New Delhi: After a “detailed and nuanced” analysis of the 70-year-old Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA), the Supreme Court has ruled that the main objective of the law is neither to eliminate prostitution nor to make it a criminal offence, but to prevent its commercialization.A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said, “We are convinced that the main objective of the Act is not to eliminate prostitution or to make prostitution a criminal offence. Rather, its objective is to prevent or eliminate commercialization of prostitution, that is, prostitution as an organized means of earning a living.”While dealing with the issue of rehabilitation of women rescued from brothels, the bench analyzed the 1956 Act and said that in the early 20th century, trafficking of women for prostitution was common and considered “immoral”, hence the term got attached to the law.The Immoral Traffic Prevention Act (ITPA) was brought in primarily to punish criminals and not to punish prostitutes,” the Supreme Court said.Writing the 298-page judgment, Justice Pardiwala said Sections 7 and 8 of the Act, which provide for punishing individual acts of prostitution in specific circumstances such as “open prostitution”, are exceptions to this general rule. Section 7 punishes any person engaged in prostitution near public places, and Section 8 criminalizes soliciting clients in public places.The bench said, “The view is that although individual acts of prostitution do not directly demand abandonment, yet public decency and social morality require that even visible initiatives for such solitary, non-commercial forms of prostitution in the vicinity of public institutions and other notified areas be prevented in order to prevent public nuisance.” Wasn’t trying to make a case for de-regulation. Business. What we are trying to convey is that while making it clear that the legislative intent is not to condemn all acts of prostitution, the definition retains some regulatory ambiguity by characterizing it solely as abusive or exploitative.On examination of the definition of the word ‘brothel’ in Section 2 of the Act, the bench said, “It must be made clear that where a single woman carries on prostitution for her livelihood, without any other prostitute, or without involving any other person in the maintenance of such premises, her residence will not be a ‘brothel’.”

New Delhi: In view of the difficult sowing season due to weak monsoon forecast and pressure on inputs like fertilizer and diesel, the Center on Monday will launch a month-long nationwide campaign to promote balanced and judicious use of inputs like fertilizer and water, timely advisory to farmers in view of weather-related challenges and delivery of benefits of various agriculture-related schemes directly to villages.The campaign – Khet Bachao Abhiyaan – also aims to motivate farmers to increase the use of green manure, organic and bio products and opt for precision irrigation for optimum use of water.Ahead of the launch of the campaign from Ramsia village in Madhya Pradesh’s Raisen district, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday said awareness and practical interventions have become necessary in view of the growing challenges of rising temperatures, indiscriminate and unbalanced use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, deteriorating soil health and climate crisis.“Constructive suggestions will be given on what to do and what not to do, right choice of crop in case of water shortage or risk, crop diversification and farming,” he said.The minister said, “The objective of the campaign will not be just to convey the message, but to give the right advice to the farmers at the agricultural level as per the situation.”In view of the forecast of a weak monsoon amid the growing threat of El Nino, the agriculture ministry has already asked states to take measures such as promotion of drought-tolerant crop varieties, weather-based agro-advisory services, efficient water management and location-specific adaptation strategies to reduce farm losses.Urging states to be prepared for challenging weather conditions, Chouhan, who will visit villages and interact with farmers in different parts of the country during the campaign, called on chief ministers and other stakeholders, including agricultural scientists, for their participation in the initiative.Chouhan also emphasized that the campaign should be given a multidimensional form by ensuring that the benefits of schemes like Kisan Credit Card, Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, Crop Insurance Scheme, Soil Health Card, Mini Seed Kit, Pulses and Oilseeds Mission and Agricultural Mechanization Program reach the farmers.

New Delhi: Satyabrata Kumar, East Enforcement Directorate Special Director and Principal Investigator involved in several high-profile money laundering cases against (ED) Nirav Modi, vijay mallya And Mahadev online betting app has taken Voluntary Retirement (VRS) from service.Kumar, a 2004-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Customs and Indirect Taxes cadre, was posted as Commissioner (Appeals) in Siliguri, West Bengal, after being sent back from the ED a year ago.He served in the ED for almost 12 years, making him one of the longest serving officers on deputation to the agency.According to officials, the 48-year-old officer was given approval by the central government to proceed on VRS in April and formal orders were issued earlier this month.Officials said the officer, who was due to retire in 2037, had about 11 years of service left before attaining the superannuation age of 60.Sources told PTI that Kumar left government service for personal interests.Kumar led the investigation conducted by the ED’s Mumbai-based Western Regional Office, which included the alleged US $2 billion bank fraud case against diamond traders Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, the bank loan fraud case against liquor baron Vijay Mallya and several cases involving politicians from Maharashtra.He was instrumental in the attachment of several foreign-based assets worth crores of rupees identified as proceeds of crime in the PNB fraud case.The ED’s Western Regional Office, led by Kumar, also investigated the Mahadev betting app case, which revealed links to various Chhattisgarh-based politicians and businessmen.This is the second time in less than a year that an officer has resigned from government service soon after leaving the ED.In July 2025, former ED joint director Kapil Raj, who oversaw the arrest of Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal in separate money laundering cases, resigned from the service, 15 years before his scheduled retirement.Raj was from the 2009 batch of IRS (Customs and Indirect Taxes) and had worked in the ED for eight years.He resigned while holding the post of Additional Commissioner in the GST Intelligence Wing in Delhi.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore with Tiffany Trump and her son-in-law Michael Boulosam during their visit to Sonar Fort

New Delhi: tiffany trumpUS President’s daughter donald trumpShe visited the historic Sonar Fort in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer on Sunday evening during a trip to the desert city with her husband Michael Boulos, officials said.The couple arrived at Jaisalmer Civil Airport from Delhi in a special flight early in the day and were given a traditional Rajasthani welcome on arrival. Those who welcomed him included US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore, District Collector Anupama Jorwal, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shivhare and officials from the police, administration and tourism departments.In the evening, the couple toured Sonar Fort in a golf cart and visited the fort museum, where they were introduced to the rich art, culture and history of the area.Officials said local heritage expert Vijay Ballani briefed them about the historical importance, architecture and cultural heritage of the fort.Special arrangements have been made for their stay at a luxury hotel on Sam Road, with multi-layered security deployed across the city. Local police, Indian security agencies and US Secret Service personnel are part of the security detail.The district administration and security agencies are on high alert due to this visit. In view of Jaisalmer’s proximity to the India-Pakistan border and the movement of a high-profile foreign guest, security measures have been beefed up at major tourist attractions and other key locations across the city. Tight security arrangements were also maintained during the tour of the fort, while the entry of media inside the complex was restricted.During their stay, the couple is expected to visit several major tourist attractions of Jaisalmer, including the Patav Ki Haveli and Gadisar Lake. Officials said he is expected to return to Delhi on Monday.