The Hindu Morning Digest: May 17, 2025
Even as a controversy has erupted over Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah's inflammatory remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, State Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda courted a row on Friday (May 16, 2025) after he made 'insulting' statements on the armed forces, saying that the personnel 'bowed down at the feet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi' for his leadership during Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan Foreign Minister calls for 'composite dialogue' with India to address contentious issues
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has called for a 'composite dialogue' with India to address the contentious issues between the two sides. India made it clear that it will have a dialogue with Pakistan only on the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issue of terrorism.
Supreme Court's three-month timeline in Tamil Nadu Governor verdict was adopted from Centre's own guidelines
The Centre, through the means of a Presidential Reference, has questioned the Supreme Court's decision in the Tamil Nadu Governor case to 'impose' a three-month timeline for the President to decide on State legislations reserved for consideration under Article 201 by State Governors. However, the Supreme Court's April 8, 2025 judgment made it clear that it was merely adopting guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) through two back-to-back Office Memorandums (OMs) issued in 2016 fixing a three-month timeline for the President.
Neeraj Chopra finally breaches 90m but finishes 2nd in Doha DL in 'bitter-sweet' contest
Neeraj Chopra finally breached the elusive 90m frontier with a 90.23m throw but the trailblazing Indian had to settle for a second place behind Germany's Julian Weber in a dramatic men's javelin contest at the Doha leg of the prestigious Diamond League Meeting series here on Friday.
Nagpur woman goes missing in village along LoC in Kargil
Police in Ladakh have intensified search for a 36-year-old woman from Nagpur who went missing from one of the last villages in Kargil along the Line of Control (LoC) on May 14. Though her whereabouts were not known yet, police officials said that the woman had tried to cross over to Pakistan near Amritsar border in Punjab in March this year. She was stopped by the Border Security Force (BSF) then, the officials said.
Turkish firm Celebi moves Delhi HC against revoking of security clearance
Turkish company Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd on Friday (May 16, 2025) moved the Delhi High Court against the decision of aviation watchdog BCAS revoking its security clearance in the 'interest of national security'.
NIA conducts searches at 15 locations linked to Babbar Khalsa International in Punjab
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday (May 16, 2025) conducted searches on 15 locations linked to banned Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in different parts of Punjab, in connection with the grenade attack on a police station in Gurdaspur last December.
Russia, Ukraine agree to swap prisoners, fail to reach truce
Russia and Ukraine agreed a large-scale prisoner exchange, said they would trade ideas on a possible ceasefire and discussed a potential meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin in their first direct talks in over three years on Friday (May 16, 2025).
India to do whatever is necessary to build ties with Afghanistan: officials
A day after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a telephone conversation with the 'acting Afghan Foreign Minister,' Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, officials in New Delhi asserted that India will undertake 'bold moves' on Afghanistan and 'do whatever is necessary' in the near future to establish stronger relations with the Taliban-ruled state.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
14 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Defence personnel awarded gallantry medals for success of Operation Sindoor
The Union government on Thursday (August 14, 2025) announced gallantry awards for armed forces personnel, including those who played a key role in the success of Operation Sindoor. President Droupadi Murmu approved 127 gallantry awards and 40 distinguished service awards for personnel of the armed forces and the Central Armed Police Forces on the eve of Independence Day, according to the Union Ministry of Defence. The President also approved Tatrakshak Medals to five Indian Coast Guard personnel. The awards include four Kirti Chakras; 15 Vir Chakras; 16 Shaurya Chakras; two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry); 58 Sena Medals (Gallantry); six Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry); 26 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry); seven Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medals; nine Uttam Yudh Seva Medals; and 24 Yudh Seva Medals. Sub-Inspector Mohd Imteyaj and Constable Deepak Chingakham of the Border Security Force (BSF) were posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra in recognition of their exceptional courage and selfless leadership in the face of an adverse situation, the BSF said. The government has awarded 58 Sena Medals to the Indian Army, including to two Agniveers. Six Nao Sena medals have been awarded to Indian Navy personnel, and 26 Vayu Sena medals to Indian Air Force personnel. The medals have been awarded for brave contribution in the service of the nation during Operation Sindoor, and other operations conducted by the armed forces. The list of awardees includes pilots, officers, and jawans operating the S-400 air defence system. The Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal has been awarded to Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Director General of Military Operations for Operation Sindoor; Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh (Retd.), Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command; Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, Vice Chief of the Air Staff; Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command; Air Marshal Jeetandra Mishra, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Air Command; and Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, Director General, Air Operations. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) received 23 Gallantry Medals, the highest among Central Armed Police Forces, including three Shaurya Chakras and 20 Gallantry Medals for valour in Jammu & Kashmir, and in anti-Maoist operations. On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, during which a series of missile strikes targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, in response to the terror attack in Pahalgam. The operation targeted nine locations, including terror camps in Muridke, a Lashkar-e-Taiba stronghold, and Bahawalpur, the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters. The President also approved 290 Mention-in-Despatches for 115 personnel of the Indian Army, five personnel of the Indian Navy, 167 personnel of the Indian Air Force, and three personnel of the Border Roads Development Board. During Operation Sindoor, India's air defence systems shot down six Pakistani aircraft, while air-to-ground missiles struck airbases and other defence installations in the neighbouring country, causing significant damage, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh recently said.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
14 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Best of BS Opinion: India at 79: A test of resilience, reform, reckoning
India's 79th Independence Day arrives as both a celebration and a stocktake. The unity that has defined the Republic has been tested repeatedly, most recently during Operation Sindoor, when India retaliated to a terror strike in Pahalgam by targeting Pakistan-based terror and military infrastructure. The response showcased a sharper counterterrorism posture, but the moment also underlines wider challenges, notes our first editorial. India's economic strength, the fastest-growing among large economies, has lifted millions out of poverty, yet the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047 demands sustained growth in a tougher global climate. Meanwhile, corporate governance is confronting its own reckoning. At the 2025 Annual Directors Conclave, Sebi chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey reminded independent directors they are not 'honorary appointees or friendly critics.' His warning follows the Gensol Engineering case. Similar failures at Satyam, IL&FS, Yes Bank, and Paytm Payments Bank have exposed a culture where promoter influence often overrides oversight, highlights our second editorial. With 549 voluntary resignations in FY25, including 154 this year, the environment for corporate oversight is shifting fast. K P Krishnan writes on India's leading financial regulators, RBI, Sebi, and Irdai, which continue to be led by former IAS officers, reflecting a comfort with administrative experience but also an institutional shortfall. In mature economies, leadership is drawn from academia, industry, and public administration, bringing varied perspectives. India's absence of transparent, rule-based processes has made it harder for outsiders to thrive. Implementing reforms like those in the draft Indian Financial Code could open the field and create more resilient regulatory institutions. Domestic institutional investors have overtaken foreign institutional investors in equity holdings for the first time in 25 years, with Rs 14 trillion in equities versus FIIs' Rs 10 trillion. Since 2014-15, DIIs have grown at an average 42 per cent annually, fuelled by retail participation and steady inflows. FIIs, once the dominant market movers, have seen their correlation with the Sensex fade, while DIIs now set the tone, argues Janak Raj. High valuations may keep foreign flows muted, leaving domestic money as the primary force in the market. Finally, in To Lose a War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban, reviewed by Elliot Ackerman, veteran correspondent Jon Lee Anderson follows Afghanistan's story from the Taliban's ouster in 2001 to their return in 2021. Drawing on two decades of frontline reporting, Anderson captures early optimism, mounting insurgency, and the missteps that shaped the war's outcome. The book closes with the lesson that withdrawing from reconstruction, as in the 1980s, can invite renewed instability, a warning with resonance far beyond Afghanistan. Stay tuned!
Time of India
22 minutes ago
- Time of India
Minister, too, worried over delayed college admission
Kolkata: State education minister Bratya Basu has expressed concern over the impasse related to the undergraduate admission due to legal ambiguity. On Thursday, Basu said: "We are also concerned over the publication of the Joint Entrance results. There is overactivity aimed at halting the admission process, despite the Supreme Court directive. " A huge number of students who want to enrol in undergraduate courses and engineering colleges are still uncertain about the start of the admission process. The West Bengal Joint Entrance Board was preparing to publish the results, but the high court ordered a stay on it. The entire matter is pending before the court. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Gold Rates Today in Kolkata | Silver Rates Today in Kolkata The HS results were published on May 7. Since then, three months have passed, but undergraduate admissions have not started yet due to the unresolved reservation matters. Around 3.5 lakh candidates applied through the centralized admission portal, while over 1 lakh candidates appeared for the WBJEE test to get admission to BTech courses. An official from the higher education department said, "This year, quite a good number of students from other states applied through the centralized portal, but we don't know how many of them will actually take admission. " Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Independence Day wishes , messages , and quotes !
