
Indian Navy, UK Carrier Strike Group conduct high-tempo drill in North Arabian Sea
advertisementThe exercise highlighted advanced operational coordination and interoperability between the two forces. With synchronised tactical manoeuvres and unified helicopter control operations, both navies demonstrated their readiness and high-end combat capabilities. The professional exchange of officers further cemented the bond between the Indian and Royal Navies, reinforcing ties beyond routine joint drills.
This engagement comes on the heels of the Indian Navy's prominent role in Operation Sindoor, where it was forward-deployed in the North Arabian Sea. The exercise served as a testament to the operational strength and combat preparedness of Indian naval units, both surface and underwater. Indian submarines and warships were instrumental in executing complex maritime tasks during the operation, earning them recognition as some of the most capable units globally.advertisementThe joint PASSEX carries strategic significance due to its location. The North Arabian Sea remains a critical maritime corridor for global trade, including essential energy shipments. Conducting joint drills in this region reflects a shared commitment by India and the United Kingdom to maintaining maritime stability, safeguarding sea lines of communication, and projecting a credible naval presence in the Indo-Pacific.The exercise also reflects the growing maritime collaboration between the two nations, emphasising a rules-based international order and underscoring the Indo-Pacific's importance in global geopolitics. As regional maritime threats evolve, this coordinated show of strength reaffirms the collective deterrence posture of both navies.Tune InMust Watch
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hans India
30 minutes ago
- Hans India
Why are we still preparing students the old way?
A silent revolution is underway in India's job market. The tectonic shifts in the global economy, the emergence of digital-first industries, and the post-pandemic recalibration of work have brought dramatic changes to employment trends in the country. While job postings in India have surged by nearly 9 percent in May 2025, ending a prolonged dip, this revival is not just about numbers—it is about transformation. India today stands nearly 80 percent above its pre-pandemic job posting volumes, ranking among the world's top-performing labour markets. Yet, amid this progress, an unsettling paradox persists. Despite this growth, 77 percent of Indian professionals report being underprepared for the very skills employers demand. The educational system, meanwhile, continues to churn out graduates whose abilities align more with yesterday's jobs than with tomorrow's needs. This disconnect between market reality and academic training is not just unfortunate—it is unsustainable. Curriculum Inertia The rigidity of India's education system remains one of its most critical barriers to future readiness. For decades, curricula across institutions have followed a model optimized for the industrial age—rote learning, standardized testing, and theoretical instruction with limited practical exposure. This traditional template fails to keep pace with the rapidly evolving demands of modern employers who prioritize creativity, problem-solving, adaptability, and digital fluency. Despite scattered efforts at reform, the dominant model remains static, divorced from industry requirements. Colleges still treat coding, data analytics, and digital marketing as electives rather than essentials. Even vocational training programs suffer from outdated modules and lack the agility to adapt to emerging skills. As a result, many graduates leave university ill-equipped to participate in or contribute meaningfully to India's knowledge-based economy. Industrialization 4.0 The advent of the fourth industrial revolution has redrawn the global employment map. Powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0 is reconfiguring every sector—from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and finance. Automation is not a distant threat but a present force. The World Economic Forum predicts that 83 million jobs will be displaced globally by next year, while 70 million new roles will emerge in domains requiring high digital competency. India, with its youthful workforce, could seize this opportunity—if adequately prepared. Yet, the lack of forward-looking education and structured skill development means that the promise of Industry 4.0 could bypass a significant segment of the Indian workforce. Bridging this gap requires more than token digital literacy modules; it demands a structural overhaul in how institutions envision, teach, and assess future skills. The Skills Deficit India's employment boom masks a deeper concern—one of qualification, not availability. The skills deficit is both wide and deep. Nasscom's findings show that half of India's workforce—about 150 million people—will need reskilling or upskilling by 2025. This is not just a technological challenge but a pedagogical one. Employers increasingly look for hybrid capabilities where technical skills merge with soft skills like emotional intelligence, collaboration, and decision-making. Yet, most educational institutions still overemphasize theoretical knowledge while undervaluing hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches. Without realignment, the economy may experience a dual crisis—youth unable to find suitable employment, and industries struggling to find job-ready candidates. A skills-first strategy must now become the backbone of educational policy and institutional vision. Pathways Forward Fixing this imbalance calls for a radical rethink of how education interacts with work. It is time for industry and academia to co-create dynamic learning ecosystems. Apprenticeships, live projects, and industry-certified micro-credentials should become integral to academic pathways. Policy incentives must support institutions that embed employability frameworks into their programs. Additionally, the idea of education as a one-time pursuit must give way to lifelong learning, with flexible opportunities for working professionals to upgrade skills continuously. While India's job market is expanding with promise, that promise will be short-lived unless matched by a workforce that is both aspirational and adequately prepared. To truly capitalise on its demographic dividend, India must stop preparing students for the world that was and start readying them for the one that is rapidly taking shape. (The author is Senior Director of PrepInsta)


Indian Express
33 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trump once again claims credit for brokering truce in India-Pakistan conflict, says ‘we did that through trade'
US President Donald Trump once again reiterated his claim of brokering a peace deal between India and Pakistan, stating that his mediation averted a potential war between the two countries. During his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday (July 14), Trump said, 'We've been very successful in settling wars. You have India and Pakistan. You have Rwanda and the Congo, that was going on for 30 years. India, by the way, Pakistan would have been a nuclear war within another week, the way that was going. That was going very badly.' He emphasised that he leveraged trade to stop the conflict from escalating and warned both countries that he would not engage in trade deals if they continued to fight. #WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, 'We have been very successful in settling wars. You have India, Pakistan…India and Pakistan would have been a nuclear war within another week, the way that was going. That was going very badly. We did that through trade. I said, we're… — ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2025 'We did that through trade. I said, we're not going to talk to you about trade unless you get this thing settled. And they did, they are both great leaders.' The US president has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire in the 4-day India-Pakistan conflict, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi telling Trump that India neither requested the United States' mediation nor discussed any trade deal. The most recent instance was during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, after he nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump had then told the reporters that his administration's diplomatic efforts helped stop the military conflict between India and Pakistan. 'We stopped a lot of fights, very, very big one was India and Pakistan. We stopped that over trade,' Trump said. 'We are dealing with India and Pakistan. We said that we are not going to be dealing with you at all if you are gonna fight. They were maybe at a nuclear stage… Stopping that was really important,' he added. Modi reminds Trump no US role in Operation Sindoor pause After the US president left the G7 Summit in Canada early, cutting short a planned in-person meeting, PM Modi spoke to him via a phone call and told him that at no point was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal or any proposal for mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. Detailing the 35-minute phone conversation between PM Modi and Trump, their first since Operation Sindoor, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, 'President Trump enquired if Prime Minister Modi could stop over in the US on his way back from Canada. Due to prior commitments, Prime Minister Modi expressed his inability to do so. Both leaders agreed to make efforts to meet in the near future.' Underlining that a discussion on ending military action took place 'directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces' and had been initiated 'at Pakistan's request', Modi said, 'India does not and will never accept mediation.' He also said there was 'complete political consensus' in India on this issue. 'Prime Minister Modi clearly conveyed to President Trump that at no point during this entire sequence of events was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal, or any proposal for a mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. The discussion to cease military action took place directly between India and Pakistan through the existing channels of communication between the two armed forces, and it was initiated at Pakistan's request. Prime Minister Modi firmly stated that India does not and will never accept mediation. There is complete political consensus in India on this matter,' Misri said. (With inputs from agencies)


Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
ISMA urges Govt to continue with curbs on ethanol imports
New Delhi: The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has urged the government to continue with the restrictions on ethanol imports as the measure has spurred India's petrol blending programme in the drive to green energy and also enabled timely payments to sugarcane farmers. ISMA has, in a letter to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, referred to media reports suggesting the possible consideration of lifting restrictions on ethanol imports for fuel blending, as part of ongoing trade discussions with the US. The latter states that over the last few years, the Government's clear and forward-looking policy direction-anchored in the National Policy on Biofuels which led to placing ethanol imports for fuel under the 'restricted' category, has laid a solid foundation for a self-reliant, domestic ethanol economy. The interest subvention schemes and facilitative regulatory ecosystem have catalysed the establishment and expansion of indigenous ethanol capacities across India, the letter points out. These landmark interventions have achieved multiple national objectives of ensuring timely payments and enhanced incomes for sugarcane farmers, reducing India's dependence on imported crude oil and promoting clean and sustainable biofuels, the letter states. It highlights that the coordinated effort has led to India's ethanol production capacity growing by over 140 per cent since 2018, with investments exceeding Rs 40,000 crore. Ethanol blending has already reached 18.86 per cent and is firmly on track to meet the 20 per cent blending objective ahead of target. This remarkable progress has been made possible due to the Prime Minister's visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to the welfare of India's farmers. This has had a direct and measurable impact on farmers' welfare. By allowing the diversion of sugarcane and surplus grains into ethanol production at administered prices, the government has enabled timely cane payments and improved farm-level incomes across the country, the letter added. The latter states that opening up ethanol imports for blending would pose challenges to the sugar industry as it would affect profitability and may lead to underutilisation of Indian ethanol plants, many of which are still in the early stages of capital recovery.