A Telangana Assembly debate over properties included in the prohibited lands list under Section 22-A of the Registration Act has developed into a major political controversy involving former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his family. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy used the September 16 discussion to question landholdings linked to members and relatives of the KCR family. He argued that if the Opposition wanted s

The Election Commission has temporarily frozen the All India Trinamool Congress name and its reserved Flowers and Grass election symbol amid a leadership dispute between two rival factions ahead of the West Bengal Assembly bypolls. Under the interim order issued on September 17, neither the faction led by Mamata Banerjee nor the rival camp headed by Ritabrata Banerjee can use the established TMC name or symbol in the upco

The long wait for Lord Venkateswara’s darshan at Tirumala is set to become more spiritually engaging as the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams introduces artificial intelligence, virtual reality and immersive visual storytelling at the Vaikuntam Queue Complex. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the Rs 4 crore Devotional Experience Centre at Vaikuntam Queue Complex 1 on Wednesday. The facility has been launched on a pilot basis to engage devotees duri

PM Narendra Modi inaugurated SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi, highlighting India’s expanding chip manufacturing and design ecosystem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fifth edition of SEMICON India 2026 at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi on Thursday, highlighting the rapid growth of the country’s semiconductor ecosystem and its rising importance in global technology supply chains. The three-day conference and exh

Narendra Modi turns 76 as India looks back at his journey from an RSS organiser to Gujarat Chief Minister and three-term Prime Minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 76 on September 17, 2026, marking another milestone in a public career shaped by organisational work, electoral victories, internal party struggles and national leadership. His journey from Vadnagar in Gujarat to the Prime Minister’s Office has included several periods whe

Health Ministry issues stem cell therapy advisory The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued an advisory directing all states and Union Territories to strictly enforce the rules governing stem cell research and therapy. The advisory, dated September 16, 2026, asks healthcare establishments, medical professionals and regulatory authorities to prevent unapproved stem cell interventions from being offered as established treatments. The Ministry has clarified that stem cell therapy can be used as routine clinical care only for diseases and indications included in its approved list. Any treatment outside those approved uses must be regarded as experimental and cannot be promoted as a standard or commercially proven medical service. Key points: Only stem cell therapies approved by the Health Ministry may be offered as routine clinical care. Experimental stem cell interventions cannot be advertised or promoted as proven cures. Hospitals, clinics and doctors must comply with the applicable research and treatment regulations. State and district authorities have been directed to monitor clinical establishments and investigate reported violations. Stem cell therapy for autism remains experimental The advisory specifically addresses claims that stem cell therapy can treat Autism Spectrum Disorder. The government has made it clear that the therapeutic use of any type of stem cell for autism is not approved as routine or standard clinical treatment. Stem cell interventions involving autism may be undertaken only as part of duly approved clinical trials. These studies must follow the National Guidelines for Stem Cell Research, 2017, jointly issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Department of Biotechnology. Important conditions include: Stem cell therapy for autism must remain restricted to authorised clinical trials. The clinical trial must receive all necessary regulatory and ethics approvals. Clinics cannot market experimental autism interventions as routine medical services. Doctors cannot claim that stem cells are an established cure for autism. Parents and caregivers should confirm a trial’s official registration and approvals before considering participation. The advisory does not prohibit legitimate research but requires it to be conducted under approved clinical-trial safeguards. NMC warns doctors against unauthorised practices The National Medical Commission has reinforced the regulatory position through its advisory dated September 5, 2026. It has warned registered medical practitioners against administering, prescribing, recommending, promoting or advertising stem cell therapies for unapproved indications. The NMC has stated that involvement in unauthorised stem cell treatment could amount to professional misconduct. State Medical Councils have been advised to examine complaints and initiate disciplinary proceedings when violations are established after due process. The NMC directions cover the following actions: Administering stem cell therapy for an indication that has not been approved. Prescribing an experimental intervention as standard treatment. Promoting unproven therapies through websites, social media or advertisements. Making unsupported claims about guaranteed recovery or a permanent cure. Commercially offering stem cell therapy outside an authorised clinical trial. Failing to properly explain the experimental status and potential risks to patients. Supreme Court judgment prompted stronger enforcement The Health Ministry’s advisory follows the Supreme Court’s January 30, 2026 judgment in Yash Charitable Trust and Others versus Union of India and Others. The ruling emphasised that failure to comply with the statutory framework governing stem cell therapy must result in appropriate consequences. The advisory reminds authorities that the existence of scientific research into stem cells does not permit clinics to sell unapproved interventions. Every therapeutic use must comply with the approved framework, and experimental research must remain within regulated clinical trials. The judgment and subsequent advisory underline that: Unapproved stem cell interventions cannot be treated as ordinary medical services. Regulatory violations must result in meaningful action. Medical professionals can be investigated for professional misconduct. Clinical establishments may face penalties or loss of registration. State authorities are responsible for enforcing the rules at the local level. Penalties for violating stem cell therapy rules Doctors found responsible for unauthorised stem cell therapy may face professional-misconduct proceedings under Regulation 7.22 of the Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002. Any disciplinary action must be taken after examining the evidence and following the required legal process. Clinical establishments may separately face action under Sections 32 and 40 of the Clinical Establishments Registration and Regulation Act, 2010. Depending on the nature of the violation, this can include financial penalties and cancellation of registration. Possible consequences include: Professional-misconduct proceedings against registered medical practitioners. Disciplinary action by State Medical Councils. Investigation of hospitals and clinics offering unauthorised treatments. Penalties under the Clinical Establishments Act. Cancellation of a clinical establishment’s registration in applicable cases. Action against misleading promotion or advertisement of unproven therapies. What patients and families should verify Patients should not assume that every treatment described as “stem cell therapy” is approved, safe or clinically effective. Before agreeing to any such intervention, they should consult a qualified specialist and verify whether the proposed treatment is authorised for their medical condition. Patients and families should check: Whether the proposed stem cell treatment is approved for the diagnosed condition. Whether it is being offered as standard treatment or as part of a clinical trial. Whether the clinical trial has valid regulatory and ethics approvals. Whether the trial is officially registered and provides proper informed-consent documents. Whether the treating doctor and clinical establishment are appropriately registered. Whether the clinic is making unsupported claims of guaranteed improvement or cure. Whether the risks, possible benefits, alternatives and experimental status have been clearly explained. The advisory’s central message is that stem cell science may hold research potential, but unproven interventions must not be sold as established treatment. Patients should rely on approved medical care and independently verify regulatory claims before making decisions.

UPI MDR comes into effect from October 15 The government will introduce a Merchant Discount Rate on select UPI merchant payments from October 15, 2026. Under the new framework, eligible person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 will attract an MDR of up to 0.40 per cent. PhonePe CEO Sameer Nigam said the framework creates

India condemned attacks on Saudi territory and warned that escalating violence threatens Bab-el-Mandeb navigation and Red Sea stability. India Warns Houthi Strikes Threaten Bab-el-Mandeb Shipping India has expressed serious concern over the escalating conflict involving Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia, warning that attacks on civilian infrastructure and economic assets could destabilise the region and endanger na

Cabinet decision announced after the meeting, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Saral Keralam will offer time-bound, single-window clearances for investment proposals through district and state bodies. Kerala Cabinet Clears Saral Keralam for Faster Investment Nod The Kerala Cabinet on Wednesday approved Saral Keralam, a new single-window mechanism designed to simplify and accelerate investment approvals by bringing departme

Inaugurated during the chief minister’s two-day visit, Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh | The new centre uses 3D and virtual-reality technology to explain temple rituals and Tirumala’s spiritual significance. Chandrababu Naidu Opens 3D Pilgrim Centre at Tirumala Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday inaugurated the Pilgrim Experience Centre at the Vaikuntham Queue Complex in Tirumala, introducing a

Mecca, Saudi Arabia | Saudi authorities said a Houthi drone was destroyed south of Mecca, while the group rejected the allegation. Saudi Says Houthi Drone Intercepted Near Mecca Amid Alert Saudi Arabia has accused Yemen’s Houthi movement of launching a drone towards Mecca, saying its air-defence forces intercepted and destroyed the aircraft before it entered restric

Kolkata, West Bengal | Ten rebel TMC MLAs have been given seven days to answer a disqualification petition filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led camp. Bengal Assembly Notices 10 Rebel TMC MLAs in Defection Case The West Bengal Assembly Secretariat has issued notices to 10 Trinamool Congress MLAs aligned with the party’s rebel faction, asking them to respond within seven

New Delhi, India | UPI payments up to Rs 2,000 are protected from charges, but crossing that amount does not automatically create a consumer fee. UPI Payments Above Rs 2,000: Will Users Pay Charges? UPI users do not automatically have to pay a transaction fee when sending Rs 2,500, Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000. The Rs 2,000 figure mentioned in the latest government notificat

Supreme Court Blocks Trump Mail Ballot Restrictions The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, allowing states to continue using their existing vote-by-mail procedures. The brief order represented a major legal defeat for the Trump administration as voting activities were al

US lawmakers filed competing amendments to a Russia sanctions bill, with one naming India and another seeking to remove its tariff provision. US lawmakers have introduced competing amendments to a major Russia sanctions bill, placing India’s energy trade with Moscow under renewed scrutiny. One amendment seeks to name India and several other countries as major buyers of Russian oil and gas that could fac