The government decided on a range of measures on Sunday to ensure food, fuel and fertiliser security amid disruptions due to the conflict in West Asia, as a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled immediate and long-term steps to ensure the availability of fuel and diversification of imports of fertilisers and other essential needs.. Modi convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) as the conflict sparked by Israel and the US’s attacks on Iran entered its fourth week (@narendramodi X). Modi convened a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) as the conflict sparked by Israel and the US’s attacks on Iran entered its fourth week, with oil prices rising above $100 a barrel, concerns growing about shortfalls in gas supplies, and countries around the globe bracing for a spike in living costs.. The meeting reviewed “mitigating measures” in the wake of the conflict in West Asia, Modi said on social media. “We had extensive discussions on short-, medium- and long-term measures, including ensuring continued availability of fertilisers for farmers, diversifying import sources for key sectors, promoting exports to new destinations and more,” he said.. The meeting focused on the expected impact of the conflict on sectors such as agriculture, fertilisers, food security, petroleum, power, MSMEs, exporters, shipping, trade, finance and supply chains, and the measures being taken to address the fallout, an official readout said. Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan made a presentation on the global situation and mitigating measures initiated by all ministries and departments.. With the conflict in West Asia set to have “significant” short-, medium- and long-term impacts on the global economy, the meeting assessed its effect on India and discussed immediate and long-term countermeasures, as well as the overall macroeconomic scenario in the country.. The meeting also made a detailed assessment of the availability of critical needs of the people, including food, energy and fuel security. “Short-term, medium-term and long-term measures to ensure continued availability of essential needs were discussed in detail,” the readout said.. Besides assessing the impact on farmers and their requirement of fertilisers for the Kharif season, the meeting discussed alternative sources to ensure continued availability. “The measures taken in the last few years to maintain adequate stocks of fertilisers will ensure timely availability and food security,” the readout said.. Almost half of global imports of urea and sulphur, a crucial component for fertilisers, come from West Asian countries, and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has already disrupted the supply of critical raw materials for the fertiliser sector, such as ammonia, LNG, diammonium phosphate (DAP), and potash.. The meeting decided to maintain adequate coal stocks at all power plants to “ensure no shortage of electricity” across the country. It also 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, became the longest serving head of government in India. He surpassed former Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling’s record of 8,930-day to reach the milestone. Modi has entered his 8,931t day in public life as a head of government, first as Gujarat chief minister and now as Prime Minister.. The Prime Minister had completed 25 years as head of government in October last year. (AFP). Modi was the chief minister from October 2001 to May 2014, before he was elected as the PM. He is the also first Prime Minister born after Independence and is the third longest-serving PM of India, behind Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. In October 2025, PM Modi had entered the 25th year of his tenure as head of government.. Check the full list of longest serving head of governments in India. While Modi tops the list now, for the longest time, former Sikkim CM Pawan Kumar Chamling was the longest serving head of government, having been in office for 25 years from 1994 to 2019.. Also Read: PM Modi becomes longest-serving head of government with 8,931 days in office. Third on the list is former Odisha CM, Naveen Patnaik, who held the office from 5 March 2000 to 12 June 2024. The BJD leader is one of India’s longest serving CMs.. Fourth on the list is veteran West Bengal leader Jyoti Basu, who governed the state from 1977 to 2000, emerging as one of India’s most enduring political figures. He remains the longest-serving Chief Minister of West Bengal, with a tenure spanning more than 23 years.. Fifth is former Arunachal Pradesh CM Gegong Apang who held office January 1980 to January 1999 and again from 4 August 2003 to 9 April 2007.. Wishes pour in for PM Modi. Senior Union ministers hailed PM Modi for achieving the milestone. They said the achievement reflects his unwavering commitment to nation-first governance, welfare of the poor, and elevating India’s global standing.. Defence minister Rajnath Singh noted that Modi has become the longest-serving head of government in India, describing Modi’s journey as one of continuous service marked by integrity, dedication, and tireless efforts for citizens.. Home minister Amit Shah said Modi’s decades of “seva” have defined an era of transformation, crediting him with reshaping India’s development trajectory. Union ministers including JP Nadda, Piyush Goyal, Ashwini Vaishnaw, and BJP leaders echoed similar sentiments, stating that the “Modi era” has set new benchmarks in governance and national progress. 

 Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath said on Sunday that while Artificial Intelligence (AI) can serve as an effective aid for the judiciary, it can “never replace judges or the work they do.”. Supreme Court judge Vikram Nath highlights limits of AI in judiciary (Representative photo). Speaking at a conference organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association in Bengaluru on global perspectives on judicial governance and the role of AI, Justice Nath spoke about the limits of technology in legal decision-making.. He said, “While AI may assist with research and improve efficiency, it cannot substitute the trained mind of a lawyer or the ethical and disciplined judgment that a judge must exercise.”. “Technology may help draft a note, collate data, etc., but it can never replace a judge or the work that judges do,” he added.. Emphasising that there is no fixed formula for judicial decision-making, Justice Nath said, “Even cases arising from the same law require different approaches based on facts and context. AI cannot grasp or replicate this nuance.”. In matters such as bail or commercial settlements, he said judges often make differentiated assessments. “In a case involving ten accused in the same FIR, a judge may grant bail to nine and deny it to one. AI cannot make that distinction,” he said.. He added, “While AI can widen access and improve transparency, it also carries certain risks.”. Justice Nath urged the legal community to engage with AI responsibly, without compromising core judicial values. 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level review on Sunday at a time when global oil markets remain volatile, with Brent crude trading at around $109 a barrel after touching an intraday high of $119 amid West Asia conflict.. PM Narendra Modi chairs a high-level meeting to review the evolving West Asia situation. (HT Photo). The meeting came even as an LPG tanker from the United States docked along India’s western coast, offering some supply relief amid mounting concerns over energy security. Track US-Israel and Iran war live updates. Tensions in West Asia, however, showed no signs of easing. US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could target Iranian power infrastructure if Tehran does not lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – a critical global oil transit route – within 48 hours.. The Iranians, on their side, are also belligerent and have attacked a nuclear facility in central Israel in response to Tel Aviv attack on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran. On top of all this, the Houthi rebels have also threatened to join in the war with Iran with a threat to shipping in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.. The Prime Minister, while chairing the meeting, focused on keeping essential sectors running smoothly.. HT has learnt that the discussions centred on petroleum, crude oil, gas, power and fertiliser supplies, with an emphasis on ensuring there are no disruptions on the ground.. PM Narendra Modi chairs high-level meent with focus on ensuring uninterrupted supply, stable logistics and efficient distribution across the country. (HT photo). Modi also reviewed logistics and distribution networks in detail, stressing the need to maintain steady supplies across the country and prevent any bottlenecks.. Since the onset of the war, retail petrol and diesel prices for regular consumers have largely remained unchanged, however there has been a notable uptick in other fuel categories, marking the first significant revision since March 2024.. Industrial diesel, in particular, has seen a sharp rise of around 25%, reflecting the pressure from global price movements amid the ongoing conflict.. Officials indicated that the government is closely monitoring the situation, with a clear focus on safeguarding domestic supply. While addressing a press conference earlier this week, Sujata Sharma, a joint secretary in the petroleum ministry, said that New Delhi may revisit its fuel export plans if required to ensure adequate availability in the local market.. “Domestic consumption is priority, and the government will review (the export plan),” she added. Notably, India is one of the world’s largest refining hubs. 

 New Delhi: As the Ministry of Education prepares to strengthen the open schooling framework through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), as part of a nationwide effort to bring out-of-school children back into the education system, concerns have emerged over the institution’s finances and functioning.. The findings come against the backdrop of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims for 100% enrolment from pre-school to secondary level by 2030. (Hindustan Times). A recent working paper by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), a finance ministry think tank, highlights that NIOS has not received government budget support since 2012–13. Instead, it operates largely as a self-financing body, relying heavily on student fees, the paper notes.. It further mentions that while NIOS has accumulated significant surpluses, its spending pattern raises questions. “In 2021–22, the institute generated about ₹188 crore in academic receipts and recorded a surplus of over ₹127 crore, with total reserves nearing ₹800 crore. However, expenditure on staff ( ₹65.8 crore) was more than double the spending on student academic needs ( ₹30.8 crore),” the report says.. Experts argue that the concern is not the surplus itself, but how it is used, especially when student outcomes remain modest. In 2024, pass rates stood at 60.14% for Class 10 and 62.39% for Class 12, among the lowest across school boards, according to the government data.. “NIOS operates with a financial efficiency that mirrors a profit-making corporation rather than a non-profit educational board,” the paper published on February 18 states.. Titled “Strengthening State Open Schools: A Need for a Dedicated and Focused Policy for School Dropouts”, the study was authored by HK Amar Nath of NIPFP and Nikhil Rahangdale of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. It forms part of a broader study commissioned by Ramon Magsaysay Award winner NGO ‘Educate Girls’.. The findings come against the backdrop of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims for 100% enrolment from pre-school to secondary level by 2030. However, data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2023–24 shows nearly two crore children aged 14–18 remain out of school, while over 50 lakh students fail board exams annually.. The education ministry has described open schooling as a “practical alternative” for children unable to attend regular schools due to economic or social constraints.. Yet, the NIPFP report points to deeper structural challenges. Only 9.7% of India’s 1.47 million schools offer secondary-level education, creating what researchers call a “structural break” where student enrolment drops sharply after upper primary.. NIOS currently serves around 27 lakh learners and has recorded over 41 lakh enrolments in the past five years through more than 10,800 study and exam centres. However, staffing shortages persist, with 139 vacancies out