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De-addiction centre owner among 2 arrested in arms racket bust in Punjab

India Today – Top Stories

2h ago

De-addiction centre owner among 2 arrested in arms racket bust in Punjab

Summary

In a major crackdown on illegal arms trafficking in Punjab, the Amritsar Police has dismantled a cross-border weapons smuggling network and arrested two individuals, including the owner of a de-addiction centre. The police also seized seven sophisticated pistols and 40 live cartridges, officials said on Wednesday. The arrested accused have been identified as Surjit Singh alias Rana (33), a resident of Sur Singh village in Tarn Taran district, and Gulbagh Singh alias Batth (26), a resident of Bhai Manj Singh Road in Amritsar. Police said Gulbagh Singh runs a de-addiction centre in the Sultanwind area of the city. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the recovery includes one 9mm Glock pistol, one .30 bore Tisas Turkiye pistol, one .30 bore specially modified pistol, four .30 bore pistols and 40 live cartridges. The DGP said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in contact with foreign-based smugglers through social media platforms and were receiving illegal weapon consignments through cross-border routes for further distribution to criminal elements. "The arrested accused were receiving weapon consignments via cross-border routes for further supply to criminal elements," Yadav said, adding that efforts are underway to establish both backward and forward linkages to identify other members of the arms supply network. Sharing details of the operation, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the arrests were made based on specific intelligence inputs. Police teams initially recovered two pistols from the accused and subsequently seized five more sophisticated firearms during sustained interrogation and follow-up operations. Bhullar said verification of criminal records revealed that Surjit Singh is already wanted in a commercial quantity narcotics case registered at Bhikhiwind Police Station in Tarn Taran, indicating his alleged involvement in organised criminal activities.

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Deaddiction centre owner among arrested in arms racket bust in Punjab

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America at 250: Top Indian-origin personalities in America: Politicians, CEOs and celebrities

Indian-origin personalities have become a consequential force in the United States, from the power corridors in Washington to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley and the bright lights of Hollywood. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Forbes has spotlighted 26 Indian-born and Indian-origin leaders among “America’s Most Successful Immigrants”, recognising their contributions to technology, business, politics, entertainment and public life. The list includes 26 Indian-born and Indian-origin leaders whose achievements have left an indelible mark in America. Among the Indian-origin leaders who made it to the Forbes immigration list that was released as part of America’s 250th anniversary coverage are Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Abhijit Banerjee, Indira Nooyi, Vinod Khosla, among others. Born in Chennai , Pichai is among the most influential personalities of Indian origin in the United States. He is a first-generation American of Indian descent, as his parents, Najme and Seema Minhaj, immigrated to the United States from India. A major focus area of the desk is US immigration and visa policy, including developments related to student visas, work permits, permanent residency pathways, executive actions, and court rulings. The Global Desk also closely tracks Canada’s immigration, visa, and study policies, covering changes to study permits, post-study work options, permanent residence programmes, and regulatory updates affecting migrants and international students. Nischai Vats – Deputy Copy Editor specialising in US politics, US visa and immigration policy, and policy-driven international coverage. Mashkoora Khan – Sub-editor focusing on global developments, with a strong emphasis on Canada visa, immigration, and study-related policy coverage. ...

General U.S. News2h ago

Why Uttarakhand replaced its Madrasa Board with a common minority education authority

Uttarakhand Wednesday became the first state in the country to abolish its statutory Madrasa Board, replacing it with a Minority Education Authority that will regulate educational institutions run by all six notified minority communities. Under the new arrangement, educational institutions of all six notified minority communities, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, and Buddhists, would come under the category of minority educational institutions. The Uttarakhand State Authority for Minority Education (USAME), established under the Minority Education Act, 2025, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami , Wednesday. Prior to this, madrasas were governed by the Madrasa Education Board Act, 2016, and the Uttarakhand Non-Government Arabic and Persian Madrasa Recognition Rules, 2019. This legislation stands repealed, as of Wednesday and has been replaced by the Minority Education Act, 2025, and Uttarakhand Minority Educational Institutions Recognition Rules 2026. The state currently has 452 registered madrasas, which were previously recognised by the Madrasa Board. At the Cabinet meeting when the Minority Education Act was passed, the preface to the Bill said: “Although Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution of India grant minority communities the right to establish educational institutions of their choice, it is important to enact a law relating to minority education, keeping in view the welfare of minorities. The move comes after more than a year following the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code, which again made the state the first in independent India to bring in the code. The constitutional validity of minority educational institutions had earlier reached the Supreme Court, when the apex court in 2024 upheld the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madarsa Education Act 2004 as constitutional after it was held unconstitutional by the Allahabad High Court. “The (UP) Madrasa Act regulates the standard of education in Madarsa as recognised by the Board for imparting Madarsa education….is consistent with the positive obligation of the state to ensure that students studying and recognised Madrasas attain a level of competency which will allow them to effectively participate in society and earn a living” and “Article 21A (of the Constitution) and the Right to Education (RTE) Act have to be read consistently with the right of religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer education institutions of their choice,” the CJI said while reading out the verdict. The court had said that “the right of religious minority to establish and administer to impart both religious and secular education is protected by Article 30” and “the Board and the state government have sufficient regulatory powers to prescribe and regulate standards of education for the Madrasas.” The court said that “while the Madrasas do impact religious instruction, their primary aim is education.” At the same time, the court had also held that the right of minorities to administer educational institutions is not absolute and the state has an interest in maintaining the standards of education in minority educational institutions and may impose regulation as a condition for grant of aid or recognition. “The constitutional scheme allows the state to strike a balance between the two objectives of…ensuring the standard of excellence of minority education institutions, and…preserving the right of the minority to establish and administer its education institutions.” Aiswarya Raj is a Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, covering Uttarakhand.

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'No fuel, no PUC' rule, 50% WFH: Delhi unveils annual winter pollution plan

The Delhi government on Wednesday unveiled a permanent winter pollution master plan that will automatically come into force every year from November 1 to February 28. The framework includes 50 per cent work-from-home for offices, a ban on dust-generating construction and demolition activities, denial of fuel to vehicles without a valid PUC certificate, double-parking charges, and curbs on polluting vehicles to combat the capital's recurring winter air pollution crisis. The government said the move replaces the need for repeated seasonal notifications and creates a predictable framework for pollution-control measures during the months when Delhi 's air quality typically deteriorates sharply in the winter months. One of the key measures under the winter pollution action plan is a year-round restriction on fuel supply to vehicles without a valid Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate. The rule will apply at petrol pumps, CNG stations and LPG outlets across Delhi. The announcement came after the Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved the new Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, under which electric cars priced up to Rs 30 lakh will be exempt from road tax and registration fees. The policy also mandates that only electric autorickshaws will be registered from January 1, 2027. Under the EV policy, the registration of new petrol and CNG-powered two-wheelers will be phased out in favour of electric models from April 1, 2028, as the government seeks to promote cleaner transport and curb air pollution in the national capital. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the policy would reduce uncertainty associated with varying restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) while ensuring timely and uniform implementation of anti-pollution measures. The government said the permanent framework incorporates revised GRAP provisions, directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management and orders issued by the Supreme Court, creating a single rulebook for Delhi's winter pollution response.

De-addiction centre owner among 2 arrested in arms racket bust in Punjab

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'No fuel, no PUC' rule, 50% WFH: Delhi unveils annual winter pollution plan