IndianRepublic.in

Even as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s presence at the state dinner for Russian President Vladimir Putin drew national headlines, it is his continued legislative activity in Parliament that continues largely unnoticed in the public discourse. Image Source: Bangalore Lit Fest on X On a day when Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi were conspicuously excluded from the guest list at the President’s residence, Tharoor stood out as the sole Congress invitee to the diplomatic event.  His decision to attend drew internal criticism from party spokesperson Pawan Khera, who stated that “those who extended such an invitation raise questions, and those who accepted are also open to scrutiny.” But behind the scenes, Tharoor has been consistently active on key policy matters in Parliament. In recent weeks, he introduced several Private Members' Bills and raised detailed parliamentary questions across sectors ranging from urban development and compe...

Amid intensifying global fragmentation and rising strategic autonomy across the Global South, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a landmark roadmap to deepen their bilateral economic engagement through 2030, aiming to take trade beyond $100 billion.  Prez Putin and PM NaMo attended the Plenary Session of the India-Russia Trade Forum The wide-ranging Programme for the Development of Strategic Areas of India–Russia Economic Cooperation till 2030 was the centrepiece of the 23rd Annual Summit held in New Delhi on December 5, with the two sides signing 29 agreements spanning energy, mobility, healthcare, customs, polar training, labour migration, media, and advanced scientific cooperation. The summit, Putin’s first visit to India since the Ukraine war began, saw both leaders publicly reaffirm the “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” between their countries, even as global alignments continue to shift.  “India-Russia ties have...

In a summit thick with strategic symbolism and sweeping bilateral action, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed 29 agreements and issued a joint declaration pledging to elevate their “time-tested progressive partnership” into a deeper geopolitical alignment rooted in sovereignty, stability, and multipolarity.  Indian PM NaMo with Russian Prez Putin At the center of the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit, held in New Delhi on December 5, was a key policy milestone: the formal adoption of the Program for the Development of Strategic Directions of Russian–Indian Economic Cooperation until 2030.  This is  a forward-looking document that defines new rules of engagement across trade, defence, energy, migration, and critical technologies amid shifting global power centres. The two leaders met at Hyderabad House for in-depth talks before witnessing the signing of wide-ranging intergovernmental and institutional agreements, including on labo...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a sweeping call for a reimagined development agenda at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg , setting out six major global initiatives and pressing for a “civilisational” rethink of growth models that leave people and the planet behind.  Image Source: PM NaMo Speaking at the summit’s opening session, Modi urged the world’s largest economies to act collectively to ensure inclusive, sustainable, and secure progress —anchored in equity, knowledge-sharing and resilience. In his address, Modi pitched for rethinking global development parameters, arguing that the current frameworks have left large sections of the world deprived and have led to the overexploitation of nature.  Drawing from India's philosophical ethos of Integral Humanism , he said development must harmonise individuals, societies and ecosystems, and cannot be dictated solely by economic metrics. Modi proposed six transformative initiatives. These include a Global T...

In a move to deepen India's engagement with Latin America and the Caribbean, India's Minister of State for External Affairs and Textiles, Pabitra Margherita, concluded a seven-day diplomatic tour across Ecuador, Bolivia and Cuba from November 4 to 10.  The visit marked a new phase in South-South cooperation, with the inauguration of Indian embassies in Ecuador and Bolivia, renewed strategic commitments with Cuba, and outreach across sectors ranging from health and digital to critical minerals and culture. MoS inaugurating the new Chancery building of the Embassy of India in La Paz, Bolivia In Ecuador, MoS Margherita called on President Daniel Noboa Azin and held bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Maria Gabriela Sommerfeld Rosero, announcing the formal opening of India’s Embassy in Quito.  The visit saw the signing of an MoU between the two nations' diplomatic training institutes and discussion on strengthening cooperation in agriculture, technology, and digital transform...

India and Bhutan have restated their time-tested friendship and strategic cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day state visit to the Himalayan kingdom from November 11 to 12.  The visit coincided with the 70th birth anniversary of Bhutan’s Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck and featured high-level engagements, religious observances, and key bilateral milestones. Image Via: MEA India As guest of honour at the national celebration in Thimphu, Prime Minister Modi joined Bhutan’s royal family and citizens in commemorating the legacy of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo.  Speaking at the Changlimithang Stadium, Modi praised the monarch’s role in guiding Bhutan’s transformation into a democratic constitutional monarchy and his introduction of the globally noted concept of Gross National Happiness.  He thanked both the Fourth King and current King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck for their stewardship of India-Bhutan ties and conveyed warm wishes from the Indian people. PM ...

In a sharply worded address delivered in New Delhi,  India's Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar  openly challenged the credibility of the UN system, calling out its structural dysfunction, selective morality, and strategic irrelevance in the face of global crises. “All is not well with the United Nations,” Jaishankar said flatly. The statement, delivered in a room of diplomats, UN officials, and members of the press, cut through the ceremonial tone of the day and forced attention onto the UN’s internal contradictions.  File Photo Source: EAM Jaishankar At the core of his critique: a Security Council frozen in time, and a multilateral order that speaks the language of equality while practising exclusion. Jaishankar focused his most searing remarks on the UN’s inaction in the face of terrorism. “What does it do to the credibility of multilateralism,” he asked, “when a sitting Security Council member openly protects the very organisation that claims responsibility for a ba...

At a time when multiple regional flashpoints are converging -- from violent unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) to Taliban diplomacy, growing Indo-Russia economic ties, and security tensions with Canada--India has issued a clear, multi-front diplomatic stance, rooted in consistency and assertive strategic positioning. Limited information has so far reached the outside world about the full extent of the protests in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Image Via: Paul Antonopoulos In a comprehensive weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed sharp questions from the press corps on the most pressing geopolitical developments of the week , underscoring India's principled approach across all theatres--from the subcontinent to West Asia and beyond. PoK Unrest: Natural consequence of Pakistan’s oppression On the ongoing mass protests and internet shutdowns in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Jaiswal pointedly described the si...

India and the Central American Integration System (SICA) reaffirmed their shared development vision in New York on the sidelines of UNGA80, with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar calling for deeper cooperation across digital payments, climate resilience, renewable energy, and public health.  India-SICA Foreign Minister’s Meeting Co-chairing the India-SICA Foreign Ministers' Meeting with Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha, Jaishankar positioned India’s outreach as both practical and strategic, focused on turning political goodwill into economic and technological outcomes. Speaking candidly about common challenges such as poverty alleviation, post-pandemic recovery, and climate disruptions, Jaishankar said India sees SICA as a key partner in South-South cooperation and stressed that countries in both regions can tackle shared challenges more effectively by doing so together.  He pointed to the momentum built during the 2023 political dialogue in Panama Cit...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a pointed address at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York on Thursday, warning that ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza are not only escalating geopolitical instability but also inflicting deep economic damage on the Global South. India's Foreign Minister Speaking on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly Speaking on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, Jaishankar said the correlation between international peace and global development is no longer theoretical -- it is now “well established” as both continue to deteriorate in parallel.  He cited soaring costs and disrupted access to food, energy, and fertilizer as direct consequences of war, disproportionately impacting the developing world. “The costs, especially to the Global South, were starkly demonstrated by ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine and Gaza,” he said. “Making energy and other essentials more uncerta...

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar just chaired a High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South countries on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. He urged developing nations to act collectively in shaping global governance frameworks, including reforming multilateral institutions. Jaishankar just chaired a High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South countries Addressing the assembled ministers and representatives, Jaishankar laid out a pointed five-pronged agenda for strengthening the Global South’s role in world affairs.  Pleased to meet FM Lejone Mpotjoana of Lesotho today on the sidelines of the High Level Meeting. 🇮🇳 🇱🇸 #UNGA80 pic.twitter.com/3hXORk1uoG — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 24, 2025 Emphasizing the urgency of coordinated action in an era marked by rising risks and complex challenges, he underlined that it is “natural” for the Global South to turn to multilateralism for solutions -- but on t...

India delivered a sharp rebuttal to Pakistan at the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday, accusing Islamabad of misusing the global platform to peddle “baseless and provocative” claims while ignoring its own internal crises. Speaking on behalf of the Indian delegation, Kshitij Tyagi, Counsellor at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, lambasted Pakistan’s human rights record, economic freefall, and military-dominated political system. He called on Islamabad to “vacate Indian territory under its illegal occupation” and redirect its focus inward, toward restoring democratic governance and ending its support for terrorism. Indian Diplomat Kshitij Tyagi “A delegation that epitomises the antithesis of this approach continues to abuse this forum with baseless and provocative statements against India,” Tyagi said. “Instead of coveting our territory, they would do well to vacate the Indian territory under their illegal occupation and focus on rescuin...

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York this morning on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly.  Jaishankar meets Rubio The two officials discussed a broad range of bilateral and global issues, with both sides underscoring the importance of sustained engagement to advance shared priorities. This makes Jaishankar’s crucial, publicly disclosed meeting with Rubio since his appointment earlier this year under the Trump administration.  While details of the conversation were not made public, the meeting comes amid shifting geopolitical alignments, growing Indo-Pacific coordination, and renewed urgency around multilateral reform.  In a post on social media, Jaishankar confirmed the engagement and said both sides would remain in touch. The interaction follows a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between India and the United States in recent months, as both governments work to consolidate cooperation ac...

The Indian government on Saturday issued an official statement in response to President Donald Trump’s proclamation imposing a $100,000 annual surcharge on H-1B visas, calling the development one with far-reaching implications for families, innovation, and bilateral trade.  The statement, issued by the Ministry of External Affairs, said the new measure is being examined by all stakeholders, including Indian industry, and acknowledged early assessments that suggest serious humanitarian and economic disruption. All new and renewal petitions for H-1B visas must be accompanied by a $100,000 payment The move, signed into effect by President Trump, mandates that all new and renewal petitions for H-1B visas must be accompanied by a $100,000 payment. This comes on top of the $6,000–$10,000 companies already spend per worker in legal and filing fees. In its statement, India flagged the cost burden and the fallout on families, saying the measure is “likely to have humanitarian consequences b...