Part III of the unedited transcript of UK visa officials' chat with GA readers regarding studying abroad.
India is already negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US. The two countries are aiming to finalise the first phase of the pact by fall (September-October) of this year.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on an official visit to the United Kingdom, took a refreshing jog in London's Hyde Park, wearing a white saree and her signature white slippers. Banerjee also attended a high tea reception at India House, hosted by Vikram K Doraiswami, the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, bringing together business, cultural, and political leaders to strengthen ties between Bengal and Britain. The discussions centered around fostering economic partnerships and deepening people-to-people connections.
To address questions related to education in the UK, experts Preeti Gadok and Aprajita Kalra, hosted a chat with GA readers on October 10. The transcript.
Banu Mushtaq's "Heart Lamp" is the first Kannada title to be shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025. The collection of short stories, translated from Kannada to English by Deepa Bhasthi, tells stories of encroaching modernity and the lives of Muslim women in southern India. The judges praised Mushtaq's "witty, vivid, colloquial, moving and excoriating" style of writing.
'Is it right and proper for the US authorities to allow people like Subrahmanya Swamy [sic] go round the country preaching murder, violence, overthrow of the duly elected Government of India?' A fascinating excerpt from Sugata Srinivasaraju's The Conscience Network: A Chronicle of Resistance to a Dictatorship.
'I'm here to receive my honorary doctorate for my work around child poverty. Yesterday, millions of families across the UK lost a lifeline and a means of staying afloat," he added, referring to the UK government ending a temporary increase of 20 pounds ($27) in weekly benefit payments to support the country's poorest families.'
Kevin Woods, a UK visa expert, answering questions about procedure and protocal for students hoping to study in the UK.
The Indian government has appointed Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey as the new chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Pandey, a 1987-batch IAS officer, will replace Madhabi Puri Buch, whose three-year tenure ends on February 28. Pandey's appointment comes at a time when the markets are experiencing bear pressure due to withdrawals by foreign institutional investors (FIIs). Pandey has extensive experience in the finance ministry, having served as the longest-serving secretary in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) and the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE). He also played a key role in the framing of the 2025-26 Budget and the drafting of the new Income Tax Bill. Pandey's appointment is for an initial period of three years.
To questions related to UK study and study visas, Chris Breeze, student team leader, Visa Services, British Deputy High Commission, Mumbai, hosted a chat with Get Ahead readers on April 23. Here's part 1 of the transcript.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson echoed a statement issued by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly in Parliament earlier this week to add that the government continues to invest in its relationship with India.
British universities are increasingly dependent on income from overseas students to stay afloat.
The Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Vikram Doraiswami, who was touring Scotland this week was blocked from entering a gurdwara in the capital Glasgow by pro-Khalistan extremists.
Seasoned bureaucrat and a stickler for rules Finance Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey will be at the helm of capital market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), for three years. The 1987-batch Odisha-cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, Pandey, would replace Madhabi Puri Buch, whose three-year term ends on Friday.
Manmohan Singh, the former prime minister of India and architect of the country's economic reforms, passed away on Thursday night at the age of 92. Born in a village in undivided Punjab, now in Pakistan, Singh's family witnessed first-hand the tragic Partition. Throughout his long public life, he often spoke of communal harmony and democratic values. He served two terms as prime minister from 2004 to 2014 and was known for his wisdom and quiet demeanor.
The share of rent in consumption expenditure has risen to 6.58%, according to the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey 2023-2024. This is the highest it has been in surveys going back to the turn of the millennium.
rediffGURU Sushil Sukhwani offers expert advice about pursuing higher education abroad.
Diaspora groups in the UK urged for calm and advised non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin to follow the new lockdown rules, which mean a majority of the UK is under the strictest lockdown with all non-essential businesses now closed.
To answer questions related to UK study and study visas, Lai-Ming Sui, student team leader, Visa Services, British Deputy High Commission, Chennai, hosted a chat with Get Ahead readers on June 23. The transcript.
Kash Patel, the first Indian-American to head the FBI, has traced his roots to Bhadran village in Gujarat's Anand district. Patel's family migrated to Uganda 70 to 80 years ago, before selling their ancestral houses and moving to foreign countries. Patel was born in New York and is a trained lawyer who is an ice-hockey fan.
Bangladesh will be without premier all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for the ICC Champions Trophy after the veteran was excluded after getting suspended from bowling in all competitions.
Only Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani are ahead of her.
Chindu Sreedharan, a PhD student in the UK, shares his experiences with rediff.com readers.
Kevin Woods, head, visa department, British Deputy High Commission, Chennai, says you will need to show evidence that funds will be available throughout the length of your course.
The Nottinghamshire police said Valdo Calocane has also been charged with three counts of attempted murder of three victims injured in the attack and will appear at Nottingham Crown Court on Saturday.
A Pakistani court sentenced jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 and 7 years in prison respectively after finding them guilty of corruption in the 190 million pounds al-Qadir Trust case. The verdict was announced in a makeshift court set up in Adila jail where Khan is currently lodged. Khan has been convicted for "corrupt practices" and "misuse of authority", while his wife has been convicted for "involvement in illegal activities". The court also ordered the confiscation of the land of Al-Qadir University set up by them. Supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party staged a protest outside Parliament House, demanding his release. Khan claims all cases against him were politically motivated.
At the time of the media maelstrom around her non-dom status, she hit back at implications that it was in some way indicative of her stronger bond with India than the UK.
Thousands of students from India and Pakistan, however, have not been able to start their courses in British universities from September because of long delays in issuing students visas, prompting concern among vice-chancellors.
The BJP also went on to label Kaul a "Pakistani sympathiser" and posted headings of a couple of her writings on X.
P K Mishra, a retired IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, is currently serving as the principal secretary to the prime minister.
British Indian think tank 1928 Institute organised a special roundtable entitled 'India and the Indo-Pacific' bringing together the High Commissioners of India, Bangladesh, Australia, Canada, Nepal, among others, ahead of the reception in the River Room of the House of Lords on Monday evening.
India has also become the fourth best represented nation in the 2024 rankings, up from sixth last year.
The survey, conducted by the Times Higher Education (THE), ranks universities according to 21 parameters that enhance student experience.
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore is India's top institution in the 'Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2016-17.
A study published in the journal Environment and Planning F has revealed that cameras and drones originally intended for conservation activities in Corbett National Park are being misused by local government officials and men to surveil women without consent. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Cambridge, found that forest rangers intentionally flew drones over local women to scare them and prevent them from collecting natural resources, despite their legal right to do so. The researchers argue that these technologies, deployed under the guise of wildlife monitoring, are being used to intimidate and exert power over women, invading their privacy and altering their behavior in the forest. This has had a negative impact on women's mental health, with one woman interviewed for the study being killed in a tiger attack.
We have entered a new era in human history, asserts Aakar Patel.
Researchers found that vegetation cover across the Antarctic Peninsula increased more than tenfold -- from less than a square kilometre to almost 12 square kilometres -- between 1986 and 2021.
The 42-year-old barrister, who until now served as the Attorney General in the Boris Johnson led government, was among the first contenders to throw her hat in the ring to replace Johnson as Tory leader and Prime Minister.
