Author: Akancha Mishra

New Delhi has become the center of global attention as a three-day international conference on “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage” commenced at Vigyan Bhawan. This landmark gathering signals the beginning of an ambitious cultural project—Gyan Bharatam—unveiled in the 2025-26 national budget. The initiative aims to unite diverse stakeholders, including institutions, scholars, and private custodians, in building a comprehensive framework for safeguarding India’s manuscript heritage. The Ministry of Culture has envisioned Gyan Bharatam as an institutional body similar to the Archaeological Survey of India. Its primary mission is to preserve, document, and digitize the vast treasure of manuscripts scattered…

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan announced on Tuesday that every satellite deployed during Operation Sindoor performed seamlessly, meeting all operational requirements. Speaking at a public gathering, Narayanan praised the round-the-clock precision of ISRO’s systems, which played a decisive role in supporting the mission. Earlier, on August 25, the ISRO chief had also underlined the critical contribution of satellites in the operation, conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in May. At present, India has 58 fully operational satellites in orbit, all serving various national objectives, he noted. Narayanan emphasized, “During Operation Sindoor, our satellites worked fantastically well. They…

New Delhi witnessed a crucial political moment on Tuesday as Members of Parliament began voting to elect the country’s next Vice President. The contest, sparked by Jagdeep Dhankhar’s unexpected resignation on July 21 due to health reasons, has brought the NDA’s candidate, C P Radhakrishnan, face-to-face with Justice (Retd.) B Sudershan Reddy, who represents the Congress-led INDIA bloc. The voting commenced at 10 a.m. in Parliament House, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi casting the very first ballot. Accompanied by senior ministers Kiren Rijiju, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Jitendra Singh, and L Murugan, Modi entered Room No. 101 Vasudha to complete the…

Manhattan University has named Grishma Shah, Ph.D., as the new Associate Dean of the O’Malley School of Business. Dr. Shah, who has been with the university since 2008, previously served as Professor and Director of Global Business Studies. A Rutgers University graduate with a doctorate in Global Affairs and International Business, she brings close to 20 years of teaching, research, and international engagement to her new leadership position. Dr. Shah is widely regarded for her scholarship on globalization, gender equity, and cultural transformation, with her work appearing in publications such as the Harvard Business Review. She is also a sought-after…

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has reassured Indian exporters that the government is preparing targeted relief to counter the heavy blow of higher US tariffs. Speaking on Friday, she emphasized that New Delhi would not leave its exporters “high and dry,” noting that an assistance package is being finalized for industries most affected by the tariff escalation. “The government will come out with something to handhold those hit by 50% tariffs,” Sitharaman told CNBC TV18, explaining that Cabinet approval would be needed before the rollout. She highlighted that sectors including garments, jewellery, footwear, and chemicals have been particularly strained since Washington…

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday underlined his government’s intent to expand cooperation with Russia, as he held talks with President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. During their meeting, Sharif acknowledged Moscow’s close relations with New Delhi but stressed that Islamabad values its independent partnership with Russia. “We respect your ties with India, but we also want to build a robust relationship with Russia that will serve as complementary and beneficial for regional prosperity,” Sharif said, describing Putin as a “dynamic leader” guiding their cooperation in the right direction. The Pakistani leader…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a joint phone conversation on Thursday, September 4, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa. The dialogue spanned key global and bilateral issues, from trade and technology to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to the Indian government’s readout, the leaders stressed that India and the European Union, as two of the world’s largest democratic powers, share a strong bond anchored in trust, shared values, and a vision for a stable, rules-based global order. The discussions highlighted the importance of the India-EU Strategic Partnership in tackling international challenges and…

Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton has strongly criticized former President Donald Trump for undermining US-India relations and inadvertently pushing Prime Minister Narendra Modi toward closer engagement with Russia and China. His remarks came amid escalating tensions following Washington’s decision to impose a 50% tariff on Indian imports, along with an additional 25% linked to India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. In a series of posts on X, Bolton accused Trump of destroying decades of carefully built diplomatic progress. He argued that the White House’s approach “has set US-India relations back by decades,” providing Beijing and Moscow with opportunities…

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, began its 56th meeting in New Delhi this week, focusing on sweeping reforms aimed at simplifying India’s indirect tax system. The two-day session, held on September 3-4, discussed moving away from the current four-tier GST framework to a more streamlined two-tier structure. At present, goods and services are taxed under four slabs of 5%, 12%, 18%, and 28%. The Council is now considering retaining just two primary slabs—5% for essentials and 18% for non-essentials—while introducing a special 40% rate for so-called “sin goods.” These include items like…

India reached a major milestone in its pursuit of semiconductor independence with the unveiling of the Vikram-32 chip at Semicon India 2025. Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented the nation’s first indigenously developed 32-bit processor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a proud step forward in India’s technological capabilities. The Vikram-32 was created by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, Punjab. Specifically designed to endure the demanding environment of space launches, it represents India’s first fully homegrown microprocessor engineered for satellite and rocket applications. The initial batch, labeled Vikram 3201, was successfully tested during the…