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Last Updated:October 07, 2026, 18:01 IST
Tshering Tobgay’s comments come as global figures extend congratulations to Narendra Modi for completing 25 years as head of government
Rapid Read
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay has publicly described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an “avatar of Vishnu”, offering a personal tribute as the Indian leader marks a quarter-century of public service as a head of government. In a detailed reflection published online titled An Avatar for Our Times, Tobgay revealed that he does not use the moniker lightly, tracing the description back to a private meeting the two leaders shared in July 2019.
The Bhutanese leader recalled telling PM Modi during that encounter that enlightened rulers in the region have long been regarded as divine manifestations. While Tobgay initially questioned whether he had been carried away in the moment, he stated that subsequent years of tracking Modi’s governance and transformative policies convinced him that his initial assessment was entirely correct.
Cultural Parallel and the Rigsum Gonpo Link
Expanding on his perspective, Tobgay linked PM Modi’s leadership style to both Himalayan traditions and Buddhist heritage. He referenced the Buddhist concept of Rigsum Gonpo—the revered trinity of Bodhisattvas representing wisdom, compassion, and courage—noting that effective and selfless governance requires a rare blend of these foundational traits.
Tobgay highlighted Narendra Modi’s progression from leading Gujarat for nearly 13 years to transforming national infrastructure and administrative execution across India. The Bhutanese Prime Minister observed that setting a grand vision is relatively straightforward, but executing structural social and economic transformation requires a level of dedication that defines true statecraft.
‘Bharat for Bhutan’: Strategic Ties and Development
At A Glance
1 .
Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay described Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an “avatar of Vishnu.”
2 .
Tobgay’s description of Modi dates back to a private meeting in July 2019.
3 .
Narendra Modi led Gujarat for nearly 13 years before becoming Prime Minister of India.
4 .
PM Modi’s maiden foreign visit after taking office in June 2014 was to Bhutan.
5 .
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck conferred the Order of the Druk Gyalpo on Modi, making him the first foreign leader to receive it.
The tribute underscores the close diplomatic and strategic partnership between New Delhi and Thimphu. Tobgay recalled PM Modi’s maiden foreign visit to Bhutan in June 2014 shortly after taking office, where the Indian Prime Minister coined the phrase “B4B: Bharat for Bhutan, Bhutan for Bharat”.
Indian development assistance supported Bhutan’s 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans, providing funding for infrastructure, energy grid expansion, and local economic development. Tobgay noted that the people of Bhutan were gratified when King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck conferred the Order of the Druk Gyalpo—Bhutan’s highest civilian honour—on Modi, making him the first foreign leader to receive the award.
Significance of the 25-Year Governance Milestone
Tobgay’s comments come as global figures extend congratulations to Narendra Modi for completing 25 years as head of government, spanning his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat starting in October 2001 through to his current term as Prime Minister.
Addressing the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, Tobgay stated that India’s growth directly anchors regional stability, remarking that “Viksit Bharat means Viksit Bhutan”. He emphasised that mobilising collective citizen action—Sabka Prayas—remains Modi’s most consequential achievement, transforming governance from top-down policy into a participatory national effort.
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New Delhi: Aiming to regulate advertisements and digital communications relating to medical practice and healthcare services in an ethical, truthful, transparent, and responsible manner, the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) has released Guidelines on Ethical Advertising and Public Communication by hospitals/medical institutions and Registered Medical Practitioners.
Through a public notice dated 06.10.2026, the Ethics Board of the Commission released these guidelines and directed Registered Medical Practitioners and other concerned stakeholders to ensure compliance.
NMC has framed these guidelines in view of the Writ Petition (Civil) No.1160/2023 filed in the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and the provisions of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002. They aim to preserve the dignity of the medical profession, prevent commercialization of healthcare, protect patient interest and prevent misleading medical claims, ensure healthcare communication remains informational, ethical, and evidence-based, align hospital advertising practices with professional standards applicable to Registered Medical Practitioners, promote transparency while discouraging commercialization of medical care, regulate digital healthcare promotion, and ensure ethical parity across all systems of medicine, etc.
“Accordingly, the National Medical Commission (NMC) hereby informs all Registered Medical Practitioners and other concerned stakeholders, to ensure compliance with the provisions of the annexed Guidelines. The Guidelines shall come into force with immediate effect,” the notice issued by NMC Secretary Dr. Raghav Langer stated.
These guidelines include issues like public awareness: public health education, patient privacy and consent. It specifies prohibited advertising practices for RMP/Clinical Establishments, advertising restrictions and permitted communications for RMPs, exceptions granted to the RMPs from such prohibitions, and also advertising by hospitals and medical institutes.
Further, these guidelines have also specified the miscellaneous do’s and don’ts for the RMPs, including the responsibilities of hospitals and RMPs. The guidelines also include regulatory procedures for oversight and enforcement mechanisms, including penalties and corrective measures, appellate mechanism, and it also defines the power of NMC to issue clarifications.
♦ Why have these guidelines been issued?
While specifying the preamble and objectives of these guidelines, NMC stated that “They aim to protect patients and the public from misleading or unsubstantiated claims, safeguard patient privacy and autonomy, and uphold the dignity and integrity of the medical profession.”
These guidelines have been framed for the following objectives-
a) provide a contemporary framework for ethical, truthful, transparent and responsible regulation of advertisements and promotional communications relating to medical practice and healthcare services;
b) safeguard patients, the public and public health by preventing false, misleading, exaggerated, deceptive or unsubstantiated medical claims and ensuring that information disseminated by Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) and medical institutions is factual, accurate, transparent and capable of verification;
c) prevent direct or indirect solicitation of patients and commercial promotion that may induce unnecessary investigations, treatments or medical procedures;
d) regulate advertisements and promotional communications disseminated through digital and emerging technologies; e) uphold patient autonomy and privacy and maintain the dignity, integrity and ethical standards of the medical profession; and
f) provide an operational framework consistent with the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, as applicable, and other applicable laws, rules and regulations, without altering, overriding or derogating from any existing statutory or regulatory requirement.
♦ Scope & Applicability
√ These Guidelines shall apply to the professional conduct of the RMPs in relation to advertising, publicity, digital communication and promotional activities and to address the gap created due to advent of electronic media. These Guidelines are sought to be more comprehensive, specific and aligned to the needs of the present-day society.
√ In relation to RMPs, these Guidelines shall be read with the IMC (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, as amended from time to time, and the NMC Act, 2019. In case of any irreconcilable conflict, the applicable statutory provisions and operative regulations shall prevail.
√ For Hospitals/ Medical Institutions, these guidelines shall be read in conjunction with the applicable Clinical Establishment Act or Rules framed thereunder/ any other State Act as applicable and in case of any irreconcilable conflict between the two, the provisions of the applicable Clinical Establishment Act or Rules framed thereunder/ any other State Act as applicable shall override the provisions of these Guidelines.
√ The fact that an advertisement or promotional communication is published through a digital platform, third party, advertising agency, influencer or other intermediary shall not, by itself, absolve an RMP or medical institution from responsibility for content which it has authorized, commissioned, sponsored, adopted or knowingly permitted. The disciplinary or statutory consequences shall, however, be determined by the competent authority under the applicable law.
♦ Public Awareness: Public health education
√ Medical Practitioners may participate in health awareness programmers, public health campaigns, academic discussions, educational content, provided that such activities do not promote personal practice, do not solicit patients and are not monetized through promotional marketing.
√ Hoardings/Billboards in public space that are let out by concerned municipal or other authorities like state transport authority, railways, airports etc., may be used by hospitals/medical institutions and RMPs only for dissemination of factual information in the nature of infrastructure, facilities etc. Unverified or unverifiable claims shall be construed as for furtherance of commercial gains, and are prohibited.
♦ Patient Privacy and Consent
√ Patient information, photographs, videos, medical records, clinical images, treatment details, testimonials or other identifiable information shall not be used for advertising purposes except where such use is permitted by applicable law and the necessary consent and other safeguards have been duly complied with.
√ Patient consent shall not, by itself, make permissible any testimonial, endorsement, promotional patient story, before-and-after depiction, success claim or other advertising practice that is otherwise prohibited under these Guidelines or applicable law.
√ Where consent is legally required, it shall be specific, informed, voluntary, documented and capable of verification, and shall comply with applicable privacy and data-protection law. The form and mode of recording consent shall be determined in accordance with the applicable law and the nature and purpose of the proposed use.
√ Even where disclosure is lawfully permitted, reasonable safeguards shall be adopted by the hospital/medical institution and RMP shall be duty bound to prevent unnecessary disclosure of names or to crop, blur, black out, birth marks/ identification marks, or other information through which the patient may be identified.
♦ Prohibited Advertising Practices for RMP / Clinical Establishments
√ RMP/ Clinical Establishments should use the social media in the most responsible manner and with the sole intention to balance public dissemination of information with utmost enforcement of patient integrity along with stringent adherence to professional ethics.
√ Al Generated promotional campaign for furtherance of commercial interest is prohibited.Any Al generated promotional contentconforming to the provisions of these guidelines, the Regulations, and applicable Clinical Establishment Act and rules framed thereunder/ any other State Act as applicable, shall compulsorily carry the source mark, explicitly stating that the origin of the content is Al.
a) Al-generated or Al-assisted content shall not be used by an RMP or hospital/medical institution to create or disseminate misleading, deceptive or unverifiable representations concerning diagnosis, treatment, clinical outcomes, professional qualifications, patient experiences or healthcare services.
b) Al shall not be used to create or manipulate a patient’s image, testimonial, voice or clinical outcome, or to create a synthetic endorsement or representation purporting to be that of an actual patient, RMP or other person.
c) Where Al-generated or materially Al-altered content is used in a manner in which its artificial nature may reasonably be material to the audience’s understanding of the communication, appropriate disclosure shall be made.
d) Any use of patient information as input for an Al system shall comply with applicable privacy, confidentiality, data-protection and professional-ethics requirements.
√ The prohibited practices relating to advertising, publicity, solicitation, endorsements, testimonials, patient images, misleading claims and digital manipulation shall be governed by Chapter III of these Guidelines. RMPs and clinical establishments shall also comply with the specific requirements relating to patient privacy, digital communication and Al contained in pre-paras of this Chapter. Explanation – All campaigns on programmes/schemes of Government of India and the state Governments, which arein larger public interest, shall be exempted from these guidelines.
√ RMP/ Clinical establishment shall not share any patient data, such as names, faces, anomalies, etc., which can be identified publicly.
√ Nothing in these Guidelines shall be construed as permitting the live broadcast or commercial dissemination of surgical or clinical procedures in a manner inconsistent with the applicable NMC guidelines, directions or advisories relating to live surgery broadcasts. Any live surgery broadcast shall comply with the applicable NMC framework governing patient safety, consent, privacy, educational purpose, sponsorship, commercialization and professional conduct.
√ Advertisement under these Guidelines involving processing, publication, storage, disclosure or other use of digital personal data shall comply with the provision of Information Technology Act, 2000; Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and Rules made thereunder in 2025, to the extent applicable and in force from time to time.
♦ Responsibilities and Ethical Communication Standards:
√ Advertising Restrictions and Permitted Communications for RMPs.
i. Shall not engage in advertisement/ activities intended to create unnecessary demand for medical procedures, promote unnecessary diagnostics and promote fear-based marketing.
ii. Shall not solicit patients directly or indirectly, promote his/her professional services through self-promotion, engage any third party for marketing medical services, permit the use of their name, image, voice, testimonial or endorsement for promotion of services or any products, participate in promotional campaigns giving an impression of commercialization of medical practice.
iii. Shall not advertise either personal achievements or professional success rates or number of patients treated with illustrative assertions such as “Guaranteed cures”, “Best doctors”, “No.1 Specialist”, “100% success”, “painless treatment”, “Miracle treatment”, “Exclusive cure” or any other unverifiable or exaggerated claims by whatsoever name called.
iv. An RMP shall not give, directly or indirectly, any approval, recommendation, endorsement, certificate, report or statement concerning any drug, medicine, remedy, therapeutic article, apparatus, appliance, medical device, diagnostic product, health product or commercial product for use in advertising or publicity in connection with his/her name, signature, photograph, voice or professional status, whether or not monetary or other consideration is received.
v. Shall not publish cases for promotional purposes, advertise surgical results, display “before and after” photographs, publicize celebrity patients, promote personal success stories unless published strictly for scientific or educational purposes with anonymized patient consent.
vi. Shall not publish any statement that creates unrealistic expectations, misrepresents treatment outcomes, conceals risks, promote unproven therapies, secret remedy or treatment whose composition, scientific basis, safety or efficacy is not adequately established or which is otherwise prohibited under applicable law.
vii. No RMP shall, directly or indirectly, offer, pay, solicit, receive or participate in any commission, rebate, bonus, gift, gratuity, referral fee, lead-generation fee or other consideration in relation to the promotion or advertisement of medical services, where such consideration is connected with the referral, recommendation or procurement of patients, specimens or materials for diagnosis, treatment, surgery or other medical services.
viii. The engagement of advertising agencies, digital marketing agencies, influencers or online platforms shall not be structured in a manner that results in payment or consideration being linked to the procurement or referral of individual patients.
ix. No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall make comparative claims such as “best”, “No.1”, “leading”, “most trusted”, “top”, “number one”, “unmatched” or similar superiority claims unless the claim is objectively verifiable, based on a transparent and independently ascertainable methodology and is otherwise permissible under applicable law.
Provided, Any ranking or award relied upon in advertising shall be capable of independent verification, and material conditions, methodology and relevant date, details of award giving organization or firm shall be disclosed where necessary to avoid misleading the public.
X. No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall use discounts, limited-period offers, contests, coupons, gifts, cashbacks, referral benefits, free procedures or similar inducements in a manner that is likely to encourage unnecessary medical consultation, diagnostic investigation or treatment or otherwise amounts to solicitation of patients.
Any lawful disclosure of charges, packages or fees shall be factual, transparent and not misleading.
xi. No RMP shall use or permit any celebrity, influencer, patient, employee or third party to promote professional services through prohibited testimonials, endorsements or recommendations. Any material commercial relationship in lawful public-health or informational communication shall be transparently disclosed in accordance with applicable law. No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall use a third party as an intermediary to do indirectly what the RMP or institution is prohibited from doing directly.
xii. No RMP or hospital/medical institution shall procure, manipulate or cause any third party to procure or manipulate fake followers, likes, reviews, ratings, testimonials, comments, views or other digital engagement, or manipulate search rankings, visibility or algorithms to create a misleading impression of professional standing.
√ Exceptions from Prohibitions for RMP –
i. Only research-based communication, wherein they have published interesting case studies in reputed medical journals shall be allowed.
ii. A medical practitioner is however permitted to make a formal announcement regarding the following :
a) On starting practice.
b) On change of type of practice.
c) On changing address.
d) On temporary absence from duty.
e) On resumption of another practice.
f) On succeeding to another practice.
g) Public declaration of charge.
iii. Medical Practitioners may deliver lectures or talks on public health and diseases for public awareness through television, radio and electronic media in their own name and designation, without promoting their employer organization.
iv. Medical Practitioners can issue health education and general information pamphlets/ brochures to the patients visiting their clinic/ hospital but these should not contain guarantee of cure or superiority over others or unsubstantiated claims or misleading information
v. Greeting on days of national importance or related to medical profession, etc. of National Day, etc. can be given by Medical Practitioners, however same should not contain advertisement of a professional gains.
√ Hospital/Medical Institution Advertising
i. Hospitals/Medical Institutions may disseminate factual, objective and verifiable information concerning their name, location, contact details, departments, facilities, equipment, services, emergency services, accreditation status, charges and other institutional information permitted by applicable law.
ii. Such communication shall not contain patient solicitation, inducement, comparative superiority claims, guarantees of cure or treatment outcome, unverifiable or exaggerated claims, or promotional portrayal of an individual RMP. The form, medium or frequency of communication shall not convert otherwise factual information into solicitation or promotional self-aggrandizement.
iii. Where advertising is permitted under applicable law, the communication shall remain within the scope permitted by such law and these Guidelines.
♦ Responsibilities of Hospital/Medical Institutions and RMP
√ Clinical Establishments may advertise only factual information, where it is limited to objective and verifiable particulars concerning the establishment, including the name of the establishment, contact details, departments functioning, diagnostic facilities, emergency services, accreditation status, other facilities offered and applicable fees. A hospital website containing a directory of its doctors, containing the names, recognised qualifications, specialties, registration details and availability of its doctors, that serves a patient-information function; shall be regarded materially distinct from a paid or promotional advertisement or inducement.
√ Use of the photograph/image of an RMP shall not be permitted; where such use constitutes self-advertisement, solicitation or promotional publicity. In particular, use of self-photograph or similar publicity material on the letterhead or signboard of a consulting room or clinical establishment shall be governed by Regulations 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, and regarded as unethical conduct.
√ RMP can issue a formal announcement which are factual, non-promotional and limited in scope regarding starting of practice, change of address, change of practice type, temporary absence, resumption of practice, public declaration of consultation fees.
√ All healthcare platforms hosting RMP shall ensure compliance with NMC ethical advertising norms, prohibition of paid ranking of doctors, maintain transparency in listing practices.
♦ Penalties / Corrective Measures
√ In case of violation of the above guidelines, actions will be taken by the concerned SMC against the erring RMP in accordance with the provisions ofthe NMC Act and Regulations made thereunder.
The following graded action may be contemplated by the SMC concerned;
i. First Violation: Warning and mandatory ethics training.
ii. Second Violation: Censure and monetary penalty.
iii. Third Violation: Suspension of registration (3-6 months).
iv. Serious Violation (Misleading cure claims, inducement for patients, digital mass solicitation, etc.) Suspension of 6-12 months.
v. Repeated Violations: Removal from medical register for 1-3 years.
Any violation of these Guidelines by an RMP may, where applicable, constitute professional or ethical misconduct and shall be dealt with by the competent authority in accordance with the NMC Act, 2019, the applicable Ethics Regulations and the principles of natural justice. The competent authority may, where legally permissible, impose such disciplinary or corrective measures, including censure, direction for corrective compliance/ethics sensitization, restriction or suspension of registration, removal from the register for a specified period or otherwise, and monetary penalty, as may be authorized under the NMC Act and applicable Regulations.
Explanation: Hospital/medical institutions engaging in unethical advertising shall be dealt with in accordance with applicable Clinical Establishment Act and Rules framed thereunder/ any other State Act as applicable.
√ The penalties shall be imposed only after issuing a show-cause notice to the defaulting RMP and providing an opportunity to explain or clarify the alleged violation, in accordance with the applicable laws.
√ Where an RMP is found to be in violation of these Guidelines, the SMC shall issue a reasoned and speaking order setting out:
i. the specific violation identified;
ii. the contentions of the defaulting RMP/ and reasons for acceptance / rejection of the same;
iii. the reasons and basis for imposing the penalties.
♦ Appellate Mechanism
√ Any RMP aggrieved by the findings or decision of the SMC may prefer an appeal before the Appellate Authority i.e, EMRB,NMC, within 60 days under Section 30 (3) of NMC Act, 2019.
√ The Appellate Authority shall independently examine the appeal and may, where considered necessary, call for the records and direct a fresh assessment, seek additional opinion, or undertake such further examination as it deems fit in accordance with these Guidelines.
√ The Appellate Authority shall pass a reasoned and speaking order, clearly recording the basis for affirming, modifying, or setting aside the findings of the SMC.
√ The decision on the first appeal may be contested by the RMP through second appeal, in accordance with Section 30 (4), NMC Act, 2019, within sixty days of communication of such decision.
√ In case of any violation by a hospital or medical institution, the corresponding penalty and appellate mechanism, in accordance with the Clinical Establishments Act and the Rules framed thereunder/ any other State Act as applicable, shall apply. Where an RMP has personally authorized, participated in, endorsed or otherwise been responsible for the prohibited communication, the professional conduct of such RMP may separately be examined by the concerned State Medical Council, Ethics and Medical Registration Board or National Medical Commission, as applicable.
♦ Power to Issue Clarifications
The National Medical Commission may issue such clarifications, advisories, standard operating procedures or procedural instructions, consistent with these Guidelines and the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, as may be necessary for their effective and uniform implementation.
To view these guidelines, click on the link below:
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/2026/10/07/nmc-guidelines-on-ethical-advertising-and-public-communication-478642.pdf

Mahima Kapoor with AP, AFP and Reuters
Published 10/07/2026Published October 7, 2026
Delhi police has beefed up security around the Election Commission of India, likely preparing for another day of ‘vote theft’ protests. Meanwhile, PM Modi marks 25 years in public service. Follow live.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Nrxd
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What you need to know
Police tighten security around central Delhi after opposition’s sit-in protest
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Skip next section ‘We will do it’: PM Modi on India’s development goal
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
‘We will do it’: PM Modi on India’s development goal
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a rallying speech with a new slogan on Wednesday, at an event to mark the leader’s 25 years as head of a government.
Speaking to an auditorium full of supporters in New Delhi, Modi expressed gratitude to the masses for keeping him in power for 25 years, claiming to have transformed India over the period.
“On 7 October 2001, when I took oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I never imagined that this milestone would one day arrive,” Modi said.
“Today, whatever I am, wherever I am, whatever responsibility I hold, the greatest contribution to it is that of the people — the masses. For me, the people — the masses — are the very form of God,” he said.
Past the 18-minute mark of the speech which lasted for over an hour, Modi moved on from reminiscing about the past and outlined his hopes for the future.
Chants of ‘jai shree Ram’ — a slogan celebrating Hindu God Rama, which has turned political under Modi’s party — rang in the background.
“The dream we are seeing today in 2026 of a developed India will surely come true. There is no reason for India to stop now. A hundred years ago, we were even less than 40 crore; today, we are more than 140 crore (1.4 billion). The 140 crore countrymen together will build a developed India by 2047, and we certainly will,” Modi said.
“We will do it,” he said in English, a rarity when Modi is addressing an Indian crowd.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Nt2t
Skip next section Lunch and a letter to India’s election chief
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
Lunch and a letter to India’s election chief
About 150-200 lawmakers from India’s opposition are expected to convene at a restaurant in Delhi serving south Indian cuisine.
On invitation from Indian National Congress (INC) President Mallikarjun Kharge, the Members of Parliament (MPs) will be signing a letter requesting a meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner, news agency ANI reported.
This comes a day after Congress Leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra, their supporters and over 200 other MPs marched towards the Election Commission of India (ECI) to demand the same meeting. Police eventually blocked the demonstrators near the ECI and detained several of them, only to release them later.
In response to the protest, the ECI said “no political party, through its representatives, had sought an appointment for a meeting with the Election Commission,” as of 4:00 p.m. local time. It also pointed to specific procedures laid down in 2025 to meet with political parties.
It further called the proposed venue of the meeting, the Parliament House Annexe, “unusual” and said any such meeting would only be held at the premises of the ECI.
Dangerously close to lunch time, this reporter is now wondering what the lawmakers will order.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NsQz
Skip next section WATCH — India’s bride trafficking: women sold as commodities
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
WATCH — India’s bride trafficking: women sold as commodities
Nargis was lured to Haryana with promises of a better future. Her husband paid less than $400 (€357) for her. Jameela continues to struggle with the effects of violence, exploitation, and social exclusion.
Their stories reflect the experiences of thousands of women brought from poorer regions of India to Haryana, where they live as paros, or “bought brides.” A lucrative human trafficking trade has emerged around the practice. We follow survivors as they try to break free from dependency and discrimination, revealing how poverty, tradition, and criminal networks sustain a system that deprives women of their freedom.
India’s bride trafficking: women sold as commodities
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Skip next section India’s central bank raises policy rate to counter inflation
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
India’s central bank raises policy rate to counter inflation
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised the the key benchmark policy rate, for the first time in over three years, as it looked to control rising inflation amid the US-led war on Iran.
The repo rate, which guides the short-term lending rate for commercial banks, was raised by 25 basis points to 5.5%. The rate hike will make home loans, vehicle loans and corporate loans more expensive for borrowers. Even equated monthly installments would go up for existing borrowers.
With this, the RBI has shifted gears to join several central banks around the world looking to curb rising prices or boost their currencies. It has changed its stance to a “calibrated tightening,” the report said.
“Driven by escalating energy costs and rising food prices, global inflation is projected to increase sharply prompting monetary policy tightening by major central Banks,” RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said in his opening remarks while announcing the rake hike.
He attributed the inflationary pressures to the “reescalation of the West Asia conflict in September and consequent hardening and volatility in global crude prices.”
“Further tightening of global financial conditions, uncertainty about fair valuation of AI stocks, and an elusive resolution of the West Asia conflict pose significant downside risks to the global economic outlook,” Malhotra said.
Nonetheless, the RBI governor said he expects India’s “strong” economy to “remain resilient.”
Apart from rising prices, the RBI’s calculations likely involve the state of the Indian rupee which has been near record lows over the past week.
The central bank has rolled out a number of measures to attract dollar inflows to counter the rupee’s fall but pressures from global investment outflows and crude prices persist.
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Skip next section Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra booked by police a day after protests
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadra booked by police a day after protests
Police authorities in Delhi have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against siblings Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra, along with their supporters, for allegedly forcibly entering the headquarters of All India Radio during the opposition’s march against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The move was reported by news agency Press Trust of India.
Gandhi and Vadra are lawmakers and among Modi’s biggest critics in the parliament.
As per the report, police received a complaint that the leaders, their supporters and other members of parliament entered the premises of the Akashvani Bhawan building without permission.
They did so after they were stopped near the Election Commission Office, continuing their protest as a sit-in to demand a meeting with the electoral body.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ns8J
Skip next section WATCH — How can India bring green technology inventions to market?
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
WATCH — How can India bring green technology inventions to market?
India’s climate-tech entrepreneurs are developing innovative solutions to tackle air pollution and environmental challenges, but turning ideas into successful businesses remains difficult.
Fewer than 3% of India’s more than 800 climate-tech startups have progressed beyond the early-funding stage.
How can India bring green technology inventions to market?
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Skip next section BJP marks 25 years of Modi as head of a government
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
BJP marks 25 years of Modi as head of a government
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched the culmination of a celebratory campaign — dubbed ‘Seva Sankalp’ — to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years as head of a government.
On October 7, 2001, Modi was first sworn in as chief minister of the western state of Gujarat.
“As the head of the government, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s twenty-five years are a testament to service, dedication, good governance, and strong willpower,” India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X.
Several politicians from the BJP echoed his sentiments, contratulating the premier on his service.
At the center of today’s festivities is a bike rally. News agency ANI reported that participants loaded up on bikes arrived in the northern holy city of Varanasi from a different holy city of Tirupati in southern India.
“Covering 2000 km (1,242 miles) after visiting the Balaji temple in Andhra Pradesh, a team of 40 youths—who are also party office-bearers—undertook a journey,” a local minister from the state of Uttar Pradesh said, adding that a temple would soon be built to mark the occasion.
Several states BJP-ruled states are organizing public gatherings where speeches by Modi and BJP party President Nitin Nabin would be telecast on giant screens.
The celebrations are reminiscent of another recent campaign for Modi’s birthday on September 17. Critics had then pointed out that the government was spending massively on public relations, advertising and celebrations, while advising Indians to practice austerity to counter the fallout from global conflicts.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ns25
Skip next section Tight security in central Delhi after Gandhi’s protest
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
Tight security in central Delhi after Gandhi’s protest
Visuals coming out of central Delhi on Wednesday morning showed significant police presence, barricades and diverted routes, as authorities stood alert for another round of protesters.
This comes less than a day after leaders of India’s opposition bloc marched on the Election Commission of India to demand a meeting with India’s election body over allegations of ‘vote theft.’
The march soon turned into a sit-in which ultimately culminated in police detaining several leaders including opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and his sister and lawmaker Priyanka Vadra. They were later released.
“We only want to go ​to the election commissioners, ask them questions, and tell them you have stolen votes,” Gandhi said.
On Wednesday morning, authorities once again issued a prohibitory order under Indian law which forbids sloganeering, speeches and public assemblies. It is a regular move to dissuade protesters from gathering and arms the police to detain demonstrators for disturbing public peace.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Ns1s
Skip next section Welcome to our coverage!
10/07/2026October 7, 2026
Welcome to our coverage!
Good morning and welcome to DW’s India news blog.
This is Mahima Kapoor reporting from Studio Delhi and I will be your guide through the headlines of the day.
It’s the morning after leaders from India’s oppotion bloc marched on the Election Commission of India over “vote theft” allegations.
Arguably Modi’s biggest political contender, Rahul Gandhi, has vowed retribution against “traitors” who he claims have colluded to errode India’s elecotral roll during the controversial revision exercise carried out under Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
This might sound like deja vu to anyone reading this blog regularly, but police in the national capital has beefed up security around central Delhi on Wednesday morning, in anticipation of more protests.
The demonstrations and allegations will likely cast a shadow on what is a milestone day for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The leader’s party is celebrating his 25 years as the head of a government with tweets, temple visits and at least one bike rally.
Stay tuned for all of this and more!
https://p.dw.com/p/5NrzW
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West Indies will hope Hope is fit as they look to carry on the good work from their win in New Chandigarh
Ashish Pant
Published: Oct 5, 2026, 1:30 PM (2 hrs ago)
3:04
Chopra: Samson should open with Abhishek
Big Picture – The Sooryavanshi question
Three days after securing the Asian Games gold in Japan, India will face West Indies in a five-match T20I series which gets underway in Lucknow. Twelve of the 14 players who were part of the Asian Games squad are also in the squad for the West Indies T20Is, and the final XI in Lucknow could closely resemble the one that faced Pakistan in the gold-medal contest.
The key question for India will centre on the personnel at the top of the order. India had Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi open the batting at the Asian Games, with Sanju Samson coming in at No. 3. However, they are likely to go back to picking two out of the three in the XI, with Ishan Kishan slotting in at No. 3.
Samson had a below-par time in Japan, but is likely to retain his place after back-to-back fifties in the T20Is against Afghanistan. Abhishek is expected to be a lock in, and that could mean Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunity. The rest of the middle order is likely to feature the usual suspects in Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Related
West Indies add Amir Jangoo as cover for the injured Jewel Andrew for India T20Is
West Indies, on the other hand, will hope to carry some of the momentum from the third ODI into the T20I series. They have brought in a few power-packed reinforcements for the T20Is in the form of Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd and will want to create a few dents over the next couple of weeks.
West Indies will also be hoping to improve their T20I record in India. They have won just one of their last 10 T20Is in the country, with their most recent victory coming in 2019.
Form guide
India WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
West Indies LLWLL
In the spotlight – Ishan Kishan and Shimron Hetmyer
Ishan Kishan has been one of the major success stories for India in T20Is this year. Ever since his comeback to the Indian team, he has managed to maintain consistency in a fickle format and has been the fulcrum of the Indian top order. Kishan is the leading run-scorer in T20Is this year: 1005 runs in 29 matches at 37.22, while maintaining a strike-rate of 169.47. He also has a stellar record at Ekana Stadium, with three fifties and a century in nine T20 innings, while averaging 66.57 and will want to continue with his good form here.
Shimron Hetmyer was in red-hot form at the CPL 2026, finishing the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer, with 367 runs in 12 innings while maintaining a strike-rate of 197.31. He wasn’t part of the ODI squad after being given an “extended recovery period post CPL” and will come in for the T20Is refreshed and hoping to make a splash.
Team news: Mayank or Prince; Kuldeep or Bishnoi?
With Jasprit Bumrah not included in the T20Is, Arshdeep Singh is expected to lead the fast bowling unit, with Reddy, Axar Patel and Dube being the all-round options. Ravi Bishnoi did not have the best of times at the Asian Games, and it is likely Kuldeep Yadav, who last played a T20I in February this year, will get a game. The other selection dilemma for India will be deciding between Mayank Yadav and Prince Yadav, both of whom have Lucknow as their IPL home ground.
India (probable XI): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Ishan Kishan (wk), 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mayank Yadav/Prince Yadav, 11 Arshdeep Singh
West Indies have added Amir Jangoo as cover for Jewel Andrew, who sustained a finger injury during the third ODI against India. Shai Hope was seen cramping up during the third ODI and did not train on the eve of the game, but is likely to start. If Andrew doesn’t get fit in time, West Indies could hand Kamil Pooran, who had a sensational CPL season, a debut. Shamar Joseph is expected to lead the fast bowling attack with Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde and Shamar Springer as the pace options.
West Indies (probable XI): 1 Shai Hope (capt, wk), 2 Kamil Pooran, 3 Shimron Hetmyer, 4 Rovman Powell, 5 Sherfane Rutherford, 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Shamar Springer, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Gudakesh Motie, 10 Shamar Joseph, 11 Matthew Forde
Pitch and conditions
Pitch No. 5, that is the centre pitch, will be in play for the Lucknow T20I. It is a mix-soil pitch – a mixture of a red and black soil. Runs came thick and fast in Lucknow during IPL 2026, and expect much of the same come Tuesday. There has been some rain around the city, which affected the practice session of both teams on Monday. There is, however, no rain forecast on match day.
Stats and trivia
Akeal Hosein is set to become only the fourth West Indies player to feature in 100 T20Is
Ishan Kishan is the only batter in the world to have recorded more than 1000 runs in T20Is this year
India have won 20 out of 31 T20Is against West Indies
India are yet to lose a T20I at the Ekana Stadium
Quotes
“Five T20s mean that if you’re playing in every one, the opposition can plan better for you each time. So it always about trying to stay one step ahead of the batter. Trying to be as clever as possible and just trying to get the job done for the team. I think that’s my general game plan.”
Akeal Hosein on bowling in the powerplay against hard-hitting India line-up
Ashish Pant is a sub-editor with Cricinfo