Category: National

The Indian Armed Forces conducted a high-altitude weapons test on Friday, prompting a temporary closure of airspace over the strategically important Andaman and Nicobar Islands. According to a report by PTI, the airspace was shut for three hours starting at 7 a.m. IST, with another closure scheduled for the same time on Saturday, May 24. A senior official from the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) confirmed the operation, stating: “Like today, the airspace over and around Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be closed tomorrow for three hours (7 a.m. to 10 a.m.). We have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on May 16 and instructed that no civilian aircraft will be allowed to fly over Andaman on May 23 and May 24.” Details of the Test and Airspace Restriction According to the NOTAM, the restricted air corridor stretches up to 500 km and is effective between 01:30 and 04:30 UTC (7 a.m. to 10 a.m. IST) on both days. While the nature of the weapon tested has not been disclosed, it is confirmed to be a high-altitude test, consistent with previous exercises conducted in the area. The official added: “We have successfully done a high-altitude weapon test today and tomorrow a similar test will be done. This is a routine practice here in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as we have done similar tests in the past also.” Strategic Significance The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), headquartered in Port Blair, is India’s only tri-services command, integrating the Army, Navy, and Air Force under a single command structure. The islands’ location at the mouth of the Malacca Strait makes them a crucial node for monitoring and securing maritime traffic in the Indian Ocean Region. This airspace closure and weapon testing highlight India’s continued focus on strengthening its strategic deterrence and operational readiness in the Indo-Pacific.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani announced on Friday that the conglomerate will invest ₹75,000 crore in India’s North Eastern states over the next five years. Speaking at the Rising NorthEast Investors Summit, Ambani outlined an ambitious plan to boost infrastructure, clean energy, healthcare, and digital connectivity across the region. Ambani stated that the company would set up 350 integrated compressed biogas plants as part of its “waste to wealth” vision. These facilities will convert organic waste into CNG, which can be used for transportation, industrial fuel, and domestic cooking. Reliance also plans to significantly increase solar power generation in the region. The investment will also expand Reliance’s presence in telecom and retail. Ambani revealed that Reliance Jio has already covered 90% of the population with 5G services and aims to double its current subscriber base of five million within the year. He emphasized Jio’s goal of bringing artificial intelligence to every school, hospital, home, and enterprise in the region. On the retail front, Reliance will strengthen its supply chain by procuring more staples, fruits, and vegetables from local farmers, enhancing rural income. The group also plans to set up factories to manufacture high-quality FMCG products and promote the region’s artisan economy. In healthcare, Reliance Foundation is set to transform the region into a medical hub. A 150-bed comprehensive cancer hospital has already been established in Manipur, and further collaborations are underway with Mizoram University for breast cancer care using genomic data. In Guwahati, the group has built an advanced molecular diagnostics and research lab, which will house one of India’s largest genome sequencing capacities. Ambani noted that Reliance has already invested ₹30,000 crore in the North East over the past four decades. With the new ₹75,000 crore commitment, the group aims to generate over 2.5 million direct and indirect job opportunities, touching the lives of nearly the entire 45 million population of the region. In his concluding remarks, Ambani made six pledges to the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, promising long-term collaboration and growth for the region.

उत्तर प्रदेश एंटी-टेररिज्म स्क्वॉड (ATS) को खुफिया जानकारी मिली कि वाराणसी निवासी तुफैल, पुत्र मक्सूद आलम, पाकिस्तान समर्थित राष्ट्रविरोधी संगठनों द्वारा संचालित एक व्हाट्सएप ग्रुप से जुड़ा हुआ था। इस ग्रुप का उद्देश्य भारत की संप्रभुता, एकता और अखंडता को नुकसान पहुंचाना था। यह जानकारी एक आधिकारिक बयान में दी गई। तुफैल वाराणसी के जेतपुरा थाना क्षेत्र के दोषीपुरा इलाके का निवासी है। जांच में सामने आया कि वह सुरक्षा से जुड़ी संवेदनशील जानकारी पाकिस्तान के फोन नंबरों के साथ साझा कर रहा था। ATS वाराणसी फील्ड यूनिट द्वारा सूचना को विकसित करते हुए जांच की गई, जिसमें पुष्टि हुई कि तुफैल पाकिस्तान के कई व्यक्तियों के संपर्क में था। वह पाकिस्तान की प्रतिबंधित आतंकी संगठन तहरीक-ए-लब्बैक के नेता मौलाना शाद रिज़वी के वीडियो व्हाट्सएप ग्रुप्स में साझा कर रहा था। साथ ही, “गजवा-ए-हिंद”, बाबरी मस्जिद की घटना का बदला लेने और भारत में शरीया कानून लागू करने जैसे संदेश भी प्रसारित कर रहा था। तुफैल ने राजघाट, नमोघाट, ज्ञानवापी, रेलवे स्टेशन, जामा मस्जिद, लाल किला और निजामुद्दीन औलिया जैसे कई महत्वपूर्ण स्थलों की तस्वीरें और जानकारी पाकिस्तान के नंबरों को भेजी थी। वह इन पाकिस्तानी ग्रुप्स के लिंक वाराणसी के कई अन्य लोगों में भी प्रसारित कर रहा था। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, तुफैल पाकिस्तान के 600 से अधिक नंबरों के संपर्क में था। फेसबुक के माध्यम से उसकी बातचीत पाकिस्तान के फैसलाबाद निवासी एक महिला नफीसा से भी होती थी, जिसके पति के पाकिस्तानी सेना में होने की जानकारी सामने आई है। ATS ने 22 मई 2025 को वाराणसी के आदमपुर इलाके से तुफैल को गिरफ्तार किया। उसके विरुद्ध FIR संख्या 05/25 के अंतर्गत भारतीय न्याय संहिता (BNS) की धाराएं 148/152 में लखनऊ स्थित ATS थाने में मुकदमा दर्ज किया गया है। गिरफ्तारी के दौरान उसका मोबाइल फोन और सिम कार्ड जब्त कर लिया गया। विधिक प्रक्रिया के तहत आरोपी को माननीय न्यायालय में प्रस्तुत किया जाएगा। मामले की जांच गंभीरता से जारी है।