A 30-year-old Indian man, Badal Babu, from Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district, is in judicial custody in Pakistan after illegally crossing the border to meet his Facebook friend, only to be rejected. The woman, identified as 21-year-old Sana Rani, told authorities she has no interest in marrying him.

The arrest took place in Mandi Bahauddin, a district in Pakistan’s Punjab province, roughly 240 kilometers from Lahore. Babu was detained under sections 13 and 14 of Pakistan’s Foreign Act for entering the country without proper documentation.

A Facebook friendship turns sour

According to Punjab police officer Nasir Shah, the duo had been friends on Facebook for over two and a half years. Babu, in love with Rani, decided to cross the border illegally to propose. However, Rani’s statement to the police made it clear she had no intention of marrying him.

Shah added, “Babu crossed into Pakistan illegally and reached Maung village, where he was apprehended. Whether he met Rani in person remains unclear.”

Family under scrutiny

Reports suggest that intelligence officials questioned Rani and her family about her relationship with Babu. Although there is speculation that Rani may have given her statement under duress, this remains unconfirmed.

Legal proceedings begin

Babu, who narrated his “love story” to authorities, was presented in court, which placed him in judicial custody for 14 days. His next hearing is scheduled for January 10.

A familiar tale across borders

Babu’s story echoes previous cross-border romances fostered through social media or online games.

• In a widely publicized case, Indian woman Anju traveled to Pakistan to marry Nasrullah, converting to Islam before tying the knot.
• Similarly, Seema Haider, a Pakistani woman, crossed into India via Nepal to marry her PUBG friend after bringing her four children along.
• Last year, 19-year-old Pakistani girl Iqra Jiwani married Indian national Mulayam Singh Yadav in Nepal after meeting him online.

While these cases highlight the unifying power of social media, they also underscore the legal and personal challenges of navigating cross-border relationships.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have intensified their war of words through posters and public statements as the Delhi assembly elections draw closer. The BJP has accused AAP of voter fraud, while AAP has hit back, alleging the BJP’s complicity in temple demolitions.

The BJP released a poster targeting AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, claiming that fraudulent voter entries were registered at a single address without the homeowner’s consent. The entries reportedly included individuals aged 40 to 80. BJP leaders labeled this as “a new strategy by Kejriwal to manipulate votes.”

In response, Arvind Kejriwal took to social media to accuse the BJP of double standards, particularly regarding its stance on religion. He argued that while BJP opposes honorariums for religious leaders, it also authorizes temple demolitions under the Lieutenant Governor’s (LG) directive.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi elaborated on the issue, alleging that the BJP-led central government had bypassed the elected Delhi government by empowering the LG to make decisions about temple demolitions. She stated that on November 22, the Religious Committee approved the demolition of several temples, including those in West Patel Nagar, Dilshad Garden, Sultanpuri, and a Buddhist temple in Sundar Nagari.

“The BJP claims to protect Hinduism but is actively destroying temples,” Atishi said at a press conference.

The BJP countered these claims by highlighting unfulfilled promises by the AAP government. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi criticized Mr. Kejriwal for failing to deliver on issues such as water quality, women’s safety, slum rehabilitation, pollution control, and cleaning the Yamuna River.

“Instead of addressing these pressing issues, Kejriwal has focused on political theatrics,” Trivedi stated.

MP Praveen Khandelwal added to the criticism, calling AAP’s recent announcements, such as honorariums for religious leaders, a hollow strategy to gain votes. “The Delhi treasury is empty, and Kejriwal’s announcements are nothing more than electoral stunts,” he remarked.

With weeks to go before the polls, both parties are leveraging every opportunity to sway voters, setting the stage for a heated electoral battle in the capital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced a significant increase in the government’s commitment to supporting farmers through enhanced crop insurance. The Cabinet approved a proposal to continue the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) until 2025-26 with an overall budget of Rs 69,515.71 crore.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi dedicated this decision to the country’s farmers, highlighting that the increased allocation would not only improve crop safety but also reduce farmers’ concerns over potential losses due to natural calamities. “The first decision of the new year is dedicated to our country’s farmers. We have approved the increased allocation for crop insurance, which will further safeguard their crops and reduce their worries about losses,” Modi tweeted, sharing the press release from the Government of India.

The initiative, which covers the risk of crop loss from unavoidable natural disasters, will benefit farmers nationwide. In addition to the increased funding, the Cabinet also approved the establishment of a Fund for Innovation and Technology (FIAT) with a corpus of Rs 824.77 crore. This fund will be used to implement technological advancements such as the YES-TECH and WINDS programs, aimed at improving transparency, claim calculations, and settlement processes.

Key features of the new initiative

1. PMFBY and RWBCIS Continuation: The schemes, which aim to provide financial support to farmers affected by natural calamities, will run until 2025-26.
2. Technological Infusion: The government will invest in cutting-edge technologies to enhance the accuracy of yield estimates and the speed of claims settlement. YES-TECH, for example, uses Remote Sensing Technology for yield estimation with a focus on a minimum 30% weightage based on technology. Currently, nine states, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, are implementing YES-TECH.
3. Weather-based Data Systems: The WINDS initiative aims to expand the network of weather stations to provide hyper-local weather data crucial for farmers. Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) will be installed at the block level, and Automatic Rain Gauges (ARG) will be set up at the panchayat level. This initiative is currently being implemented in nine major states, including Kerala and Karnataka.
4. North Eastern States Priority: The center will continue to prioritize farmers in the North Eastern states, offering a 90% subsidy on premium costs. However, due to the voluntary nature of the scheme and low gross cropped area, the states will have flexibility in reallocating funds for other developmental projects.

Impact on Farmers

This move is expected to provide relief to farmers dealing with unpredictable weather conditions and natural disasters. The infusion of technology is expected to streamline claims processes, making them more efficient and transparent. Moreover, the central government’s support through premium subsidies will ensure wider coverage for farmers, particularly in regions like the North East, where agricultural challenges are more pronounced.

The initiative also aims to address the needs of farmers in rural areas who may have limited access to traditional insurance schemes. By providing a more accessible and reliable system, the government aims to mitigate the financial risks that farmers face, allowing them to focus on productivity rather than the unpredictability of weather and natural calamities.

This announcement is part of the government’s broader efforts to ensure that farmers remain financially protected against the increasing challenges posed by climate change and other environmental factors.

The scheme’s wider implementation across the country reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to supporting agriculture and rural economies.

For more information, check the official press release here.