New Delhi, Apr 01: About 5,98,000 passengers have returned to India amid the developing security situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, an official of Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, said on Wednesday.

The official said that three Indian nationals sustained minor injuries in an incident caused by debris from an interception in Dubai yesterday. He said that consulate is in close touch with them as it renders all possible assistance.

It is worth to mention that authorities in Dubai confirmed that the incident caused by debris from an interception that fell on houses in southern Dubai resulted in minor injuries to two Indian nationals, one Bangladeshi national, and one Sri Lankan national.

Additional Secretary (Gulf), Ministry of External Affairs, Aseem R Mahajan while addressing the inter-ministerial briefing on the latest developments in West Asia, said that the overall flight situation continues to improve with additional flights operating from the region to various destinations in India.

“Since February 28th, around 5,98,000 passengers have returned from the region to India. Airlines continue to operate limited non-scheduled flights based on operational and safety considerations between the UAE and India,” Mahajan noted.

He further added that around 90 flights are expected to operate from the UAE to India today.

“Around 90 flights are expected to operate from the UAE to India today. Flights are operating from various airports in Saudi Arabia and Oman to different destinations in India. With the Qatar airspace partially open, Qatar Airways is expected to operate around 8 to 10 flights to India today. Kuwait and Bahrain airspace remains closed. Jazeera Airways of Kuwait and Gulf Air of Bahrain have been operating non-scheduled commercial flights from Dammam airport of Saudi Arabia to various destinations in India,” Mahajan further informed.

He also said that due to flight restrictions and airspace closure, the travel of Indian nationals is being facilitated from Iran through Armenia and Azerbaijan to India, from Israel through Egypt and Jordan to India, from Iraq through Jordan and Saudi Arabia to India, and from Kuwait and Bahrain through Saudi Arabia to India.

He underlined that the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Gulf and West Asia region and noted that the dedicated special control room is operational to assist Indian nationals and their families, with the missions and posts across the region working round the clock and remaining in close touch with the local governments.

New Delhi, Apr 01: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening will review with a group of senior cabinet ministers the situation arising due to the West Asia conflict and the availability of critical needs including food, energy and fuel security of common people.

The meeting is expected to be held after the prime minister returns from Assam, where he has gone for campaigning in the assembly election there, this evening, official sources said.

The Union ministers who are expected to attend the meeting include Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, S Jaishankar, Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, J P Nadda, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Manohar Lal Khattar, Pralhad Joshi, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and Hardeep Singh Puri are also expected to attend it.

NSA Ajit Doval, the prime minister’s two principal secretaries, P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, and Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan are also expected to attend it.

Last Sunday, in his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat, the prime minister termed as “challenging” the situation emerging due to the ongoing “fierce war” in West Asia and urged all citizens to join hands to overcome the difficulties.

Modi also cautioned those who are politicising the present crisis and asked them to refrain from doing so and said there is no place for self-serving politics in the prevailing situation.

He said those who are spreading rumours are causing major harm to the country.

“Presently, a fierce war has been going on in our neighbourhood for a month. These certainly are challenging times. Today, through ‘Mann Ki Baat’, I would once again urge all my countrymen that we must unitedly overcome this challenge,” he said.

On March 22, the prime minister held a similar meeting with the same set of ministers and offices and reviewed the situation arising out of the conflict in West Asia and a detailed assessment was made on the availability of critical needs of the common people, including food, energy and fuel security.

At that meeting, Prime Minister Modi had said the conflict was an evolving situation and the entire world was affected in some form.

In such a situation, he said, all efforts must be made to safeguard the citizens from the impact of this conflict.

Modi instructed that all arms of the government should work together to ensure the least inconvenience to the citizens.

On March 12, PM Modi had said that the war in West Asia has triggered a worldwide energy crisis, posing a critical test of national character that requires dealing with circumstances through peace, patience and increased public awareness.

The prime minister emphasised that his government is working relentlessly to address disruptions that have emerged in international supply chains.

“Continuous efforts are also underway to determine how we can overcome the disruptions that have occurred in the supply chain,” Modi had said.

The prime minister has spoken to many global leaders since the West Asia conflict started on February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran. Iran has retaliated by targeting Israel and several of its Gulf neighbours.

Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route through which 20 per cent of the world’s energy is transported. Since the conflict, very few ships have been allowed by Iran to cross it.

The blockade has resulted in severe disruptions in energy supply to many countries, including India.

Since the conflict, Modi has had telephonic conversations with leaders from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, France, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Israel and Iran.

He has also spoken to US President Donald Trump. After a telephonic conversation between the two on March 24, Modi said he “had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia”.

Srinagar, Apr 01: Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain on Wednesday has assumed command as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command. He succeeds Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, who has taken over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff today.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain was commissioned into the MAHAR Regiment in June 1988. Over a distinguished career spanning nearly four decades, he has held a wide range of command and staff appointments across diverse operational environments.

The General Officer has commanded an Infantry Battalion in semi-developed terrain as well as in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, an Infantry Brigade in a Strike Corps, a Counter Insurgency Force and a Pivot Corps in Northern Command. His operational experience includes participation in Operation Pawan, service as a Military Observer with the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and multiple tenures in high-altitude areas and counter-insurgency operations along the Line of Control and in the North East. He is also the Colonel of the MAHAR Regiment.

Prior to assuming command of Southern Command, he served as Chief of Staff at Headquarters Southern Command, where he contributed significantly to capability development, force restructuring and overall operational preparedness.

The General Officer has attended the Higher Command Course at the Army War College and the National Defence Course in Kenya. In recognition of his distinguished service, he has been awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Sena Medal.

On assuming command, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the Southern Command War Memorial and received a Guard of Honour at Headquarters Southern Command.

He stated that the Command will continue to focus on operational readiness across its diverse areas of responsibility, including deserts, the Rann and Creek Sector, coastline, island territories and hinterland. He emphasised strengthening jointness, indigenous capability development and technology absorption under the JAI framework and directed all ranks to maintain high standards of preparedness, professionalism and combat readiness in line with evolving operational challenges.

New Delhi, Apr 01: A bill seeking to recognise Amaravati as the sole and permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with the Congress, the BJP as well as the TDP expressing support for it.

The bill, which will scuttle any future bid to alter the decision of making Amaravati the sole and permanent capital, was passed in the Lok Sabha by a voice vote.

Initiating the debate on the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in Lok Sabha, Congress member Manickam Tagore said the Congress fully supports the legislation but wants according of special status to Andhra Pradesh, which is the successor state of the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh following the creation of Telangana.

“Let Amaravati develop like Bangalore, Chennai or Hyderabad. Let Vishakhapatnam, Tirupati, Kurnool also develop. We support Amaravati as the permanent capital of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

Participating in the debate, TDP member and Union Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani also appealed to the House to pass the bill unanimously as it will ensure a permanent capital for Andhra Pradesh.

Supporting the bill, BJP member C M Ramesh said this is the first time in the history of independent India that a bill has been brought to Parliament to declare a particular place as the capital of a state.

From now onwards, “no one will be able to play” with the capital of Andhra Pradesh as Amaravati will be the sole and permanent capital of the state, he said.

Ramesh slammed the earlier state government’s move to make three capitals of Andhra Pradesh and termed the decision “illogical and irrational”.

“This bill will ensure that no one will play with the capital of Andhra Pradesh. We want a permanent capital for Andhra Pradesh and then there will be revenue and the state will flourish,” he said.

However, TDP’s arch rival in Andhra Pradesh, YSR Congress Party, strongly opposed the legislation and said it has no meaning unless the interests of the farmers are protected and a definite timeline is given for compensation to the farmers.

YSRCP member P V Midhun Reddy said 34,000 acres were acquired by the state government for the development of Amaravati as the capital with the promise of giving free developed plots, housing scheme, free education for the children of the affected people. However, nothing has been given to them so far.

“They are not bothered about farmers. Give a specific date, a specific timeline – when the plots will be given to the farmers. Incorporate all these points in the bill, otherwise there is no meaning,” he said.

Reddy alleged that the state’s TDP government is not concerned from where the huge amount of funds would come for the development of such a large capital.

“You want to develop a capital bigger than Kolkata but there is no clue from where the funds will come,” he said.

The YSRCP MP justified the decision of his party’s government, which ruled the state from 2019 to 2024, of planning to develop three capitals, saying it was nothing new as there were many such examples globally.

“We want the concerns of the farmers protected in the bill. There should be a definite timeline. Otherwise this bill in present form has no purpose. We have no opposition to Amaravati as such. But everything has to be clear,” he said.

According to the Bill circulated among Lok Sabha members, the provisions of the 2014 Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act provide that on and from the appointed day, Hyderabad will be the common capital for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for a period not exceeding 10 years.

After which, Hyderabad will be the capital of Telangana, and there will be a new capital for the successor state of Andhra Pradesh.

After the reorganisation law came into being, the Andhra Pradesh government, “after due consideration, consultation, and planning, identified and notified ‘Amaravati’ as the new capital of that state,” the bill noted.

Once the bill becomes an Act, Amravati will be legally recognised as the capital of Andhra Pradesh with effect from June 2, 2024.

It said significant administrative and legislative measures have been undertaken, besides the infrastructural developments in and around Amaravati, with the objective of establishing it as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.

It observed that on March 28, the state legislative assembly passed a resolution requesting the Centre to amend Section 5 of the Reorganisation Act to incorporate the name of “Amaravati” as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.

To give effect to the resolution of the state legislative assembly, and to provide “statutory clarity regarding the capital” of AP, the bill proposes to amend sub-section (2) of section 5 of the reorganisation law to incorporate the name of “Amaravati” as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh with effect from June 2, 2024.