Our take on Mark Rutte, Macron, and Nitish Kumar — in 50 words
This week, the United States designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte threatened to impose 100 per cent secondary sanctions on countries trading with Russia, and President Emmanuel Macron promised to double France's defence budget by 2027. Read our 50-word editorials on them and much more.
Nitish Kumar's free electricity promise shows pre-poll desperation. It's for political survival
17 July
Self-reliance in defence technology has advantages. But India lacks ecosystem to back it
Mark Rutte is a 2025 sequel to The Mouse That Roared
16 July
TDP's suggestions on SIR are based on sound logic. ECI must listen to it
Growing representation of women in civil services is heartening, but far from ideal
15 July
Macron doubling France's defence budget reflects a new world disorder fuelled by Trumpism
Maharashtra govt must focus on governance, not squander its mandate
Indian streets are pure pandemonium. Fauja Singh's death is a reminder of lack of public safety
14 July
Ashok Gajapathi Raju's appointment as Goa governor shows changed dynamics, Modi's pragmatism
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India Today
6 minutes ago
- India Today
Bharat must remain Bharat, shouldn't be altered: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday emphasised that 'Bharat must remain Bharat' and should not be translated or altered in any context, as reported by news agency at the 'Gyan Sabha', a national education conclave organised by the RSS-linked Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, Bhagwat said that Bharat is not just a name but the nation's very 'identity'.advertisement'Bharat is a proper noun. It should not be translated. 'India that is Bharat,' is true. But Bharat is Bharat, and that is why, while writing and speaking, we should keep Bharat as Bharat... Bharat must remain Bharat,' Bhagwat said, stressing that the global respect India commands is rooted in its original identity, or 'Bharatiyata'. He cautioned that losing one's identity, regardless of achievements, could result in a loss of respect and security on the global stage. 'The identity of Bharat is respected because it is Bharat. If you lose your identity, whatever other meritorious qualities you may have, you will never be respected or secure in this world. That is the rule of thumb,' he highlighted India's historical commitment to peace and non-violence, saying the country has never followed expansionist or exploitative policies.'Viksit Bharat, Vishwa Guru Bharat, will not be the cause of war ... and will never exploit. We have gone from Mexico to Siberia; we walked on foot, and we went in small boats. We did not invade anyone's territory or ruin it. We did not usurp anyone's kingdom. We taught everyone civilisation,' he to India's civilisational philosophy, he added, 'You see the tradition of Indian knowledge. The root of the tradition is in that truth... the truth of the unity of the whole world.'On education, Bhagwat called for a values-based system rooted in India's cultural ethos. He stressed the need for education to foster self-reliance and social responsibility. 'One small intention behind getting education is to be able to stand on your own in your life and to be able to keep your family intact...' he to nationalist thinker Maharishi Arvind, the RSS Chief linked the revival of Sanatana Dharma to the idea of a Hindu nation. 'Yogi Arvind said that it is God's will for the Sanatana Dharma to rise and for the rise of Sanatana Dharma, the rise of the Hindu nation is inevitable. These are his words, and we see that today's world needs this vision. Therefore, we will have to first understand what Bharat is...' he concluded by reiterating the importance of anchoring India's education system in its civilisational values and national identity.- EndsWith inputs from InMust Watch
Time of India
16 minutes ago
- Time of India
Bulldozers & cops reach Uriamghat as govt looks to clear reserve forest land
1 2 Guwahati: Assam's next major eviction operation slated in Uriamghat, situated along the Assam-Nagaland border, is poised to stir up the tranquillity of the region this week as bulldozers have begun entering the region. Authorities said vast forest expanses have been degraded by encroachers over the years, potentially breaching further into upper Assam districts. More than 80 to 90% of encroachers, a significant number of whom identify as 'Miya Muslims' (a term referring to migrant Muslims of Bangladesh/East Pakistan origin), have vacated their homes in Uriamghat's Rengma Reserve Forest, from where over 10,000 people will be evicted. Security was intensified in the region on Sunday, with numerous police and security personnel deployed and bulldozers placed in school fields. Only a handful of families remain, camping close to the occupied lands until the demolition of their houses is executed. Sarupathar MLA Biswajit Phukan said the large-scale eviction could commence as early as Tuesday. "29th July, 2025 will be an important and historic day for Sarupathar," Phukan wrote on social media, thanking CM Sarma and highlighting the urgency of the situation. As opposition parties contemplate criticising the govt for the scale of the forthcoming operation, Assam information and public relations minister Pijush Hazarika on Sunday criticised opposition leaders, including Assam PCC president Gaurav Gogoi, alleging that they have supported encroachers and doubtful citizens. "They hobnob with encroachers and doubtful citizens. Our govt has acted against those people who have unjustly grabbed lands. Govt has not touched lands which have pattas (land deeds)," Hazarika said. He maintained that the decision on whether encroachers are Indian citizens or foreigners lies with the courts, but underlined that the govt would not tolerate encroachment of govt land. "Those who back the encroachers are not satisfied at doubtful citizens taking over lower and central Assam. People like Gaurav Gogoi will find peace only when upper Assam is also encroached upon," Hazarika said, adding that govt would not provide compensation or land to. According to govt data, out of the total 13,921 hectares of forest reserve at Rengma in Golaghat district, 10,958 hectares have been encroached. Families living there said they settlement in the area five decades ago from various central Assam districts and later from the Barak Valley region, with a few coming from Bihar.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
No Entry For GM Crops, Says New Delhi; India-US Trade Talks Hit A Sacred Wall
New Delhi: Genetically modified (GM) crops will not be crossing India's borders anytime soon, no matter how urgently the United States knocks. As trade negotiations between New Delhi and Washington enter a crucial phase, insiders say one red line is not up for discussion. 'There are things that are not about negotiation. Some things are a matter of principle,' said a senior official close to the development. That principle, sources say, is GM corn and soy. While American negotiators have made agricultural access a central demand, pressing India for a wider entry gate for U.S. farm goods, New Delhi is not blinking, especially on GM imports. Over the years, the issue has mutated from a mere trade disagreement into a symbolic fight over sovereignty, food safety and grassroots politics. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has repeatedly flagged India's restrictions on GM products, calling them 'non-tariff barriers'. But Indian authorities remain unmoved, largely because of the hardline stance taken by domestic groups closely aligned with the ruling establishment. Last month, the message from Sangh affiliates was if America insists on forcing GM crops into the Indian market, there may be no trade deal at all. Carried in Business Standard, that warning echoed the sentiments of influential groups such as the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) and the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), which have long opposed agricultural concessions to Washington, particularly in sectors like dairy and GM crops. Their argument? Food security. The BKS has often warned that allowing U.S. crops into India, especially without clear labelling or transparency, could sabotage domestic farming ecosystems and compromise health safety standards. On the other hand, the SJM sees this as a direct attack on economic self-reliance. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. U.S. officials have privately hinted at the urgency of the moment, pointing to a deadline set by President Donald Trump, who is seeking a revival of his trade agenda. Trump has marked August 1 as a red-letter day. If no interim deal is inked by then, India could be hit with reciprocal tariffs, potentially as high as 26 percent. Indian trade negotiators are not indifferent to that pressure. But according to officials involved in the process, the sixth round of talks will only happen in the second half of August after Trump's deadline expires. Any hope for a short-term resolution seems, at best, unrealistic. As one official put it, 'We are not looking at compromise in areas that touch the lives of millions.' In other words, GM corn is off the table. And perhaps, so is the deal, at least for now.
