Phunchuk Stobdan's forte was candour and strong views on India's defence. Naturally, India's adversaries were in awe of him, fearing his views and unyielding stand on boundary issues, remembers Tarun Vijay.
Among the new entrants in the council headed by the Prime Minister, which will now have 147 members, are Ambika Soni, Dayanidhi Maran and Salman Khursheed have made their entry as Union Ministers while BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley have come in as Leaders of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively.
The government has appointed Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani (Retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who shall also function as the secretary to the government of India, department of military affairs, with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders.
A woman in Goa has been booked for allegedly concealing her Portuguese nationality and fraudulently enrolling in the voter list.
India has expressed strong concerns over attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, citing its importance to India's energy and economic security. Ambassador Yojna Patel highlighted the need to respect international law and ensure the safety of seafarers, while also addressing broader Middle East issues including the situation in Gaza and Lebanon.
India has expressed strong concern over the targeting of commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the West Asia conflict, urging for the restoration of unimpeded navigation and global commerce.
The UN Security Council will vote on a Bahrain-proposed resolution regarding the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to ensure freedom of navigation amid concerns and opposition from some members.
'Nepal today is far more aware, self-confident, aspirational, and assertive.' 'India's policy so far has not been geared to this shift. It is time to redraw our Nepal strategy.'
The UN Security Council, with India's support, has adopted a resolution condemning Iran's attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan, demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities and denouncing threats to the Strait of Hormuz.
India's defence sector is on the cusp of a 'super cycle' of growth, driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts and a strong policy push towards indigenous manufacturing, with major players like BEL, HAL, and BDL poised for significant order inflows and technological advancements.
The NCERT has issued a public apology and withdrawn a social science textbook for Class 8 after the Supreme Court objected to a chapter on judicial corruption. The court imposed a ban on further publication of the book.
'She was not a yes person. She would tell the truth and her feelings to Indira Gandhi, and Indira Gandhi would value her opinion. The same was the case with Rajiv Gandhi who would value her opinion.'
The inaugural Khelo India Tribal Games will be held in Chhattisgarh, featuring seven medal sports and aiming to empower tribal athletes and promote grassroots inclusion.
Under Usha and Narang, the National Olympic Academy will "collaborate" closely with the International Olympic Academy in Olympia, to "align India's Olympic education programmes with the Olympic Charter and international best practices."
The Sports Ministry has introduced stricter guidelines for selecting coaches for India's Asian Games contingent, prioritising demonstrable contribution and regular association with athletes to manage the increasing number of requests.
Tensions escalate at the UN Security Council as the US and Israel defend their military actions against Iran, while Iran condemns the strikes as war crimes, raising fears of a wider Middle East conflict.
The NCERT has apologised for 'inappropriate content' in a Class 8 textbook chapter discussing judicial corruption, following Supreme Court criticism. The textbook will be rewritten, and its circulation has been put on hold.
The inauguration of Noida International Airport (NIA) is set to significantly increase property values in micro-markets along the Yamuna Expressway, with projections indicating a 28 per cent rise for plots and 22 per cent for apartments over the next two years, according to Colliers.
India's Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya is pushing to revive Formula One racing in the country, focusing on creating a strong pipeline of drivers and technicians. Discussions with the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) have centered on developing a comprehensive framework to integrate motorsports with India's automotive and engineering sectors.
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's airstrikes on Afghanistan, calling them a flagrant violation of international law and hypocritical given the civilian casualties during Ramzan.
The NCERT's class 8 textbook is under scrutiny for its content on judicial corruption, potentially leading to its removal after government concerns and objections from the judiciary.
The figures are grim. India accounts for around 19 per cent of global cervical cancer cases and 23 per cent of deaths.
Amidst ongoing conflict, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signals a potential de-escalation by apologising to neighbouring countries while firmly rejecting US President Donald Trump's demand for unconditional surrender.
Budget 2026 is an intentional and ambitious one - From manufacturing growth to services supremacy, from technology consumption to AI-powered transformation. This is the blueprint for a $7 trillion economy built on intelligence, not just scale.
For decades, several key government offices and ministries functioned from fragmented and ageing infrastructure spread across multiple locations in the Central Vista area.
Rajasthan Royals are seeking an indemnity waiver from the Rajasthan government to host IPL matches in Jaipur due to safety concerns raised about the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resign, citing hypocrisy in Shah's call for 'clean politics' given his past arrest. Banerjee also criticised the Election Commission and defended his party's record.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has expressed strong disapproval of a chapter in an NCERT Class 8 textbook addressing judicial corruption, prompting government action and a Supreme Court ban on the book's circulation.
The National Medical Commission has removed several doctors from the National Medical Register following their implication in the Delhi blast investigation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, delivered a sharp response to comments made by Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad.
Pakistan have agreed to play India in the T20 World Cup match in Sri Lanka after diplomatic outreach and ICC-led talks ended the boycott standoff.
Harbhajan Singh says ICC is justified in acting against Pakistan over its refusal to play India, warning of legal action and strict sanctions.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday warned the Pakistan Cricket Board's reported position of "selective participation" in the Men's T20 World Cup could have far-reaching consequences for the PCB and the global cricket ecosystem.
BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla said that the BCCI completely agrees with the ICC and the Indian cricket board won't make any comments on the boycott until we speak with the ICC.
The International Cricket Council on Monday said it would not be imposing any penalty on the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for refusing to play its T20 World Cup matches in India.
India offered full security to Bangladesh cricket team: BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla
BCB distances itself from director's remarks questioning players' commitment
Israel and the United States had a plan. Iran punched back. And now the Gulf is reeling, the world is beginning to feel the pain and, as on date, no one in Washington or Tel Aviv appears willing to admit that the punch has landed, notes Prem Panicker, continuing his must-read blog on the war in the Middle East.
India has been on an FTA-signing spree of late. Since 2021, it has signed eight trade agreements, three of which -- with the UK, Oman and New Zealand -- were finalised in 2025 alone.
Despite Pakistan deciding to boycott their group stage T20 World Cup clash against India on February 15, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources have said that that the Men in Blue will travel to Sri Lanka for the match as per ICC protocol and wait for the match referee to call off the match.
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