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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday represented India at the funeral of former prime minister Khaleda Zia and handed over to Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman a letter of condolences from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his meeting with Rahman, a front-runner for prime ministership in the February 12 parliamentary polls, Jaishankar expressed confidence that Zia's "vision and values" will guide the development of partnership between the two nations. Rahman, currently serving as the acting chairman of BNP, is the eldest son of Zia. The three-time Bangladesh prime minister and BNP matriarch died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness. In his letter, Modi warmly recalled his meeting and discussions with Zia during his visit to Dhaka in June 2015, adding she was a leader of "rare resolve and conviction". She made many important contributions to the development of Bangladesh, as well as to the strengthening of India-Bangladesh relations, Modi ..
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 3 will inaugurate an exposition of the sacred Piprahwa Relics, which will be hosted at a heritage site in Delhi, officials said. The relics, discovered in the late 19th century, are widely believed to be associated with the mortal remains of the Buddha, enshrined by the Shakya clan, they said. The Ministry of Culture, in a statement, said it is organising "a landmark cultural exposition titled 'Lotus Light: Relics of the Awakened One', showcasing the revered sacred Piprahwa Relics along with significant associated antiquities". The exposition underscores India's enduring civilisational connection with the teachings of the Buddha and its commitment to preserving and presenting its rich spiritual heritage, officials said. The prestigious exposition will be inaugurated by Modi on January 3 at the Rai Pithora cultural complex here, the ministry said. The recent repatriation of the relics and the public display reflect India's continued efforts t
The Congress on Wednesday termed Chinese claims of mediation between India and Pakistan concerning and said the people of India need clarity on the issue. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his silence on the claim, which he said seemed to make a joke of the country's national security. "President Trump has long claimed that he personally intervened to halt Operation Sindoor on May 10, 2025. He has done so on 65 different occasions in various forums in at least seven different countries. The Prime Minister has never broken his silence on these claims made by his so-called good friend," Ramesh said in a post on X. "Now the Chinese Foreign Minister makes a similar claim and says China also mediated. On July 4, 2025, the Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Rahul Singh had publicly stated that during Operation Sindoor, India was actually confronting and combating China. "Given that China was decisively aligned with Pakistan, Chinese clai
India and China signed off 2025 on a positive note, trying to rebuild ties after over four years of fractious relations over the eastern Ladakh boundary conflict. The two countries set on a long road of normalisation after agreeing to end the border face-off in October 2024, bringing to an end years of tension since the 2020 Galwan clash. As peace prevailed at the borders, a key prerequisite for India to establish good relations with China, the two sides stepped up the dialogue process. NSA Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the Special Representatives of India and China on the boundary question, initiated steps towards gradually improving the relations. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during his visit to China in July, asserted that India and China should build on "good progress" in normalising the bilateral ties to address border-related issues, including de-escalation. In August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met at Tianjin under th
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said 2025 was a year of proud milestones for India ?in the field of national security, sports and scientific innovation, with the country's impact visible everywhere. Addressing his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' address, Modi also spoke about Operation Sindoor under which Indian armed forces destroyed terror infrastructure and security bases in Pakistan. "2025 was a year of proud milestones for India. Whether in national security, sports, scientific innovation or on the world's biggest platforms, India's impact was visible everywhere," he said. The prime minister also noted that 2025 has truly been a memorable year for sports with the men's cricket team clinching the ICC Champions Trophy and the women's cricket team winning the World Cup for the first time. Besides, India's daughters scripted history by winning the Women's Blind T20 World Cup. The tricolour flew high with pride after a dominant victory in the Asia Cup T20 and para-athletes brought
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a national conference of chief secretaries where he had insightful discussions on various issues relating to governance and reforms, officials said. The conference marked another important milestone in strengthening the Centre-state partnership through structured and sustained dialogue on national development priorities, they said. "Had insightful discussions on various issues relating to governance and reforms during the National Conference of Chief Secretaries being held in Delhi," Modi wrote on X. The event was attended by P K Mishra and Shaktikanta Das, principal secretaries to the prime minister, Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan, members of the NITI Aayog, and chief secretaries of all the states and Union territories. Based on the extensive deliberations between the Central ministries, departments, NITI Aayog, states and UTs and domain experts, the conference will deliberate on the theme 'Human Capital for Viksit Bharat', coveri
Causing a flutter ahead of the CWC meeting, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Saturday lauded the organisational power of RSS-BJP as he shared Narendra Modi's old picture and said how a grassroots worker went on to become the chief minister and prime minister by sitting at the feet of their leaders. The BJP was quick to latch on to Singh's remarks to hit out at the Congress, saying his praise was an "open dissent" against Rahul Gandhi's leadership. Singh's remarks came ahead of the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that decided on its agitational plan against the scrapping of MGNREGA from January 5. Sources said Singh also raised the issue of strengthening the Congress organisation at the grassroots level, asserting it was much needed in the fight against the ruling BJP and to oust it from power. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister was, however, stopped by some other senior leaders during the meeting from raising matters other than MGNREGA on which the C
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Guru Gobind Singh remains an embodiment of courage, compassion and sacrifice and his life and teachings inspire everyone to stand for truth, justice, righteousness and to protect human dignity. Modi said that the vision of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, continues to guide generations towards service and selfless duty. "On the sacred Parkash Utsav of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, we bow in reverence to him. He remains an embodiment of courage, compassion and sacrifice. His life and teachings inspire us to stand for truth, justice, righteousness and to protect human dignity," he said in a post on 'X'. The prime minister also shared a few pictures of his visit to the Takhat Sri Harimandir Patna Sahib earlier this year, where he also had 'darshan' of the holy 'Jore Sahib' (a pair of shoes) belonging to Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Sahib Kaur. On January 9, 2022, Modi had announced that December 26 would be observed as 'Veer Bal Diwas' to