Let the washing of (dirty?) linen begin
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India.com
11 minutes ago
- India.com
India Shuts Doors On Chinese Money – What Message Is Modi Sending To Beijing?
New Delhi: The handshake may have warmed, but the heart remains guarded. Even as New Delhi and Beijing slowly return to the negotiating table after years of chill, the Indian government has made no move to relax its grip on Chinese investment. Officials with direct knowledge of the matter say there is no plan to review or revoke Press Note 3, the regulatory gate that keeps Chinese money out of India's strategic sectors. Introduced in April 2020, the note was born in a moment of national anxiety (COVID 19 pandemic) before the deadly clash in Galwan. It mandates that any investment from countries sharing a land border with India must pass through layers of government scrutiny. The policy does not name China. But it does not need to. The signal is India wants trade and growth, but not at the cost of its sovereignty. Not when questions of trust still linger across the Himalayas. 'There has not even been internal discussion so far about easing Press Note 3. This is not the time for that. The security environment has not changed enough,' said an official. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has acknowledged the potential for economic engagement. Speaking at a forum, she recently said India and China should talk and share more.' But she added a caveat: 'With caution.' That word caution hangs heavy over every boardroom pitch that originates in Beijing or Shenzhen. It is not paranoia. It is memory. The Galwan Valley changed the mood in New Delhi. It made national security a defence as well as economic issue. The government does not want Indian companies to quietly pass into Chinese hands. It does not want Trojan horses built out of equity deals. Press Note 3 now functions as a firewall. It was initially drafted to prevent opportunistic takeovers during COVID-19. Today, it stands as a symbol of India's geopolitical posture. Still, India is not closing the door entirely. There is interest in joint ventures. Electronics manufacturing remains a hopeful space. But even here, the guardrails stay up. Beijing's ambitions, officials say, stretch beyond balance sheets. And until India is sure it will not get blindsided, that door will not open fully. Any decision to dilute the restrictions will carry strategic weight. It would ripple across sectors like telecom, fintech and critical infrastructure. The consequences, economic and political, would be irreversible. For now, visas may be easier. Meetings may happen. The tone may soften. But when it comes to money, especially Chinese money, India is still watching and not welcoming. The message to Beijing is show restraint, sincerity and maybe someday, the locks will click open. But not now.
Mint
11 minutes ago
- Mint
'Nimisha Priya death sentence overturned in Yemen': Indian ‘Grand Mufti' Sheikh Abubakr's office
The death sentence for Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse who was convicted of murder in Yemen, has been "overturned" and "completely" cancelled, the office of Indian Grand Mufti, Kanthapuram AP Abubakr Musliyar, said on Monday, news agency ANI reported. The decision was made after a high-level meeting held in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, where it was decided to completely cancel the death sentence, which had been temporarily suspended earlier, according to a statement issued by the Grand Mufti's office and quoted by the news agency. "The death sentence of Nimisha Priya, which was previously suspended, has been overturned. A high-level meeting held in Sanaa decided to completely cancel the death sentence that was temporarily suspended earlier," the statement read. LiveMint couldn't verify Grand Mufti's statement. Unlike in the past, it was not posted on his website or social media handles. His X handle, however, shared the ANI tweet about Nimisha Priya's death sentence being overturned. Nimisha Priya, a 37-year-old Indian nurse from Kerala, was scheduled to be executed on July 16, after she was convicted of killing a Yemeni national in June 2018, a decision that was upheld by the country's Supreme Judicial Council in November 2023. Nimisha's execution, originally scheduled to happen on July 16, was halted temporarily just a day earlier, after Grand Mufti intervened and requested Yemeni authorities to reconsider. Nimisha's 13-year-old daughter, Mishel, and her husband had appealed to the Yemeni government for the woman's release. Mishel had travelled to Yemen to join Global Peace Initiative founder and evangelist Dr KA Paul in appealing to the Yemeni government for Priya's release. Priya, originally from the Palakkad district of Kerala, was convicted of murdering her Yemeni business partner, Talal Abdo Mahdi, in 2017. She was sentenced to death in 2020, and her final appeal was rejected in 2023. According to Yemeni court documents, Priya, in July 2017, allegedly drugged and killed Mahdi. She is currently lodged in a prison in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. Earlier on July 17, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that it was actively working to support Nimisha Priya and was extending all possible assistance in the case. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a press briefing, stated that the MEA had appointed a lawyer to assist Priya's family in navigating the complex legal process in Yemen. This includes exploring options for clemency or pardon under Sharia law. Nimisha Priya is a trained nurse and has worked in private hospitals in Yemen for a few years. Her husband and minor daughter returned to India in 2014 because of financial reasons, and in that same year, Yemen was gripped by civil war, and they could not go back as the country stopped issuing new visas. Later in 2015, Nimisha partnered with Talal Abdo Mahdi, a Yemeni citizen, to set up her clinic in Sanaa. Nimisha was convicted in 2020 for killing Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mahdi in July 2017. In 2023, the Houthis' Supreme Judicial Council upheld her punishment and dismissed her plea for bail. She was placed on death row and was set to be executed on July 16, 2025.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Government to overhaul accreditation system, operationalise AI centre
NEW DELHI: Marking five years of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Centre is set to announce a major reform in the accreditation system for higher education institutions by shifting to a binary model - 'accredited' or 'not accredited' - replacing the existing multi-tiered grading system. This means institutions will no longer be ranked against each other but assessed against uniform minimum standards. On the anvil is also the launch of a new 'Bharatiya Bhasha' digital tool for direct translations between Indian languages, bypassing English as a mediator. In addition, govt will operationalise a Centre of Excellence in AI in education, as announced in the 2025 Union Budget. These announcements are expected to be made on Tuesday at a national event commemorating the fifth anniversary of NEP-2020, in the presence of senior ministers, educationists and state representatives at the Bharat Mandapam here. The new accreditation model aims at simplifying the process and encourage wider participation among higher education institutions (HEIs). Unlike the earlier framework, which graded institutions (A++, A, B, etc.), the new binary system will require institutions to meet basic benchmarks to qualify as 'accredited'. A senior education ministry official said, "The change was designed to address the reluctance of many HEIs to apply for accreditation due to the effort involved and uncertainty about securing a favourable grade. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hilarious And Awkward Family Photos, Check It Out Here Undo " The shift comes in the wake of concerns over credibility and participation in the current accreditation regime, particularly following recent controversies around the functioning of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (Naac). Inconsistent grading patterns and allegations of opacity had drawn criticism from academics and policymakers, prompting a rethink of the process. Elaborating on the new approach, the official said, "Under the new model, all institutions that meet benchmark standards will be treated equally in the first phase. Grading from 1 to 5 will follow in the second stage, expected to begin in the next five to six months. Institutions will climb the grading ladder sequentially - starting from Grade 1 - based on verified performance data." The data validation will rely on a triangulation method, using multiple sources and tools to ensure accuracy, and will exclude Naac's direct involvement. Instead, only govt agencies and Institutions of National Importance will be engaged for verification, and there will be no physical inspections. The 'Bharatiya Bhasha' digital tool will allow seamless translations between Indian languages without routing through English - for instance, enabling direct translation from Assamese to Tamil. In higher education, the Centre of Excellence in AI in education is set to be formally launched to support research and integration of AI tools in teaching and learning. For school education, announcements are expected on targeted infrastructure improvement and expansion of access, including new buildings for Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, with corresponding funding support.
