NEW DELHI: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore each on seven medical colleges across the country for failing to disclose the stipend paid to MBBS interns and postgraduate medical residents despite repeated directions.The action follows non-compliance with an earlier directive requiring all medical institutions to publicly disclose stipend details on their official websites and ensure transparency in payment to interns and residents.The penalised institutions include Akash Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Devanahalli in Karnataka; Dumka Medical College in Jharkhand; Government Medical College, Barmer in Rajasthan; Government Medical College, Ongole in Andhra Pradesh; RKDF Medical College Hospital & Research Centre in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh; Prasad Institute of Medical Sciences in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; and Pt. B.D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, Haryana.According to a notice issued by the Under-Graduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) of the NMC, several institutions failed to furnish the required information despite being given sufficient time and reminders. The commission said such failure amounts to violation of regulatory obligations under the National Medical Commission Act and relevant medical education regulations.The directive was issued in compliance with court orders mandating transparency in payment of stipends to medical interns and resident doctors. The NMC said the continued non-compliance was a serious breach, particularly in light of Supreme Court directions requiring payment of stipends to trainees.The regulator has warned that continued violations may attract further disciplinary action, including restrictions on admissions, suspension of permissions or other regulatory measures against the defaulting colleges.The commission had earlier directed medical colleges to disclose stipend details on their websites to ensure transparency and uniformity in payments to interns and residents. Failure to comply with the mandate, the NMC said, would attract regulatory and penal action under the applicable medical education regulations.

NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked all independent milk producers and vendors across the country to obtain mandatory registration or licences, warning that many are operating outside the food safety regulatory system.In an advisory issued on March 11, the food regulator said several milk producers who are not part of dairy cooperative societies, as well as local milk vendors, are selling milk without registering with FSSAI. Such registration is mandatory under food safety rules.The authority has now directed states and Union Territories to ensure that all such producers and vendors register with FSSAI before continuing their business.The move comes amid concerns over milk adulteration. FSSAI has asked food safety authorities in states to verify whether milk sellers have valid registration or licences and take action in cases of non-compliance.Officials have also been directed to inspect milk chillers used for storage to ensure proper temperature control and hygiene, as poor storage can lead to spoilage and contamination.States have been asked to conduct special registration drives so that all milk producers and vendors come under the food safety regulatory framework.FSSAI said it has already ordered regular enforcement drives on milk and milk products and asked states to submit fortnightly reports on action taken.The regulator said the initiative is aimed at improving traceability and safety of milk sold to consumers and preventing adulteration in the supply chain.

MahaRera strengthened scrutiny of real estate projects at the registration stage to prevent future disputes and ensure timely completion of housing developments. Officials said the initiative is part of MahaRera’s broader goal of protecting homebuyers’ investments and reducing the number of complaints related to delayed possession, financial irregularities, and incomplete project promises, reports Vaibhav Ganjapure.Under the new approach, proposed projects are thoroughly examined before receiving a MahaRERA registration number. The authority set up three independent groups to scrutinise projects from legal, financial, and technical perspectives.The legal review checks compliance with regulatory provisions and verifies land ownership and documentation. The financial assessment evaluates the developer’s financial capacity and the viability of completing the project. The technical review analyses construction planning and other practical aspects that may affect execution. Projects are not granted registration unless they satisfy all regulatory requirements and pass these evaluations. MahaRera also urged homebuyers to exercise caution before investing.

NEW DELHI: Govt “categorically” rejected as motivated and biased the characterisation of India in the latest US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report that alleged deterioration of religious freedom in India and sought its designation as a country of particular concern. The report had also called for sanctions on Research & Analysis Wing and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for their “responsibility and tolerance of severe violations of religious freedom by freezing those individuals’ or entities’ assets and/or barring their entry into US”. Govt said in its response that instead of persisting with selective criticism of India, USCIRF would do well to reflect on the incidents of vandalism and attacks on Hindu temples in US, selective targeting of India, and growing intolerance and intimidation of members of the Indian diaspora in US, which merit serious attention.

USCIRF presents distorted and selective picture of India: MEAFor several years now, USCIRF had persisted in presenting a distorted and selective picture of India, relying on questionable sources and ideological narratives rather than objective facts. Such repeated misrepresentations only undermine the credibility of the commission itself,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. The report said that in 2025, religious freedom conditions in India continued to deteriorate as govt introduced and enforced new legislation targeting religious minority communities and their houses of worship. USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan US federal govt agency. It makes policy recommendations to the US president, secretary of state, and Congress and tracks the implementation of these recommendations.

NEW DELHI: Row 32 and 33 passengers snoozing on board Air India’s new Airbus A350 winging its way from New York to Delhi were rudely awaken by floor vibrations and sound from below their feet, reports Saurabh Sinha. They alerted crew members. Flying near the coast of Ireland at that time, the pilots decided to divert to Shannon, and the aircraft (VT-JRF) operating as AI 102 with 300 people on board landed safely there. In all such intercontinental diversions, the main issue is of visas in terms of getting passengers out of the airport for being taken to hotels. Airline sources say AI arranged for the same and everyone on this flight has been sent to hotels. Alternative arrangements for their return are being made as the aircraft is undergoing checks as suggested by Airbus. “It may be a case of cargo not being secured properly by ground handler at JFK or a panel coming loose. As of now nothing can be said as the aircraftis being checked,” said sources.

JAIPUR: A joint team of Rajasthan ATS and Hanumangarh police is set to visit Ambala after Haryana STF arrested three suspected terrorists with an improvised explosive device, triggering security concerns in Rajasthan and neighbouring states, report Ashish Mehta and Kshitiz Gaur.During preliminary questioning, the accused allegedly said they were planning explosions in several cities across India. Hanumangarh could have been one of the possible targets. Officers in Hanumangarh said they will coordinate with Haryana police to gather details on possible associates and any links to Rajasthan.

ITANAGAR: Four people were killed and three others injured after a landslide triggered the collapse of a protection wall of a building at Niti Vihar in Arunachal Pradesh’s capital city at around 4pm on Monday, reports Joken Ete. Seven workers were buried under the debris after a wall of the building under construction collapsed, officials said. Rescue teams pulled out seven people from the debris. Four of them were found dead, while the other three were admitted to Heema Hospital. The deceased were identified as Choki Tasar, Ratan Burman, Godak Raja, and Godak Tabin, officials said.

The injured workers are Tatung Tajit, Choki Takio, and Hasinoor Ali. Tamo Dadda, assistant commissioner of the city, said seven workers were at the site when the wall collapsed. Rescue work was hampered due to continuous rainfall, posing challenges for the teams to locate the trapped victims. “Because of the rain, the soil became dense and unstable, making it difficult to determine the precise location of the victims. The rescue teams, though, made every possible effort to retrieve them,” Dadda said. Personnel from the State Disaster Response Force, along with Itanagar police and district administration officials, launched rescue operation after being notified about the incident.

GUWAHATI: Trouble brewed again for Congress in Assam as Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi said he feels sidelined and humiliated in the party, triggering speculation that he may follow former state PCC chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and others who quit before assembly polls were announced, reports Kangkan Kalita. Bordoloi, a three-time cabinet minister, has written to the party high command alleging he was ignored in key organisational decisions and publicly undermined by colleagues. He accused party MLA Asif Nazar of backing a man allegedly involved in an attack on his convoy during last year’s panchayat poll campaign.