logo
EAM Jaishankar greets Madagascar on 65th Independence Day, highlights MAHASAGAR vision

EAM Jaishankar greets Madagascar on 65th Independence Day, highlights MAHASAGAR vision

India Gazette4 days ago

New Delhi [India], June 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar extended greetings to Madagascar on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of its Independence.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said, 'Felicitations to FM @rafaravavitafi1, the Government and the people of Madagascar on the 65th anniversary of their Independence. Our partnership continued to strengthen, guided by our MAHASAGAR vision.'
Continuing his diplomatic engagements, Jaishankar also held a meeting with South Australia's Governor Frances Adamson in Delhi on Tuesday. The discussions covered a wide range of subjects including education, space, water, agriculture, energy and consular issues.
Sharing a statement on X, Jaishankar stated, 'Pleased to meet Frances Adamson, Governor of South Australia, this morning. Discussed education, space, water, agriculture, energy and consular issues.'
These engagements reflect the ongoing momentum in India's relations with Australia. On June 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada's Kananaskis.
In a post on X, PM Modi stated, 'Good to meet my friend, PM Albanese of Australia, during the G7 Summit in Canada! @AlboMP'
Strengthening bilateral defence ties, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles in Delhi. The two leaders reviewed the full scope of the India-Australia defence partnership.
Rajnath Singh expressed his gratitude for Australia's strong support, stating, 'Reviewed the full range of the India-Australia defence partnership during the extremely fruitful meeting with Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister @RichardMarlesMP in New Delhi. His commitment and leadership in strengthening bilateral defence cooperation have emerged as an important pillar of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. India thanks Australia for its unequivocal support to India's resolute response against the barbaric act of terror in Pahalgam.'
According to the Indian High Commission in Australia, the bilateral relationship between the two countries is rooted in shared values such as pluralistic democracy, Commonwealth traditions, and expanding economic and political cooperation.
In recent years, India-Australia ties have undergone transformational growth, with expanding collaboration across existing frameworks and newer domains at both bilateral and global levels. (ANI)

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

India On Alert As Turkey Steps Up Military Support To Pakistan After Operation Sindoor
India On Alert As Turkey Steps Up Military Support To Pakistan After Operation Sindoor

News18

time20 minutes ago

  • News18

India On Alert As Turkey Steps Up Military Support To Pakistan After Operation Sindoor

Last Updated: Pakistan is acquiring 80 KARGI drones from Turkey, raising security concerns for India. Turkey, Pakistan's second-largest arms supplier, supports its military. After suffering a huge blow from the Indian side during Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has been ramping up its drone arsenal and solidifying its defence ties with Turkey in what Indian officials describe as a 'dangerous and provocative military axis." According to intelligence sources, Pakistan is in advanced talks with Turkey to acquire 80 KARGI loitering munitions—autonomous drones capable of striking targets over a 500-nautical-mile radius, reaching altitudes of 15,000 feet, and delivering 18 kg warheads. The deal, estimated at $20 million, comes as part of a broader pattern of post-war replenishment, with Pakistan already receiving 50 YIHA UAVs without a formal contract and preparing to induct up to 550 more, supported by anti-jamming systems and ground control stations. The Turkey-Pakistan relationship has deepened dramatically in recent years. Based on shared geopolitical objectives and ideological leanings—particularly around Kashmir and pan-Islamic solidarity—the alliance has evolved into a full-spectrum strategic partnership. Turkey has become Pakistan's second-largest arms supplier after China, with Turkish arms exports to Pakistan rising 103% between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024. The key deals include: acquisition of Bayraktar TB2 drones and Kemankes cruise missiles, procurement of Asisguard Songar armed UAVs for tactical strikes, a $1.5 billion deal for four MILGEM-class corvettes to modernise Pakistan's navy and upgrades to Pakistan's Agosta 90B submarines. Turkey's Support For Pakistan During Op Sindoor Experts opine that the Pakistan-Turkey partnership continues to extend to joint ventures in satellite technology, cyber warfare, and space exploration, further complementing Pakistan's military capabilities. They view this axis as a multi-dimensional threat to India. With Pakistan investing heavily in loitering munitions, deception systems, and long-range targeting tools, India has stepped up its procurement of counter-drone systems, electronic warfare units, and is deepening security cooperation with countries like Greece and Armenia, both of which share strained ties with Turkey. First Published:

Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: No Eligible Voter Left Out, No Ineligible Included, CEC Tells News18
Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: No Eligible Voter Left Out, No Ineligible Included, CEC Tells News18

News18

time20 minutes ago

  • News18

Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: No Eligible Voter Left Out, No Ineligible Included, CEC Tells News18

Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: Special Intensive Revision (SIR) came in light of increasing demand of political parties to cleanse electoral rolls based on eligibility conditions The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar was initiated to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded, and no ineligible entry makes it into the rolls, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar told News18. Speaking to News18, the CEC said that more than one lakh volunteers have also been deployed to assist the elderly, sick, persons with disabilities (PwD) and marginalised groups in filling up their Enumeration Forms so that they don't face any hardship. 'The objective of the SIR is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out, and at the same time, no ineligible voter is included in the electoral roll," he said. The revision, in addition to regular annual updation, came in light of increasing demand of all political parties to cleanse the electoral rolls based on eligibility conditions such as residence, age and Indian citizenship in the recent past. Many ineligible persons have been able to procure the voter cards as neither intensive revision was conducted periodically since 2004 nor eligibility documents were readily available. Therefore, in case of complaints and objections by any elector or political party, it becomes difficult to enquire into such complaints in a rational manner. 9 intensive revisions between 1952 and 2004 The electoral rolls were prepared afresh through various intensive revisions, either across the country or in parts nine times in the 52-year period between 1952 and 2004 – once nearly every six years on average. However, intensive revision has not been done in the last 22 years, News18 has learnt. The conduct of routine summary revision of electoral rolls is generally based on oral submissions and cursory field-level verification rather than any documentary evidence, resulting in increasing number of complaints on the existing state of electoral rolls. The current level of technology enables collection of eligibility documents once and for all. This repository will enable enquiry into any specific complaint against any elector anytime based on available documents rather than depending on just unverifiable oral submissions made to Booth Level Officers (BLO). SIR makes BLOs accountable This process will increase accountability of over 10 lakh BLOs and over 20,000 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to ensure that each name in the electoral roll is of an eligible elector. Such accountability can always be tested by DEO and/or CEO after conducting an inquiry, whether on complaint or suo motu, if necessary, based on documentary evidence already uploaded. Why only Bihar? The drive is being conducted in Bihar as it is the only state that is going for polls this year. A poll body official told News18 that similar drives may also be conducted in other parts of the country once the Bihar election is over. 'Revision of electoral roll mandatory' Earlier in the day, the poll body issued a statement saying that revision of electoral roll is mandatory before every election as per Section 21(2)(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Rule 25 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. 'The ECI has been conducting annual revisions, intensive as well as summary, for 75 years now. This exercise is required as the electoral roll is always a dynamic list that keeps changing due to deaths, shifting of people due to various reasons such as migration due to occupation, education, or marriage, addition of new voters who have turned 18," the poll body added. The EC also stated that Article 326 of the Constitution specifies the eligibility to become an elector. 'Only Indian citizens, above 18 years of age and ordinary residents in that constituency, are eligible to be registered as an elector," they explained. Why SIR? As against the regular annual revisions, the SIR is necessary to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll, enabling them to exercise their right to vote, and to also ensure that no ineligible voter is included in the electoral rolls. Also, the process adds complete transparency in the process of addition or deletion of electors in the electoral rolls through active participation of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by all national and state political parties. On Saturday, News18 reported that the ECI has allowed the recognised national and state political parties to continue to appoint BLAs in addition to the 1.55 lakh already deployed. Earlier in June, the poll body had said that various reasons such as 'rapid urbanization, frequent migration, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants necessitate the conduct of an intensive revision" so as to ensure democratic integrity and preparation of error-free electoral rolls. Migrants a major factor In some constituencies, the number of migrants has become more than the victory margins, which can affect democratic integrity, a poll body official explained to News18. As per the Census 2011, there were 454 million migrants in India up from 315 million in 2001. Even as per the Migration in India Report 2021, the percentage of migrants in the population was estimated at around 29%, which on average is more than the winning margin in many of the constituencies. The SIR is also necessary to check people with multiple voter cards. 'Many persons enroll in different places by giving different unmatched details to procure more than one voter card in different parts of the country, either knowingly or unknowingly. This issue can only be resolved through SIR. It is practically impossible to detect such cases through software tools," the official added. top videos View all Many persons are ordinary residents of one place and have got their voter cards, officially called the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), there, but have somehow been successful in retaining their earlier EPIC before migration, which is a criminal offence. 'The photographs of voters in EPIC are also so old that matching the photographs and eliminating the same voters with different EPICs through use of technology is hardly reliable. Thus, new photographs of electors will help in identifying such cases," they explained. About the Author Nivedita Singh Nivedita Singh is a data journalist and covers the Election Commission, Indian Railways and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. She has nearly seven years of experience in the news media. She tweets @ More Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from politics to crime and society. Stay informed with the latest India news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : 2025 Bihar elections Election Commission of India (ECI) electoral roll news18 specials Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 30, 2025, 18:37 IST News india Bihar's Electoral Roll Overhaul: No Eligible Voter Left Out, No Ineligible Included, CEC Tells News18

Beyond books & screens: A wake-up call for the future of education
Beyond books & screens: A wake-up call for the future of education

Hindustan Times

time27 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

Beyond books & screens: A wake-up call for the future of education

Budget 2025 Gave Us Numbers-But Are We Missing the Narrative? In the Union Budget 2025, the Indian government spent a record ₹ 1.24 lakh crore on education, an unprecedented commitment towards academic infrastructure and digital skilling. But while we take pride in budgetary milestones, we need to pose a deeper question: Are we solving the right problems? From social distancing to screen dependency, we are facing a quiet crisis—one that conventional schools or online platforms aren't equipped to treat.. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) The pandemic's scars on kids aren't just academic in nature. They're emotional. Social. Behavioural. From social distancing to screen dependency, we are facing a quiet crisis—one that conventional schools or online platforms aren't equipped to treat. The actual disruption isn't so much in the delivery of education. It's in what kids are no longer being taught: the confidence to talk back, the courage to take charge, the grit to get back up again, and the humanity to understand. That is the deficit we must now remediate-with dispatch. Children need rich and deep literature, not childish: Hindi writer Sushil Shukla 2. Old Schooling: Obsolete Pre-Pandemic, Redundant Post-Pandemic Even prior to the pandemic, our education system was cracking. Rigid syllabi, textbook- based testing, and the one-size-fits-all pedagogy have stifled creativity and critical thinking for years. There is no space in this arrangement for public speaking, debate, people skills, or mock leadership. Kids can pass an exam but not shake hands confidently with someone else. It wasn't that schooling never taught - it just didn't make them ready. And now, post- pandemic, the consequences have worsened. 3. Post-Pandemic Digital Necessity: A Two-Sided Coin COVID-19 sent the world online in an instant. While online classes-maintained continuity of study, they also let the floodgates open to untracked screen time. The outcome? Kids traded real life communication for posts. Engagement for passiveness. Presence for performance data. They've become fluent in swipes and scrolls, but hesitant in human interaction. Comfortable behind screens, but increasingly afraid to speak, present, or lead in real life. This isn't a tech problem. It's a human development crisis. 4. Critical Gaps That Have Quietly Grown Loud What we're facing today isn't just a learning gap-it's a life-skill vacuum. Here's what's missing: Communication Deficit: Children struggle to express thoughts confidently or articulate their ideas in real time. Social Isolation: Lacking group play or stage time, children are no longer able to work together, negotiate, or understand others. Overstimulation, Underdevelopment: Hooked on rapid content and instant answers, attention spans have decreased and level of thinking has decreased. Leadership Loss: Initiatives to lead, direct a team, or make decisions are frighteningly few. Emotional Disconnect: Without repeated face-to-face feedback, kids can't read social cues, manage emotions, or see through others' eyes. CLAT countdown: Your month-by-month preparation plan to ace the exam 5. Why These Gaps Will Shape the Future of a Generation In an era where AI can code, interpret data, and even draft emails- what differentiates us now is no longer what we know, but who we are. Soft skills are no longer luxuries-they're survival skills. World employers aren't after academic toppers alone. They're recruiting communicators, collaborators, and creative thinkers. Universities aren't paying for just test scores. They're paying for personal statements, social contribution, and initiative. The largest tech companies in the world today? Founded by people who first had the courage to speak, pitch, present, and persist. 6. The New Education Imperative: Building Future Humans, Not Just Future Employees The world doesn't require another syllabus. It requires a new system-one that combines IQ and EQ, academics and articulation. We at Oratrics have created this new system. One that combines time-honored oratory techniques, contemporary psychology, and AI-based personal coaching to raise a new crop of expressive, empathetic, and emotionally intelligent human beings. Here's what all schools, parents, and policymakers need to incorporate now: 1. Public Speaking & Vocal Delivery Training 2. Creative Writing & Storytelling as Tools for Thinking 3. Emotional Intelligence Labs & Empathy Circles 4. Leadership Simulations & Team Projects 5. New Age Tools like AI/ML & Mindfulness Training 6. Confidence Coaching & Personality Development Curriculum This isn't enrichment. It's reimagined education. Nalanda University eyes major academic push by adding host of Master's programmes, fellowships & global MoUs 7. A Call to Action for Parents, Educators & Policymakers We stand at a crossroads. The question isn't "How much screen time is too much?" It's "What kind of human time are we making?" Parents-ask not just about marksheets, but also about mindsets and mannerisms. Educators-don't just teach content; craft character. Policymakers-don't just digitize learning; humanize it. Move the discussion from "How well did my child perform?" to "How well can my child communicate, modify, guide, and bond?" 8. Conclusion: Rebuilding With Purpose, Not Repetition The pandemic did not simply disrupt classrooms-it broke open the very foundation of how we raise kids. Now that we are rebuilding, let us not return to what was not working. Let's not merely create literate students. Let's create Future Humans - kids who can speak with authority, lead with empathy, and live with passion. (Author Samad Shoeb is Founder - Oratrics: The Personality School. Views expressed are personal.)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store