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Sunday, February 1, 2026
TopicPassport

Topic: Passport

Embassy of Westarctica: The unreal life of a fake diplomat & his grand illusion in Ghaziabad

This week, UP STF raided Harsh Vardhan Jain’s rented bungalow in Ghaziabad, which he'd been successfully passing off as embassy of ‘Seborgia, Poulbia, Lodonia and Westarctica’ for 8 yrs.

Months after mass deportations by Trump 2.0, ED raids in Punjab, Haryana find dunki rackets still thriving

ED raided 7 locations in Punjab & Haryana. It found several illegalities including firms operating under pseudo names. Some firms ran legal business as well as ‘dunki route’ syndicate.

Foreign Ministry recognises J&K Police for ‘outstanding contributions’ to passport verification services

J&K Police finalised 134,219 passport application verifications between April 2024 & March 2025, considered an 'exceptional disposal rate'.

What Madras HC said slamming practice of seeking husband’s nod for a woman to apply for passport

Ruling that a woman doesn't need her husband’s signature or permission in any form for passport application, court underlined that she doesn't lose her individuality after marriage.

Vanuatu, the land of golden passports—where fugitives like Lalit Modi can buy citizenship for a crore

In 2020, revenue from its ‘golden passport’ scheme was Vanuatu’s single-largest source of income. Revocation of Lalit Modi’s citizenship has brought country of islands into spotlight.

MEA marks 12th Passport Seva Divas with 3-day conference for regional officers

Ministry of External Affairs said it provided 1.65 crore passport-related services to citizens in 2023.

Siddaramaiah urges Centre to revoke Revanna’s diplomatic passport, MEA says ‘request being processed’

Accused of having sexually assaulted multiple women, MP Prajwal Revanna fled to Germany in April. BJP, in turn, has accused state govt of not taking adequate action when he was in India.

Prajwal Revanna case: What is a diplomatic passport, how is it revoked & what rules apply

Diplomatic passport allows its holder visa-free entry to various countries that have special agreements with India. Germany, where Hassan MP travelled to, is one such country.

Pakistani passport ranks lower than North Korea’s. Twitter says Thank you, Imran Khan

Some suggested that action taken against human rights activists is the reason for Pakistan's low ranking on the Henley Passport Index.

On Camera

From populism to productivity—why the Budget 2026 makes a structural turn

The Budget proposals seek to balance sustained high economic growth with fiscal discipline and structural transformation.

Budget 2026 allocates Rs 1,000 crore for IndiaAI Mission, pushes data centres and AI upskilling

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed AI integration in several sectors, from agriculture to the manufacture of assistive devices for Divyangjan or people with disabilities.

10X Budget beef-up for Intelligence Bureau capex, after Pahalgam & Red Fort terror attacks

After lapses exposed by terror attacks at Pahalgam and Delhi's Red Fort, Centre has hiked Intelligence Bureau's expenditure for investments in long-term assets from Rs 257 cr to Rs 2,549 cr. 

Swiss report should now close Op Sindoor debate. Knowing when to stop the fight is key too

The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.