Page 170 - External Affairs & Defence Security

Economic reforms must to strengthen commercial ties: USIBC welcomes Budget

Ambassador Atul Keshap further urged India to push for much more ambitious reforms in taxation, regulatory frameworks, and business procedures to enhance the country's global competitiveness

Bangladesh gets 16,000 tonnes of rice from India despite tensions

Bangladesh is set to receive 300,000 tonnes of rice from India under an agreement, with 40 per cent of it being unloaded at Mongla Port and the rest at Chittagong Port

Budget 2025: Defence still below 2% of GDP; 'Aatmanirbharta' push continues

Latest allocation continues five-year trend of declining defence spending as a share of GDP and budget, with FY26 showing a slight recovery in the latter but remaining unchanged in the former

Budget 2025: Rs 20k cr Nuclear Mission for small modular reactor, 5 by 2033

Global interest in small modular reactors has been increasing due to their ability to provide flexible power generation and base-load power for a range of applications, says NITI Aayog report

Budget 2025: Defence allocation sees marginal rise at 1.9% of GDP

It is unclear at the moment what portions of this year's capital budget the three services will receive, because the breakup is no longer separately marked in public documents

Budget 2025: Defence gets Rs 6.81 trn; aircraft, engines, ships in focus

The MoD has designated 2025 as the 'Year of Reforms', announcing in December that the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 is 'expected to undergo a complete revamp' this year

MEA gets Rs 20,516 cr in Budget 2025, aid to Bhutan highest at Rs 2,150 cr

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was allocated a total of Rs 20,516 crore as against the current fiscal's budget estimate of Rs 22,154 crore and revised estimate of Rs 25,277 crore

Budget 2025: IB gets Rs 3,893.35 cr, allocation for NATGRID slashed by 36%

The IB, responsible for intelligence gathering, counter intelligence and counter espionage operations in the country, was allocated Rs 3,823.83 crore in 2024-25 and it was revised to Rs 3,966.21 crore

Budget 2025: Rs 3,481 cr for security expenses, making infra in LWE areas

The allocation is considered significant in the wake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's repeated statements that the Narendra Modi government has resolved to end Naxalism in the country by March 2026

Buget 2025: Govt proposes to open up nuclear sector ahead of PM's US visit

Strict liabilities under India's Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, have hampered implementation of the India-US nuclear deal that envisaged participation of US power plant makers

Grateful to MEA for this opportunity: Foreign diplomats on Mahakumbh visit

Diplomats from around the world expressed their excitement and gratitude to India for the opportunity to experience it's rich cultural heritage firsthand at Mahakumbh

Indians in Congo's conflict-ridden Goma city moved to safer places: MEA

MEA said there are around 1200 Indian troops serving in the country as part of the MONUSCO (UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) peacekeeping mission in eastern Congo

India working with US for early extradition of Tahawwur Rana: MEA

Rana, currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles, is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11

In close touch with Male: India on Maldives' looming economic crisis

The economy of the Maldives is reeling under increasing pressure, largely because of debt distress

India, US working on PM Modi's early visit, dates being finalised: MEA

The two leaders emphasised their commitment to advance the US-India strategic partnership and the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership. They also discussed plans for PM Modi's visit to the White House

India-Bangladesh DG-level border talks from Feb 17-20 in Delhi: MEA

Meanwhile, India has also expressed concern over the ongoing conflict in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where a significant Indian community resides

Weeks after chopper crash kills 3, top official urges ALH design review

Two pilots and an aircrew diver of an ALH of the Coast Guard were killed when the chopper crashed and caught fire at Gujarat's Porbandar airport on January 5

Hamas frees 8 more hostages; Israel begins prisoners releasing after delay

Israel says it is still committed to destroying Hamas, even after the militant group reasserted its rule over Gaza within hours of the truce

Moscow City in talks with India for 'group-free visa regime' travel

In the first nine months of 2024, January-September, Moscow received 19.7 million guests including 61,000 Indians, Moscow City Tourism Committee Chairman Evgeny Kozlov said

Canadian report finds 'no definitive link' between Nijjar killing and India

In September 2023, Trudeau said Canada had credible evidence that agents of the Indian government were involved in the murder of Nijjar