International News
Mahatma Gandhi comes to UN, an avatar provoking, prodding, inspiring ideas of true education

Mahatma Gandhi “came” to the UN Trusteeship Council chamber with the message of holistic education.
He came on Friday as a holographic avatar, to animate a discussion on “Education for Human Flourishing” at the UN’s observance of the International Day of Nonviolence.
And while he spoke of education creating new people and a world of peace, at the nearby Security Council chamber mighty nations were clashing over an intractable war and its violence.
India’s UN Mission and UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) brought him to the UN for the observance of the International Day of Nonviolence, and who better to learn nonviolence and the education for the creative change it inspires.
A lifesize, speaking, gesticulating presence on the stage, the avatar provoked, prodded and challenged a panel made up of an activist, a diplomat, a youth and an economist to delve into the meaning of education for humanity.
The avatar was created with digital graphic files merged with motion graphics to produce the high-definition hologram that spoke authentic, researched statements made by the Mahatma himself in the context of the topic.
The Mahatma Gandhi Digital Museum made the hologram to spread his message creatively, said Anantha Duraiappah, the director UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), who moderated the panel discussion.
The Gandhi avatar, bringing his words with vocal clarity, said that “education is merely an instrument, and an instrument may be well used or abused. The same instrument that may be used to cure a patient may be used to take his life”.
“We want to provide only such education as would enable the student to earn more. We hardly give any thought to the improvement of the character of the educated. Schools and colleges and really a factory of turning out clerks for the government,” Gandhi’s words reverberated.
“On the contrary, real education consists in drawing the best out of yourself. What better book can there be than the book of humanity?”
The Gandhi avatar also questioned the value of even literacy if it is without values.
“Literacy is not the end of education or even the beginning,” the avatar repeated his words.
For him, education meant “an all-round growing” bringing out the best in the child’s “body, mind and spirit”, spiritual training and “education of the heart, the training of the Spirit”.
India’s Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj, who was a panellist, summed it up saying that Gandhi “was very big on holistic education” and “education for the upliftment and dignity of all”.
The New Education Policy introduced in India reflects this approach with an emphasis on “holistic development across the sciences, social sciences, arts, humanities and sports” blending “the systems and traditions that have been a part of the rich legacy of India”, she said.
The policy “lays special emphasis on the socially and economically disadvantaged groups” and facilitates “multiple pathways to learning involving both formal and non-formal education modes” with a lot of emphasis on digital education platforms”, she said.
Bernice King, the daughter of Gandhi-inspired civil rights icon Martin Luther King, said that for her father the “chief aim of education was to save people from the morass of propaganda”.
He said that education’s “function, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and critically, but if it stops with efficiency, it may prove the greatest menace to society”.
“We must remember that intelligence is not enough Intelligence plus character is the true goal of education. The complete education gives one not only power of concentration, but worthy objectives upon which to concentrate,” she quoted him.
Bernice King said that the current education system is “doing a disservice to our young people and to our society, because we’re not developing people, enough people who have the level of compassion and courage and conscientiousness to create a just, humane, equitable and peaceful world”.
But changing the education system is going to take “some radical action” when a “critical mass of people decide, let’s organise, mobilise and strategise and begin to make demands”.
She said in the footsteps of Gandhi and King, the people would have to resort to nonviolent resistance and noncooperation to bring about the change.
Princess Hayu, the daughter of Sultan Hamengkubuwono X of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and youth representative on digital education transformation, said that “each culture has its own local wisdom” even though the underlying values are universal.
“That cannot be forgotten, so that has to be continually taught as well because otherwise we are just going to blend in and by becoming just one identity we lose our identity,” she said.
Omar Hilale, the Permanent Representative of Morocco said, Gandhi inspired the “constitutional building of our nations and of the United Nations” because “his notion is that peace can be achieved in a very unique manner, nonviolently and with extreme courage, and sacrifice and tolerance”.
Business
US clarifies $100,000 H-1B visa fee, exempts current holders

Washington, Oct 21: In a major relief for foreign workers on H-1B visas, the US Department of Homeland Security has issued new guidance on the $100,000 application fee, providing a series of exemptions and carveouts.
US clarifies $100,000 H-1B visa fee, exempts current visa holders
According to the new guidelines, workers who switch to H-1B visa status from other visa categories such as F-1 student status won’t be subjected to the $100,000 fee.
H-1B workers applying for an amendment, change of status, or extension of stay within the United States won’t be subjected to the hefty payment. Moreover, all the current H-1B visa holders won’t be prevented from entering or leaving the United States.
The proclamation only applies to new visa petitions who are outside the US and do not have a valid H-1B visa. It also provided an online payment link for new applications.
The clarification comes just two days after US Chamber of Commerce, the country’s biggest business organisation, sued the Trump administration over the new rules, calling it “unlawful.”
In a lawsuit filed in the district court in Washington on Thursday, the plaintiff argued that the visa fee, if implemented, will “inflict significant harm on American businesses” and force them to “either dramatically increase their labour costs or hire fewer highly skilled employees for whom domestic replacements are not readily available.”
It added that Trump’s September 19 proclamation was “plainly unlawful” and a “boon to America’s economic rivals.”
It was the second major domestic legal challenge to new H-1B rules, after a group of unions, education professionals and religious bodies sued the Trump administration on October 3.
While signing the proclamation in September, Trump had said the “incentive is to hire American workers.”
The proclamation caused immense confusion as it seemed to suggest that it would impact the current H-1B visa holders who may face hurdles in returning to the United States.
The White House issued a clarification to media on September 20, saying that this is a “one-time fee” that applies only to new visas and not renewals or current visa holders.
India-born workers received over 70% of the total approved H1-B visas in 2024, primarily due to a huge backlog in approvals and high number of skilled immigrants from India.
International News
Palestine Envoy Meets CPI Leaders, Welcomes Efforts For Peace In Gaza During Mumbai Visit

Palestine’s Ambassador to India, Abdullah Abu Shawesh, met members of pro-Palestinian groups at a meeting organised by the Communist Party of India (CPI) in Parel on Sunday.
Shawesh said the Palestinian administration supported ongoing efforts to bring peace to Gaza and did not endorse the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians. He also offered a historical perspective, rejecting Israel’s claim that the land historically belonged solely to Jews, and clarified that the Palestinian struggle was not religious but territorial, involving multiple communities including Christians and Jews.
Zeenat Shaukat Ali, director general of the Wisdom Foundation, attended the event, where the envoy highlighted India’s long-standing support for Palestinian rights since the time of Mahatma Gandhi. He mentioned that India has pledged to construct a hospital in Gaza once rebuilding begins.
On Monday, Shawesh posted on ‘X’ about his Mumbai engagements, thanking CPI leaders, AITUC members, and hosts for their solidarity and commitment to Palestine. He also praised India’s Ministry of External Affairs for being available to the Palestinian mission around the clock.
Business
New Zealand’s annual inflation at 3 per cent in September 2025 quarter: statistics

Wellington, Oct 20: New Zealand’s annual inflation reached 3 per cent till the September 2025 quarter, following a 2.7-per cent increase in the year till the June 2025 quarter, Stats NZ reported Monday.
This met the upper limit of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s 1-3 per cent target band for the annual inflation rate, according to a statement of the Statistics Department, Xinhua News Agency reported.
“The 3.0 per cent annual inflation rate in the September 2025 quarter is the highest since the June 2024 quarter, when it was 3.3 per cent,” Stats NZ prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden said.
The largest contributors to the annual inflation rate were all in the housing and household utilities group, led by power, rent, and local authority rates, with the top three contributors making up around 17 per cent of the weight in the basket of New Zealand’s consumer price index, Stats NZ said.
Electricity prices jumped 11.3 per cent over the year, the largest annual gain since the March 1989 quarter when they rose 12.8 per cent, statistics show.
“Annual electricity increases are at their highest since the late 1980s, when there were several major reforms in the electricity market,” Growden said.
Prices fell over the year for pharmaceuticals, telecoms equipment, and petrol, helping offset some cost pressures, Stats NZ said.
On a quarterly basis, consumer prices rose 1 per cent in the September 2025 quarter, compared with the June 2025 quarter, driven largely by higher local authority rates and a 12.2-per cent increase in vegetable prices due to seasonal factors, it said.
Acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop said expectations are for inflation to drop towards 2 per cent in the first half of 2026, easing pressure on households and businesses.
On October 16, Stats NZ reported that food prices in New Zealand rose 4.1 per cent in the 12 months to September 2025, marking the smallest annual increase since April this year.
The grocery food group contributed most to the rise, up 3.9 per cent annually, according to the Statistics Department statement.
Key staples saw significant annual price hikes: white bread increased 49.6 per cent; cheese rose 31.4 per cent; butter climbed 28.9 per cent; and milk was up 15.1 per cent, Stats NZ said.
Vegetables also increased by 5.2 per cent annually, with cabbage nearly doubling in price from September 2024 to September 2025, the highest in nearly three years, and lettuce was up 55 per cent, it said.
“All five food groups continue to grow annually, but the rate of increase for overall food prices has slowed this month,” Growden said.
However, monthly food prices fell 0.4 per cent in September compared with August, driven by price drops in vegetables and chocolate, marking the first monthly decline since February 2025, statistics show.
-
Crime3 years ago
Class 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
Mumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year ago
False photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News1 year ago
Ministry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra11 months ago
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year ago
J&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime1 year ago
Baba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report