Shyam Plastic Industries Right

Parth Engineers & Consultant Right

Versatile Solution Bottom

Parth Engineers & Consultant Bottom

Shyam Plastic Industries Bottom

Versatile Solution Right

Benefit-top add-1

Benefit-top add-2

Benefit-top add-3

The Union Budget 2026&ndash;27 has quietly but decisively underlined India&rsquo;s strategic intent by backing a subterranean railway corridor through the Siliguri Corridor, better known as the Chicken&rsquo;s Neck. More than an infrastructure upgrade, the proposal reflects New Delhi&rsquo;s determination to secure its most fragile land link with the North Eastern states, amid shifting regional geopolitics.
The Siliguri Corridor, barely 20&ndash;22 kilometres wide, is India&rsquo;s sole overland bridge to eight northeastern states. Flanked by Nepal and Bangladesh, and located uncomfortably close to sensitive international borders, it remains a perennial strategic vulnerability. Any prolonged disruption here would sever civilian supply chains, commercial logistics and defence mobility to a region of critical economic and security importance.
Against this backdrop, the government&rsquo;s plan to construct underground railway lines across a 40-kilometre stretchmarks a significant shift in thinking. The proposal envisages two tunnel tracks laid 20&ndash;24 metres below ground, supplementing existing surface lines. Once completed, the corridor will operate six railway lines in total four above ground and two underground, creating built-in redundancy against both natural disasters and hostile disruptions.
From a strategic perspective, the alignment between Tin Mile Haat and Rangapani in West Bengal is deliberate. The terrain is relatively plain, allowing tunnelling without excessive geological risk, while its proximity to international borders underlines the urgency of protecting this artery. The move is designed to ensure that rail connectivity remains functional even under extreme contingencies, a principle increasingly central to modern infrastructure planning.
The timing is equally telling. Over recent years, China&rsquo;s accelerated infrastructure build-up near Doklam and Arunachal Pradesh has altered the regional security balance. Simultaneously, political volatility in Bangladesh and renewed activity around air and transport facilities close to India&rsquo;s borders have sharpened New Delhi&rsquo;s threat perceptions. In such a context, reinforcing the Chicken&rsquo;s Neck is as much about deterrence as it is about development.
Beyond security, the underground rail project promises tangible economic dividends. Faster, safer and more reliable rail movement will strengthen trade flows, reduce transit bottlenecks and encourage fresh investment across West Bengal, Bihar and the North East. For a region long constrained by geography, enhanced connectivity could prove transformative.
Seen together with India&rsquo;s parallel efforts to revive legacy airstrips, expand military bases and improve maritime infrastructure in eastern India, the tunnel rail plan signals a broader doctrine: strategic resilience through infrastructure. In the Siliguri Corridor, the tracks may soon run underground but their geopolitical significance could not be more visible.

Proposed underground rail at Siliguri Corridor-Chicken's Neck (representative tunnel image)

Budget 2026-27 backs tunnel rail to harden India’s vital Siliguri Corridor

Underground Rail Secures India’s Chicken’s

In a deeply disturbing incident that has shaken Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Ghaziabad, three minor sisters allegedly died by suicideafter jumping from their ninth-floor apartment in the early hours of Wednesday. The tragedy has reignited urgent concerns over online gaming addiction, teenage mental health, and parental supervision in the digital age.
The victims Pakhi (12), Prachi (14) and Vishika (16) reportedly left behind a handwritten note that read, &ldquo;Sorry, Papa.&rdquo; Police say the sisters were obsessed with an online Korean task-based game, which investigators are now examining as a possible contributing factor.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Atul Kumar Singh, the incident unfolded around 2.15 am. The girls were initially with their mothers before locking themselves inside the puja room. Using a chair, they allegedly climbed out of a window and jumped one after the other. All three died on the spot. The noise alerted security guards, neighbours and family members, but by the time help arrived, it was too late.
The sisters lived with their father, a forex trader, and their mothers. Police confirmed that the eldest was born from the father&rsquo;s first marriage, while the two younger girls were from the second. Investigators revealed that the girls shared an extreme level of co-dependence, following identical routines and rarely acting independently.
Crucially, police recovered an eight-page diary detailing their daily lives, gaming habits and emotional state. One note written in Hindi urged readers to go through the diary, claiming everything written was true. It also included a hand-drawn crying caricature, pointing to emotional distress.
Officials say the girls had begun identifying themselves as Korean characters, referring to themselves as &ldquo;Korean princesses&rdquo; under the influence of the game. Their academic life had also suffered severely; the eldest, aged 16, was reportedly still studying at a primary level. The addiction is believed to have intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic, when screen time increased and social interaction reduced.
Family members were aware of the excessive mobile phone usage and had attempted to restrict access, but the devices were repeatedly retrieved. Investigators are now analysing the phones to understand the game&rsquo;s structure, tasks and psychological impact.
As the community mourns, the tragedy stands as a grim warning about the unchecked influence of digital platforms on vulnerable young minds.
(NOTE: Teenagers should keep away from any online game, parents should ensure that kids don&rsquo;t get addict to such gaming, and suicide is not solution to any problem.)

Police examine Ghaziabad apartment tragedy

Tragic loss of three sisters highlights dangers of unchecked online gaming addiction

Ghaziabad sisters’ deaths raise online game alarm

Two terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group were killed in an encounter with Indian security forces in the Jaffer forest area of Ramnagar in Udhampur district, officials said. The joint anti-terror operation was carried out by the J&amp;K Police, Indian Army and CRPF.
The slain terrorists have been identified as JeM commanders Mavi and Zubair, police said. Security forces recovered an AK-47 rifle and an M4 carbine from them after retrieving their bodies.
According to officials, intelligence inputs indicated the presence of terrorists in the natural caves of Jophar Forest. Security personnel located them around 4 pm on Tuesday, triggering an encounter. The ensuing gunbattle lasted for over an hour, sources said.
Firing resumed briefly at around 7:30 pm when the terrorists tried to escape under darkness, prompting reinforcements, including army paratroopers and dog squads, to tighten the cordon. No further firing was reported through the night.
On Wednesday morning, following intensified operations, the two JeM terrorists were ultimately neutralised by the security forces under Operation Kiya.
Security officials highlighted the effective coordination between forces and the tactical precision that led to the successful outcome of the operation.

Security forces neutralise two Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists after gunbattle in J&K

Two JeM Terrorists Killed in Udhampur Encounter

Superstar Mahesh Babu has opened up about the intense physical and mental preparation required to portray Lord Ram in filmmaker SS Rajamouli&rsquo;s upcoming epic, Varanasi. The actor plays Rudhra, a powerful character that demands discipline, precision, and commanding screen presence.
Mahesh Babu spoke about Rajamouli&rsquo;s meticulous approach to filmmaking and the rigorous process he followed to authentically embody the iconic role.
The actor underwent two to three months of training in Kalari, Kerala&rsquo;s traditional martial art, focusing on posture, balance, and body control. Beyond that, Rajamouli even asked him to alter his running technique, leading Mahesh to train with a professional track-and-field team for nearly six months, all for just a couple of shots in the film.
That&rsquo;s the level of commitment this film demanded, Mahesh stated, noting that the process felt enjoyable rather than exhausting because of the creative mindset involved.
The recently released teaser of Varanasi has already sparked massive buzz. It showcases Mahesh Babu&rsquo;s Rudhra, wielding a trishul, drenched in blood, and riding a bull, hinting at a mythological-action spectacle on a grand scale.
The film also stars Priyanka Chopra as Mandakini and Prithviraj Sukumaran as the antagonist Kumbha. Music is composed by Oscar-winner MM Keeravani, while the story is written by V. Vijayendra Prasad, marking yet another high-profile collaboration with Rajamouli.
With its scale, mythology, and Mahesh Babu&rsquo;s dedication, Varanasi is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious Indian films in recent times.

Actor trained in martial arts and athletics for SS Rajamouli’s epic Varanasi

Mahesh Babu’s Intense Prep to Play Lord Ram

A US federal jury has convicted an Indian national of sexually assaulting a fellow passenger aboard a domestic flight, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney&rsquo;s Office dated January 30, 2026.
The verdict stems from the August 29, 2024, incident on a flight from Rhode Island&rsquo;s TF Green International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Prosecutors showed evidence that 38-year-old Varun Arora sexually groped a sleeping woman as the plane descended. Despite the victim&rsquo;s repeated efforts to push his hand away, Arora, allegedly wearing a sleep mask and pretending to sleep, continued the unwanted contact.
Arora, who is in the United States without lawful immigration status, was arrested in August 2025 after the FBI tracked him using a photo the victim took of him on the plane. A federal jury convicted him on charges of abusive sexual contact and assault. He now faces a potential prison term of up to two years, with sentencing scheduled for May 7, 2026, when the judge will consider federal guidelines and other legal factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI&rsquo;s Washington Field Office and prosecuted by attorneys from the U.S. Attorney&rsquo;s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Indian national Varun Arora guilty of sexual assault on US flight

Indian National Convicted for In-Flight Assault

Days after migrant worker’s killing, two-year-old’s body found near Cooum

Chennai Murder Case: Victim’s Son Found Dead

Singer Arijit Singh steps away from playback singing but confirms he will continue creatin

Arijit Singh Retires from Playback Singing

Hamas commander Naji Zaheer in Rawalpindi meet

Hamas–LeT–JeM nexus signals a wider arc of threat India can no longer ignore

Terror Convergence: What It Means for India?

Texas backs Trump’s immigration push, halts H-1B visas for state bodies

Texas freezes H-1B visas, setback for Indians

New US documents suggest an Indian woman may be among Epstein’s victims

Epstein Files Hint at Indian Victim in Sex Ring

Bihar govt transfers NEET aspirant death probe to CBI amid family concerns

Bihar NEET Student Death Case Handed to CBI

Woman murdered after marriage dispute; accused dumped body parts, held

Agra Man Arrested for Killing, Dismembering Lover

Weak rupee and soaring bullion prices mark volatile early trade amid global cues

Rupee Hits 92,Recording An All Time Low

Man and wedding arranger die by suicide after woman elopes with lover

Double suicide shocks Karnataka’s Davangere

Fans relieved as Kohli’s Instagram returns after hours, no clarity on outage

Virat Kohli’s Instagram Account Restored

People looking for a sperm donor can go to a fertility clinic, ask a friend to donate or&nbsp;<a href="https://law.adelaide.edu.au/ua/media/2407/alr_432_10_bhatia_porceddu.pdf">look for a donor online</a>, including on an app or via social media.
Women in same-sex relationships, single women and others are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14647273.2022.2145242#d1e180">choosing the online option</a>&nbsp;for a number of reasons.
But this brings with it various challenges and risks. Here&rsquo;s what to know first.
It&rsquo;s a popular choice
Up to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/06/i-had-two-babies-born-last-week-the-unregulated-world-of-australias-online-sperm-donors">4,000 children</a>&nbsp;are estimated to have been born over the past ten years via one Australian sperm donation website alone.
In just 2022, sperm sourced via one private Facebook group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-07/women-choosing-to-have-children-on-their-own-private-donations/101791620">reportedly resulted in 692 births</a>.
Some donors and recipients choose to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09581596.2018.1492704">use online platforms</a>&nbsp;because they want to form connections and friendships with the other party early on. In some cases, donors choose to remain in the lives of the recipient and any child born from their donation.
But some sperm donors go online to&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/34/11/2208/5613885?login=false">remain anonymous</a>, an option&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(19)300136/fulltext">not usually possible</a>&nbsp;when donating through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/bill.first/bill-2024-012#sec.48">a fertility clinic</a>.
Some people might use online sperm donation because the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mivf.com.au/ivf-costs/costs-of-ivf">cost</a>&nbsp;of accessing donor sperm at fertility clinics is too high in Australia. Some clinics charge a sperm donation management fee of about A$2,000. This allows people to access information about the donors they can choose from. Then there is the cost of insemination and of the sperm itself, which is about $2,500 out-of-pocket per cycle. Online sperm donation in Australia tends to be altruistic and does not cost anything.
People in rural or regional areas may live far from fertility clinics, making access&nbsp;<a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/publications/final-report-of-the-independent-review-of-assisted-reproductive-treatment">challenging</a>.
Then there&rsquo;s often a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/too-many-women-not-enough-sperm-the-victorian-donor-dilemma-20220906-p5bfqy.html">shortage</a>&nbsp;of donor sperm at clinics. In particular, there&rsquo;s a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-28/inside-the-growing-online-sperm-marketplace/104103648">lack of ethnic</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/article/i-could-never-find-an-aboriginal-sperm-donor-why-melanie-had-to-reimagine-her-family/98hn7ie7g">cultural diversity</a>&nbsp;in donors.
Whatever the reason for seeking sperm online, here are some issues to consider first.
1. Medical unknowns
Sperm donors at fertility clinics undergo medical, physical and psychological screening to reduce the risk of transmitting disease to a child.
However, online sperm donors may provide people with unscreened sperm that might be carrying sexually transmitted infections or inheritable genetic conditions.
This puts the recipient and the potential child at risk because of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405661817300102">lack of medical information</a>&nbsp;about the donor. 
2. Psychological, personal, social risks
People might be placed at risk when they agree to meet a potential online sperm donor in person. There have been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-08/facebook-sperm-donor-group-give-parents-miracle-of-life/103141674">reported cases</a>&nbsp;where potential donors have pressured people into natural insemination (sexual intercourse) once they meet. This is despite donors initially agreeing to provide sperm for home insemination (using a syringe to inject the donor sperm into the vagina).
These&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/sperm-drought-fuels-unregulated-online-market-and-sex-assault-concerns-20210521-p57u0s.html">safety and exploitation concerns</a>&nbsp;are especially pertinent in cases of same-sex female couples and people who are same-sex attracted who might feel coerced or compelled to have sexual intercourse with a man to try to conceive a child.
In fertility clinics, state laws limit the number of individuals or families that can use a single donor&rsquo;s sperm (<a href="https://www.australianfamilylawyers.com.au/information-centre/sperm-donor-laws-australia">from five to ten families</a>&nbsp;depending on the state).
The nature of online sperm donation means there are no records kept about the number of children a donor contributes to conceiving. With no formal record keeping, one donor could potentially provide sperm to hundreds of people. This increases the chances of donor-conceived siblings unknowingly having children together later in life.
There might be cases where donors do not tell the truth about their identity or background, as happened in a&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/12/woman-places-baby-for-adoption-after-learning-sperm-donor-lied/">case in Japan</a>&nbsp;when a donor allegedly lied about his identity and education.
There might also be psychological harm when an agreement has been made about contact between the parties and that agreement is later disputed or disregarded.
3. Legally, it&rsquo;s a grey area
A man who donates sperm to a fertility clinic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.australianfamilylawyers.com.au/information-centre/sperm-donor-laws-australia">has no legal rights</a>&nbsp;or obligations to a child born as a result of this donation in Australia.
However, conceiving a child using informally donated sperm can be legally precarious. We are not aware of any reported cases in Australia of legal disputes about parentage that have involved online sperm donation. However, if the practice continues to grow, the courts may need to intervene if a donor is seeking to exercise some rights relating to the donor-conceived child against the mother&rsquo;s wishes.
There was, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://eresources.hcourt.gov.au/showCase/2019/HCA/21">a 2019 case</a>&nbsp;that relates to sperm donation by a friend. Here, the High Court ruled a man who donated sperm informally to his friend was deemed the legal parent of a child. This resulted in the mother and her same-sex partner being prevented from relocating to New Zealand with the child and their sibling.
As each potential case will depend on its own set of unique circumstances, it&rsquo;s best to take legal advice first.
4. What&rsquo;s best for the child?
Many donor-conceived people&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rbmojournal.com/article/S1472-6483(19)30013-6/fulltext">want information</a>&nbsp;about, and contact with, their donor. A lack of information, including medical information, can contribute to psychological, medical and social harms.
So people should carefully consider how this arrangement might impact any child conceived. This includes their potential desire to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-23/sperm-donor-father-700-siblings-four-corners/104010814">meet any siblings</a>&nbsp;conceived using the same donor&rsquo;s sperm. 
Where to from here?
The decision to have a child using donor sperm is complex. When deciding how to access donor sperm, people may benefit from speaking to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fertilitysociety.com.au/professional-groups/anzica/">accredited fertility counsellor</a>&nbsp;about their options.
This may include accessing donor sperm through a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/content/dam/pdfs/research/2024-09-npesu/2024-09-assisted-reproductive-technology-in-australia-and-new-zealand-2022.pdf">fertility clinic</a>, which are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fertilitysociety.com.au/art-regulation/rtac/">strictly regulated and licensed</a>, and need to comply with state laws and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/research-policy/ethics/ethical-guidelines-use-assisted-reproductive-technology">ethical guidelines</a>.
While accessing donor sperm through a regulated fertility clinic may be more costly and time-consuming, it is also markedly safer than online sperm donation.
However, some people may not want to access donor sperm through a fertility clinic, or this might not meet their needs. We need to understand why so we can try to do something about it.
If a person decides to access donor sperm online, they should have open and honest discussions with the potential donor about:
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">their medical history</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">what role they envisage in the future life of a child born using their sperm</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; margin-bottom: 13.5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; vertical-align: baseline;">how all parties can keep records and contact information.</li>
</ul>
Before seeing a potential donor in person, they should also tell a family member, close friend or someone they can confide in about the meeting to ensure they are safe.
Taking these measures may help make accessing donor sperm online a positive experience for all involved.
(Neera Bhatia, Associate Professor in Law, Deakin University, Catherine Mills, Professor of Bioethics, Monash University. Giselle Newton, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Queensland. Karin Hammarberg, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, Global and Women&rsquo;s Health in School of Public Health &amp; Preventive Medicine, Monash University. Molly Johnston, Research Fellow, Monash Bioethics Centre, Monash University. This article first appeared in theconversation.com)

 4,000 children were born via one Australian website (File Photo)

Some ppl prefer online sperm donation to build connections while some to keep their identity anonymous