Dialogue on climate change, its impact on agriculture to be held in Bhopal
'Indian agriculture stands at a crossroads. What we need now is not incremental change, but a bold recalibration of policy and practice. This dialogue is a step in that direction,' said Dr Navneet Anand, Executive Director, Sustainability Matters
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Business Standard
35 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: Through the maze of trade, debt, plastic, and policy
There's something comforting about walking through a maze with a map, not because it guarantees a swift exit, but because it offers a sense of direction in an otherwise confusing route. Life throws us mazes daily, shifting economies, changing policies, unpredictable markets. But when we hold the map that carries insight, foresight, context, we're less likely to panic at the next dead end. Let's dive in. This week, that map feels particularly vital. In Washington, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's optimism about a trade deal with India may sound like progress, but a closer look reveals a more complicated path. Indian negotiators remain wary, knowing how the terrain can shift overnight with U.S. political winds. With a more rule-bound European Union pact on the horizon, India might be wiser to invest in partnerships that don't tear at the seams every election cycle, argues our first editorial. Elsewhere, Bill Gates is drawing his own kind of map, a 99 per cent philanthropic pledge to Africa, aiming for maternal health, disease eradication, and poverty reduction in 2045, by when the trust is expected to be valued at $200 billion. While it's a powerful route charted against the backdrop of declining US aid, our second editorial notes that some remain skeptical of private capital's ability to reshape public futures without also shifting power dynamics. Still, it's a bold turn that reimagines legacy as impact rather than inheritance. Closer home, economist Ajay Chhibber believes the RBI may be reading the wrong map. Inflation is falling, yet the central bank's cautious stance risks repeating past errors. With growth sputtering worldwide, India must look inward and strengthen domestic demand urgently and with more than 25 basis-point baby steps. Meanwhile, Jamie Dimon warns of cracks in the world's largest financial corridor: the US bond market. With America's debt ballooning, global tremors are inevitable, writes Rajesh Kumar. India, like many others, will have to walk carefully, eyes on both the curve ahead and the map in hand. And on World Environment Day, Saabira Chaudhuri's Consumed: How Big Brands Got Us Hooked on Plastic offers a GPS through plastic's entangled legacy. Chintan Girish Modi reviews that through India and America's histories with plastic, the book shows how brands got us hooked and how hard it is to chart an escape. But with clarity, nuance, and honesty, she arms us with a better map for a cleaner future. Stay tuned!
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
India's actions in Op Sindoor measured: Rajnath
NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday told Australia that its actions against Pakistan during the recent four-day military confrontation under Operation Sindoor were 'measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible', during talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, who is also the deputy prime minister of that country and is on a two-day visit to India. Singh underscored India's right to respond in self-defence against cross-border terror, and the two leaders agreed to work together to combat terrorism. The meeting came at a critical moment as India is taking steps to isolate Islamabad globally following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. India sent seven multi-party delegations to 33 countries to explain its new approach to combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and the rationale behind Operation Sindoor --- India's strikes on terror and military installations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam terror strike in which 26 people were shot dead. The delegations have underlined the need to hold Pakistan and its military establishment accountable for supporting terror groups. Both ministers strongly condemned the terror attack in Pahalgam and expressed deepest condolences to the families of the victims, the defence ministry said. 'India thanks Australia for its unequivocal support to India's resolute response against the barbaric act of terror in Pahalgam,' Singh wrote on X, adding that the two leaders reviewed the full range of the India-Australia defence partnership. Pakistan's Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, which was mounted in response to Operation Sindoor, 'folded in eight hours' on May 10 belying Islamabad's ambitious target of bringing India to its knees in 48 hours, chief of defence staff General Anil Chauhan said on Tuesday. Between the launch of the operation in the early hours of May 7 and the ceasefire on the evening of May 10, Indian forces bombed nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK and killed at least 100 terrorists, and the Indian Air Force struck targets at 13 Pakistani air bases and military installations. On Tuesday, it emerged that India's targeting of locations within Pakistan during the May 7-10 clash was more extensive than was previously known, with a Pakistani document acknowledging that Indian drones had struck locations ranging from Peshawar in the northwest to Hyderabad in the south. Marles' personal commitment and leadership in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Singh said. 'The two ministers agreed to intensify and diversify defence industry collaboration, and further defence science and technology collaboration projects when they meet in Australia later this year for the third India-Australia 2+2 ministerial meeting. They also reviewed the progress made since the last 2+2 ministerial dialogue in November 2023,' the defence ministry said in a statement. On the fifth anniversary of the signing of India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, both sides noted that the defence sector has emerged as a key pillar of the collaboration. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the growing strategic convergence between the two countries and agreed to work together to further the shared objectives of peace, prosperity, stability and progress in the Indian Ocean region, and the larger Indo-Pacific. During the second India-Australia 2+2 foreign and defence ministerial dialogue in 2023, leaders from the two countries held talks centred around deepening military cooperation in critical areas including anti-submarine warfare and air-to-air refuelling, security in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's rising influence, hydrography cooperation and strengthening ties in sectors such as critical minerals, science and technology, space and education. India has 2+2 ministerial dialogues with only a handful of countries, including the US, Japan and Russia. Last year, India and Australia signed an agreement to enable their air forces to conduct air-to-air refuelling, a move aimed at boosting inter-operability between the two sides.
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Made in India' weapons crucial: Modi tells council of ministers
India's aerial combat capabilities withstood the demands of modern warfare during Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told his Council of Ministers, referring to India's strikes on nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. During the council's first meeting after Operation Sindoor, Modi hailed the attacks, which targeted Pakistan military infrastructure as well, as an achievement of Indian soldiers and emphasised the strength of indigenous weapons. He highlighted the changing nature of warfare and said 'Make in India' weapons and platforms will be a priority for the government, said people aware of the matter. Modi asked the ministers to focus on quality of governance. He said that India is becoming a great trading country and quality of products and governance assumes importance. 'We have big targets, but our time is limited,' he is believed to have told the ministers. The PM also instructed the Council of Ministers to ensure the government's achievements are communicated with clarity and efforts to ensure saturation of people centric schemes are redoubled, said people aware of the details. The Prime Minister is also learnt to have said that the focus of the outreach should be on the accomplishments and milestones achieved in the past 11 years but there should be no let-up in making efforts to meet newer targets. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will mark the first anniversary of its third term in power on June 9. According to a person aware of the details, the meeting centred around the need to shine the spotlight on policies, programmes, and outcomes through public outreach campaigns. The ministers were urged to set their sights on the tasks that need to be accomplished, instead of resting on their laurels.
