BJP murderers jibe at Congress for top cop's suspension over Bengaluru stampede
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The Prime Minister is set to visit Jammu and Kashmir, his first since the Pahalgam attack. He will inaugurate the Chenab Bridge and flag off the Vande Bharat train from Katra to Srinagar. This rail link, envisioned 42 years ago, is expected to boost the region's economy, particularly benefiting the horticulture industry and tourism sector. The world's highest railway bridge is described as an engineering marvel, overcoming geographical challenges.
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Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
‘Trade Threats Ended Indo-Pak Conflict': Donald Trump Doubles Down, Takes Credit For Halting War Again
'Kashmir To Kanyakumari Now Reality': PM Modi Flags Off Vande Bharat From Katra To Srinagar | J&K Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, inaugurated the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab and India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, the Anji Bridge. Modi also flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains between Katra and Srinagar. Speaking at a public rally in Katra, his first visit since the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, he said 'Walking on the Chenab and Anji bridges, I lived the lofty aspirations of India.' Calling J&K the 'crown jewel of India,' Modi proudly declared, 'From Kashmir to Kanyakumari is now a railway reality.'#narendramodi #omarabdullah #modi #chenabbridge #jammukashmir #kashmirconnectivity #usbrl #worldshighestrailwaybridge #indiainfrastructure #railwaybridge #fullstatehood #engineeringmarvel #indiarailways #jkdevelopment #modigovt #kashmirvalley #nationalconnectivity #britishcouldntdo #historicmoment #infrastructuredevelopment #kashmir #toi #toibharat 2.8K views | 22 hours ago
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
India-Central Asia Dialogue IV: A strategic opportunity
The IV India–Central Asia Dialogue in New Delhi, held on June 6, 2025, may well be remembered as more than just another diplomatic milestone. It represents a broader transformation in India's foreign policy, one that blends counterterrorism resolve with regional integration, historic ties with digital futures, and diplomacy with defense. In short, it marks India's assertion of strategic agency across Eurasia's contested heartland. Speaking at the opening session of the IV India-Central Asia Dialogue, external affairs minister S Jaishankar thanked Central Asian counterparts for their solidarity in condemning the Pahalgam attack and reaffirmed India's intent to deepen 'a partnership defined by shared aspirations, shared opportunities, and common challenges.' That message is not rhetorical. It reflects India's new doctrine of regional presence. With Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India had established a 'new benchmark' in counter-terrorism policy. In the wake of that operation, the Dialogue reinforces India's intention to convert tactical clarity into strategic connectivity. India's ambitions in Central Asia are not new. But they have never been this consolidated or strategically framed. The dialogue reinforced India's identity as a trusted development partner, one that is investing in connectivity corridors, health infrastructure, digital public goods, and high-impact community development projects. India's approach is scaffolded by the C5+1 framework, which allows it to engage multilaterally with the five republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, while also managing bilateral dynamics. The format is fast maturing into a platform for everything from counterterror cooperation to fintech coordination. India's broader objective? India aims to establish itself as a reliable geopolitical competitor in a region dominated by China's Belt and Road Initiative and Russia's military-economic complex. In this crowded field, India isn't trying to outbuild China or out-arm Russia but to compete as an equally strong partner to Central Asia by offering transparent, sustainable, and sovereign-friendly alternatives. The Dialogue also put connectivity back in the spotlight. India recommitted to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and Chabahar Port, inviting more active participation from Central Asian nations. Kazakhstan's proposal to develop the eastern branch of INSTC was welcomed as a strategic bridge between India and Eurasia. Economic diplomacy gained new dimensions with the promotion of trade in national currencies and the creation of a Joint Working Group on financial connectivity. The goal is not just trade; it's institutional connectivity. Add to that the growing potential for rare earth cooperation, another arena India is stepping into with confidence. The establishment of the India–Central Asia Digital Partnership Forum signals a digital leap forward. With Uzbekistan hosting the first edition, India aims to export elements of India Stack and help build Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) across the region. Unlike China's surveillance-heavy tech model, India's approach emphasises open access, transparency, and interoperability. While security and infrastructure issues dominate headlines, India's Central Asia playbook is quietly being reinforced by soft power. Indian students, tourists, and cultural institutions are increasingly visiting cities like Tashkent and Almaty. The Dialogue acknowledged these people-to-people bonds, expanding youth exchanges and educational ties. However, air connectivity remains a bottleneck. Pakistan's airspace restrictions continue to complicate direct flight routes, making low-cost carriers like IndiGo unviable in the region. Currently, only Uzbekistan Airways and Air Astana offer direct connections, neither of which are affordable or frequent enough to catalyse tourism or business travel. For New Delhi to realise its soft power potential, it must solve this airspace access challenge, either diplomatically or by developing alternative corridors via Iran and the Gulf. What sets Central Asia apart today is its growing regionalism. In contrast to the non-functional SAARC in South Asia, Central Asia is increasingly resolving disputes through diplomacy. This interstate regional cohesion makes it far more receptive to external partnerships, and India must adapt its foreign policy to this new regional logic of Central Asia. This shift adds value to the C5+1 format of India's dialogue with Central Asia. The 4th India-Central Dialogue's focus on health care, sustainable energy, counter-radicalisation, and climate cooperation reflects this shift. India's development experiences, such as UPI for financial inclusion, Ayushman Bharat for health care, and its leadership in climate coalitions like ISA and GBA, are now being actively exported to Central Asian partners. The IV India-Central Asia Dialogue was a pivotal moment in strategic affairs. As global power dynamics transition toward multipolarity, India's strategic role in Central Asia will significantly influence its ambitions throughout Eurasia. The dialogue transcends mere diplomatic formality; it serves as a strategic instrument for transforming India's engagement with a region that has historically been significant to its foreign policy objectives and is increasingly vital. From counterterrorism to connectivity, from Op-Sindoor to digital diplomacy, India is showing it has the will and the tools to redefine its presence in Eurasia. This process is no longer about catching up with China or balancing Russia. It's about anchoring a values-based, development-driven, sovereign-respecting framework of engagement. The next India–Central Asia Summit, slated for later in 2025, will offer a platform to elevate this vision to the leadership level. India has arrived at the Silk Road with a new doctrine and a new direction. The challenge now is to make this new normal last. This article is authored by Kamakshi Wason, global COO, Tillotoma Foundation.
News18
3 hours ago
- News18
You Did Well, Jaishankar Tells Multi-Party Teams On Return To India As Leaders Share Feedback
Last Updated: Sources said the delegations told Jaishankar that they were received well and the countries were willing to listen to India's side of the story On Friday, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met two delegations that have returned from the multi-country visits—one led by NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and the other by NDA alliance partner Shiv Sena's parliamentary party leader Shrikant Shinde—the youngest amongst all the delegate leaders. The Sule-led delegation visited countries like South Africa, Ethiopia, and Egypt, while those on Shinde's list were UAE, followed by countries like Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Sources said Jaishankar was told that many countries that they went to want India to sit across the table and have a dialogue with Pakistan. Some countries have even asked why India did not take a stand on the escalation between several other countries. It is learnt that the members explained to these countries that it was not possible to speak to Pakistan because it cannot be trusted due to its policy to support terror. The delegations expressed how they were made to feel welcome, and people in these countries were willing to listen to India's side of the story. It is also learnt that the delegation told the minister that there is more need for better communication with these countries so that India can present its view. It would not be fair to judge them assuming that they would be supporting Pakistan by virtue of being a Muslim nation. Through these visits, the countries also said India should seek deeper engagement with them, not just in trade and commerce, but on other softer issues like culture, tourism etc. The delegation also gave feedback to the government that it was important to have better dialogue and engage with Western media to be able to explain India's narrative better. The Shinde team, on the other hand, had a much better engagement. A moment of silence in the memory of those who lost their lives in the Pahalgam attack was observed in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In fact, in Liberia, it was done in Parliament and Shinde was asked to speak at the podium. Jaishankar expressed satisfaction with the interaction of the teams to these countries, which have often been dismissed as insignificant, but will have a role to play in the future. 'These countries are not very prominent for many looking at it from a world view, but the kind of narrative that you have been able to bring back home. It is a great service to the country," the minister is said to have told the delegation. The delegation led by Shinde also expressed sentiments of the people of these countries who wanted better trade relations with India. The potential for investment and better trade could certainly be explored with deeper engagement, they said. Jaishankar was also told that Liberia, for example, has been looking out for a space to have its consulate in India. India is a great importer of rubber and rubber-related goods for which markets in these African countries can also be explored. These African countries can also be a great investment sector for mining, the delegation expressed. The delegation also added that there was a huge appreciation for India's role in UN peacekeeping and the kind of support India gave to these countries during Covid-19 by providing vaccines and other essential medicines, which is deeply appreciated. So far, five delegation members out of seven have met Jaishankar and shared the detailed feedback that they have been able to gather in their multi-party visits across many countries. The remaining two delegations from Ravi Shankar Prasad's team and Shashi Tharoor's team are likely to meet the minister some time next week. Some members have also submitted a detailed written report and note for the government of India to consider. A total of seven delegations, comprising 55 members—including MPs, former diplomats, and former Union ministers—were dispatched to 38 countries to explain India's stand on terrorism. These delegations were led by prominent leaders such as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, NCP(SP)'s Supriya Sule, BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad and Baijayant Panda, Shiv Sena's Srikant Shinde, DMK's Kanimozhi, and JD(U) MP Sanjay Jha.
