New Delhi, May 30: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Friday chaired a security review meeting in Bhuj, Gujarat, to assess security-related issues concerning border and coastal districts situated along the India-Pakistan Border (IPB).

The meeting was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, senior state government officials, and the District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of Kutch, Vav-Tharad and Patan.

According to an official statement, the meeting focused on challenges, threats, and emerging concerns in border areas, with emphasis on achieving more robust and comprehensive border management through the active role of the state government, particularly district administrations and police.

During the meeting, Shah said border fencing, maritime border security, and the strong political will of the state government had brought about a significant transformation in Gujarat’s security landscape.

“This has resulted in the complete cessation of infiltration into the state and smuggling on the border,” he said.

The Union Home Minister emphasised that a zero-tolerance approach should be adopted towards all unauthorised encroachments within the 0-15 km belt along the international border and efforts should be made to eliminate them.

He also stressed the need to maintain close watch on centres of radicalisation in border areas.

Shah said District Magistrates must strictly monitor and regularly report on demographic changes in border districts.

He said reverse migration in border areas due to the establishment of industrial units was a welcome development.

He directed that everyone from police station to patwari should work in unison to ensure deportation of already settled illegal infiltrators.

Shah also asked local administrations to formulate Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for district-specific challenges to ensure identification of existing infiltrators and address threats related to drones and narcotics.

The Union Home Minister further directed formation of Security Coordination Groups in every district comprising the Border Security Force (BSF), Coast Guard, Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Lead Bank Manager.

He said the responsibility for effective enforcement of Income Tax, anti-money laundering and Customs laws should rest with the District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police and Inspector General, Border Range.

Shah also stressed strict vigil over hawala transactions, financial dealings, mule accounts, shell companies, suspicious vehicles and GST collections in border districts.

He said agencies combating financial crimes should be kept fully apprised regarding border areas and directed the Income Tax Department, in collaboration with the RBI, to conduct extensive survey campaigns.

Given Gujarat’s proximity to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), Shah said coastal security must remain a priority and called for effective coordination with the Indian Coast Guard.

He also directed that alongside the Vibrant Villages initiative, 100 per cent saturation of every Central and State government welfare scheme be ensured in border villages.

Srinagar, May 30: Hundreds of candidates appearing for the Common University Entrance Test Undergraduate (CUET-UG) 2026 faced disruption on Saturday after a technical glitch at several examination centres delayed the commencement of the first shift, prompting the National Testing Agency (NTA) to order an investigation and announce a special re-examination for affected students.

In an official statement, the NTA said the technical issue, reported by its service provider TCS iON, affected the start of Shift-I examinations at some centres across the country.

While the problem was later resolved and the examination resumed with compensatory time, the disruption caused inconvenience and uncertainty for candidates and their families.

According to the agency, nearly 95 per cent of candidates were able to complete their examination after services were restored.

However, 3,765 candidates who had reported to their centres, completed biometric registration and were present for the examination chose to leave before the test could restart.

The NTA said these candidates would be given a fresh opportunity to take the examination through a one-time rescheduled test.

The date and other details of the special examination will be announced separately on the official CUET website.

“The technical service provider, TCS iON, has been directed to conduct a root-cause analysis and submit its report immediately,” the agency said, adding that no candidate who remained at the centre would be disadvantaged as full compensatory time was provided.

The agency further revised the schedule for the afternoon session, postponing the commencement of the examination by one hour.

Candidates were asked to report at 2.30 pm, while the examination began at 4 pm instead of the originally scheduled 3 pm.

NTA expressed regret over the disruption, stating that it understood the distress caused to students and parents.

It reiterated that candidates who were present at their centres on May 30, completed biometric verification but could not complete the examination due to the technical failure would be accommodated through the rescheduled test.

The incident comes weeks before the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET-UG) 2026, scheduled for June 21.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced that the Delhi Government would provide free travel in all Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses for NEET-UG 2026 candidates on examination day upon presentation of a valid admit card.

“No student should face inconvenience on a day that holds such importance for their future,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X and extended her best wishes to aspirants appearing for the medical entrance examination.

New Delhi, May 30: Years later, when dementia had erased much of his memory, Bashir Badr would still react to Vishal Bhardwaj’s name, the filmmaker said, recalling the formative bond he shared with the great Urdu poet from the age of 19.

Badr was a rising star on the literary scene and Bhardwaj just a student who had fallen in love with the poet’s verses. Such was the impact of Badr’s poetry that he still remembers the first couplet that he heard all those years ago: “Yeh ek ped hai, aa is se mil ke ro le hum, yahan se tere mere raaste badalate hain”.

The poet passed away on Thursday at the age of 91, almost a decade after he withdrew from public performances due to the onset of dementia.

“Whenever I called his home to check on him, his son Tayeb and Rahat apa (Badr’s wife) would tell me that he still reacts to my name. I remember, we cried so much when we got to know he had dementia.

“In 2010, he had stopped talking for days and one day I had forgotten a couplet. I said, ‘Mera dimag bhi dhadakata hai mere dil ki tarah…’ and asked him, ‘Doc sahab, I don’t remember the next line’ and he suddenly added, ‘Mita diye hain faasle sab mohabbat ne’. We were all surprised. So, sometimes he would have these flashes of memory,” Bhardwaj told PTI in an interview.

Over the years, the filmmaker has honoured Badr through his work – whether by including the poet’s name and poetry in “Dedh Ishqiya” or by using his writing for composing music in films such as “Betaabi” and “Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar”, projects from the early years of his career.

Bhardwaj has independently composed and released many of Badr’s ghazals, most recently “Main Ghana Andhera Hoon”. Next month, he will release another composition from the poet, “Nariyal ke Darakhton ki Pagal Hawa”.

“The track of poetry in my life is the strongest part of my personality, my creativity. My music is because of my poetry. My films are because of my poetry. My father was also a poet. And I consider Bashir Badr and Gulzar as my other parental figures. They have shaped me. I am so fortunate to have had that influence in my life.”

Looking back at their friendship, Bhardwaj said it all began in Meerut, where Badr used to live and teach while the director was still a student. Badr’s daughter and Bhardwaj’s sister were classmates.

He asked his sister to take him to meet Saba (Badr’s daughter) who then lent him Badr’s book. The filmmaker said he spent the night copying the verses in his diary.

It was a time when names like Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh and Chitra, and Pankaj Udhaas had started “brewing this tornado of Urdu poetry and ghazal” and the youth was obsessed with poetry.

“I think this was the most beautiful youth period of India.”

Bhardwaj eventually started to frequent the poet’s house.

“At the time, my memory was really sharp… I could easily memorise poems. I started meeting doc sahab every weekend. He used to read to me his latest poems.

“Then, the very unfortunate incident happened, his house was burnt down (in 1987). Most of his latest work was burnt along with the house. We are such a bad race as people that we burn poets’ houses.”

Badr also lost his first wife at around the same time and fell into depression.

It was during this time that he wrote the oft quoted lines: “Log toot jaate hain ek ghar banane mein, tum taras nahi khate bastiya jalane mein”. The poet left Meerut and settled in Bhopal after that incident.

Bhardwaj’s sharp memory turned out to be a blessing.

“I could remember 90 per cent of what he had narrated to me. And he would ask me about those couplets and I would narrate him back. I helped him retrieve at least 90 per cent of the poetry, it was like a year’s work.”

While Badr was in Meerut and teaching at the college there, Bhardwaj said he and the poet’s friend Prem Bhandari formed an unlikely triad.

“Bhandari sahab was 60 years old. I was 19 years old and Bashir sahab must be 50 at that time. Only two people were allowed in the evening to be with him, me and Bhandari sahab. It was such a strange company because his children were not allowed. So, the three of us used to talk about poetry and life, what a triad this was.”

Bhardwaj went on to build his reputation in the film industry, first as a composer and later as a filmmaker who introduced a new idiom to Hindi cinema with his movies, including the three successful adaptations of Shakespeare’s tragedies – “Maqbool” (Macbeth), “Omkara” (Othello) and later “Haider: (Hamlet).

But it was Badr who first recognised the composer in him.

“I was a musician in those days and he recognised that in me… I had no interest in literature. I was a very bad student. I never thought that I would have anything to do with Shakespeare.

“But you opened any book by Gulzar and Bashir Badr and I could recite the whole page. I had such a memory about these two poets. And at the subconscious level, my grooming happened because of Bashir Badr.”

Even today, Bhardwaj said if he really forms a bond with someone, he gives Badr’s book as a gift to that person. He bought over 50 copies of Badr’s whole collection years ago.

“Whenever I love someone and I have to give them a gift, I give them a book of ‘Culture Yaksan’. And if you received the book from me then that means you have my genuine love because when you read something so beautiful, you want to share the most beautiful part of your life.”

Even when life got busier for them, they wouldn’t leave without meeting each other whenever they were in the city, whether Bhardwaj was visiting Meerut or Badr Delhi. When Bhardwaj shot “Maqbool” in Bhopal, Badr would come and stay with Bhardwaj’s family.

The filmmaker would also accompany the poet to mushairas across Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

“When I came to Bombay, he used to come to my house and stay. We have so many memories of Gulzar sahib and him together, they would discuss poetry for hours. They both were big fans of each other’s work.”

Badr was most happy with the success Bhardwaj achieved in the Mumbai film industry.

“Even when I was struggling, he would tell everyone, ‘I’m Bashir Badr and you have to trust me when I say that this boy is very talented.’

“He was a saint, a beautiful saint. All poets are saints, but Bashir Badr was a saint of some other level,” the filmmaker said.

Bhardwaj will attend a memorial for Badr on June 4 at Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal.

Lucknow, May 30: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the Indian Navy forced “the entire Pakistan Navy to remain confined to its ports during Operation Sindoor”.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the ‘Nausena Shaurya Vatika’, an open-air naval museum here, Singh said, “The Navy played a significant role in maintaining pressure on Pakistan during Operation Sindoor.

“Our Navy was deployed in the Arabian Sea with full preparedness and strength, maintaining constant pressure on the adversary. As a result, Pakistan’s entire Navy remained confined to its ports.”

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, with Indian forces conducting precision strikes on multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The military conflict was halted after both sides reached an understanding on the evening of May 10.

Talking about the opening of the Nausena Shaurya Vatika, which has been designed to showcase the legacy, operational capabilities and maritime achievements of the Indian Navy, Singh said it is not only a moment of pride and honour for the people of Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh, “but also for us personally”.

“In the coming years, this facility will not only become a centre of inspiration for Lucknow but will also develop into a tourist hub and emerge as one of the city’s defining landmarks.”

Earlier, Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Saurya Vatika in the CG City area in the presence of Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, and deputy chief ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Developed jointly by the Indian Navy and the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, the museum is dedicated to the bravery, valour and technological excellence of the naval force.

On the rationale behind establishing the naval museum in a landlocked city like Lucknow, Singh said maritime security is linked to every citizen.

“The Indian Ocean is connected to our economy, trade and energy requirements. Those who safeguard it come from every village, town and city of India.

“The Navy is an asset of the entire nation, and its strength comes from the resolve and confidence of every citizen, whether they live by the sea or in a city like Lucknow,” Singh said.

Referring to the decommissioned warship INS Gomati, which forms the centrepiece of the museum, Singh highlighted its connection with Lucknow.

“Just as the Gomti river flows through the city and ultimately joins the Ganga and then the sea, INS Gomati brought honour to Lucknow while serving in the Indian Ocean. The ship’s crest even carried the image of Lucknow’s historic Chhatar Manzil,” the defence minister said.

Calling the Shaurya Vatika more than a tourist attraction, Singh said it would remind citizens of the sacrifices made by the armed forces.

“This is not an ordinary tourist destination but a living centre of inspiration. It will teach future generations the value of freedom and security. It will make people pause and reflect on the immense contributions of those who ensure the safety of our daily lives,” he said.

The defence minister also referred to India’s military preparedness and indigenous defence production capabilities.

“Our defence manufacturing output has risen considerably. Before 2014, India’s defence exports were worth less than Rs 1,000 crore. Today, we are exporting defence equipment worth nearly Rs 40,000 crore to countries around the world,” Singh said.

Praising the state government, Singh, who has represented Lucknow in the Lok Sabha since 2014, said Uttar Pradesh has witnessed a dramatic transformation under Yogi Adityanath.

“There was a time when Uttar Pradesh was identified with criminal rule and deteriorating law-and-order. People lived in fear and investors hesitated to come here.

“Today, a state once known for ‘One District, One Mafia’ has transformed into “One District, One Product’,” Singh said.

“Chief Minister Adityanath provided a prime location for the museum near the Ekana Stadium and adjoining the Gomti wetland. From budget approval to monitoring every important stage of the work, he personally ensured that it was completed in record time,” he said.

Announcing plans to further enhance the attraction, Singh said, “I want to assure the people of Uttar Pradesh, especially those in Lucknow, that efforts will be made to bring a submarine to this site.”

A key attraction at the museum is the INS Gomati that was decommissioned on May 28, 2022. The other exhibits include the ship’s anchor, CET-53M submarine obstacle equipment, main mast and propeller,an official statement said.

The visitors can also learn about maritime security, naval operations and the technological capabilities of the Indian Navy, it said.

New Delhi, May 30: Outgoing Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan on Saturday described his tenure as “very satisfying” as he wrapped up a three-year-and-eight-month stint at the top military post, during which he focused on bringing synergy among the three services.

Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani (retd) will take charge as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on Sunday.

“I had a very satisfying and excellent tenure,” the outgoing CDS told reporters after he was accorded a ceremonial tri-services guard of honour.

Gen Chauhan, a former Eastern Army Commander, took charge as the country’s senior-most military commander in September 2022, over nine months after the first CDS General Bipin Rawat died in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu.

As Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Chauhan played a key role in planning and implementation of Operation Sindoor along with the three service chiefs.

During his tenure, he focused on ensuring tri-services synergy to enhance India’s military prowess in view of the evolving regional security scenario.

The Chief of Defence Staff also initiated a number of measures towards India’s plan to roll out the theaterisation model by creating integrated military commands.

“It’s a matter of great honour for me to superannuate with a tri-services guard of honour. I thank the three services and Headquarters IDS (Integrated Defence Staff) for it. With the conclusion of the guard of honour, I bid farewell to my colleagues in uniform, comrades in arms,” Gen Chauhan said.

“I just laid the wreath at the War Memorial for the last time in uniform, as a humble tribute to those who laid down their lives in the line of duty. After the wreath laying, I was welcomed by friends, relatives and well-wishers. This is symbolic of my transition from uniform to civilian life,” he said.

Gen Chauhan’s tenure was to end on September 30 last year, but he was given an extension.

He had retired from service in May 2021 in the rank of lieutenant general, but assumed the rank of a four-star General after taking charge as India’s second Chief of Defence Staff.

Gen Chauhan was the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) when Indian fighter jets pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan’s Balakot in February 2019. He was known to have provided key inputs for the operation.

Born on May 18, 1961, Gen Chauhan was commissioned into the 11 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army in 1981.

In his distinguished career, Gen Chauhan held several command, staff and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India.

The officer is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

In the rank of Maj General, the officer had commanded an Infantry Division in the critical Baramulla sector in the Northern Command.

Later, he commanded a corps in the Northeast and subsequently went on to become the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command.

Gen Chauhan was awarded with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for his exemplary services to the Indian Army.