Framing guidelines for keeping foreigners in detention centres, govt tells SC
New Delhi, Nov 5 : The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the process of framing guidelines for keeping foreign nationals in detention centres across the country was "under preparation".
The Centre told a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur that the work of framing detention manual or guidelines was being taken up "very seriously".
It also stated that in the meanwhile, some circulars have been issued to the state of Assam in this regard.
The bench, also comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar and R Subhash Reddy, said the Centre would ensure that requirements of the circulars or guidelines issued by the central government be adhered to by Assam.
The issue of framing of detention manual for keeping foreign nationals had cropped up when the apex court was hearing a matter related to the condition of detention centres in Assam.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Assam, told the bench that necessary steps would be taken by the state to implement "faithfully" the circulars issued by the Centre.
Mehta told the bench that tenders have been invited by Assam for setting up of a new detention centre in Goalpara and the work is expected to be completed using pre-fab technology by August 31 next year.
"We expect the state of Assam to adhere to the timeline, more particularly since the executing agency is the Assam Police Housing Corporation Ltd," the bench said.
The state government also said there were 47 declared foreign nationals or their family members that were proposed to be transferred for being re-united and the transfer process would take about 15 days.
"We are of the view that it would be inappropriate to keep the families separated without any valid reason, more particularly since many of them have already been separated for a considerable period of time," the bench said.
"Therefore, we require the state of Assam to speed up the process and complete it within a period of seven days and in any event within a maximum period of ten days since sufficient time has already elapsed," the bench said in its November 2 order.
The bench has posted the matter for further hearing in February next year.
In September, the Centre had told the apex court that it was in the process of framing guidelines for keeping foreign nationals in detention centres across the country and the process would take around three months.
The court had said that the detention manual should be prepared within two months.
The apex court had on September 12 expressed displeasure that foreign nationals kept in detention centres in Assam were "separated" from their families and had asked the state to look into the issue with urgency so that the families are "not broken up".
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
