Praise with Pressure: Trump’s Warm Words for Modi Mask a Hard-Edged Trade Strategy

President Donald Trump once again described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “fantastic leader” and a “close friend,” projecting warmth and personal chemistry on the global stage. Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 21, 2026, Trump expressed confidence that the United States and India would ultimately reach a “good…

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PSLV-C62 Setback: Financial and Strategic Fallout from ISRO’s Latest Launch Failure

ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission, launched on January 12, 2026, from Sriharikota at 10:18 a.m. IST, was expected to reaffirm the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’s reputation as India’s most dependable launcher. Instead, a malfunction in the third stage abruptly ended the flight, resulting in the loss of 16 satellites, including key payloads such as EOS-N1 and DRDO’s…

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India–EU Trade at a Turning Point: How a Free Trade Deal Could Reshape Export Growth

A Strong Partnership in Numbers India’s commercial engagement with the European Union has entered a decisive phase. In FY 2024–25, bilateral goods trade touched an all-time high of USD 136.53 billion, with Indian exports alone climbing to USD 75.85 billion. This performance delivered a healthy trade surplus of USD 15.17 billion for New Delhi and reinforced the…

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Mass Surrender: 63 Maoists Carrying ₹1.19 Crore Bounties Lay Down Arms in Dantewada

The mass surrender of Maoist cadres in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district in January 2026 has emerged as a powerful indicator of the shrinking space for Left-Wing Extremism in India. Sixty-three insurgents, including several high-value operatives carrying cumulative rewards exceeding ₹1.19 crore, voluntarily renounced violence before security forces. Their decision, driven by ideological fatigue, internal exploitation, and the attraction…

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India’s Scramjet Breakthrough Signals a Hypersonic Power Shift

A Test that Redefines India’s Hypersonic Trajectory India’s hypersonic ambitions crossed a critical threshold when the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully conducted a long-duration scramjet combustor test in early January 2026. The 12-minute ground run, achieved under sustained Mach 5+ conditions, marks more than a technical success—it signals India’s transition from experimental hypersonics to…

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Raids, Resistance, and the Rule of Law: Inside the ED’s Action Against I-PAC

ED Raids I-PAC’s Kolkata Office On January 8, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out search operations at the Kolkata office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), along with premises linked to its senior functionaries. The raids, conducted in Salt Lake’s Sector V and at a central Kolkata residence associated with I-PAC director Pratik Jain, immediately…

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India Paves the Way: Indigenous Bio-Bitumen Signals a Green Turning Point for Highways

India Becomes the First to Produce Indigenous Bio-Bitumen India has entered a new chapter in sustainable infrastructure by becoming the world’s first country to commercially produce indigenous bio-bitumen for highway construction. Announced in early January 2026, this breakthrough replaces a portion of conventional petroleum-based bitumen with a bio-derived alternative made from agricultural residue. Beyond technological novelty, the development…

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When Dissent Erupts: Protest, Power, and Policing at JNU

Anti-PM Slogans Thrust JNU Back into the National Spotlight Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has once again found itself at the heart of a national political debate. On January 5, 2026, slogans raised during a student gathering on campus quickly travelled beyond university walls, dominating television studios, social media platforms, and political statements. As in earlier moments of…

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Deadly Blast in Dhenkanal: Illegal Quarrying and the Cost of Regulatory Failure

Dhenkanal Quarry Explosion: A Sudden Disaster in Rural Odisha A powerful explosion at a dolomite stone quarry near Gopalpur village in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on the evening of January 3, 2026, turned a routine workday into tragedy. The blast triggered a massive rockslide, killing at least two workers and leaving others trapped beneath debris for…

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Renewing the Lifeline: What the Ganga Water Talks Mean for India–Bangladesh Relations

India and Bangladesh have reopened negotiations on the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty at a moment of consequence, as the landmark agreement signed in 1996 approaches its December 2026 expiry. Talks formally commenced on January 1, 2026, with joint hydrological measurements on the Ganga–Padma system at Farakka—an early technical step that signals intent, but also underscores the political…

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