
Who was Kamala Nehru, wife of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru? Passed away at the age of 36, but left a lasting impact on society due to...
Kamala Nehru was born on 1st August 1899 in Delhi. Her father, Jawaharmal Kaul was a wealthy businessman and her mother, Rajpati was an orthodox Brahmin woman. Every year on this day, people remember her for the role she played in India's freedom struggle. She was deeply involved in the fight for independence and inspired many other women to join the movement. Even today, she is remembered as a symbol of simplicity, courage, and service.
Kamala Nehru received her early education at home, as girls' education was not given much importance in those days. In 1916, at the age of just 16, she married Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and moved to live with him at Anand Bhavan in Allahabad.
She actively took part in major movements like the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Salt March. When Nehru was sent to jail, Kamala stepped forward, led groups of women, and kept the freedom movement alive and strong.
She organised a number of gatherings and urged other women to actively participate in the movement that was led by Mahatma Gandhi. Kamala Nehru along with other women leaders launched a massive protest against the shops selling foreign cloth and liquor in Allahabad.
At a time when most women were afraid to even step outside their homes, Kamala Nehru gave them the courage to believe they too had a role to play in the fight for freedom. She taught them that raising their voice for the country was their right.
Even while her husband was jailed for months, Kamala Nehru continued her fight for freedom and established a hospital at the Nehru mansion, the Swaraj Bhawan where injured freedom fighters would receive treatment.
She also passed on values of service, sacrifice, and patriotism to her daughter Indira Gandhi from a young age. These early lessons shaped Indira, who later became the first woman Prime Minister of India and left a strong mark on the country's history.
Kamala Nehru lived a simple life. She stayed away from luxury with no interest in jewelry or expensive clothes. She wore khadi and followed Gandhiji's ideals of simplicity and truth. But her beliefs were firm and powerful.
In Allahabad, she started a small hospital in Swaraj Bhavan to care for injured freedom fighters and their families. This later became the well-known Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital.
Years of struggle, jail time, and tireless work affected her health badly. She developed tuberculosis (TB) and had to be sent abroad for treatment, as proper medical care wasn't available in India at the time.
According to media reports, Kamala Nehru passed away on 28th February 1936 in Switzerland during her treatment. Sadly, Nehru was in Almora jail at that time and couldn't be with her in her final moments. It was one of the most heartbreaking times of his life.
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Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
China Is Choking Supply of Critical Minerals to Western Defense Companies
China is limiting the flow of critical minerals to Western defense manufacturers, delaying production and forcing companies to scour the world for stockpiles of the minerals needed to make everything from bullets to jet fighters. Earlier this year, as U.S.-China trade tensions soared, Beijing tightened the controls it places on the export of rare earths. While Beijing allowed them to start flowing after the Trump administration agreed in June to a series of trade concessions, China has maintained a lock on critical minerals for defense purposes. China supplies around 90% of the world's rare earths and dominates the production of many other critical minerals. As a result, one drone-parts manufacturer that supplies the U.S. military was forced to delay orders by up to two months while it searched for a non-Chinese source of magnets, which are assembled from rare earths. Certain materials needed by the defense industry now go for five or more times what was typical before China's recent mineral restrictions, according to industry traders. One company said it was recently offered samarium—an element needed to make magnets that can withstand the extreme temperatures of a jet-fighter engine—for 60 times the standard price. That is already driving the cost of defense systems higher, say suppliers and defense executives. The squeeze on critical minerals highlights how dependent the U.S. military is on China for much of its supply chain—giving Beijing leverage at a time of rising tensions between the two powers and heated trade negotiations. Defense manufacturers supplying the U.S. military rely on minerals that are mainly produced in China for microelectronics, drone motors, night-vision goggles, missile-targeting systems and defense satellites. While companies have tried to find alternative sources of these minerals in recent years, some of the elements are so niche that they can't be economically produced in the West, say industry executives. China's Foreign Ministry didn't respond to a request for comment. In addition to the more recent export controls on rare earths, China has since December banned sales to the U.S. of germanium, gallium and antimony—which are used for things like hardening lead bullets and projectiles, and to allow soldiers to see at night. Some companies now warn of looming production cuts if more minerals aren't forthcoming. On Wednesday, the chief executive of Leonardo DRS said the U.S.-based defense firm is down to its 'safety stock' of germanium. 'In order to sustain timely product deliveries, material flow must improve in the second half' of 2025, CEO Bill Lynn said on a conference call. The company is the U.S. subsidiary of Italian defense giant Leonardo. Germanium goes into the company's infrared sensors, which are used in missiles and other equipment. Lynn said that the company is looking at diversifying its supply chain while also finding ways to replace it in its products. The Pentagon is requiring defense contractors to stop buying rare-earth magnets that contain China-sourced minerals by 2027. As a result, some companies have sizable stockpiles of magnets. But suppliers and defense companies often hold less than a year's worth—some just a few months—of many other critical mineral stockpiles. Drone manufacturers are among the most vulnerable, because many are small startups and have very limited revenue or supply-chain savvy, and never got around to acquiring large stockpiles of rare-earth magnets and metals, say some in the defense industry. A drone flies overhead during a military parade in Washington, D.C., in June. 'I can tell you…we talk about this daily and our companies talk about it daily,' said Dak Hardwick, vice president of international affairs at the Aerospace Industries Association, a U.S. defense and commercial aerospace trade group. More than 80,000 parts that are used in Defense Department weapons systems are made with critical minerals now subject to Chinese export controls, according to data from defense software firm Govini. Nearly all of the supply chains for key critical minerals used by the Pentagon rely on at least one Chinese supplier, Govini said, meaning restrictions from Beijing can cause widespread disruptions. Since stepping up export controls earlier this year, China has begun requiring companies to provide extensive documentation of how they will use the rare earths and magnets they import. Chinese regulators often demand sensitive information, such as product images and even photos of production lines, to ensure none of the materials go to military use, say Western buyers. One Western company that supplies Chinese-made rare-earth magnets to both civilian and defense companies says its requests for imported magnets have recently been approved for many civilian purposes—but rejected or delayed for defense and aerospace. In May, New Hampshire-based ePropelled, which makes propulsion motors for drones, received unsettling questions from its Chinese magnet supplier. The supplier sent Chinese government forms demanding drawings and pictures of ePropelled's products and a list of buyers. It also asked for assurances that the rare-earth magnets China would supply ePropelled wouldn't go toward military applications. 'Of course we are not going to provide the Chinese government with that information,' said Chris Thompson, vice president of global sales for ePropelled. The company has about 100 customers, including large American defense contractors and drone manufacturers in Ukraine. So its Chinese suppliers paused shipping, and ePropelled had to delay some customer orders by one or two months—double the amount of time it usually takes to deliver its motors. The company sought alternative suppliers in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including buying magnets from vendors in Japan and Taiwan, although they too rely on rare earths from China. The company also struck deals with startup magnet producers Vulcan Elements in North Carolina and Oklahoma-based USA Rare Earth. However, those startups won't have supply ready for ePropelled until at least the end of this year and will need to build up alternative sources of Chinese-dominated minerals as they scale up production. Metal traders say that because China demands to know the end user of rare-earth magnets and metals, it isn't approving licenses for traders to stockpile. The Department of Defense has awarded grants to expand production of niche materials, including $14 million in funding last year to a Canadian company to produce germanium substrates used in solar cells for defense satellites. In July, the Pentagon took an even bigger step when it agreed to pay $400 million for 15% of MP Materials, the operator of the largest rare-earths mine in the Americas, which is rapidly scaling up its magnet manufacturing capacity. The Pentagon didn't respond to a request for comment. Reporters gather outside the London venue of U.S.-China trade talks in June. On an earnings call last month Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet called the MP Materials agreement groundbreaking and said it would help ensure the supply of magnets needed in its F-35 jet fighters and cruise missiles. But building up new supply will take time. The Defense Department early last year established the Critical Minerals Forum, an effort in part to spur more mineral supply-chain projects in the U.S. and allied countries, including helping metals miners secure funding to increase their output of critical materials like antimony and germanium. Defense companies that traditionally outsourced the purchase of critical minerals to sub-suppliers are now using their market heft to try to acquire sources of key materials themselves. Major defense companies 'are starting to get more and more panicked as they go, because they recognize that they're just not going to get the magnets, no matter what happens, unless they get involved,' said Nicholas Myers, the CEO of Phoenix Tailings, a Massachusetts startup that produces rare-earth metals. Beijing is signaling that it takes its mineral export bans very seriously. Earlier this year, one U.S. defense supplier, the United States Antimony Corporation, tried to ship 55 metric tons of antimony mined in Australia to its smelter in Mexico. The load transited via the Chinese port city of Ningbo—until recently a routine practice. But in April, while the shipment was being transloaded in Ningbo, China customs detained it for three months, prompting United States Antimony to ask the State Department and White House for help. The Chinese released the shipment in July, on the condition that it be sent back to Australia and not to the U.S. When it arrived in Australia, United States Antimony learned that product seals had been broken. It is currently working out whether the antimony has been tampered with or contaminated. 'The shipping company, everyone who was involved, they'd never seen this happen before,' said company CEO Gary Evans. Neither the White House, the Defense Department nor the State Department provided comment. Write to Jon Emont at Heather Somerville at and Alistair MacDonald at
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First Post
2 hours ago
- First Post
The 'drill, baby, drill' that has kept oil prices low, and it's not all about Trump
Per the promise of 'Drill, baby, drill', the price of oil has indeed tanked, and drilling has increased somewhat…but in parts of the world that are not the US, that is. Trump has a hand in it, but he's far from the main character in this game read more Oil prices have decreased, in part due to "Drill, baby, drill" strategy by OPEC+ nations. It's not all because of Trump, though. AI-generated image Immediately after Trump took office as the President of the United States for the second time in January this year, he proclaimed 'Drill, baby, drill' as one of the top agendas of his administration. The Republican vowed an oil drilling boom that he claimed would make the US more 'energy independent' and lower voters' spending at the gas station. The price of oil has indeed tanked, and drilling has increased somewhat…in parts of the world that are not the US, that is. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 'Drill, baby, drill' that is keeping oil prices low has got to do way more with actions being taken by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) than Trump. OPEC+ on Sunday (August 3) concluded a two-year drive to restore oil output that had been slashed during the pandemic-era demand collapse. But instead of clarity for markets, the group has left traders navigating a thicket of uncertainty, and prices under mounting pressure. The latest decision, a 547,000 barrel-a-day increase, reverses the final segment of the bloc's 2023 voluntary cutbacks. It completes, one year ahead of schedule, a strategic pivot by Saudi Arabia and its allies toward reviving lost market share. Yet another 1.66 million barrels per day remain idled and are unlikely to return before late 2026, unless OPEC+ changes course. The move follows months of softening oil prices, driven not only by the bloc's aggressive production policy but also by a broader resurgence in global supply, particularly from non-OPEC producers. In North and South America, output gains are reshaping market dynamics in ways that neither Riyadh nor Moscow can fully control. 'The group is still threading a fine needle,' said Jorge Leon, senior vice-president at Rystad Energy and a former OPEC official. 'On one side, there's Trump's pressure on prices. On the other, there's the cohesion of the alliance to consider , particularly as the Russia-Ukraine conflict complicates every equation.' America's silent surge Though US President Donald Trump has taken credit for easing oil prices, the reality is more complex. According to analysts at the International Energy Agency, US production has steadily crept upward in 2025 despite tepid economic signals and a cooling labour market. This expansion , along with growing output in Brazil and Guyana , has contributed to what the IEA projects as a fourth-quarter global surplus of 2 million barrels per day. Brent crude, the international benchmark, has fallen 6.7 per cent since January, to just above $70 per barrel. Goldman Sachs expects a further slide toward $60, levels well below what Saudi Arabia needs to balance its budget. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At the same time, Trump's renewed trade war and tariff escalations have dampened demand expectations. The twin impact , higher supply and slower growth , has weighed on futures, leaving OPEC+ in a quandary over whether to keep pumping or pull back again. Market share versus market stability In theory, the group could now pause. A meeting scheduled for September 7 may serve as a checkpoint, particularly if weak macroeconomic data continues to weigh on demand. Analysts at JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs expect a production freeze rather than another boost. Several crude traders surveyed by Bloomberg also predict a cautious holding pattern. But Saudi Arabia's ambitions may not align with that view. 'Ultimately, market share is now the name of the game.' said Harry Tchilinguirian, research chief at Onyx Capital Group. 'The Saudis won't want to sit on spare capacity if others are capturing customers.' This calculus is especially salient given mounting diplomatic friction between the US and Russia. Last week, Trump threatened secondary sanctions on Moscow's oil buyers, in an effort to force a ceasefire in Ukraine. In response, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak travelled to Riyadh for a rare meeting with Saudi energy minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman , a gesture meant to reinforce unity under pressure. Yet the optics belie the deeper tension. If the US moves to isolate Russian crude further, Riyadh may find itself torn between alliance loyalty and an opening to expand its own sales , even at the cost of further undercutting prices. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A tough ropewalk for OPEC+ 'We can expect the group to adopt a wait-and-see approach for at least the first several months,' said Greg Brew, senior analyst at Eurasia Group. 'But if there is a contraction in US supply, and if demand growth and the general macro environment remains favorable, I think further unwinding of cuts should be expected.' For now, the group appears to be betting that the oil market will tighten again in 2026, when the remaining 1.66 million barrels per day could be reintroduced under more favourable conditions. Trump's tariffs may have accelerated the downward price spiral, but the more durable forces keeping oil under $75 are structural: supply growth in the Americas, a cooling Chinese economy, and OPEC's own shift toward short-term tactical moves.


Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Delhi police's 'Bangladeshi language' label for Bengali an 'insult', says TN CM
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday said the Delhi police's alleged description of Bengali as a Bangladeshi language was a "direct insult" that exposed a dark mindset and he supported his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on the issue. Stalin said the Delhi Police, under the Union Home Ministry, has described Bengali as a "Bangladeshi language." This is a direct insult to the very language in which our National Anthem was written, he said. In a social media post, he said: "Such statements are not inadvertent errors or slips. They expose the dark mindset of a regime that consistently undermines diversity and weaponises identity. In the face of this assault on non-Hindi languages, Hon'ble @MamataOfficial Didi stands as a shield for the language and people of West Bengal. She will not let this attack pass without a fitting response." On August 3, West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamta Banerjee lashed out at the Delhi Police for referring to the Bengali language as "Bangladeshi national language" in a purported letter, alleging that it was "insulting, anti-national and unconstitutional."