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For a country facing cross-border terrorism, separatist networks, unresolved territorial disputes, information warfare, radicalisation, narcotics trafficking and sustained attempts to exploit internal fault lines, the answer must be unequivocal: India requires a strong, transparent and enforceable Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
The government has taken serious note of reports alleging that advertisements linked to child sexual abuse material were being disseminated through social media platforms. A detailed report has been sought from the intermediary concerned, while the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has also issued notices to the relevant social media platforms.
The government’s approach is built around the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These provisions require social-media platforms and other intermediaries to exercise due diligence and inform users against publishing or transmitting content that harms children or violates Indian law.
The PESA Act was enacted under Article 243M(4)(b) of the Constitution to extend the provisions relating to Panchayati Raj institutions to Fifth Schedule Areas with specific modifications. As Panchayats function as institutions of local government under State laws, the implementation of PESA and the adoption of digital governance platforms in Scheduled Areas remain the responsibility of the respective State governments.
Developed jointly by the Department of Consumer Affairs, the CSIR–National Physical Laboratory and the Indian Space Research Organisation, the network is designed to distribute Indian Standard Time securely and with extremely high precision. Institutions including the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the National Stock Exchange and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited are also participating in the wider project.
The service has been made available free of cost through the Aadhaar App from 1 July 2026 for a period of six months. The initiative is aimed at improving resident convenience and expanding access to Aadhaar services through secure digital platforms. It also reflects UIDAI’s continued focus on people-friendly digital governance under the broader vision of Digital India and Viksit Bharat.
The outcome was not accidental. It was the result of years of preparation, diversified sourcing, refinery flexibility, emergency regulation, consumer protection measures and coordinated work between the Centre, oil marketing companies, refineries, state governments and infrastructure regulators.
The Indian Antarctic Act provides India with a legal and regulatory framework for activities carried out in Antarctica. It supports the country’s scientific, environmental and administrative responsibilities in the Antarctic region and ensures that Indian activities there follow a structured legal mechanism.
Built to improve ease of living, the Aadhaar App allows residents to complete important Aadhaar-related tasks without depending entirely on physical visits. One of its most widely used services has been mobile number updating. So far, nearly 40 lakh people have updated their mobile numbers through the app, showing its growing role in simplifying a service that is essential for Aadhaar-linked authentication, digital payments, government benefits and online verification.
Vivek Aggarwal, a senior Indian Administrative Service officer currently serving as Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, has been elected to the post for the term from July 2026 to June 2027. His selection was approved during the FATF Plenary, the organization’s highest decision-making forum.
