India's government on Saturday (21) approved the death penalty for child rapists, after the gang rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl and a series of other horrific sexual assaults caused nationwide outrage.
Prime minister Narendra Modi called a cabinet meeting to pass the measure Saturday on his return from the Commonwealth summit, a government official said.
Protests have erupted across India in recent days over the rape and killing of the young Muslim girl by a group of Hindu men in Jammu and Kashmir state, increasing pressure on Modi to take action.
The attack sent out the sort of shockwaves that shook the country after the equally horrific gang rape of a Delhi student on a bus in 2012, which made headlines around the world.
The cabinet approved the ordinance amending laws on sexual violence to allow for capital punishment for those convicted of raping children below the age of 12, the official said.
Minimum jail sentences for convicted rapists were also toughened.
"The ordinance will be sent to the president for his consent," the official said on condition of anonymity. The president's approval is seen as a formality.
The new decree requires trials involving child victims to be completed in two months after an arrest, unusually speedy for India where the wheels of justice turn slowly.
The order will remain in effect for a period of six months from the president's approval, or until parliament votes the changes into law.
In recent months, four Indian states have already introduced similar legislation in local parliaments to approve the death penalty for child rapists.
India has the death penalty for the most brutal murders and terror attacks. But the sentences are rarely carried out and are often struck down on appeal by higher courts.
India carried out its last hanging in 2015 of a 1993 Mumbai bombing convict.
- Public anger -
The recent protests began after police accused eight Hindu men of raping a Muslim girl in a bid to force her nomad community out of a Hindu-dominated area of Jammu and Kashmir.
Public anger boiled over after police last week made public how the girl was drugged, repeatedly raped while held captive for five days at a Hindu temple and then beaten to death.
India previously introduced tougher laws in 2013 after the brutal New Delhi gang rape.
The incident triggered weeks of street protests and global condemnation.
But sexual violence, including against children, remains unabated in India, with some 11,000 child rape cases reported in 2015.
A 2014 UN report said one in three rape victims in India was a minor.
On Saturday, police in central Madhya Pradesh state arrested a man over the rape and murder of a four-month-old girl.
The infant's blood soaked body was found on Friday in a building in Indore city hours after she went missing.
Police said the suspect was a distant relative of the victim and had targeted the child after an argument with her mother.
Activists say lax implementation of laws and snail-paced trials fuel the "rape culture" in India, with many accusing police of being slack in cases involving influential people.
Modi's government faced criticsm after one his party members in Uttar Pradesh was accused by a teenager of raping her.
The politician remained free for almost a year after police rejected pleas from the victim to file a rape case against the lawmaker.
He was finally arrested last week after the teenager tried to set herself on fire outside the residence of the state chief minister, triggering a wave of protests.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s decision to sharply increase H-1B visa application costs is expected to accelerate American companies’ move to shift more high-value work to India. Economists and industry experts say this will further boost the growth of global capability centres (GCCs), which manage operations ranging from finance to research and development.
India hosts about 1,700 GCCs, more than half of the global total. These centres, which began with a focus on tech support, have expanded into innovation-driven work, including car dashboard design and drug discovery.
Analysts say growing use of artificial intelligence and tightening visa rules are leading US companies to reassess labour strategies, with India-based GCCs emerging as key hubs combining global expertise with local leadership.
“GCCs are uniquely positioned for this moment. They serve as a ready in-house engine,” said Rohan Lobo, partner and GCC industry leader at Deloitte India. He said he was aware of several US firms currently reassessing workforce plans. “Plans are already underway,” he added, citing increased activity in financial services and technology, especially among firms connected to US federal contracts.
Lobo said he expected GCCs to “take on more strategic, innovation-led mandates” going forward.
Earlier this month, Trump raised the cost of new H-1B visa applications to $100,000, up from the earlier range of $2,000 to $5,000. The increase adds pressure on US companies that rely on skilled foreign workers to fill critical roles.
On Monday, US senators reintroduced a bill seeking tighter rules on H-1B and L-1 visa programmes, aimed at closing what they described as loopholes and misuse by major employers.
Industry experts say that if visa restrictions remain in place, US firms are likely to shift advanced work in artificial intelligence, product development, cybersecurity and analytics to their GCCs in India, while retaining more strategic functions in-house rather than outsourcing.
Lalit Ahuja, founder and CEO of ANSR, which has helped companies such as FedEx, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Target and Lowe’s set up GCCs, said, “There is a sense of urgency.”
Reassessing India strategies
Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, former managing director of Cognizant India, said the trend could even lead to “extreme offshoring” in some cases. He pointed out that the Covid-19 pandemic had already shown that critical technology work could be done remotely.
US government data shows that Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet (Google’s parent), JPMorgan Chase and Walmart were among the biggest sponsors of H-1B visas. All of them have significant operations in India but declined to comment, given the political sensitivity of the issue.
“Either more roles will move to India, or corporations will near-shore them to Mexico or Colombia. Canada could also take advantage,” said the India head of a retail GCC.
Even before the latest visa fee hike and plans for a new selection process favouring higher-paid roles, India was projected to host the GCCs of more than 2,200 companies by 2030, with the market size nearing $100 billion. “This whole ‘gold rush’ will only get accelerated,” Ahuja said.
Implications for India
Some remain cautious, noting the risks of new legislation. If the proposed HIRE Act is passed, US companies could face a 25 per cent tax on outsourcing work overseas, a move that could disrupt India’s services exports.
“For now, we are observing and studying, and being ready for outcomes,” said the India head of a US drugmaker’s GCC.
Trade tensions between the two countries have extended into services, with visa curbs and the HIRE Act proposal threatening India’s cost advantage and cross-border service flows.
India’s $283 billion IT industry, which contributes nearly 8 per cent of GDP, may come under pressure. However, rising demand for GCC services could offset part of the impact.
“Lost revenues from H-1B visa reliant businesses could be somewhat supplanted by higher services exports through GCCs, as US-based firms look to bypass immigration restrictions to outsource talent,” Nomura analysts said in a research note last week.
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Chandaria was a founding member of the Institute of Jainology (IoJ) and served as its chairman for more than three decades.
TRIBUTES have been paid to Nemubhai Chandaria OBE, who passed away last Saturday (27) at the age of 86.
Community leaders, family and friends remembered him as a pioneering figure in the global Jain community and an advocate of faith, culture and service.
Chandaria was a founding member of the Institute of Jainology (IoJ) and served as its chairman for more than three decades.
Under his leadership, the organisation grew to be a respected international centre for Jain scholarship and interfaith dialogue. He oversaw key projects, including the cataloguing of Jain manuscripts held in the British Library and other UK institutions.
“His legacy is not only in the lives he touched personally, but in the lasting contributions he made to the world,” a statement from the institute said.
Chandaria also led the drafting of The Jain Declaration on Nature, which was presented to Prince Philip in his role as chair of the World Wide Fund for Nature. That moment resulted in Jainism being recognised as the world’s eighth global faith, the statement added.
Chandaria also played a central role in organising the Jain Art Exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, inaugurated under the patronage of Queen Elizabeth II.
He worked to enhance interfaith ties with religious leaders across the world, meeting figures such as the Pope, the Dalai Lama and the late BAPS leader, His Holiness Param Pujya Pramukh Swamiji Maharaj.
In Britain, Chandaria was instrumental in uniting 30 organisations through the OneJAIN platform, which gave the Jain community a collective voice on national and international issues.
He was awarded an OBE for his contributions to the Jain community.
Chandaria also received the OneJAIN Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, and earlier this year was honoured with the JAINA Global Award for Jain Heritage and Literature.
A Prathna Sabha (prayer meeting) was held in his memory on Monday (29) at Oshwal Centre in London.
He is survived by his wife Meena, children Asha, Rony and Amit, and grandchildren Roan, Alyssa, Khushee, Kayan and Vyom.
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Wes Streeting has ruled out imposing VAT on private healthcare ahead of the November budget. (Photo: Reuters)
UK will not impose a sales tax on private healthcare, health secretary Wes Streeting said on Tuesday, following reports that the government was considering the option ahead of the November 26 budget.
"It's not happening," Streeting told the BBC.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to raise taxes in the November budget to address a fiscal gap that economists estimate at tens of billions of pounds.
This has led to speculation about where cuts or increases might be made.
Reeves said on Monday that she would honour Labour’s manifesto pledge not to increase sales tax, known as value added tax (VAT), national insurance contributions or income tax rates.
She added that there would still be hard choices to make in November.
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The plinth of the statue, which depicts Gandhi in a seated pose, was marked with graffiti. (Photo credit: X)
THE INDIAN High Commission in London has condemned the vandalism of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue at Tavistock Square, which was found defaced on Monday. The incident comes just days ahead of the annual Gandhi Jayanti event scheduled at the site on October 2.
The plinth of the statue, which depicts Gandhi in a seated pose, was marked with graffiti. The mission said the matter has been reported to local authorities and its officials are working at the site to help restore the monument.
“The High Commission of India in London is deeply saddened and strongly condemns the shameful act of vandalism of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Tavistock Square in London,” the mission said in a statement on social media.
“This is not just vandalism, but a violent attack on the idea of non-violence, three days before the International Day of Non-Violence, and on the legacy of the Mahatma. We have taken this up strongly with local authorities for immediate action, and our team is already on site, coordinating with authorities to restore the statue to its original dignity,” it added.
Gandhi Jayanti, marked as the International Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations, is observed at the London monument every year with floral tributes and renditions of Gandhi’s favourite bhajans on October 2.
The bronze statue was unveiled in 1968 with the support of the India League as a reminder of Gandhi’s student days at University College London. The plinth carries the inscription: “Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948.”
The Metropolitan Police and Camden Council confirmed they are looking into the reports of vandalism.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Starmer’s personal ratings have fallen since he took office, prompting speculation about whether he can reverse Labour’s decline. (Photo credit: Reuters)
Starmer to tell Labour members to stay committed to his long-term plan
Labour faces pressure from Reform UK under Nigel Farage
Opinion polls show Labour trailing Reform despite four years to next election
Leadership questions emerge as Starmer’s ratings fall
PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer will ask Labour members to stay committed to his plan for Britain when he addresses the party's annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday.
Starmer has been in office for 14 months but is already facing pressure as Labour struggles against growing support for Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage.
In his speech, Starmer will say that Britain "stands at a fork in the road" between "renewal" under Labour and "grievance" under Reform, according to excerpts released in advance.
"It is a test. A fight for the soul of our country, every bit as big as rebuilding Britain after the war, and we must all rise to this challenge," he will tell delegates, while calling for patience.
The four-day gathering is focused on countering Reform, with Starmer aiming to sharpen his attack on the party while setting out Labour's vision.
"We need to be clear that our path, the path of renewal, it's long, it's difficult, it requires decisions that are not cost-free or easy, decisions that will not always be comfortable for our party.
"Yet at the end of this hard road there will be a new country, a fairer country, a land of dignity and respect," the 63-year-old leader is expected to say.
Labour has faced difficulties since returning to power in July last year. Opinion polls now show it behind Reform, though the next general election is four years away.
Leadership questions
Starmer’s personal ratings have fallen since he took office, prompting speculation about whether he can reverse Labour’s decline.
Andy Burnham, regional mayor, has urged Starmer to present a more left-leaning vision. Burnham has also said some lawmakers want him to stand as leader, though he would first need to return to parliament and there is no vacancy at present.
Talk has grown that poor results in local elections next May, including in Scotland and Wales, could trigger a leadership contest.
At the conference, views among Labour members were mixed.
Jacob Hamer, 18, supported Starmer’s call for patience. "The old phrase is a week is a long time in politics, but I'd say a year is a short time in government. Frankly, policies take time," he told AFP, pointing to pledges on health services and house-building.
But Jonathan Farr, 53, who has a disability, expressed frustration over the government’s handling of disability payments.
"I think people voted for change and they don't feel like they're getting it, unfortunately," he told AFP.
"I fear that come the day after the (May) elections, there will be a leadership challenge, or he'll resign, but either way, I can see something happening."