaction of the victorious players was entirely human. Sport, particularly cricket in India, is not just a game; it is an emotional spectacle that binds millions across caste, creed and region. When the national team wins a momentous global tournament, expressing gratitude to the divine for many Indians is instinctive. It is a gesture rooted not in exclusion but in humility — a recognition that human effort, however remarkable, often seeks a larger moral or spiritual anchorage.. To interpret such a gesture as an affront to secularism is to misunderstand both the players and the idea itself.. The word ‘secularism’ has travelled a long intellectual journey before entering the vocabulary of modern India. In its European origins, secularism emerged from centuries of conflict between Church and State. The aim was to limit the political power of organised religion and create a state that remained neutral in matters of faith. In many Western countries, this neutrality evolved into a strict separation: religion was confined to the private sphere, while public institutions remained rigorously non-religious.. India’s historical experience was fundamentally different. Here, religion was never monopolised by a single church-like institution, nor was political authority uniformly defined by theology. Instead, India evolved a civilisational ethos in which multiple faiths coexisted, interacted and enriched each other. The Indian understanding of secularism therefore did not emerge from hostility to religion but from a deep respect for pluralism.. The phrase often used to describe this ethos — sarva dharma sambhava, or equal respect for all faiths — captures this distinction elegantly. The Indian state does not demand that citizens abandon their religious identities in public life. Rather, it requires that the state itself treat all religions with fairness and impartiality.. Seen in this light, the visit of the cricketers to a Hanuman temple cannot reasona 

 Election Schedule: The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the Assembly elections in five states/ union territory on Sunday.. Election Schedule: The poll schedule will be released at a press conference at 4 pm. (File Photo). The poll body has convened a press conference at 4 pm to release the schedule. Assembly elections are set to be held in West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry.. The terms of the assemblies of these states/ union territory are ending on different dates in May and June. Special intensive revision of the voters’ lists in these four states and one union territory have already been conducted, with final electoral rolls published.. This comes after the Election Commission held a crucial meeting in New Delhi earlier this week on Wednesday (March 11) to finalise the election schedule and phase-wise polling plan for the upcoming Assembly polls. The poll body had conducted its final ground review in the poll-bound regions, according to an earlier HT report.. The full bench of the Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reportedly returned to the national capital Tuesday night after conducting its multi-state preparedness review. 

 Airlines, including IndiGo and Air India, on Sunday issued advisories regarding disruptions to flights to the United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai, as the evolving West Asia crisis has led to operational restrictions and schedule changes in the Middle East. Track updates on Iran US war. A traveller walks through the terminal at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., March 14, 2026. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee (REUTERS). In a post on X, IndiGo informed passengers that flight operations in Dubai have been further restricted, leading to modifications in schedules. “Update: Due to the evolving situation in the Middle East, flight operations have been further restricted in Dubai, leading to changes in flight schedules. Customers travelling to/from Dubai are requested to check their flight status before leaving for the airport. We are also sending out notifications to keep customers informed of the latest updates,” the airline said.. Meanwhile, Air India stated that following instructions from the UAE airport authorities, both Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express have curtailed several scheduled flights on March 15.. Also read: ‘Forsaken wisdom’: UAE rejects Iran’s accusations of territory use in US strikes on Kharg Island. According to the airline, Air India will operate only one Delhi-Dubai return flight, while four of the five planned Dubai flights have been cancelled. Air India Express will also operate a single Delhi-Dubai return flight, with five out of six scheduled Dubai flights cancelled.. In Abu Dhabi, all five Air India Express flights have been cancelled for the day. However, the airline plans to continue operations from Sharjah with flights scheduled to Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.. Also read: Trump warns US may strike Iran’s Kharg Island few more times ‘just for fun’. Additionally, Air India Express said it would operate Ras Al Khaimah-Kozhikode and Ras Al Khaimah-Kochi services, subject to slot availability and prevailing operational conditions.. Passengers affected by cancellations have been offered the option to rebook to a future date without additional charges or opt for a full refund. The airline expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and said it remains committed to bringing stranded passengers home at the earliest.. The developments come amid broader disruptions in the aviation sector triggered by the evolving West Asia crisis, which have also driven a sharp rise in aviation turbine fuel prices.. Several airlines, including IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air, have recently introduced fuel surcharges on domestic and international routes to offset rising operational costs linked to the surge in fuel prices.