Afghanistan is actively exploring stronger pharmaceutical trade ties with Indian companies after border tensions with Pakistan shut down key transit routes that once sustained its medicine supply chain.

The disruption has effectively choked Afghanistan’s traditional import channels, prompting officials and traders to seek alternative partnerships to meet the country’s pressing healthcare needs.

For years, Pakistan accounted for the lion’s share of pharmaceutical supplies to Afghanistan. With that route curtailed, the strife-hit nation, heavily dependent on imports to meet domestic demand, is now looking toward India’s robust pharmaceutical industry, particularly manufacturers based in Baddi, one of Asia’s largest pharma hubs.

SL Singla, a prominent Baddi-based exporter who has supplied medicines to Afghanistan for over a decade, confirmed a surge in engagement. “A large number of trade visas have been secured by Afghanistani pharmaceutical traders in recent months to pursue trade with India,” he said.

According to Singla, officials and traders have approached his firm and others after Pakistan’s supply channels were disrupted, creating a widening consumption gap back home.

Beyond procurement, Afghan traders are also seeking long-term collaboration. Discussions include establishing manufacturing facilities in cities like Kandahar with Indian technical support, as well as sourcing raw materials and machinery from India.

Afghan officials are reportedly converting single-entry visas into multiple-entry permits to ease frequent visits, while Indian manufacturers are being asked to furnish compliance certificates required by Afghan authorities.

The momentum for renewed engagement gathered pace in December 2025, when an Afghan ministerial delegation visited India and held discussions with the Pharmaceuticals Export Promotion Council of India to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sector.

India’s corporate players are already responding. Zydus Lifesciences has signed a $100 million memorandum of understanding with Afghanistan-based Raoufi International Group for exporting medicines. Industry observers believe more companies could follow suit.

Sanjay Sharma, spokesperson for the Himachal Drug Manufacturers Association, noted that Afghan traders and officials have been visiting Baddi’s manufacturing facilities to explore partnerships.

He added that many small and medium enterprises in the region already cater to Middle Eastern markets, positioning them well to expand into Afghanistan.

As procurement deals for general medicines, injectables and essential drugs are finalised, India appears poised to emerge as a critical pharmaceutical lifeline for Afghanistan reshaping regional trade equations in the process.

More than 62,000 cases have been identified by various courts in the state for settlement at the upcoming National Lok Adalat scheduled to be held on March 14.

The Lok Adalat will be organised across Himachal Pradesh under the patronage of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, who is also the Patron-in-Chief of the Himachal Pradesh State Legal Services Authority. Justice Vivek Singh Thakur serves as the Executive Chairman of the Authority.

An online facility for payment of compounding fee through ePay (eCourts Digital Payment) has been provided in cases related to Motor Vehicles challans, particularly in the courts of Traffic Magistrates.

To ensure maximum participation, the general public and litigants are being made aware of the National Lok Adalat through the involvement of local bodies, stakeholders, non-governmental organisations, representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions, para-legal volunteers and public transport services.

Regular meetings are also being held with Bar Associations, insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions for effective identification and disposal of cases.

With the withdrawal of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) looming large, Himachal Pradesh is set to witness one of its most challenging Budgets in recent years.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who also holds the Finance portfolio, will present the Budget for 2026-27 in the Vidhan Sabha on March 20.

The Finance Department is in the final stages of preparation for what will be Sukhu’s fourth Budget. However, the exercise comes against the backdrop of the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation to discontinue the RDG, a move that could result in an annual loss of nearly Rs 10,000 crore for the hill state.

The grant has long served as a crucial cushion for Himachal, given its limited avenues for revenue generation and the high cost of maintaining infrastructure in difficult mountainous terrain.

The likely withdrawal of RDG has intensified fiscal pressure on the government, raising the possibility of new taxes or enhanced levies as part of a broader push for resource mobilisation.

Simultaneously, the government is expected to focus on pruning non-essential expenditure and tightening fiscal discipline to manage the anticipated shortfall.

Industries and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan confirmed that the second phase of the Budget session will resume on March 18.

The Budget will be debated for three days from March 23 to 25, followed by discussion and voting on cut motions on March 27 and 28. The Budget is slated to be passed on March 28.

The first phase of the session began with the Governor’s Address on March 16 and was later adjourned by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania.

The debate on the Motion of Thanks will take place on March 18 and 19, after which the Chief Minister will reply.

Ahead of the Budget, Sukhu met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, seeking special central assistance and urging that Himachal’s unique constraints not be equated with other states facing RDG withdrawal.

Any relief from the Centre remains uncertain as the state prepares for a fiscally tight year ahead.

The Solan police have arrested a 32-year-old Nepalese youth, Raj Thapa, last evening from Salogra village in Solan for strangulating a two-and-a-half year-old boy.

Thapa was produced before a court by the police for securing his remand.

SP Solan Sai Dattatreya Varma informed that a Solan police team rushed to the spot after the panchayat pradhan informed them of a child’s death.

Upon inquiry, the boy’s mother stated that he had died after falling in the courtyard of their rented quarters on February 28 around 5 PM. He was immediately rushed to the Regional Hospital, Solan, for treatment, but the medical officer declared him dead.

The body was subsequently returned to Salogra.

On March 1 as the deceased’s body was being taken for burial, the villagers suspected foul play and they informed the panchayat pradhan who further informed the police. A post-mortem was conducted where the doctor informed the boy’s father Rajendra Mahat that the death did not appear to be normal.

Based on this, an FIR was lodged as he suspected that his son had been murdered by Raj Thapa out of a personal grudge.

The Himachal High Court (HC) has dismissed a petition challenging the rejection of a representation against a transfer order, holding that no vested or indefeasible right exists for a government employee couple to be posted at the same or contiguous station.

While dismissing the petition, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel held that the petitioner occupies a state cadre post and is liable to serve anywhere within the state.

The HC observed that under the State Transfer Policy, in couple cases, the government may endeavour to post spouses at the same or nearby stations. However, such a policy does not confer a vested right on employees to insist on posting at a station of their choice.

The petitioner had assailed the rejection order dated August 23, 2025, whereby his representation against transfer from Government Senior Secondary School, Kashmaila, Mandi district, to Government Senior Secondary School, Deothi, Solan, was turned down by the competent authority.

He contended that his transfer was illegal as it fell under the “couple case” category and further argued that the transfer was based on a recommendatory note, rendering it arbitrary.

Opposing the plea, the state submitted that the petitioner had completed his normal tenure at Kashmaila and that the order rejecting his representation was reasoned and self-speaking.

After hearing both sides, Justice Goel held that no ground was made out to interfere with the impugned order. The HC also noted that the petitioner approached it in February, despite the rejection of his representation in August 2025, indicating delay and suggesting that the petition was an afterthought.

While dismissing the petition, the HC granted liberty to the petitioner and his wife to submit a joint representation seeking posting at or near the same station.

During the proceedings, it was brought to the HC’s notice that the petitioner’s wife is suffering from hepatitis-B and requires monthly visits to PGI-Chandigarh for treatment.

Taking note of this submission, the HC observed that if any representation is made on medical grounds, the authorities may consider it sympathetically, particularly as Solan is geographically closer to Chandigarh.

The tourist town of Manali is buzzing with activity nowadays. After a relatively quiet period, the week has seen a significant surge in the number of visitors, with the famed Solang Nala, the Atal Tunnel and the breathtaking Lahaul valley being the major hotspots of tourists.

The melting of snow at lower altitudes like Solang Nala, Fataru and the south portal of the Atal Tunnel has prompted tourists to go further into the Lahaul valley and many of them are reaching as far as Darcha. The weekend has brought the town alive.

The Mall Road is packed with visitors in the evening, while devotees and sightseers are thronging popular attractions like the Hadimba Temple, Vashisht, Club House and the Manu Temple.

After a dull weekend where only 500 to 600 tourist vehicles from other states entered the town every day, Friday saw that number nearly doubling to 1,000. Gajendra Thakur, state president of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association, says, “Tourism in Manali is slowly getting back on track.

We are also seeing advance bookings from honeymooning couples and we expect a significant increase in tourist numbers March onwards.”

Hoteliers echoes this positive sentiment. Bhupesh Singh, a hotelier, says that the influx of tourists is steadily increasing. BS Aukta, Deputy General Manager of the Tourism Corporation, says that the weekend occupancy is now reaching around 50 per cent.

Other hotel owners, including Vinay, Mukesh and Raju, say that the weekend occupancy has climbed to nearly 60 per cent, bringing cheer to the local tourism industry.

While the tourist destination of Koksar in Lahaul remains closed due to heavy snowfall, visitors are thoroughly enjoying in the areas around the Atal Tunnel. In a good news for travellers, the picturesque Sissu in Lahaul valley is set to be reopened for tourism activities tomorrow.

A religious prohibition in the valley was also lifted on Saturday, allowing for freer movement and tourism activities. Over 2,500 tourist vehicles reportedly reached Solang Nala and the Atal Tunnel on Saturday.

With temperatures rising, the snow in Solang Nala is melting rapidly. Tourists may only have about a week left to enjoy snow adventure on the Solang grounds.

Local business operators Jagdish and Ved Ram say that the snow cover is disappearing quickly from the main field. However, higher areas like Anjani Mahadev, Dhundhi and Gulaba still have substantial snowpack.

Budhi Prakash Thakur, chairman of the Travel Agent Association of Himachal Pradesh, says that the gradual increase in tourist arrivals is a positive sign. “Advance bookings for March have already begun,” he adds. This signals a hopeful start to the tourist season in this beloved Himalayan paradise.

The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh are set to witness another spell of fresh snow and rain on February 27 and 28.

As per the state’s meteorological department, the higher hills of Kullu, Kangra, Kinnaur, Chamba, and Lahaul and Spiti districts will be witnessing light snow, along with rain, at isolated places on February 27 and 28.

While the weather across the state will remain dry from March 1 to 2, another spell of light snowfall and rain is very likely to occur in the higher reaches of the state on March 3 and 4. During this period, minimum and maximum temperatures are very likely to fall by 2°C to 5°C.

The state, during the last 24 hours, experienced dry weather conditions, with most of the places witnessing a bright sunny day. Minimum temperatures in many places of the state were 2°C to 4°C above normal, ranging between minus 4°C and 14 °C. Similarly, maximum temperatures across the state were also 2°C to 6°C above normal and ranged between 6°V to 28°C.

Shimla, the state’s capital, recorded a 7.6°C minimum temperature, while Dharamshala recorded 10°C. Popular tourists’ destination Manali recorded 3.9°C, Kangra 10.8°C, Mandi 9.5°C, Solan 7°C, Bilaspur 11.5°C, Kalpa 1.6°C, Sundernagar 8.7°C, Bhuntar 6.7°C, Nahan 10.9°C, Paonta Sahib 14°C, and Tabo minus 4°C.

With a 28.5°C maximum temperature, Una was the hottest place in the state, while Kukumseri in the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti was the coldest as it recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.2 °C.

The arrest of three Youth Congress leaders allegedly linked to a protest at the AI Summit in the national capital snowballed into a dramatic jurisdictional face-off between the Delhi Police and Himachal Pradesh Police on Wednesday, with high tension scenes unfolding at Shoghi on the Shimla-Solan border.

A 15-member Delhi Police team, travelling in four vehicles bearing Delhi and Haryana registration numbers, picked up the three activists from a resort in Mandli village in the Chirgaon area of Rohru earlier in the day. The arrests, however, were carried out without prior intimation to the local police, triggering a swift response from Himachal authorities once information filtered in.

Unaware of the operation, the Himachal Police received inputs that “some unknown persons in plain clothes” had forcibly taken away three youths along with their Thar vehicle. “A complaint was received that the CCTV cameras at the premises were also removed without any seizure memo. A case has been registered,” said Shimla Superintendent of Police Gaurav Singh.

As the Delhi Police team attempted to transport the trio out of the state, Solan Police set up nakas near the Dharampur barrier on the Shimla-Chandigarh highway to intercept them. The three activists were later produced before a local court. However, when the Delhi team resumed its journey towards the national capital, citing transit procedure, they were stopped again, this time at the Shoghi police post.

With questions over jurisdiction and the absence of coordination between the two forces, the Shimla police detained the three activists at Shoghi even as discussions between officers from both states continued late into the evening. Till the filing of this report, the impasse remained unresolved.

Sources said the three Youth Congress leaders, believed to be from outside Himachal, had been staying in Chirgaon to evade arrest following the protest at the AI Summit in Delhi. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the Delhi Police traced their location and conducted the operation.

The episode comes close on the heels of another controversy involving a Delhi Police team entering Himachal Sadan on Sardar Patel Marg in New Delhi two days ago in connection with the same protest. The move had drawn a sharp reaction from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who termed the action “unacceptable” and accused the Delhi Police of high-handedness for not informing the Resident Commissioner or state authorities.

“They are Youth Congress activists. What is wrong if rooms were booked for them at Himachal Sadan?” Sukhu had said when questioned about the accommodation arrangements. Wednesday’s developments have now escalated into a full-blown inter-state standoff, raising larger questions about protocol, policing powers and political sensitivities surrounding the AI Summit protest.

At least 20 Delhi police personnel have been detained by the Himachal Pradesh police for arresting three Youth Congress leaders from Rohru, Shimla.

The leaders were arrested in connection with a protest staged by Youth Congress leaders at the AI summit in New Delhi.

A Delhi Police team had arrived in Rohru, arrested the leaders, and were heading back to Delhi when they were stopped near Dharampur by the state police, who allegedly detained them. The police personnel and the leaders were then taken to Shimla and are being presented in court.

SP Solan, Tirumalaraju SD Varma, confirmed that the Solan police received information about the incident and set up nakas near Dharampur at the Shimla police’s request. The rest of the action was executed by the Shimla police. The DGP has not responded to reports yet.

Vehicular and industrial emissions are now the biggest pollution threats to Himachal Pradesh, with projections warning of a fivefold rise in industrial emissions by 2047 if urgent mitigation measures are not enforced.

This stark assessment comes from a comprehensive analysis of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and other non-CO2 pollutants conducted by the State Department of Environment, Science Technology and Climate Change, with support from the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development and The Energy and Resources Institute. The report was released by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The findings underline that long-term decarbonisation alone will not shield the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Rapid cuts in SLCPs, particularly methane and black carbon, are critical to slow near-term warming and improve air quality. Experts warn that in a mountain state like Himachal, climate risks compound faster and hit harder.

Transport remains the largest contributor to nitrogen oxides (NOx), with 2019 estimates pegging emissions at 187 kilotonnes annually.

Diesel combustion from commercial vehicles, tourist fleets and freight movement is the primary source. Pollution is heavily concentrated in tourism hubs such as Shimla, Manali and Dharamsala, which together host nearly two crore visitors every year.

Industrial emissions are clustered in Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh, Kala Amb and Parwanoo, where coal and petcoke-based combustion drives sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter and NOx levels. Inefficient standalone boilers and heavy fossil fuel dependence have further raised emission intensity.

The ecological stakes are high. Black carbon deposition on snow accelerates glacier melt by reducing surface reflectivity, threatening long-term water security and downstream river systems. The report links rising emissions to increased risks of flash floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods.

The economic fallout could be equally severe. Himachal’s climate-sensitive economy, anchored in agriculture, horticulture and tourism, is already witnessing shifts in crop cycles and declining apple productivity due to changing temperature and rainfall patterns.

The report concludes that sub-national action is indispensable. Without targeted policies on clean transport, industrial fuel transition, waste management and forest fire control, Himachal’s development trajectory could undermine its ecological stability. The warning is clear: act now, or risk irreversible damage to the Himalayan lifeline.

The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) today launched the “HPPSC APPLICANT” and “HPPSC ATTENDANCE” apps, enables the candidates to submit their application forms through mobile from anywhere and anytime, without the need to visit cyber cafés, common service centres.

The app has been made available for download on Google Play Store.

Speaking about the apps, Nivedita Negi, Secretary, HPPSC said, “This initiative is particularly beneficial for candidates residing in remote and rural areas, who often face challenges in accessing online facilities.

The mobile-based system ensures that applicants can conveniently complete the application process using their smart phones and also save their time and money.”

“Further the “HPPSC Attendance” app for Face Authentication based on Artificial Intelligence has been introduced as an additional security measure in the examination process.

Face Authentication enables real-time verification of candidates at the time of examination through a secure mobile-based system. The facial image of the candidate captured during the application process is matched with the live photograph captured at the time of entry in the examination centre,” said the Secretary.

“This process will help prevent impersonation and strengthen the transparency and integrity of the examination process” she added.

Negi further said that the Commission is also in the process to introduce Aadhaar based Authentication in OTR (One Time Registration System).

“For this purpose, the commission has been notified by the state government to perform authentication and use of Aadhaar for establishing identity of candidates at various stages of recruitment.

This will further mark a significant step towards strengthening examination integrity, transparency and ensuring fair and smooth conduct of examination,” she said.

Tourism in Kullu and Manali has long been a cornerstone of the economy of Himachal Pradesh, drawing millions of domestic and international visitors each year.

Known for its snow-clad peaks, river valleys and adventure sports, the region continues to benefit from a series of tourism reforms initiated by the Union Ministry of Tourism, aimed at strengthening on-ground safety mechanisms and improving visitor’s confidence.

In recent years, ensuring the safety and security of tourists has emerged as a strategic priority. To support this objective, the Union Ministry of Tourism has operationalised a 24×7 multi-lingual tourist helpline, accessible through the toll-free number 1800111363 and short code 1363.

The helpline functions in 12 languages, including 10 international, providing real-time assistance to both domestic and foreign travellers.

For destinations such as Kullu and Manali, where tourists frequently engage in adventure activities like paragliding, river rafting and trekking, such support systems are critical.

The helpline offers travel-related information and immediate guidance to tourists in distress, thereby enhancing destination reliability.

The Central Government has also encouraged states to leverage the ‘Safe Tourism Destination for Women’ initiative under the Nirbhaya Fund.

This scheme enables the states to undertake targeted infrastructure and safety projects aimed at safeguarding women travellers.

In a state like Himachal Pradesh, where solo female travel and women-led trekking groups are increasingly common, such measures contribute to building a gender-sensitive tourism ecosystem.

The Union Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with state tourism departments and other stakeholders, has adopted the ‘Code of Conduct for Safe and Honourable Tourism.’

This framework outlines clear guidelines to ensure tourism activities respect dignity, safety and freedom from exploitation, particularly for women and children.

Though tourism safety remains primarily a state subject, coordinated efforts between the Central Government and states have led to the deployment of dedicated Tourist Police units in several regions, including Himachal. The presence of trained personnel at key tourist hubs, transit points and event venues provides an additional layer of reassurance for visitors.