National News
COP28 2023: India, UAE Stand As Partners In Shaping Greener & Prosperous Future, Says PM Modi As Summit Begins
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called India and UAE partners in shaping a “greener and prosperous future.” He emphasised that the two nations remain steadfast in joint efforts to influence global discourse on climate action.
India and the UAE are partners in creating a sustainable and prosperous future
In an interview with UAE-based newspaper Aletihad, PM Modi stated, “India and the UAE stand as partners in shaping a greener and more prosperous future, and we remain steadfast in our joint efforts to influence the global discourse on climate action.” PM Modi noted that India and the United Arab Emirates have been actively collaborating on addressing the pressing global challenge of climate change. He stressed that the relationship between India and UAE is founded on multiple pillars and the dynamism of ties between the two nations is expressed by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
PM Modi recalled meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during his visit to UAE in July this year. He emphasised that the inclusion of climate change in the India-UAE joint statement reflects the commitment of the two nations to this cause. Earlier in July, PM Modi travelled to UAE for an official visit.”I had the opportunity to visit the UAE in July this year, during which my brother, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, and I held wide-ranging discussions in which the issue of climate change figured prominently,” PM Modi stated. He said, “Our two nations have been actively collaborating on addressing the pressing global challenge of climate change. During my July visit, we issued a joint statement on climate change, reflecting our commitment to this cause.” He congratulated the UAE for hosting the COP28.
India and UAE’s enduring relationship is founded on multiple pillars
In an interview with Aletihad, PM Modi stated, “Our enduring relationship is founded on multiple pillars, and the dynamism of our ties is expressed by our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership… We are particularly happy that UAE is hosting COP28, and I congratulate the Government and people of the UAE on this special occasion.”
PM Modi said that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited New Delhi in September to attend the G20 Summit hosted under India’s Presidency. PM Modi noted that climate change served as an important focus of discussions and outcomes. He expressed hope UAE-hosted COP28 will bring fresh impetus to effective climate action and international cooperation in advancing the goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.
India and UAE have robust cooperation in renewables
Highlighting India’s partnership with the UAE in the climate domain, PM Modi stated that the two nations have “robust cooperation” in renewables since 2014. He said that India and UAE have pledged to take forward cooperation in green hydrogen, solar energy and grid connectivity. He said, “We have had robust cooperation in the area of renewables since 2014, and during my visit to the UAE in July this year, we resolved to take forward our cooperation in green hydrogen, solar energy and grid connectivity.”
PM Modi noted, “You would also remember that last year, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and I had unveiled a framework for advancing our strategic partnership for the coming decade, which emphasised climate action and renewables.” He appreciated the investments that UAE has made in India’s renewable energy projects. He also spoke about the ample opportunity for both nations to work together on technology development, the formulation of mutually beneficial policy frameworks and regulations, investments in renewable infrastructure, and capacity building in the fields of green hydrogen and green ammonia. “We appreciate the significant investments that the UAE has made in India’s renewable energy projects, particularly in the solar and wind sectors,” PM Modi told Aletihad.
PM Modi called solar energy another significant area of potential collaboration for India and UAE. He stressed that India and UAE can collectively work to increase the investment environment in both nations, fostering increased adoption and accelerated deployment of solar technologies.
India and UAE partnership to play a key role in crafting global solutions
Speaking to Aletihad, PM Modi said, “In my view, there is no doubt that in the years to come, this partnership will play a pivotal role in crafting global solutions to the challenges we currently face in this sphere.” Commending UAE’s commitment to climate action, PM Modi noted that the UAE’s renewable energy portfolio has increased significantly during the past 10 years.
He further said, “I have been told that the UAE has taken multiple progressive steps on sustainable growth in the form of large solar parks, ‘Green Building Regulations’ for private sector construction, programmes for increase in energy efficiency, development of smart cities, among others.”
PM Modi is in Dubai for COP28
PM Modi on Thursday night arrived in Dubai to attend the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) Summit. Upon his arrival at Dubai airport, the excited members of the Indian diaspora, waiting outside a hotel, sang ‘Saare Jahan Se Achha’ and chanted slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, as well as ‘Vande Mataram’. Upon his arrival in Dubai, PM Modi stated that he looked forward to the proceedings of the Summit.
In a post shared on X, PM Modi stated, “Landed in Dubai to take part in the COP-28 Summit. Looking forward to the proceedings of the Summit, which are aimed at creating a better planet.”PM Modi will on Friday attend the COP28 Summit. The World Climate Action Summit is the High-Level Segment of the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced in an earlier press release. Notably, COP28 is being held from November 28 – December 12 under the Presidency of the UAE.
Crime
Delhi Police arrest three in illicit liquor supply case

New Delhi, Aug 22: In a major crackdown on the illegal transportation and supply of liquor, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) team of the North-East District of Delhi Police arrested three persons and recovered 778 quarters of Haryana-marked illicit liquor along with two taxis allegedly used to transport the consignment.
The action was carried out on August 21, 2026, after Head Constable Deepak, along with Head Constable Anuj and Constable Mukesh, was conducting area patrolling duty near Maujpur Chowk.
At around 6:30 a.m., the police team received information from a secret informer that two taxis carrying illicit liquor from Haryana would arrive near Seelampur Metro Station. The taxis’ numbers were also shared by the informer.
Acting on the information, the police team reached the location. At around 7:30 a.m., both taxis arrived and were intercepted. Three persons were apprehended, while another individual reportedly managed to flee from the spot.
A search of the vehicles led to the recovery of 399 quarters of illicit liquor from taxi HR55AX3345 and 379 quarters from taxi DL1ZD5015, taking the total recovery to 778 quarters.
The arrested accused have been identified as Vinit Chauhan (35), owner of taxi bearing number — HR55AX3345; Akash Sharma (25), driver of taxi bearing number — DL1ZD5015; and Vishal (23), who was allegedly accompanying the other accused.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly disclosed information about the source of the illicit liquor. Police are verifying the information and conducting further investigation to identify other individuals allegedly involved in the supply chain.
A case has been registered as FIR No. 288/26 under Section 33 of the Delhi Excise Act at Seelampur Police Station. Police said none of the three arrested accused has any previous criminal involvement on record. Further investigation is underway, according to police.
Business
Banks raise $72.8 billion in forex inflows till Aug 21, FCNR(B) deposits reach $65.4 billion: RBI

New Delhi, Aug 22: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday said that authorised dealer banks have raised a massive $72.848 billion in forex inflows till August 21, and a major chuck came from FCNR (B) deposits at $65.397 billion.
External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) and Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) under Reserve Bank’s Swap facility helped raised another $7.451 billion till August 21.
RBI had introduced a special USD-INR forex swap facility covering FCNR(B) deposits, ECB and OFCB inflows on June 8, 2026.
“As already announced vide Press Release dated August 14, 2026, the Scheme is open till August 31, 2026 for FCNR(B) deposits, and up to December 31, 2026 for ECBs and OFCBs,” The Research Bank said in a statement.
The massive foreign inflows arrive as Indian banks have stepped up their efforts to attract FCNR(B) deposits by offering higher interest rates after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) suddenly cut short the deadline for its dollar-rupee swap window to August 31, from September 30.
The swap facility, announced in June to boost the inflow of dollars amid a weakening rupee, was originally available until the end of September, but the RBI abruptly shortened this by a month due to the “encouraging response” to the facility, which resulted in the required amount of foreign exchange flowing into the country.
While there may be valid reasons to justify an early closure of the RBI’s FCNR(B) deposit scheme, the most likely reason could be that the target for dollar mobilisation has already been achieved with inflows at $57 billion, and another $25-30 billion could easily flow in the remaining days of August, taking the total collections to around $85 billion, an SBI Research report said earlier this week.
According to the SBI report, “we don’t believe that the cost of swap could have been a constraining factor”.
“Our estimates show that the cumulative cost would amount to around 15 per cent of the corpus, or $10.5 billion. While this appears sizeable in absolute terms, it needs to be viewed against the scale of India’s foreign-exchange reserves rather than the FCNR(B) corpus alone,” the report argued.
Meanwhile, foreign exchange reserves jumped $9.905 billion to $716.90 billion during the week ended August 14, according to data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday. The latest increase comes a week after the country’s forex reserves had surged by $14.1 billion to $707 billion, marking their highest level in the current financial year.
The rise in reserves was supported by inflows under the RBI’s FCNR(B) deposit scheme, which began to reflect in the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
National News
CJP vs villagers: Rajasthan school shifted within 24 hours in Jaipur

Jaipur, Aug 22: A day after a dispute between the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and villagers of Rampura over an inspection of a government school in Jaipur escalated into allegations of assault, intimidation and a law-and-order breakdown, the government school was shifted to a building about 50 metres away, within 24 hours of Friday’s clash.
After the confrontation, CJP founder and convenor Abhijeet Dipke had warned of an escalation stating that he would sit on a dharna in Jaipur if steps weren’t taken within 48 hours to improve the condition of the school.
The Rampura government school was shifted to a house in the village on Saturday morning. More than 16 children were present at the new location along with two teachers.
The room being used for classes had previously operated as a grocery shop. At the time of inspection, some children were also seen studying outside in the Sun.
A blackboard had been placed outside one of the rooms, while the room itself contained a storage chest and other belongings.
Children also reported that the ceiling fan inside the room was not working, leaving them uncomfortable in the heat.
On Saturday morning, both sides filed complaints against each other at Shivdaspura police station, accusing one another of assault and creating a ruckus.
Both parties have also alleged that police personnel are putting pressure on them.
CJP national spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka alleged that party workers were assaulted in the village on Friday and that their clothes were torn. He demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
Ranka further alleged that people from outside the village were brought in for the attack and claimed that some of those involved were later seen with local BJP MLA Kailash Verma. He described the incident as a “pre-planned attack” and alleged that stones were used with the intention of causing serious harm.
According to Ranka, police personnel were not present at the spot despite repeated attempts to contact them. He said the CJP has made videos of the incident public and demanded an impartial investigation by the Rajasthan Police.
Ranka also alleged that Pratap Nagar police were intimidating him and putting pressure on him. He claimed police personnel were questioning CJP workers about him and his family.
In their complaint to the police, villagers alleged that the CJP had disturbed the atmosphere in Rampura.
They claimed that the arrival of a large number of people, allegedly carrying weapons, created fear in the village and that children were now frightened to attend school.
The villagers have denied the allegations made by CJP workers and sought action over what they described as intimidation and disorder.
Villagers said they want the government to reconstruct the school building at the earliest so that classes can resume properly within the village.
Reacting to the developments, Ranka said the CJP would not be intimidated and would continue its ‘School Thik Karo’ campaign over the condition of government schools.
He alleged that Education Minister Madan Dilawar would face embarrassment over the condition of Rajasthan’s schools and said he would personally visit schools again.
Ranka also said the CJP’s demand could now extend beyond school-related issues to seeking Dilawar’s resignation.
Meanwhile, Dilawar posted on social media that continuous efforts were being made to strengthen government schools in Rajasthan, including infrastructure development, construction and repairs, smart classrooms, laboratories and other essential facilities.
The allegations made by both sides have yet to be independently established.
The police investigation and the FIRs filed by the two parties are expected to determine the sequence of events and responsibility for Friday’s clash.
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