Brigadier Basant Kumar Ponwar (Retd), a distinguished veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak War and the visionary behind India's modern jungle warfare strategies against Maoist insurgency, has passed away at 77. His extensive career spanned over five decades, contributing significantly to national defence through both the Indian Army and police forces, including founding the Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare College.
Gulveer Singh has made history by becoming the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games medal in the men's 10,000m event, securing a silver on a rain-soaked track in Glasgow.
Prime Minister Modi felt there were too many silos with no arrangement to take a comprehensive view on national security. The PM has entrusted NSA Ajit Doval to evolve a comprehensive roadmap and get it implemented, reveals Nitin Gokhale, Editor-in-Chief, Strategic News International.
India's boxing contingent had a stellar day at the Commonwealth Games, securing five more semifinal berths and bringing the total to nine. This achievement surpasses India's previous medal tally in boxing from Birmingham 2022, guaranteeing at least nine medals for the nation.
India's dual pursuit of a robust strategic partnership with Washington and a pragmatic, tension-management policy with Beijing represents the essence of modern multi-alignment. By embracing economic pragmatism, learning to compartmentalize political differences, and engaging in continuous dialogue, India can secure its borders, grow its economy, and contribute to a stable, multipolar Asian century, points out Ambassador Rajasekhar.
Indian boxers delivered a flawless performance at the Commonwealth Games, with four more pugilists - Ankush Yadav, Sakshi Chaudhary, Arundhati Choudhary, and Sachin Siwach - advancing to the semifinals. This brings the total number of Indian boxers in the semifinals to nine, ensuring a minimum of nine bronze medals for the country.
Uttar Pradesh authorities have implemented extensive security and logistical measures for the annual Kanwar Yatra, which began on Thursday and concludes on August 11. These include AI-enabled surveillance, additional security personnel, medical camps, dedicated control rooms, and traffic diversions, all aimed at ensuring a "zero incidents and zero accidents" pilgrimage for lakhs of devotees.
The Congress party is set to challenge the Modi government on a range of critical issues, including alleged theft of Ram temple donations, 'systemic corrosion' of the education system, and constitutional amendment bills related to delimitation and dismissal of ministers, during the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that the Israeli military will not withdraw from its security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, directly opposing the newly announced American-led diplomatic framework with Tehran. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir further asserted Israel's sovereignty, stating, "Trump's agreement does not bind us. Israel is not subject to the United States, and we are an independent and sovereign nation!"
After making history as the first Indian male judoka to win a Commonwealth Games gold, Harsh Singh is now focused on securing a medal at the upcoming Asian Games.
In a statement issued following the announcement of the US-mediated deal, Qassem characterised the agreement as a 'humiliating' and 'shameful' surrender of Lebanese sovereignty that prioritises Israeli and American dictates over the nation's independence.
Maharashtra BJP minister Chandrakant Patil claimed Delhi Police are collecting fingerprints from stones used in the CJP agitation and linking them to Aadhaar numbers for protester identification and background checks. This statement, made in Kolhapur, drew sharp criticism and mockery from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who suggested Patil be nominated for a Nobel Prize for his "scientific innovation." The CJP protest at Jantar Mantar involved clashes and stone-pelting over examination paper leaks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a significant policy shift, declaring that Israel's robust economy no longer requires American financial assistance. He also reiterated strong opposition to Palestinian statehood, affirmed an aggressive national defence strategy, warned of pre-emptive strikes against Iran, and confirmed the continued military presence in southern Lebanon.
India's Commonwealth Games medallists, fresh from a triumphant campaign in Glasgow, received a rousing welcome in New Delhi but quickly shifted their focus to the upcoming Asian Games, expressing determination to secure more medals.
Gwadar is viewed as a critical pearl in China's maritime strategy as it would give a permanent logistical footprint near an important choke point - the Strait of Hormuz and the oil rich Persian Gulf, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Undergraduate (NEET UG) 2026 toppers are Punjab's Aryan Gupta and Haryana's Panshul Bansal, who secured joint All India Rank 1 with 715 out of 720 marks each.
A Congress spokesperson, quoted in media reports, summed up the party's thinking by saying, 'Whenever BJP is in trouble on the ground, a new 'apolitical' or 'alternative' party appears with the same ideology and the same backers.'
The DMK has been charting an independent course from the Congress-led Opposition bloc on contentious issues during the Monsoon Session, including not joining a walkout over the anti-paper leak bill and participating in a debate on the National Honour Bill, signalling growing fault lines within the Opposition.
BJP sources said the government would introduce a fresh Bill on the issue and has reached out to parties that opposed the earlier legislation.
The new US national security strategy signals a retreat from global dominance while reaffirming continuity in India's role in Indo-Pacific security and Quad cooperation, points out former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
India's judokas scripted history at the Commonwealth Games on Friday as Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh clinched the country's first-ever gold medals in the sport, while Yamini Mourya added a silver to cap the nation's best-ever judo campaign.
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah's dismissal and arrest on August 9, 1953 marked a decisive shift in the Centre-J&K power equation. Seven decades later, the erosion of the state's special constitutional position culminated in the August 5, 2019 changes, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
'The BJP has all the instruments with them and they do have a sense of purpose, so I don't think there will be a challenge.'
Sakshi Chaudhary overcame a series of setbacks, including a loss at the World Championships and missing out on Asian Championships selection, to secure her place at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games after a strategic shift to the 51kg category.
'1991 was an exceptional period in Indian history.' 'A big 400-volt shock was administered to the system, which was required. Today, we are in a much, much better position.'
The BJP has made significant gains in the Kerala Assembly elections, securing three seats and marking a potential breakthrough in a state where it has traditionally struggled.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has ended its 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar over the NEET issue after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation and the government accepting all their demands. The agreement includes compensation for suicide victims' families, withdrawal of FIRs, and future discussions on examination system reforms.
An employee whose financial future is 60-80 per cent dependent on a single company's growth trajectory has no genuine safety net.
India's government has implemented stringent new regulations under the Telecommunications Act 2023, mandating that all communication infrastructure providers, including those utilising cloud-based networks, must store telecommunication data exclusively within the country, a move expected to significantly impact domestic data centre demand.
It is plain to see that the US senate bill's real objective is to derail India's time-tested strategic partnership with Russia, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A sensational New York Times report alleging that Israel's Mossad secretly groomed former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to lead a post-Islamic Republic Iran is being scrutinised for its strategic timing amidst Iran's sensitive post-Khamenei transition.
Amidst rising Middle East tensions, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlights India's strategic dialogue with Iran to safeguard maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring India's energy security and continued oil trade.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised India's military modernisation efforts at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, highlighting its growing industrial and logistics capacity.
Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh believes his side is capable of ending the country's five-decade-long World Cup medal drought, drawing parallels with the team's success at the Tokyo Olympics.
Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan expressed pride in his team's performance after a 1-1 draw against Belgium in their World Cup opener. Despite coming close to a historic win, Hassan highlighted the team's quality, ambition, and the strong contributions of players like Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, asserting that Egypt is not just there to "make up the numbers." The draw is seen as a significant step in reinventing the national team's identity.
For the foreseeable future, the most likely outcome remains continuation of the status quo. Taiwan will remain self-governing without formally declaring independence, while China continues to apply sustained pressure short of war, predict Krishnan Srinivasan and Manoj Mohanka.
Cape Verde head into the biggest match in their football history full of belief, with coach Pedro Leitao Brito insisting his side will play "with courage" against defending champions Argentina in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
Both sides have now revealed a preference for escalation over strategic defeat, and each new provocation narrows the space for the next pause. The Touska seizure, Iran's refusal to negotiate under blockade, Israel's strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure -- all of these add up to an increasingly untenable situation. This makes the wild card -- Trump and his motormouth -- more consequential than ever, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
Srivastava warned that continued bombing of Iran by the US and Israel could severely undermine any prospects of reopening critical maritime routes through negotiation with Tehran.
Notwithstanding the economic complementarities and the host of agreements for deepening economic relation on a host of areas, both sides share common viewpoints on the foreign policy domain and seek common grounds to serve as a counterweight to China, notes Dr Rajaram Panda.
