Indian government sources revealed that a 'cautious approach' was adopted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's June talks with then-US President Donald Trump due to concerns over Trump's 'unpredictable behaviour' with foreign leaders, leading to a preference against a joint media interaction.
As India's decline continued on global indices, the government first blamed methodology and then motives. This is where we remain today as we wish each other and ourselves a happy Independence Day, points out Aakar Patel.
The Union home ministry directed all the states and Union territories on Monday to adhere to the Flag Code, underlining that while flags made of paper may be waved by the public on occasions of important national, cultural and sports events, those should not be discarded or thrown on the ground after the events.
A new Pew Research survey reveals that a significant majority of Indians (54%) consider Pakistan their greatest geopolitical threat, while 43% of Pakistanis view India as theirs, highlighting deep-seated distrust between the two nations.
Newly appointed BJP Minority Morcha national president Kunwar Basit Ali announced a strategic focus on approximately 100 Uttar Pradesh assembly seats, aiming to connect the Muslim community with the BJP by highlighting government welfare schemes and dispelling "misconceptions" about the party.
Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that Sanjay Manjrekar's harsh criticism of his bowling after the 2011-12 Australia tour, initially met with anger, ultimately served as a constructive 'guru' that motivated him to work harder and transform his career.
'India should hold several high-level chess tournaments that would attract the world's top players so that the country will have a say in the game.'
The evidence from the three IPL matches played in Dharamsala this season suggests that it has evolved into a high-scoring venue where fast bowlers still remain relevant, a combination that could shape Tuesday's Qualifier 1 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans.
'They probably imagine any hue and cry in the event Sheikh Hasina is hanged will be shortlived as it happened when Bhutto was hanged in Pakistan in 1979.'
The BJP's decision to nominate three former TMC MPs for Rajya Sabha bypolls immediately after their induction into the party signals a strategic shift towards consolidating its position in West Bengal politics through selective accommodation of opposition leaders and organisational expansion.
Political parties in Kerala are increasingly using AI-generated content to influence voters in the upcoming elections, raising concerns about the blurring lines between reality and fiction in political messaging.
'It is a well calculated strategy of the BJP to hit the JSP and widely propagate that leaders have been leaving PK sensing his defeat in the bypoll.'
India too can rise to the top if the 1.4 billion Indians back home are given better opportunities to use their innate talent and capacity to work hard, with right incentives in a more meritocratic rules-based system, asserts Ajay Chhibber.
Veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are set to return for India's three-match ODI series against an upbeat England, aiming to lift the team's spirits after a dismal T20I performance.
India is set to host 11 international sporting events in the next six months, including the Badminton World Championships. The Sports Ministry has pledged to provide top-notch facilities, addressing previous criticisms of playing conditions, and is actively preparing for future Olympic bids.
Indian startup funding plummeted by 43 per cent year-on-year to $7.81 billion between March 1 and June 15, 2026, largely due to the West Asia conflict, which has amplified global risk perceptions, tightened liquidity, and led to rupee depreciation, making global investors cautious.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that all Sikh MLAs and cabinet ministers will appear before the Akal Takht on June 29 regarding the anti-sacrilege law. This decision follows a closed-door meeting in Amritsar, where Mann stated that representatives would present their views in writing. The Akal Takht had summoned Sikh legislators and ministers over objections to the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Act, 2026, which it claims was enacted without consulting the Sikh Panth. Mann also addressed accusations of challenging the Akal Takht's authority and criticised political appointees for one-sided decisions.
'The real shock is going to be from a deficient monsoon.'
'The AIADMK front comes second, and then the TVK.'
Omar Abdullah has so far laboured hard to make best of a bad bargain. Even so, the ground reality is anything but reassuring. The Opposition parties, including notably the PDP, appear to be gaining ground, though more by default. Public patience with Omar's government has nearly run out, notes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
The BJP team under the new national president Nitin Nabin, who took charge in January, is expected to be announced within this month, with sources suggesting that some holding positions in the government may move to the party.
The West Bengal government has further scaled down security arrangements for several political leaders, former officials, and other prominent individuals after a review of threat perceptions.
'It's not arranged vs love marriage anymore. It's about meeting the right person through a system that actually works for you.'
Both the political executive in New Delhi and the newly elected political dispensation in Kolkata must be careful to ensure that their image is not tarnished by induction of undesirable elements in the name of political expediency, asserts Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Before Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai hits the screens, we rank Varun Dhawan's best films from passably entertaining to outright fantastic.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has suspended three senior IPS officers for alleged mishandling and dereliction of duty during the initial investigation into the RG Kar hospital rape-murder case.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's coach, Zubin Bharucha, sees similarities between the young cricketer and a young Sachin Tendulkar, highlighting Sooryavanshi's ability to grow, his bat speed development, and his maturity and clarity.
An IUML MLA has stated that the delay in the Congress party's decision on who should be the Chief Minister of Kerala has diminished the UDF's victory and is making it difficult for workers and MLAs to engage with the public.
How India overcame umpteen odds to reintroduce the cheetah on its territory after the handsome cat became extinct in the country decades earlier.
India emerged reasonably well from 2025. But now, the oil shock and war-related supply disruptions have again driven funds out of India and significantly weakened the rupee, points out Ajay Chhibber.
From Madhuri Dixit's Dhak Dhak nostalgia to Triptii Dimri's emotional reflections, the Maa Behen trailer launch turned into a delightful event.
'He worked over time to become the natural claimant,' a senior UDF leader observed. 'Others had organisational stature, but Satheesan had momentum.' For the Congress, it may signal the beginning of a new leadership template -- one where performance, communication and grassroots credibility increasingly outweigh inherited power structures in deciding who leads the party into its next phase.
'They will have to adjust themselves to the new reality. Because if they don't understand this changed political perception, their future will be difficult.'
'This is a major rupture in Tamil Nadu's political order.' 'For the Dravidian parties, the message is clear: The old DMK-AIADMK binary is no longer guaranteed a future.'
For over a decade, the TMC's dominance in districts such as Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur rested on a near-complete consolidation of Muslim votes, a bloc that accounts for 50 per cent or more of the population in large parts of this belt.
'The real fault line in Assam is not Hindu versus Muslim. It is Assamese versus Bengali -- and within that, the specific anxiety about undocumented Bangladeshi settlers claiming land and altering the demographic balance of the state.'
Mammootty's greatness lies not in hiding his flaws, but in turning them into his most powerful acting tools, observes Sreehari Nair.
India should not stay on the margins of this initiative. There should be a serious debate about what would be in India's best interests asserts former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC of sheltering goons who torture women and promised citizenship to refugees in West Bengal. He highlighted the BJP's commitment to women's security by giving poll tickets to victims of violence.
'The AIADMK will lose a lot of votes simply because it is aligned with the BJP.'
