The direct fallout of the Israeli strikes on Qatar to eliminate Hamas leaders and negotiators for Gaza and the US deep state’s complicity and political leadership’s double-speak and tongue-in-cheek stance has reinforced the utter unreliability of the US security cover once again for the countries in West Asia and North Africa, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
Digital governance in India has grown rapidly under the Digital India programme launched in 2015, which aimed to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. A key component of this transformation is inclusivity, ensuring that every citizen can access public services without barriers.
India and South Korea have become dynamic collaborators in global entrepreneurship and innovation. India's rapidly developing start-up ecosystem, supported by its young entrepreneurs and digital economy, is well complemented by South Korea's high-tech industry prowess, R&D, and advanced manufacturing capabilities.
This cooperation was cemented through the inauguration of the India-Korea Start-up Hub in 2018, the India-Korea Centre for Research and Innovation (2020), and an MoU between Invest India and KOSME (2021). In addition, incubator collaborations between IIT Kanpur and the Korea Startup Forum and IIIT Bangalore and Sungkyunkwan University further enriched cross-border opportunities.
The Gulf of Oman is at the center of maritime insecurity. Situated in the Arabian Sea, it borders Iran, Pakistan, and Oman, and is of strategic importance to India, especially considering energy security. While not itself a hotspot for piracy, it lies adjacent to several high risk zones. To its northwest is the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical chokepoints, often called the ‘oil chokepoint,’ through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil shipments transits.
The Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) Scheme, being one of the three flagship programs of the Union Sector 'Skill India Programme' of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), is at the center of empowering the disadvantaged groups through skill development.
On its 67th Foundation Day on January 1, 2025, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) reiterated its continuing role in building India’s indigenous defence and R&D (Research & Development) capabilities. This initiative was primarily introduced to provide students of general sciences and engineering an opportunity to engage in real-world R&D activities in the country’s premier defence institute and laboratories.
Policy UpdateMuskan Thakur Background India’s speedy urbanization has accelerated sanitation issues to the center stage, particularly in small cities and underdeveloped urban areas. It was to address this that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) introduced the Swachhata…