India and China have agreed to advance discussions on an "Early and Substantial Harvest" of boundary delimitation and border management during the 25th round of Special Representatives talks between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. Both sides reached an eight-point consensus, committing to the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement. Key outcomes include enhancing border management, improving understanding of the Line of Actual Control, establishing new meeting points and hotlines, and continuing cooperation on trans-border rivers and pilgrimage.
'After announcing that she will return to Bangladesh, if she does not, her credibility will suffer.'
Former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in connection with an alleged corruption case involving the tendering process for sewage treatment plant projects of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Jain claims the arrest is politically motivated, linking it to the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls. Five other individuals, including a former DJB CEO, were also arrested in the case, which alleges irregularities and favouritism in tender conditions.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk's vital parameters are stable, but his blood parameters require close clinical observation at Safdarjung Hospital. He is under continuous medical management by a multidisciplinary team following his forcible admission after a 21-day hunger strike protesting NEET irregularities.
Job aspirants in Jharkhand are continuing their 19-day agitation against alleged irregularities in state recruitment examinations, demanding greater transparency, cancellation of tests, and an independent probe. The protests have led to clashes with police, a political showdown with the BJP, and health concerns for hunger-striking demonstrators, despite government assurances of reforms.
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.
Olympic gold-medallist Abhinav Bindra has called for an education system that "inspires confidence" and rewards merit, amidst widespread protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam. The protests, which have seen student marches and support from activists like Sonam Wangchuk, highlight the demand for transparency and fairness in India's examination system.
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and Grandmaster Nihal Sarin have voiced concerns over the ongoing NEET exam irregularities and student suicides. Bindra called for a transparent and merit-based education system, while Sarin highlighted the immense pressure students face. The protests, supported by activist Sonam Wangchuk, have seen students attempting to march to Parliament.
'A lot of people feel there is pressure on the AAIB not to go against Boeing or GE -- both enormous American companies.' 'If the AAIB implicates Boeing or GE, it will impact their sales.' 'If their sales are impacted, jobs are lost in the United States. No government would willingly do that.'
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!"
As time went by, different facets of the Hindi cinema started showing the complicated identity of Muslim -- sometimes tendentious and at other times perverse and unreliable.
The electorate did not vote for the BJP as much as they voted against the TMC. This is an important distinction that the new government will ignore at its own peril, points out Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
As Aamir Khan turns 61 on March 14, Subhash K Jha looks at the 10 turning points in his career through the years.
Police in Gujarat's Gir Somnath district have arrested an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate for allegedly fabricating a shooting incident and possessing a live bullet. The arrest followed a forensic investigation that debunked the candidate's claims of being fired upon.
The Supreme Court has stated that roads cannot be blocked for religious activities and that while religious denominations have autonomy in worship, the government can interfere if secular activities are affected.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, Mritunjay Kumar Narayan, has reassured the public that individual data collected during the upcoming census will remain confidential and cannot be used for any purpose other than statistical aggregation.
Western Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar reports a sustained decline in militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, emphasizing the army's readiness to respond to any misadventures by Pakistan and its support for terrorist activities.
Like the realisation on the failure of development, we have also internalised the failure on democracy, argues Aakar Patel.
While many areas compete for resources, defence, education, and adaptation deserve focus for maximum impact, suggests Laveesh Bhandari.
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved Rs 11,718 crore for conducting the Census of India, 2027, which would include the caste enumeration for the first time.
'The BJP only talks of Kashmiri Pandits when elections are held.'
Former Army chief Gen M M Naravane (retd) said India-China ties are "on the mend" with initiatives announced at political, diplomatic and military levels. He expressed hope that China will reciprocate India's goodwill as they move forward in discussing the boundary question.
'Most pollution boards across the country have unused funds. There is practically no reason why pollution should not be a political priority.'
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in his meeting with Chinese counterpart Dong Jun in Qingdao on June 26, proposed that India and China should solve the "complex issues" under a structured roadmap comprising steps to de-escalate tensions along the frontiers and rejuvenate the existing mechanism to demarcate the borders.
The Congress's performance in the Lok Sabha elections showed that it may be down but not out, and Modi is determined to ensure that in the next round in 2029, it is consigned to irrelevance, points out Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
A string of welfare schemes and promises tests the state's budget, which is already heavily dependent on central support and spends little as capital outlay.
Taming the animal called AI in its many avatars will clearly remain a work in progress.
'We have 38 Dalits who are MLAs and ministers. But that does not mean the Dalits of Bihar are prospering.'
India and China have announced a series of measures aimed at improving their relationship, including maintaining peace along the border, reopening border trade, and resuming direct flights.
The BJP-led government's decision to grant Kunbi status to individuals from the Maratha community has opened a Pandora's box.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera claims 89 lakh irregularities were flagged in Bihar's electoral rolls revision but rejected by the Election Commission, demanding a re-exercise.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah strongly criticized linking Jammu and Kashmir's political future to acts of terror, asserting that Pakistan cannot influence decisions on the region's statehood through terrorism. He announced a signature campaign to press for the restoration of statehood.
'For the first time in this country, perhaps the first time anywhere, we are going to use backwardness index.' 'It is a fundamental shift in the discourse in the country's social justice.'
New Delhi looks to be testing Omar's endurance with unconcealed glee, never feeling shy to bite whenever a moment comes its way. After all, ruling the country's only Muslim-majority UT/state has been the BJP's burning desire, points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
A special cabinet meeting in Karnataka convened to discuss the contentious Social and Educational Survey report, popularly known as 'caste census', ended without a decision. The cabinet will reconvene on May 2 to discuss the report further and make a final decision.
The police have launched a crackdown against the use of directional loudspeakers (devices that focus sound in a specific direction) at religious structures in Mumbai pursuant to a court order.
'There is a clear relationship between the Char Dham road widening and these landslides.' 'The situation has further worsened with the massive influx of tourists whose number are running into several lakhs per month.' 'No parameters have been laid down to control tourist inflow and the result is that the Char Dham yatra has seen a sharp escalation in accidents and loss of lives.'
In the short run, the Trump presidency has already ensured one thing: The assumptions of the past can no longer guide the strategies of the future, points out Manish Dabhade.
'In today's political spectrum, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party that always says, nation first.'
