Delhi Turns into a Fortress New Delhi has been transformed into a high-security fortress as India readies to host Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 4–5 for the 23rd India–Russia Annual Summit—his first visit since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The capital is under an unprecedented multi-layer security grid, reflecting both the geopolitical sensitivity of the visit…
SIR: From Technical Exercise to Political Flashpoint The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, underway across nine states and three Union Territories, has become more than a routine administrative process. Originally intended to remove duplicates, correct constituency allocations, and register new voters, SIR has come under scrutiny due to reports of multiple booth-level officer (BLO)…
Amar Subramanya’s appointment as Apple’s vice president of AI marks a critical juncture for the company’s AI ambitions. Educated in Bengaluru with a bachelor’s degree from Bangalore University, Subramanya brings over 25 years of experience in large-scale machine learning systems. Known as a “builder-leader,” he has a track record of translating cutting-edge AI research into products that…
DA-Basic Pay Merger Confusion Amid growing speculation around the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC), uncertainty has persisted over whether the government would merge dearness allowance (DA) with basic pay. In a Lok Sabha reply, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary clarified that no such merger is under consideration. He emphasized that DA and Dearness Relief…
Sanchar Saathi, the government’s cyber-safety app originally designed to help citizens track, block and disable stolen phones, is now positioned to become part of every new smartphone sold in India. What began as a seemingly innocuous anti-fraud utility has rapidly escalated into a fierce policy dispute—touching on privacy, state power, and the limits of regulatory authority…
A New Push for Recovery Funding When Donald Trump signed a sweeping addiction-recovery law on 2 December 2025—authorising several billion dollars for treatment, prevention and long-term support—he reframed the early contours of his new “war on drugs.” The initiative signals a renewed focus on the public-health side of the overdose crisis, even as his broader strategy continues to…
A Crisis Sparked by Rumour Rawalpindi has again become the nerve centre of Pakistan’s political volatility, as unverified rumours about Imran Khan’s deteriorating health—and even claims of his death in custody—circulate widely online. The claims, though unsupported by evidence, triggered anxiety among Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters and prompted calls for a “mega protest” outside Adiala Jail….
The latest Open Doors 2025 data paints a portrait of an international education system that is expanding—but not from its traditional source of strength. Growth is increasingly driven not by newly arriving students, but by those already in the United States progressing through multi-stage academic and work pathways. Country trends are evolving unevenly: India continues to…
A New Face of Terrorism Emerges in Kashmir The National Investigation Agency’s latest crackdown in Kashmir has exposed a sophisticated “white collar” terror ecosystem—a shadowy network where radical ideology, professional expertise and digital technologies converge to enable violence. The sweeping raids, conducted across Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam, form part of an expanding investigation linking Kashmir-based operatives…
A Blockbuster Proposal That Could Redefine Cross-Industry Casting Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney, one of the industry’s fastest-rising names, is reportedly being courted for a record-shattering ₹530–540 crore (£45 million) Bollywood debut—an offer that, if real, would eclipse any remuneration ever extended to an international actor by an Indian production house. The unconfirmed proposal, first floated by…
