India plans to deploy warships in the Arabian sea after a recent attack on a merchant ship. The US alleged the attack was by Iran, which Tehran has denied. India's navy said Monday it will deploy three guided-missile destroyer ships in the Arabian Sea to "maintain a deterrent presence," after a merchant vessel was struck off its coast over the weekend.  The Liberian-flagged and Japanese-owned MV Chem Pluto which was attacked docked in the west Indian coastal city of Mumbai on Monday. Authorities said initial reports suggested a drone attack, and that the navy was investigating further. The crew included 21 Indians and one Vietnamese citizen. New Delhi is also boosting its anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden after Somali pirates this month hijacked the bulk carrier MV Ruen. What are India's plans for the ships? "Further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of attack, including type and amount of explosive used," the navy said in a statement. The navy said the explosive ordnance team had completed its analysis, and a joint investigation into the attack would be carried out by various other departments. "Considering the recent spate of attacks in the Arabian Sea, Indian Navy has deployed Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata ...in various areas to maintain a deterrent presence," the statement said. India had also sent a guided-missile destroyer to the region as part of "augmenting the anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden", the navy added. Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said his country would strive to ensure security for maritime trade in the region. "India plays the role of a net security provider in the  entire Indian Ocean region," he said.  The US had claimed Iran attacked the Israel-affiliated MV Chem Pluto near India. A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry called this accusation "baseless." Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have carried out several drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has launched attacks on Hamas militants.    

Petitioners had challenged the legality of an Indian government decision in 2019 to strip special rights from Kashmir that included protections on land ownership and its own constitution. India's Supreme Court has upheld a 2019 move by the government to revoke a special semi-autonomous status granted to former state of Jammu and Kashmir. The court said that the special status given to the territory was a "temporary provision." It also said that Jammu and Kashmir should be put on par with other Indian states "at the earliest and as soon as possible," with local elections to take place by September 30, 2024. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the Supreme Court ruling on social media, calling the verdict "a beacon of hope, a promise of a brighter future and a testament to our collective resolve to build a stronger, more united India." What was the case about? More than 20 petitions had challenged the controversial abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 by Modi's Hindu-nationalist government.  The petitioners had contested whether the Indian parliament had the power to revoke the region’s special status, maintaining that only the constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir could decide on it. Article 370 had granted a special status to the Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir and had allowed for limited autonomy, including a separate constitution and inherited protections on land and jobs. The revocation was accompanied by the imposition of direct rule in Jammu and Kashmir from New Delhi.  The region was also divided into two federal territories, Ladakh and Jammu-Kashmir, both ruled directly by the central government in New Delhi without a legislature of their own.  The controversial move was followed by massive public backlash. India responded with mass arrests, a complete lockdown and communication blackout that was in place for months as India propped up its armed forces.

Efforts to rescue workers trapped in a collapsed tunnel in the Indian Himalayas have stretched into a second week. Officials believe they only have four or five days to save the men. Indian rescuers were on Sunday considering new ways to save 41 workers trapped in the northern state of Uttarakhand.They became stranded when a highway tunnel they were building partially collapsed last Sunday, trapping them inside. Since then, rescuers have been trying to drill a hole to reach the workers, but that work stopped when the drilling machine broke on Friday.A new drill has been flown in, but operations were on hold because of a risk of collapse.The rescue team was considering alternative plans, including digging a new shaft from above with two possible routes. Rescue operation could drag on for days  Bhaskar Khulbe, a senior government official involved in the rescue operations, said that teams are exploring all options to save the workers. "We have no shortage of resources, options, and methods," Khulbe said late Saturday. He added that rescuers were looking at "a maximum of four to five days" to free the men. Conditions for the trapped workers are grim Relatives of those trapped, who have spoken to the men via radio, said conditions were grim and morale low. "They are in tears... they have started asking us whether we are lying about the rescue efforts being made to save them," one relative told reporters. Rescuers have provided the trapped workers with food, water, oxygen, and medicine through a pipe. 

A powerful flash flood in India has led to the disappearance of 23 soldiers, following a cloudburst in the northeastern state of Sikkim, the Indian army said on Wednesday. "Due to sudden cloud burst over Lhonak Lake in North Sikkim, a flash flood occurred in the Teesta River... 23 personnel have been reported missing and some vehicles are reported submerged under the slush," the army said in a statement, adding that search operations were underway. Lhonak Lake lies at the base of a glacier in the snowy mountains that surround Kangchenjunga — the world's third highest mountain. "Some army establishments along the valley have been affected and efforts are on to confirm details," news agency ANI quoted a defense spokesperson as saying. India's weather department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of heavy showers in some parts of Sikkim. The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital Gangtok was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary. Sikkim chief official urges people to limit travel  The head of Sikkim state, Prem Singh Tamang, urged calm and said he visited some of the affected areas in the state.  "I humbly urge all our citizens to remain vigilant and refrain from unnecessary travel during this critical time," he said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.  Rainfall in coming days India Meteorological Department warned of landslides and disruption to flights amid predictions of rainfall in some parts of Sikkim in the coming days. The department said that a low-pressure area moving eastward across several states was responsible for the cloudburst in Sikkim. The cloudburst over the lake caused the flooding in the Lachen valley, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) north of Gangtok, Sikkim's capital. The main highway linking Sikkim to West Bengal state was snapped and road access to Sikkim capital, Gangtok, was entirely cut off, according to army spokesperson Anjan Basumatary. Besides Sikkim, several other states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal were also likely to see rainfall over the next few days.

Over two millennia ago, a profound spiritual journey began amid the calm Himalayan scenery and throughout the wide plains of the Indian subcontinent. In addition to influencing India's spiritual environment, India's historical ties to Buddhism have also helped modern policymakers strengthen India's soft power by developing cultural ties that are felt throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia, The Bhutan Live reported. India, the place of origin of Buddhism, has a close spiritual connection to the faith. Scholars and priests travelled throughout far-off nations on pilgrimages while carrying the Buddha's teachings during the height of India's supremacy. Buddhism was spread throughout Tibet, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia as a result of this mystical journey, frequently via Sri Lanka's dynamic centre. While the Theravada school of Buddhism thrived in South Asia and spread throughout Southeast Asia, Tibetan Buddhism developed in the North and had an impact on Tibet and China. Indian art, culture, and architecture still reflect the country's ancient past, and the iconic three lions of the Ashoka pillar are featured on the flag of the nation. The fact that approximately 10 million people in India still practise Buddhism in 2023 is evidence of the religion's lasting influence, according to The Bhutan Live. The Bhutan Live covers Bhutan news, politics, Bhutan culture, Bhutanese Buddhism and more, for a unique understanding of the Himalayan region. The large Tibetan community in India, which first migrated there in 1959 after China occupied Tibet in 1950, is also connected to Buddhism. Since then, India has offered sanctuary to prominent Tibetan religious figures, Tibetan nobles, and common Tibetans who have fled into exile. Notably, the head of each of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism—Gelug, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Sakya—as well as many other respected Tibetan lamas reside in India, including the fourteenth Dalai Lama, a revered spiritual figure. Although these sects' primary monasteries are still in Tibet, India acts as a haven for the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist traditions. India has actively pushed Buddhist philosophy and culture in recent years. The International Buddhist Confederation was founded in 2011 with the help of the Indian government by the Global Buddhist Congregation (GBC), which brought together representatives from different Buddhist traditions around the world. This important organisation worked to protect various Buddhist traditions, support academic inquiry, and spread awareness of Buddhism. Since the mid-2000s, China has also organised worldwide Buddhist conferences known as the World Buddhist Forums (WBF) in an effort to promote its appointed Panchen Lama and win the respect of the Buddhist world. Although China's efforts were overshadowed by the GBC meeting in India in 2011, the succeeding WBF in 2012 was noticeably subdued, as reported by The Bhutan Live. In March 2017, India held a Buddhist conference in Nalanda that brought Buddhist lamas together under one umbrella further solidifying India's standing in the Buddhist community. The Indian government has incorporated Buddhism into its bilateral diplomatic efforts since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, especially with Japan and Mongolia. Private organisations have also contributed to the growth of these ties, as evidenced by the joint Buddhist and Hindu conclave in September 2015 that concentrated on conflict resolution and environmental awareness, The Bhutan Live reported.