News articles and essays on the Indian diplomacy at work around the world.
The discussions are expected to focus on shipbuilding, green shipping, alternative marine fuels, port decarbonisation, seafarer training and ship recycling, reflecting the growing importance of maritime cooperation within the wider India–Norway relationship.
The Clinical Establishment Act Standards for Mortuary, prepared under the National Council for Clinical Establishments and the Directorate General of Health Services, mark an attempt to bring greater consistency to an area of healthcare and forensic infrastructure that has traditionally operated under differing state-level procedures, police manuals, hospital practices and medico-legal rules. The official Clinical Establishments portal now lists the mortuary standards among its prescribed minimum standards.
Modern Termez stands close to the Amu Darya in the Surkhandarya region of southern Uzbekistan, near the country’s border with Afghanistan. In antiquity, this region formed part of Bactria, a crossroads connecting the Indian subcontinent with Iran, Central Asia and the wider Silk Road.
The development is significant because it links India’s domestic real-time payment ecosystem with Uzbekistan’s emerging national QR infrastructure. It also places digital payments alongside trade, investment, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and other technology sectors in the expanding India-Uzbekistan relationship, which has now been elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The proposed voyage comes as New Delhi and Moscow deepen cooperation across shipping, ports, shipbuilding, logistics and Arctic development. For India, the Northern Sea Route offers more than an alternative shipping passage. It could eventually become another component of a broader maritime network connecting Indian ports with Russia’s Far East, Arctic regions and European markets.
Cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva and Tashkent offer a combination of Islamic architecture, Central Asian history, ancient trade routes and cultural links stretching back centuries. The removal of advance visa requirements could make short leisure trips and business visits substantially easier.
The Structured Financial Messaging System was developed specifically for India’s banking and financial sector. It was originally created by the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology, an institution established by the Reserve Bank of India, and became part of the country’s core financial infrastructure.
Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal met Paula Estévez Weinstein, Chile’s Vice-Minister of International Economic Relations, in Santiago on 26 August 2026, with both sides reviewing progress in the negotiations and reaffirming their intention to work towards an agreement that delivers commercially meaningful opportunities for businesses in both countries.
The Department of Consumer Affairs notified the rules on 27 August 2026. They will come into force 180 days after their publication in the Official Gazette, providing government departments, businesses, financial institutions, technology companies and other organisations time to modify their systems and prepare for compliance.
The expanded partnership emerged from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Uzbekistan from 29 to 30 August 2026, during which he held extensive discussions with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchanged views on major regional and international developments.
