India announces major new passport rules from September 1

Published

1 day ago

August 29, 2025

India has announced new rules for passport applications, with updated requirements set to begin on September 1, 2025.

Indian expats in the UAE applying for passports need to meet strict International Civil Aviation Organisation photography requirements, announced the Indian Consulate in Dubai.

The ICAO sets international requirements for passport photography standards.

India passport applications for UAE expats

The consulate advice follows directives from the Ministry of External Affairs and enforces rules around the quality and accuracy of photographs on passport applications.

The Indian consulate highlighted new passport photo rules, and explained the updated rules.

The important announcementwas made on August 25, with enforcement tobegin on September 1, 2025.

New India passport rules

According to the Consulate General of India in Dubai, the complete passport photograph guidelines as per ICAO standards to be adhered to photograph are:

Close up of the head and top of the shoulders such that the face takes up 80-85 per cent of the photograph
The photograph should be in colour and dimensions should be 630×810 pixels
Photos should be unaltered by computer software
Background of the photograph should be white

The Consulate added that photographs must

Show the applicant looking directly at the camera
Show skin tones naturally
Have appropriate brightness and contrast
Show the applicants eyes open and clearly visible
Should not have hair across the eyes
Be taken with uniform lighting and not show shadows or flash reflections on the face and no red eye
Mouth should not be open
Be taken from distance of 1.5m from a camera (not too close)
Should not be blurred
It should have full face, front view, eyes open
Photo should be present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin
Centre head within frame (head should not be tilted)
There should not be any distracting shadows on the face or in the background
Should not have reflection of the glasses; glasses to be taken off to avoid reflections
Illumination shall not cause any red eye effects visible in the eyes or other effects reducing the visibility of the eyes
Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, but the facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown
The expression on the face should look natural

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Which Is The Top Credit Card With Best Offers, Like Free Airport Lounges, Rewards And Travel Benefits? News24 –

Published

49 minutes ago

August 30, 2025

Lakshmi Ranjith

India is seeing a steady rise in credit card usage, with banks rolling out new offers and features to attract fresh customers and persuade existing cardholders to switch. There are numerous websites and apps where customers can compare benefits, including the number of free airport lounges and travel offers, to choose the best credit card tailored to their needs. Here, we give you insight to the best credit cards that offer the most at lower fees. You can compare the benefits and choose the one. Is HDFC Regalia Gold the best?

HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card

The HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card is one of the most sought-after premium credit cards in India, offering a strong combination of rewards, travel perks, and lifetime benefits. However, it faces competition from several other cards that challenge its position in the market. This article examines the HDFC Regalia Gold alongside its top three competitors: SBI Card PRIME, ICICI Bank Sapphiro, and Axis Bank SELECT.

HDFC Regalia Gold Credit Card

Annual Fees and Charges

The card has an initial and annual fee of ₹2,500 plus GST.
The renewal fee is waived if the cardholder spends ₹4 lakh or more in a calendar year.
The foreign currency markup is 2%, making it suitable for international transactions.

Rewards

For every ₹150 spent on retail purchases, the cardholder earns 4 reward points.
Purchases at partner merchants like Nykaa, Myntra, Marks & Spencer, and Reliance Digital earn 5 times the rewards (20 points per ₹150).

Airport Lounges And Other Benefits

₹2,500 gift voucher to the new cardholders
₹1 lakh spending in the initial 90 days of card issuance
Free Swiggy One and MMT Black Elite membership
12 domestic airport lounge visits each year
6 international lounge visits via the Priority Pass membership
₹1,500 worth of vouchers on spending ₹1.5 lakh per quarter
₹5,000 worth of flight vouchers on 5 lakh spending
Additional ₹5,000 flight vouchers on 7.5 lakh
The card comes with full insurance coverage
₹1 crore air accident cover with purchase protection
No liability for a lost card if it is reported immediately

Axis Bank SELECT

The Axis Bank SELECT card is designed for people who spend on retail. It offers high benefits for shopping and dining.

Annual Fees and Charges

Joining fee of ₹3,000 and an equal annual fee.
Free for Burgundy customers.
Renewal fee is waived if annual spending reaches ₹8 lakh.
Foreign currency markup is 3.5%.

Rewards

Cardholders earn 10 EDGE points for every ₹200 spent.
They earn 20 EDGE points for every ₹200 spent on retail purchases, up to ₹20,000 per month.
Each EDGE point has a redemption value of approximately ₹0.20.

Airport Lounges And Other Benefits

The card offers 12 international lounge visits per year through Priority Pass membership
It also provides 2 domestic lounge visits per quarter
Lounge access is subject to a minimum quarterly spend of ₹50,000
New cardholders will earn 10,000 EDGE points of 2,000 in the first transaction
The card offers 6 free golf rounds per year.
It provides a 1% waiver on fuel surcharge for purchases between ₹400 and ₹4,000.
Cardholders receive dining discounts through the Axis Dining Delights program.

SBI Card PRIME

Premium lifestyle credit card offering extensive travel and dining perks.

Annual Fees and Charges

Joining fee: ₹2,999 + GST.
Annual fee: ₹2,999 + GST (waived if annual spending reaches ₹3 lakh).
Foreign currency markup: 3.5%.

Rewards

Earn 2 reward points for every ₹100 spent on regular purchases.
Earn 10 reward points for every ₹100 spent on dining, groceries, departmental stores, and movies.
On birthdays, earn 20 reward points for every ₹100 spent.

Airport Lounges And Other Benefits

8 domestic lounge visits per year (2 per quarter).
4 international lounge visits via Priority Pass membership.
1% fuel surcharge waiver, up to ₹250 per month.
50% discount on golf games.
25% discount on dining through the American Express Dining Platform.

ICICI Bank Sapphiro

The ICICI Bank Sapphiro targets high spenders on travel and lifestyle.

Annual Fees and Charges:

Joining fee: ₹6,500 + GST.

Annual fee: ₹3,500 + GST.

Renewal fee is waived for annual spending of ₹6 lakh.

Foreign currency markup: 3.5%.

Rewards

Earn 2 reward points for every ₹100 spent on domestic transactions.

Earn 4 reward points for every ₹100 spent on international transactions.

Milestone program: earn 4,000 points on ₹4 lakh annual spending.

Earn 2,000 points for every additional ₹1 lakh spent after that.

Airport Lounges And Other Benefits

16 domestic lounge visits per year.

2 international lounge visits per year.

Domestic lounge access is generous, but international access is limited.

Welcome benefits: ₹13,000 worth of shopping and travel vouchers for new cardholders.

Additional benefits: Up to 4 complimentary golf rounds per month on retail spending of ₹50,000 in the previous month.

(Disclaimer: The information provided about credit cards, including benefits, fees, and offers, is for general informational purposes only and may change over time. Readers should verify all details directly with the respective banks or official sources before applying or making any financial decisions)

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Travel Guides & Articles

Donald Trump may skip Quad summit visit to India amid tensions over tariff: Report

Published

1 hour ago

August 30, 2025

Sayantani Biswas

India–United States relations appear to be entering one of their most strained phases in recent memory, with a New York Times report suggesting that President Donald Trump may no longer travel to India for the forthcoming Quad summit later this year. The Quad Summit in 2025 is scheduled to be hosted by India in New Delhi.

The Quad summit serves as a strategic platform focusing on Indo-Pacific regional security and cooperation among the United States, India, Japan, and Australia.

Also Read | Calling Trump, Modi ‘threat to democracy’ is double standard: Italy PM Meloni

Once marked by bonhomie and theatrical displays of mutual admiration, the rapport between PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump has likely deteriorated with surprising speed, weighed down by clashing claims on India-Pakistan tension, trade friction, and sharp disagreements on geopolitics.

Why is Trump reconsidering his India visit?

According to officials in the know cited by The New York Times, Donald Trump, who had earlier promised PM Modi a visit during the Quad summit, has quietly shelved those plans. This reversal reflects both the growing discord between the two leaders and Washington DC’s mounting frustrations with New Delhi’s independent posture on trade and energy ties with Russia.

In recent weeks, the White House has imposed successive tariffs on Indian imports, culminating in a punishing 50 percent levy—ostensibly for New Delhi’s decision to continue purchasing Russian oil.

Critics argue the sanctions are less about punishing Moscow and more about penalising India for refusing to align neatly with Trump’s narrative on India-Pakistan conflict.

Also Read | Trump again claims credit for India-Pak ceasefire through tariff threats

What triggered the diplomatic rift between India and US?

The turning point came during a phone call in June 2025, reports NYT.

In June 2025, reportedly Donald Trump, during a call with PM Modi, claimed personal credit for ending hostilities between India and Pakistan. The US President boasted that Pakistan intended to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize, implying that India should follow suit.

PM Modi reportedly brusquely rejected the claim, reminding Donald Trump that the ceasefire was negotiated bilaterally without any external mediation, NYT report says.

This exchange between the leaders of India and US, seemingly minor, became emblematic of a wider erosion of trust.

For PM Modi, Trump’s repeated assertions of brokering “peace” between Delhi and Islamabad, undermined India’s long-standing policy of treating Pakistan as a strictly bilateral issue. For Donald Trump, PM Modi’s refusal to play along with his Nobel ambitions appeared as a slight, NYT report stated citing people in the know.

Also Read | Raghuram Rajan says Trump 50% tariffs on India a ‘wake-up call’

Are trade tensions fuelling the India-US fallout?

Trade negotiations, once heralded as a cornerstone of the India-US partnership, have ground to a halt. Donald Trump’s decision to slap a further 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, on top of existing duties, has been seen in New Delhi as outright economic bullying. An Indian official, quoted in the The New York Times report, characterised the approach as gundagardi—a colloquial term for thuggery.

The punitive measures come as India simultaneously deepens economic engagement with other partners, most notably China and Russia.

PM Modi has landed in China on Saturday, 30 August, for the SCO Summit. The Indian Prime Minister is slated to have key meetings with China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin—an itinerary that would once have been diplomatically unthinkable at the height of the Trump–Modi camaraderie.

Also Read | PM Modi-Donald Trump meet: Key moments caught on camera

How is public perception shaping the India-US ties?

In India, Trump’s standing has plummeted. His effigy was paraded in Maharashtra during a festival, branded a “backstabber” by furious crowds. The deportation of Indian nationals in shackles, restrictions on H-1B visas, and tighter controls on student visas have further soured public sentiment.

Meanwhile, within Donald Trump’s political base, anti-immigrant rhetoric has found India a convenient target, despite the country’s early attempts to align with American right-wing priorities, the NYT report flags.

The sense in New Delhi is that India has been uniquely singled out, while larger buyers of Russian oil, such as China, remain untouched by equivalent tariffs.

Also Read | India likely to become world’s second-largest economy by 2038, says EY

Also Read | Trump Tariffs India Highlights: PM Modi responds strongly as US slaps new tariff

What does this mean for India–US relations?

The seemingly souring relationship between Narendra Modi and Donald Trump represents more than a personal falling-out between two populist leaders.

It risks altering the trajectory of a strategic partnership long regarded as essential to balancing China’s rise in the Indo-Pacific. Should Trump indeed cancel his India visit, it would symbolise not merely a diplomatic slight but a deeper estrangement that could reconfigure New Delhi’s external alignments.

Also Read | As Trump’s 50% tariff kicks in, here are India’s options

At stake is whether India will continue to prioritise ties with Washington DC or accelerate its rapprochement with Beijing and Moscow. With both countries now engaging in sharp rhetoric, the coming months may determine whether the world’s largest and oldest democracies can salvage their partnership—or whether the Trump–Modi rift marks the start of a more profound geopolitical realignment.

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Travel Guides & Articles

5 Indian villages that turn into tourist hubs during fairs |

Published

3 hours ago

August 30, 2025

TOI Lifestyle Desk

It won’t be an understatement that India’s cultural heartbeat often lies far beyond its bustling metros and historic cities. In its villages, traditions unfold in vibrant fairs that draw thousands of visitors each year. These sleepy hamlets remain quiet for most of the year, but during festival season, they transform into buzzing hubs of color, trade, and celebration. Here are five Indian villages where annual fairs turn them into magnets for tourists.

Pushkar, Rajasthan

For most of the year, Pushkar is a tranquil desert town famous for its sacred lake and temples. But come November, the Pushkar Camel Fair changes everything. Thousands of camels, horses, and livestock flood the sands, creating one of the world’s largest cattle fairs. Beyond trading, the event offers folk performances, camel races, and even quirky competitions like the “longest moustache” contest. Tourists throng the village, turning it into a carnival where spirituality meets spectacle.

Sonepur, Bihar

Sonepur, located near the confluence of the Ganga and Gandak rivers, is usually a quiet village. But during Kartik Purnima (November–December), it hosts the legendary Sonepur Cattle Fair, once known as the largest cattle fair in Asia. Traditionally, elephants, horses, and cattle were traded here, though the scale has reduced in modern times. Even today, the fair is a magnet for visitors who come for the cultural programs, stalls, and the vibrant rural bazaar atmosphere.Read more: 5 lesser-known heritage sites made famous by Bollywood and are worth exploring

Puri, Odisha

While Puri is known globally for the Jagannath Temple, the small town truly transforms during the Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival). The massive wooden chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra attract lakhs of devotees and tourists. For days, the entire village-town turns into a spiritual fairground. Streets are packed with pilgrims, markets overflow with handicrafts and local sweets, and the festive energy is unmatched.Read more: 5 valleys famous of seasonal flower blooms in India

Baneshwar, Rajasthan

A tiny tribal village in Rajasthan, Baneshwar comes alive during the Baneshwar Fair held in either January or February. It is one of the largest tribal fairs in India, celebrated by the Bhil tribe. The fair honors Lord Shiva and Vishnu, with folk songs, dances, and rituals performed around the Baneshwar Mahadev temple. The otherwise remote and sleepy village becomes a cultural hotspot, drawing not just tribes but also curious tourists looking for an authentic glimpse into tribal traditions.

Hemis, Ladakh

Nestled in the cold desert of Ladakh, the Hemis Monastery is surrounded by a quiet village for most of the year. But during the Hemis Festival, held in June or July, the place turns into a vibrant stage for masked dances (Cham), rituals, and Buddhist celebrations honoring Guru Padmasambhava. The remote hamlet suddenly teems with tourists, photographers, and monks, all captivated by the dramatic backdrop of the Himalayas and the spiritual .

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