New Delhi, Feb 10: India will drop the pre-departure Covid test requirement for travellers coming from or via China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand and Japan from Monday, the health ministry said, as Covid-19 infections have fallen sharply globally.
The random testing of 2 per cent of all travellers landing in India will continue, the health ministry wrote in the letter dated February 9 to the civil aviation ministry.
A major upgrade in safety and monitoring is planned for Haj 2026, with every Indian pilgrim set to receive a Haj Suvidha smart wristband linked to the official Haj Suvidha mobile app. The initiative aims to support pilgrims—especially senior citizens—who may struggle with smartphones during the 45-day journey.
What the Smart Wristband Will Do
Officials said the device will come with:
• Location tracking
• Pedometer
• SOS emergency button
• Qibla compass
• Prayer timings
• Basic health monitoring
SP Tiwari, secretary of the UP State Haj Committee, said the goal is to make the pilgrimage safer and more comfortable.
“Most Hajis are elderly and not comfortable with mobile apps,” he said. “The smartwatch will help locate pilgrims who forget their way or cannot communicate their location.”
The wristbands will be monitored by the Consulate General of India in Saudi Arabia, similar to mobile tracking via the Haj Suvidha App.
Free Distribution and Training
• Smart wristbands will be given free of cost.
• Training for pilgrims will be conducted between January and February 2026.
• Sample units will reach state Haj committees soon.
• Final devices will be distributed as pilgrims begin their journey.
New Rules for Accommodation
Two major decisions have also been finalised for Haj 2026:
1. Separate rooms for men and women – including married couples. They may stay on the same floor but must occupy different rooms, following stricter Saudi guidelines.
2. Cooking banned – gas cylinders will not be allowed; all meals will be provided through official catering services arranged by the Haj Committee of India.
These decisions were finalised during a meeting of the Haj Committee of India and state representatives in Mumbai.
Haj Suvidha App Launched Earlier
The government launched the Haj Suvidha App in 2024, offering:
• Training modules
• Accommodation and flight details
• Baggage information
• SOS and translation tools
• Grievance redressal
Haj 2026 Quota and Key States
• India’s total Haj quota for 2026: 1,75,025 pilgrims
• 70% (1,25,000) allotted to the Haj Committee of India
• 30% (around 50,000) reserved for Haj Group Organisers
Uttar Pradesh has the largest allocation (around 30,000 seats), though approximately 18,000 pilgrims are expected to go this year. States with high pilgrim numbers include Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Dates of Haj 2026
The pilgrimage is scheduled to take place from 24 May to 29 May, 2026 (tentative).
Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for Muslims who meet the required conditions.
New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.
Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”
During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.
"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.
On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”
Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.
India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.
He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.
Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.
Mangaluru, Nov 28: Karnataka Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday handed over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the severe distress faced by farmers due to crashing crop prices.
PM Modi arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport en route to Udupi, where Gundu Rao welcomed him and submitted the letter. The chief minister’s message stressed that farmers are suffering heavy losses because maize and green gram are being bought far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state urged the Centre to immediately begin procurement at MSP.
According to the letter, Karnataka has a bumper harvest this year—over 54.74 lakh metric tons of maize and 1.98 lakh metric tons of green gram—yet farmers are unable to secure fair prices. Against the MSP of ₹2,400/MT for maize and ₹8,768/MT for green gram, market rates have plunged to ₹1,600–₹1,800 and ₹5,400 respectively.
The chief minister has requested the Centre to:
• Direct NAFED, FCI and NCCF to start MSP procurement immediately.
• Ensure ethanol units purchase maize directly from farmers or FPOs.
• Increase Karnataka’s ethanol allocation, citing high production capacity.
• Stop maize imports, which have depressed domestic prices.
• Relax quality norms for green gram, allowing up to 10% discoloration due to rains.
The letter stresses that MSP is crucial for farmer dignity and income stability and calls for swift central intervention to prevent a deepening crisis.
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