Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to visit Manipur in the first week of October, with the proposed visit coming amid an intensified political and civil-society campaign for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) before the Census and delimitation exercises.

According to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Shah will lay the foundation stone for a medical college in Senapati district and oversee other development projects during his visit.

The proposed visit was discussed during Shah’s meeting with Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh in Delhi on Wednesday. The Chief Minister’s Secretariat said the Home Minister also assured that the Centre would fulfil the wishes of the people of Manipur.

Shah’s first Manipur visit since April 2024

The October visit will be Shah’s first trip to Manipur since April 15, 2024, when he addressed an election rally in Imphal.

His previous extended visit came from May 29 to June 1, 2023, shortly after ethnic violence broke out in the state. During that four-day visit, Shah met representatives of different communities, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

At least 260 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless since May 2023 due to ethnic violence in Manipur’s hill districts.

Following continued clashes and the resignation of then Chief Minister N Biren Singh, President’s Rule was imposed in the state on February 13, 2025. It was lifted on February 4, nearly a year later, after which Yumnam Khemchand Singh became Chief Minister.

Medical college planned in Senapati

The Manipur cabinet recently decided to establish a medical college in Senapati district, which is predominantly inhabited by the Naga community.

The proposed Senapati Medical College is expected to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in the hill district while expanding access to medical education and creating employment opportunities.

During his proposed October visit, Shah is expected to lay the foundation stone for the project.

NRC-before-Census demand gains momentum

Shah’s proposed visit comes as the demand for updating the NRC before the Census and delimitation exercises gains political momentum in Manipur.

Those supporting the demand argue that identification of genuine Indian citizens should take place before the Census and subsequent delimitation process.

The issue has also reached New Delhi, with a group of Manipur legislators travelling to the national capital to raise the demand with Central leaders. The legislators have been meeting Union ministers and seeking the Centre’s intervention.

Separately, a delegation representing 14 civil society organisations from Manipur is also in Delhi for discussions with Union ministers and Central officials.

Led by 14-CSO Convenor Shanta Nahakpam, the delegation represents different sections and communities of the state and has been seeking citizenship identification before the Census and delimitation exercises.

The parallel efforts by legislators and civil society groups underline the political significance of the NRC issue in Manipur.

At the same time, the sequencing of the NRC, Census and delimitation remains a sensitive matter, with differing views among communities in the state. Any citizenship-identification exercise would therefore involve questions around legality, transparency and representation.

Focus on road connectivity and return to normalcy

The proposed visit also comes as the state government highlights improvements in road connectivity as signs of a gradual return to normalcy.

The Chief Minister’s Secretariat said Shah praised the state government for restoring bus services and ensuring free movement along National Highway-2.

Improved road transport is particularly significant for residents who have faced disrupted movement and higher travel costs, as affordable bus services provide an alternative to air travel.

October visit carries wider significance

Shah’s proposed return to Manipur comes at a time when the state is attempting to move from prolonged disruption towards greater stability.

While the Centre and state government are highlighting development work and improved connectivity, the NRC-before-Census demand has emerged as a major political and civil-society issue.

The October visit could therefore provide an opportunity for direct engagement with concerns being raised by the state’s elected representatives and civil society groups.

For Manipur, the larger challenge remains restoring confidence and ensuring that development, political dialogue and engagement with different communities move together.

At least 46 people have died after a massive flash flood in Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River swept through parts of the country’s northern districts.

The flooding affected Nuwakot and Dhading districts, with floodwaters coming from the Tibetan side of the border. Several villages were reportedly washed away, while roads and other infrastructure suffered extensive damage.

At least 105 Indians are among 384 travellers reported missing from the affected area. The missing travellers include people who were travelling towards Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet with different travel agencies.

384 travellers reported missing

According to the Nepal Tourism Board, 384 travellers are missing, including 291 foreigners and 93 Nepali nationals.

Of the foreign nationals reported missing, 105 are Indians. The travellers were on their way to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra when the flash flood struck.

The disaster has also affected security personnel. At least 26 Nepal Police personnel remain missing in Rasuwa district, while the Armed Police Force has reported seven missing personnel.

The Nepal Army has deployed helicopters and disaster response personnel to the affected areas. Authorities are also collecting information about the damage caused by the floods.

Six hydropower facilities damaged

The floods have also damaged major power infrastructure in Nepal.

The Nepal Electricity Authority said six of its major hydropower and transmission facilities were damaged. These include Rasuwagadhi, Chilime, Trishuli 3A, Trishuli 3B Hub 220 kV Substation, Trishuli Hydropower Station and Devighat Hydropower Station.

The authority said the damage to production, transmission and distribution facilities has disrupted electricity supplies.

Several highways in Nepal have also been closed following the flooding.

Nepal PM convenes emergency meeting

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has convened an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority to review the situation.

Mr Shah said work had begun to take necessary measures in coordination with medical teams, scouts and the Red Cross.

Videos shared by Nepal Police and others showed torrents of muddy water moving through mountain valleys in areas bordering Tibet.

Authorities have warned people living close to rivers to move to safer locations as rescue and assessment operations continue.

Monsoon rains between June and September regularly cause floods and landslides across South Asia. Scientists have also linked climate change to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events in the region.

Karnataka Minister B Nagendra has offered to resign from the cabinet amid mounting pressure from the opposition BJP over alleged financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.

Nagendra made the offer on Wednesday as the BJP intensified its protests demanding his removal from the cabinet over the alleged Rs 89 crore irregularities linked to the corporation.

Sources said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has asked Nagendra to wait until he holds discussions with the Congress high command.

Valmiki corporation case

The controversy came to light after corporation accounts officer Chandrasekharan P died by suicide in May 2024. He left behind a note alleging unauthorised transfers of funds.

Subsequent investigations alleged that large amounts of money were transferred from the corporation’s bank accounts to various accounts, triggering a political controversy and demands for action against Nagendra.

Nagendra was the Tribal Welfare Minister in the Siddaramaiah government at the time and resigned from the cabinet in June 2024 amid the controversy.

He was later re-inducted into the Karnataka cabinet on August 3 after DK Shivakumar became Chief Minister.

The latest development comes as the BJP has stepped up its campaign against Nagendra and continued demanding his resignation over the allegations.