ThePrint

A semi-war has broken out on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border involving jets, drones & artillery. A 2011 National Interest headlined “Leave Af to Pak” had predicted it. India, isn't the only country in the subcontinent that has to worry about a two-front threat. The Pakistani strategic posture and military planning, however, were never designed for a two-front situation, least of all for the mess in which they've landed themselves now. Watch this week's #NationalInterest with ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta.  Read the 2011 National Interest here: Why India should get out and leave Af to Pak Read 2022 National Interest here: Why Buddha would be frowning at Ukraine today, and why India got it right with Pokhran 1 and 2  

CutTheClutter: Political & legal implications as Kejriwal,Sisodia,21 others get a clean chit in Delhi liquor 'scam'

In affidavit filed before HC, state flags statutory limitations its forest officers face in conducting effective probe of organised wildlife crime, adding it has taken matter to Centre.  

Police say Ranjit Singh shot at them while trying to escape and was subsequently killed in a shootout. The family says CIA killed their son in custody and then staged an encounter.  

What unsettles me is how quickly everything is being filtered through loyalty tests. As if Indian Muslims must think one way, Indian Hindus another. Where does this end?  

ThePrintAM: WHY DID COURT STAY RELEASE OF 'THE KERALA STORY 2'?

CutTheClutter: PM Modi speaks in Israel, conflicts, complexities & alliances in Abrahamic Middle East

Separate opinion in Ghooskhor Pandat case to candid speech on discrimination & district judiciary, Bhuyan has placed constitutional morality at centre of his judicial & public voice.  

Himachal Police had intercepted Delhi Police convoy after 3 were arrested in Rohru without prior notice, also filing an FIR against unidentified officers on charges of kidnapping.  

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's Hindu-Muslim polarisation is clearly done to maximise the odds of winning. But an important legal question is: does it expose him to legal liability? The Supreme Court has refused to hear the case against the Assam Chief Minister. But the top court has also said that the petitioners should go to the High Court, keeping the possibility of a legal intervention open. Watch this week's column for ThePrint by Ashutosh Varshney

ThePrintAM: WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF BMC BUDGET?

As PM Modi begins his two-day Israel visit & addresses the Knesset, #CutTheClutter looks at the country's ties with India over the years. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also looks at Netanyahu's ‘Hexagon of alliances' vision, and the bigger geopolitical churn. Watch Episode 1800

The drive will cover all 1.15 crore girls who turn 14 each year and will run as a special programme, separate from India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).  

ThePrintAM: What does name change of Kerala to 'Keralam' signify? https://theprint.in/india/kerala-to-keralam-what-the-name-change-signifies/2862650/

Russia–Ukraine war has entered its 5th year. The grinding conflict has reshaped battlefields, borders, and the global balance of power. From the initial invasion to major military offensives, diplomatic flashpoints, and shifting alliances, this video breaks down the key turning points that defined the war's trajectory. Crucially, key events from each year—2022 to 2026—are broken down, giving you a real-time feel of how complex and evolving this war has been. Watch ThePrintConsulting Editor (International & Strategic Affairs) Dr. Swasti Rao unpack the evolving dynamics between Russia and Ukraine, the shifting global order—and what to expect next.

'Muslim' reservation isn't a religious issue. It must be rooted in measurable backwardness. If reservation is about correcting structural injustice, then it should be extended within Muslim and other religious communities on the basis of caste hierarchy and measurable backwardness—not religious identity as a whole. Religion, by itself, is not the marker of deprivation. Social location is. Watch this week's column for ThePrint by Amana Begam Ansari. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To read Column: https://theprint.in/opinion/why-affirmative-action-for-pasmanda-muslims-shouldnt-be-labelled-muslim-reservation/2858935/

https://theprint.in/diplomacy/post-elections-bangladesh-army-shuffles-top-military-intel-posts-defence-adviser-in-india-recalled/2861547/

#cuttheclutter How have Kargil war with Pakistan, Galwan standoff with China & Op Sindoor shaped India's defence budget & expenditure? ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta traces India's defence capital budget since 1999, how much of it was actually spent and the three phases that define the real story. Consulting Editor (Economics) Bidisha Bhattacharya and Editor (Defence & Diplomacy) Snehesh Alex Philip join in. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To visit ThePrint Store: https://store.theprint.in/

In interview to Bangla paper, Shahabuddin slams previous Yunus administration, including student leaders who led July Uprising, alleges ‘conspiracies' to remove him, thanks BNP & army.----more----https://theprint.in/world/multiple-plots-to-overthrow-me-bangladesh-president-says-yunus-govt-created-constitutional-vacuum/2861302/

In what could be a major collaboration in the aviation sector, India is exploring the possibility of teaming up with France for co-development and co-manufacture of a futuristic sixth-generation fighter under the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. ThePrint's Editor – Defence and Diplomacy Snehesh Alex Philip explains in #DefenceScope.----more----Read full article here: https://theprint.in/defence/india-eyes-6th-generation-fcas-looks-at-tying-up-with-france-for-possible-collaboration/2861054/

Scuffle broke out amid protest called by JNUSU over V-C remarks in a podcast. Administration says action to be taken after protesters 'reportedly intimidated unwilling students to join protest'.----more----https://theprint.in/india/abvp-left-groups-trade-charges-after-midnight-scuffle-at-jnu-campus-tense-no-complaint-filed-yet/2861251/

Tarique Rahman's swearing-in as Bangladesh's Prime Minister, ending Sheikh Hasina's 17-year rule, marks a new chapter. India aims to reset bilateral ties. India and Bangladesh should remain alert and remember that Turkey's increasing role in Dhaka's defence capabilities goes against India's security and strategic interests. Watch Seshadri Chari, former editor of ‘Organiser,' explain.----more----Read full article here: https://theprint.in/opinion/good-old-days-of-bonhomie-between-new-delhi-and-dhaka-wont-be-easy/2859217/

India's fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset. Today we live in a globalised world of inter-dependencies and the idea of sovereignty needs greater flexibility. Watch this week's #NationalInterest with ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta.----more----Read this week's NationalInterest here: https://theprint.in/national-interest/india-sovereignty-cold-war/2859858/

Did the gatekeepers at the India AI Summit decide that they needed to be Gateskeepers? Was Bill Gates quietly told that he would not be welcome at a Summit that is already reeling from controversy after controversy? It does look like that. Even before the event, government ‘sources' were quoted as saying there had been a change of plan and that Gates would not be speaking. But the Gates Foundation insisted that he would address the Summit as scheduled.

CutTheClutter: The Great Nicobar Project: The controversy, its strategic importance for India & the China factor

ThePrintAM: What's the controversy over Galgotias university?

CutTheClutter: Bangladesh gets new govt:A look at Tarique Rahman's reform plan,Jamaat surge &what it means for India

The correspondence, which mentioned the Khalistan Referendum and the sacrifices of Sikh militants, was from an outfit calling itself the ‘Khalistan National Army'.  

Indians lost Rs 1,918 crore to digital arrest scams in 2024. Cases still being reported, but awareness has helped curb menace, says MHA official.  

https://theprint.in/politics/borah-vs-gogoi-cracks-open-assam-congress-what-letter-to-high-command-tells-about-warring-factions/2856933/

After most FIRs against a Ludhiana-based agent were quashed on compromise, ED questioned how complainants were paid when no matching transactions appeared in his accounts.   

Ex-V-P Jagdeep Dhankhar doesn't know why the Modi govt. won't give him the bungalow he is entitled to, ThePrint Political Editor DK Singh talks about falling transparency in this episode of ----more----Read this week's Politically Correct here: https://theprint.in/opinion/politically-correct/modi-govt-transparency-pakistan-link-red-fort-blast/2855817/

https://theprint.in/politics/hero-or-traitor-tipu-sultan-debate-back-in-maharashtra-congress-accuses-bjp-of-double-standards/2855841/

In the just concluded 13th national parliamentary elections, Bangladesh has given a decisive mandate to the Tarique Rahman-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The country's largest Islamist party, the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, has emerged as a strong opposition, winning as many as 68 seats. A huge improvement given the fact that the party won only two seats in the last parliamentary polls it participated in in 2008. Where does that leave Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League, the largest party in Bangladesh? Watch Author & ThePrint Columnist Deep Halder explain: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To read: https://theprint.in/opinion/why-bnps-win-in-bangladesh-doesnt-necessarily-mark-the-end-of-awami-league/2855547/

ThePrintAM: How did Kerala localise recent outbreaks of the deadly Nipah virus?   https://theprint.in/health/nipah-why-latest-outbreaks-of-the-deadly-virus-have-remained-localised/2854482/

ThePrintPod: Made co-chair of Congress's Kerala poll campaign committee, Tharoor likely to miss maiden meeting

ThePrintPod: Haryana Police uses 'leg shots' to nab criminals in encounters, taking a leaf out of UP's playbook

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale jets from France. The DAC also cleared the procurement of six additional P8I aircraft, anti submarine warfare aircraft & other acquisition projects. #CutTheClutter Episode 1796 looks at what this move to upgrade India's military means. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also explains the significance of the DAC move, and the many challenges that still remain.----more----Read Snehesh Alex Philip's article here: https://theprint.in/defence/rafale-saga-25-yrs-of-detours-deadlocks-political-hesitation-now-iaf-getting-what-it-always-wanted/2832149/

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, under chairman Tarique Rahman, has won the 13th National Parliamentary Election. 'Now, with the BNP coming to power and the Jamaat decisively defeated, India and Bangladesh can hope to begin again and reset the Delhi-Dhaka ties', argues ThePrint Columnist & Author Deep Halder. 

Pakistan's Khawaja Asif said,'US used & dumped us like toilet paper'. He was speaking about Pakistan's terror problem and the country's involvement in Afghanistan conflict. #CutTheClutter Episode 1795 looks at Pakistani Defence Minister's comments in detail, and the country's Afghanistan dilemma, in the backdrop of escalating tensions. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also takes you back to 2011, when he had explained why India should stay away from Afghanistan after US withdrawal, and leave it to Pakistan.

Factsheet says India intends, not pledges, to buy goods worth $500 billion from the US, Swadeshi Jagran Manch co-convener Ashwani Mahajan claims.----more----https://theprint.in/india/us-india-deal-will-benefit-farmers-traders-rss-affiliates-come-out-in-govt-support-amid-oppn-attack/2852520/

The Chief Minister said his government will increase living standards in Kerala to match that of developed nations. "It's not impossible."----more----https://theprint.in/politics/eye-on-polls-vijayan-rolls-out-rs-800-crore-infra-projects-says-his-govts-vision-is-for-nava-kerala/2852550/

The United States has dropped reference to 'certain pulses' in the factsheet on the trade deal with India. Episode 1794 of #CutTheClutter looks at data of India's pulses output and imports over the last ten years. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also explains how and why India is the biggest producer as well as the largest importer of pulses, and the efforts made by Modi govt to become self-reliant.----more----Read Shoba Suri's article here: https://theprint.in/opinion/pulses-economy-geopolitics/2851989/----more----Read Harish Damodaran's article here: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/how-india-has-become-relatively-atmanirbhar-in-pulses-compared-to-edible-oil-8645756/

The video post, apparently recorded by one of three bike-borne assailants who shot at group of migrant labourers in Moga, names the attackers & claims link to Bambiha gang.  

https://theprint.in/politics/in-a-first-since-1987-oppn-seeks-to-remove-speaker-accuses-om-birla-of-being-blatantly-partisan/2851018/

US & India have reached a framework for an interim agreement on trade. #CutTheClutter Episode 1793 looks at India's agriculture sector and possible effect of the trade deal on farmers. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also explains India's agriculture trade data- exports, imports and surplus.