Stories from New Delhi · India

Chief Minister Kapil Mishra and Mrs. Gupta participated in the Shramik Samman program to address the challenges and ground realities of female workers.

Government data indicates that 31 farmers in India commit suicide every day. This trend is linked to stress within the agricultural sector. Farmers are increasingly forced to migrate to cities in search of employment due to these conditions.

Poor and small farmers are being forced to migrate to cities, according to reports. Fertilizer stocks are currently reported as normal, but there are concerns that existing supplies may not last long. The situation is being monitored in relation to potential blockades.

Microfinance institutions are generating profits by targeting rural populations in India. This practice has created high levels of indebtedness among small and poor farmers.

India is experiencing a particular shortfall in industrial fertilizer, according to reports. This comes amid a global nitrogen fertilizer shortage that threatens food security. The UN's global partnership on nutrient management is monitoring the exposure of regions like India to this shortfall. Mark Sutton, co-chair of the UN's Global Partnership on Nutrient Management, highlighted India as a region particularly exposed to fertilizer shortfalls. Fertilizer production in India has declined by 24.6% compared to March of last year. Low production levels are leading to low crop yields for farmers. Farmers in India report that while current fertilizer supplies are adequate, existing stocks are insufficient to last long-term. There are concerns that a potential blockade could lead to scarcity and increased costs.

New Delhi has implemented stricter emission testing inspections. Over 15,000 vehicles have been denied refueling in the last four days due to invalid documentation. The city is tightening these controls to manage air quality.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stated that India has become the world's fifth largest exporter of processed crude. The minister noted that the country has diversified its energy supply following the energy crisis. India is also successfully producing 60% of its LPG within the country. These remarks were made during a regional conference. In addition to the Middle East, India has begun purchasing oil from America, Norway, and Algeria. The country has increased its domestic production by 7%. The company is a major shareholder in the international oil refining complex Reliance. Price restrictions were mentioned in relation to the shipments.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) released an advisory regarding biometric verification for the NEET UG 2026 exam. Candidates facing verification failures on exam day will be permitted entry upon providing an undertaking.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has amended the Citizenship Act of 2009 to include provisions regarding biometric-based passport migration. Under the new rules, migrant children cannot hold both an Indian passport and a passport from another country. The ministry stated the changes aim to make the process more efficient. New provisions include biometric-based Aadhaar verification and a ban on dual passports for migrant children. The new regulations include provisions for OCI biometrics and restrictions on dual passports for non-Indian nationals. The report indicates these updates apply to Indian passports and other international travel documents.

India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) saw a 12,000-fold increase in volume during the 2025-26 financial year. Daily usage has scaled to approximately 66 crore transactions per day. These transactions represent a daily value of nearly 0.86 lakh crore Rs. UPI currently accounts for 81% of India's total digital payment volume. The report indicates a rise in the use of digital transaction methods across the country. No specific date or monetary value was provided for the total volume. The source reported the surge in the context of national economic activity. The system has become the world's largest real-time payment system a decade after its launch on April 11, 2016. Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar noted that India and Jamaica maintain close ties as developing nations within the Global South.