Srinagar | October 13: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday reviewed the comprehensive arrangements for the Darbar Move Session 2026–27 during a high-level meeting, directing all concerned departments to ensure a smooth, secure, and well-coordinated transition of offices from Srinagar to Jammu, officials said.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Administrative Secretaries, and top civil and police officers, while Jammu-based officials joined via video conferencing, sources said. Commissioner Secretary GAD M. Raju presented a detailed briefing on the transport and logistical setup for the convoy, officials added.
The Chief Minister directed the Managing Director of JKRTC and the Traffic Department to ensure adequate bus availability and organize the down convoy over two consecutive days, October 31 and November 1, 2026, for the safe movement of employees and equipment, sources said. He emphasized close interdepartmental coordination to avoid any administrative bottlenecks during the move.
Reviewing security arrangements along the national highway and at employee residential quarters in Jammu, the Chief Minister directed police authorities to deploy robust security measures, officials said. It was also revealed that medical teams, paramedics, and ambulances would be stationed along the convoy route to provide emergency medical assistance, reports said.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu was instructed to monitor city traffic management near residential hubs and setup dedicated food and public convenience facilities along the route for traveling staff, sources said. Furthermore, the Chief Minister directed GAD to issue monthly rosters for Ministers and Administrative Secretaries to man the Winter Secretariat in Srinagar, which will function with minimal staff starting November, officials said.
The Chief Minister announced that special casual leave would be granted to Kashmir-based employees moving to Jammu, with formal orders expected shortly, sources said. Emphasizing the historical significance of the administrative tradition, CM Omar Abdullah called for meticulous planning to ensure official government work resumes seamlessly in Jammu.

New Delhi | October, 13: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday called for stronger regional coordination among BIMSTEC member states to combat terrorism, transnational organised crime and drug trafficking, stressing that criminal networks are increasingly exploiting cross-border vulnerabilities to evade law enforcement.
Addressing the first Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Home Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, Shah said India is committed to the effective implementation of the BIMSTEC Convention to tackle terrorism, organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.
“Criminal networks operate across borders and take advantage of local weaknesses. So, regional cooperation holds a special place in our functioning. The working of these networks is changing rapidly,” he said. Reaffirming India’s zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, Shah called for a collective commitment to ensure that no terrorist network could find shelter, recruit members, conduct training, raise funds or carry out activities against neighbouring countries from within the region.
He stressed the need for real-time coordination among intelligence, law enforcement, financial monitoring and border management agencies, alongside the exchange of actionable intelligence through designated nodal agencies. Shah also called for stronger cooperation in tackling terrorist financing and organised crime, and urged member states to extend mutual assistance in extradition and legal proceedings in accordance with their national laws and applicable treaties.
“India has achieved significant success in bringing fugitive criminals back from different parts of the world to face justice,” he said, urging BIMSTEC members to strengthen cooperation to ensure that “no criminal or terrorist can evade the law, regardless of where they are hiding”. Describing BIMSTEC as an imperative platform for regional integration, economic cooperation and collective security, Shah said hosting its first Home Ministers’ Meeting is a matter of pride for India.
Invoking the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), Shah reiterated India’s commitment to peace, coexistence and human welfare. “India has never believed in invading or establishing dominance over any country. India has always believed in upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every country andthe peaceful resolution of differences,” he said.
Shah also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand on April 4, 2025, saying the grouping’s cooperation must translate into practical mechanisms to improve public security and strengthen the capabilities of law enforcement agencies. “Furthering this view, as Home Ministers, it is our responsibility today to convert our cooperation into a practical system so that the security of our citizens and the capability of our agencies are strengthened,” Shah said.
The meeting brings together home ministers and delegations from the seven-member Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), which comprises Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The grouping connects South and Southeast Asia and provides a platform for cooperation on regional security and other shared priorities. Its agenda for security cooperation includes counter-terrorism, transnational organised crime, narcotics trafficking, radicalisation, human trafficking, illicit financial flows and cyber threats.

New Delhi | October, 13: In a major geopolitical and economic policy statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday positioned India as an indispensable anchor of reliability and stability for an increasingly fragmented global economy.
Addressing international business leaders, economists, and policymakers at the prestigious Bloomberg New Economy Forum—hosted in India for the first time—the Prime Minister delivered a compelling defense of the country’s structural economic agenda while advocating for a fundamental rethink of global power dynamics.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi highlighted India’s policy trajectory, declaring, “For us, reforms are not a compulsion. They are a conviction.” He reassured international investors that India’s economic expansion is inherently inclusive and non-adversarial, asserting, “We do not grow at anyone’s cost. We grow with the world and for the world.” Emphasizing India’s resilience amid global trade disruptions and supply chain chokepoints, he added, “In a world full of uncertainties, India offers reliability and stability.”
At the heart of the Prime Minister’s address was the concept of “Power to Empower,” an alternative paradigm that seeks to redefine political and technological authority. “Today, technology is power, data is power, knowledge is power, innovation is power,” Modi observed, raising the critical issue of whether these vital resources will remain concentrated among a select few or be harnessed to benefit millions. “The real question is not who possesses power, but how it is being used,” Modi said, calling for a transition from “power to control” to “power to enable”, from “power to compete” to “power to collaborate”, and from “power to succeed” to “power to help others succeed.”
Drawing upon ancient philosophy to underscore the ethics of capability, Modi illustrated how digital access had converted connectivity into an engine of grassroots social and economic mobility. “Connectivity has not merely connected people; it has connected opportunities,” Modi noted, citing India’s scalable public digital infrastructure. Extending an invitation to partner nations, particularly across the Global South, to adopt platforms like CoWIN and unified payment systems, he affirmed, “Our constant endeavour is to ensure that India’s capabilities open new doors of opportunity for other countries as well.”
Beyond domestic milestones—such as reaching over 250,000 startups, lifting 250 million people out of poverty, expanding renewable energy capacity to 300 gigawatts, and achieving 7.8 per cent GDP growth alongside $700 billion in foreign exchange reserves—Modi warned against the weaponization of economic architecture. “Things that once connected the world are today becoming weapons,” he cautioned, referencing vulnerable supply chains, critical minerals, and payment networks.
Amid these challenges, Modi presented India as a steady, trusted pillar committed to global welfare. “Whenever the world needs a steady pillar, India steps forward, understanding its responsibility,” he affirmed.
Reaffirming the country’s commitment to continuous governance and economic modernization, the Prime Minister reiterated, “For us, reforms are not a compulsion. Reforms are our conviction,” before concluding with a call for unified international action: “Let us walk together. Let us speak together. Let us strive to understand one another.”