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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday welcomed UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to New Delhi with a gesture of personal diplomacy that underscored the strength of India-UAE ties. Marking the visiting leader’s third official trip to India since assuming office, the two-hour visit was characterised by high symbolism, strategic continuity, and growing cultural affinity. Image Source: PM NaMo Modi personally received the UAE President at the airport, a rare protocol reserved for a handful of India’s closest international partners.  Referring to Sheikh Mohamed as “my brother” on social media, the Prime Minister said the visit reflected the importance the UAE attaches to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with India.  Images of the two leaders travelling together from the airport, exchanging greetings and sharing a private conversation, further underlined the close personal rapport between them. Following their arrival, Modi hosted Sheikh Mohamed and his...

Speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of St. Thomas English High School in Gudalur, Tamil Nadu, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi delivered a deeply personal and pointed address by weaving together themes of education, democracy, technological transformation, and the need for social and institutional humility. Framing the modern “information age” as both an opportunity and a threat, Rahul Gandhi cautioned against mistaking access to data for wisdom. He underscored the role of schools in fostering not just informed students, but wise and kind citizens.  Rahul Gandhi during Golden Jubilee celebrations of St. Thomas English High School in Gudalur, Tamil Nadu. Via: RakeshJeeINC “If in the information age we do not have wisdom… the world will become a very unpleasant place,” he warned, emphasizing that schools like St. Thomas must nurture empathy and discernment as the foundation for national development. In an interaction that saw him field questions fr...

India and Germany significantly upgraded their strategic partnership this week with a wide-ranging bilateral engagement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, resulting in 27 outcomes across defence, energy, technology, education and migration.  This marked Merz’s first official visit to India and Asia since taking office, and came as both nations confront an unstable global order that has prompted a recalibration of partnerships rooted in democratic resilience and technological sovereignty. Sabarmati Ashram stands as a powerful reminder of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals. Via: PM NaMo Chancellor Merz’s choice to begin his Asia diplomacy with India was framed by both governments as a signal of trust and alignment, with Modi describing the visit as “a strong testament” to the relationship.  The two leaders met in Ahmedabad on January 12, where they jointly participated in symbolic events such as a visit to Sabarmati Ashram and the International Kite ...

India has once again stated its strategic autonomy in sourc ing energy and dismissed external pressure to align its oil purchases with geopolitical expectations, as the Ministry of External Affairs addressed a broad spectrum of international issues during its weekly media briefing.       MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal; Via: Nayanima Basu In a direct response to mounting commentary from Western leaders, including U.S. lawmakers and the Polish foreign minister, India made clear that its decisions are guided by affordability, availability, and national interest. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing a wide range of questions, noted that India’s approach to energy sourcing is shaped by "the evolving dynamics in the global market" and the "imperative to provide affordable energy to 1.4 billion people."  He added, "Whatever we do will be guided by these two imperatives," firmly resisting assertions that recent reductions in Russian oil imports were aimed at...

India's External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar’s ongoing visit to France and Luxembourg from January 4–9, 2026, comes at a time of significant global upheaval. US military action in Venezuela has intensified global debate over sovereignty, legality, and great power behavior.  Jaishankar’s engagements across Europe are positioned to firmly underline India’s commitment to a multipolar world order, strategic autonomy, and a rules-based international system rooted in the UN Charter. EAM Jaishankar with Prime Minister Luc Frieden of Luxembourg. Via: MEA In Paris, Jaishankar participated in the first-ever India–Weimar Triangle format—bringing together France, Germany, Poland, and India—marking a notable shift in European geopolitical outreach beyond the Atlantic alliance. The French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, emphasizing the urgency for “bridges between centers of stability,” made it clear that India's inclusion was deliberate and timely: France holds the G7 presidency, ...

The Indian National Congress, India's main Opposition party, has issued a sharp rebuke of the United States’ military intervention in Venezuela by calling it a violation of international norms and a threat to global stability.  In an official statement posted by the party’s Foreign Affairs Department, the Congress expressed "grave concern" over what it described as “unilateral actions” undertaken by the United States in the Latin American nation over the past 48 hours.  Image Source: Kharge on X The party emphasized that such actions “transgress the settled principles of international law” as established in the United Nations Charter and other international treaties. The statement stressed the importance of respecting national sovereignty and peaceful coexistence, warning that bypassing these principles without explicit United Nations sanction risked returning the world to “primordial rules of statecraft.”  It underscored that the will of the Venezuelan people must remain...

New Delhi has joined a growing international chorus urging restraint and diplomacy following the dramatic U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas this weekend.  In official statements issued over two consecutive days, India expressed "deep concern" over the developments and reaffirmed its support for the safety and well-being of the Venezuelan people, while advising Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to the country. Foreign Minister Jaishankar's file photo via MFA Russia The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued an official travel advisory on January 3 , urging Indians already in Venezuela to exercise extreme caution, limit movements, and remain in close contact with the Indian Embassy in Caracas. Emergency contact details, including a WhatsApp-enabled phone line, were provided for consular assistance. A follow-up press release on January 4 further underlined India’s call for al...

Opening the Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi delivered a sharply worded and symbolic address, accusing the Election Commission of India of colluding with those in power and enabling systematic voter suppression under the guise of bureaucratic process.  Image Source: Economic Times Screengrab of Sansad TV Without naming the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise directly in his opening remarks, Rahul Gandhi laid the groundwork for a broader critique of institutional erosion and democratic subversion, framing the vote as the fabric binding 1.4 billion Indians in a shared national project. In a speech rich with metaphor but grounded in political accusation, Rahul Gandhi began with a reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s emphasis on khadi, positioning it as a symbol not merely of resistance but of people’s self-expression and unity.  “Khadi is not just a cloth. Khadi is the expression of the people of India,” he said, before drawing a parall...

In a high-stakes Lok Sabha debate marking 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram , Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fierce historical critique against the Indian National Congress, accusing it of compromising the legacy of the song during the pre-independence era. His speech, which traced Vande Mataram’s journey from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s pen in 1875 to its role as a galvanizing force in India’s freedom struggle, sparked a sharp counterattack from Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who alleged deliberate historical omissions and political motives behind the ruling party’s narrative. Image Source: TheSincereDude on X Calling Vande Mataram the “mantra of freedom, sacrifice, and national spirit,” Modi framed the song’s evolution as a mirror to India’s struggle, and its betrayal. He cited the 1937 Congress Working Committee’s decision to adopt only the first two stanzas of the song after Muslim League objections, framing it as a moment of ideological weakness that, ...

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Thursday evening for a tightly choreographed two-day state visit. This marks a significant reaffirmation of the India–Russia strategic partnership at a time of deepening geopolitical rifts and growing divergence between India and the West over Ukraine.  Image Source: PM NaMo As Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed Putin with a warm embrace at Palam Airport, the visit--Putin’s first to India since 2021 and his first anywhere in the region since the invasion of Ukraine--set in motion a high-stakes diplomatic engagement that signals India’s intent to maintain and expand its historical ties with Moscow despite rising pressure from Western capitals. The visit comes at a time when India–US relations have faced visible strain, with tensions emerging around Ukraine diplomacy, defence alignment, and global leadership postures.  Against this backdrop, the Putin-Modi summit on Friday is expected to focus on expanding bilateral de...

IndiGo, among India’s largest airline by market share, issued a formal apology on Wednesday following severe disruptions across its network, attributing the delays and cancellations to a combination of operational challenges that have unfolded over the past 48 hours.  Crazy scenes at Mumbai Airport. Pic Via: Jagriti Chandra The airline said it had taken corrective steps to stabilise operations and ease passenger inconvenience. In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the scale of the disruption, which impacted flights at major hubs including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.  The airline said it was grappling with “a multitude of unforeseen operational challenges,” including minor technology failures, congestion at airports, adverse winter weather, and new Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) rules that affected crew scheduling. IndiGo’s admission follows days of growing passenger frustration, as delays mounted and services ground to a near-halt in several locations.  Da...

Air India on Tuesday issued a nationwide travel advisory after a disruption in a third-party system used for check-in operations triggered widespread delays across multiple airports and airlines.  Image Source: Aviationbrk The airline urged passengers to confirm their flight status online and allow extra time before heading to the airport, citing ongoing efforts to stabilise services. In a post on X, Air India confirmed that the disruption had affected "check-in systems at various airports," impacting its own flights along with those of other carriers.  The advisory stressed that while system recovery was underway, delays could persist until full restoration. The airline added that airport teams were working "diligently" to assist passengers and minimise inconvenience. The glitch underscores the vulnerabilities in aviation infrastructure reliant on outsourced operational technologies.  Airlines around the world commonly depend on third-party platforms for check-in...

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, in a wide-ranging address after receiving an honorary doctorate from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, issued a sharp assessment of shifting global power structures and warned that traditional rules of engagement are giving way to more fragmented, unilateral approaches led by major powers, chiefly the United States. Image Source: EAM Jaishankar Describing a world where “politics increasingly trumps economics,” Jaishankar noted that Washington, long seen as the architect and underwriter of the global rules-based order, is now dealing with nations bilaterally rather than through established multilateral frameworks.  “The United States has set radically new terms of engagement,” he said, adding that China has similarly continued to act by its own rules, intensifying the global trend toward power-based realignments. In this emerging landscape, the minister said, decisions are no longer made purely on economic efficiency b...

India has lodged a strong diplomatic protest with Beijing after a UK-based Indian woman, originally from Arunachal Pradesh, was reportedly detained for nearly 18 hours at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport by Chinese immigration officials who refused to recognise her Indian passport.  The episode has escalated tensions between the two countries, with New Delhi asserting that Arunachal Pradesh remains an integral and inalienable part of India. Image Source: Romita Romi on X The traveller, Pema Wangjom Thongdok, was en route from London to Japan with a transit stop in Shanghai on November 21 when Chinese officials flagged her Indian passport as “invalid” due to her Arunachal Pradesh birthplace.  She described the ordeal as deeply distressing, noting that she was held without formal documentation and was unable to contact her embassy or family due to China’s ban on social media platforms and search engines. PTI: An Indian woman hailing from Arunachal Pradesh has said that sh...

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...