Month: April 2025

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that the United States and India made “some very good progress” concerning the trade deal during Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the country and some announcements could be made soon.

Addressing a media briefing, Bessent said that Vance and Prime Minister Narendra Modi made “some very good progress” concerning the bilateral trade agreement.

“I’m glad you brought up our Asian trading partners and allies. They have been the most forthcoming in terms of doing the deals. As I mentioned, Vice President Vance was in India last week. I think that he and PM Modi made some very good progress. So, I could see some announcements on India. I could see the contours of a deal with the Republic of Korea coming together and then we’ve had substantial talks with the Japanese,” he said.

Vance was on an official visit to India from April 21 to 24 and said that India and the US have finalised terms of reference for the ongoing negotiations for completing a Bilateral Trade Agreement between the two countries.

“What President Trump and Prime Minister Modi announced in February that our countries aimed to more than double our Lateral trade to 500 billion dollars by the end of the decade. I know that both of them meant it, and I’m encouraged by everything. Our nations are doing to get us there,” Vance said at an event in Jaipur.

Both governments are working on a trade agreement built on shared priorities, including creating new jobs, building durable supply chains, and achieving prosperity for workers, he said.

“As many of you are aware, both of our governments are hard at work on a trade agreement on shared priorities like creating new jobs, building durable Supply chains and achieving prosperity for our workers and in our meeting yesterday, Prime Minister Modi and I made very good progress on all of those points. And we are especially excited to formally announce that America and India have officially finalised the terms of reference for the trade negotiation. I think this is a vital step. I believe this is a vital step toward realising President Trump’s and Prime Minister Modi’s Vision because it sets a roadmap toward a final deal between our Nations,” he added.

India on Tuesday said that the meetings for negotiation of Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) with United States are making “positive progress” and termed the discussions as “fruitful.”

As part of ongoing discussions on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, representatives of India’s Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative met in Washington, DC, from April 23-25, 2025. This follows earlier bilateral discussions held in March 2025 in New Delhi.

The Ministry further added that the team had fruitful discussions on a wide range of subjects, including tariff and non-tariff matters, during the meetings in Washington, DC.

The Indian and US sides held a meeting to discuss the ways for the first phase of the Bilateral Trade Agreement, which is scheduled to be finalised in the fall of the current year.”During the meetings in Washington, D.C., the team had fruitful discussions on wide ranging subjects covering tariff and non-tariff matters. The team discussed the pathway for concluding the first tranche of the mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement by Fall of 2025, including through opportunities for early mutual wins. While productive Sectoral expert level engagements have taken place through the virtual format, in-person Sectoral engagements are planned from end of May,” the Ministry added.

The Ministry added that these productive discussions are part of bilateral efforts in line with the Leaders’ Statement of February 2025, aimed at enhancing and expanding India-US economic ties and supply chain integration through the Bilateral Trade Agreement.

As part of the BTA, leaders of both countries have set a bold new goal for bilateral trade – “Mission 500” – aiming to more than double total bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030.

Recognising that this level of ambition would require new, fair-trade terms, both countries have announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by the fall of 2025.

Both countries have committed to designating senior representatives to advance these negotiations and to ensure that the trade relationship fully reflects the aspirations of the COMPACT.

To advance this innovative, wide-ranging BTA, the US and India will take an integrated approach to strengthen and deepen bilateral trade across the goods and services sector, and will work towards increasing market access, reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers, and deepening supply chain integration. (ANI)

Amid political sparring over the government’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora on Tuesday criticised the opposition after the Congress party’s recent ‘Gayab’ (missing) jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and accused the leaders of hypocrisy and of indirectly giving a clean chit to Pakistan despite earlier backing the Centre’s stance in an all-party meeting.

Speaking to ANI, Milind Deora said, “After the Pahalgam attack, the Centre called an all-party meeting in which almost all parties said that they are with the government in the action it wants to take against Pakistan and terrorists. Soon after, some opposition parties that had supported the Centre in the all-party meeting made a different statement. Some of them are saying that there should be no war against Pakistan, and some of them have given Pakistan a clean chit.”

Referring specifically to statements made by Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Deora added, “He is saying that what the victims are saying is wrong.”

Drawing a sharp divide in the current political discourse, he said, “Today, there are two ideologies and two kinds of people in India — those who are nationalists, and those who are giving Pakistan a clean chit.”

Highlighting the support extended by the Maharashtra government, Deora said, “Our Deputy CM Shinde personally visited Kashmir and helped the affected families. Meanwhile, some politicians in Maharashtra are undermining national unity by siding with Pakistan, even indirectly.”

In a strong message to the Centre, Deora concluded, “I appeal to the Government of India to take action against individuals who spread misinformation and harm national interests.”

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also slammed Congress over its ‘Gayab’ jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he “abhors” the party’s tactics.

“When our Prime Minister is leading the fight against terrorism strongly, why does Congress have such a low opinion of him? How low will Congress stoop? I abhor this Congress party’s antics,” Rijiju posted on X.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Anurag Thakur questioned the Congress’s stance, asking with whom they were standing, India or Pakistan.

He said that the face of the “pro-Pakistan” Congress has been exposed again.

“Congress aur unke netaaon ki kya majboori hai, ki Pakistan ke bol bolne zaruri hain? Why are they supporting Pakistan? Do they not get angry when they see the bloodshed of Indians?… Their leader and former cabinet minister, Saifuddin Soz, asks us to listen to Pakistan when it says it is not involved in the attack, and not to stop the flow of water into Pakistan,” Anurag Thakur told ANI.

He further alleged that Congress has consistently doubted India’s actions, like surgical strikes, while showing leniency towards Pakistan.

This came after Congress leader Saifuddin Soz, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and party leader RV Timapur have called for restraint from war and claimed that terrorists did not ask for the religion of the victims, respectively.

Siddaramaiah also clarified that he did not mean a complete no to war and that it should take place if inevitable.

Congress leader Saifuddin Soz said that if Pakistan says that it is not involved in the Pahalgam terror attack, “let’s accept that for a time and ultimately go by investigating agencies.”

He also said India and Pakistan are neighbours and nothing will work between the two countries except “dialogue.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan.

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh also attended the meeting.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had met PM Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Monday. The meeting came a day after Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan briefed the Defence Minister on some decisions in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.

The government has said that the terrorists responsible for the terror attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack. Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the terror attack.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. (ANI)

In the wake of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, locals across Jammu and Kashmir have united in strong condemnation, reiterating their call for peace, and terming the incident an attack on humanity and the values that define the union territory.

Expressing grief and outrage, residents emphasised that Kashmiris are known for their hospitality and peaceful nature, and such violence stands in direct contrast to their centuries-old traditions of welcoming guests.

Local Kashmiris described the incident as not only a misfortune for the region but also a deep betrayal of human values.

Speaking to ANI, a resident said, “I have no words to condemn this incident. Kashmiris are renowned for their hospitality worldwide. We have always welcomed tourists and supported them during difficult times. This is against humanity. We are all saddened. Kashmiris always want peace.”

Another resident reflected the same sentiment and said, “This is a misfortune to the entire Jammu and Kashmir that such an incident took place. It is unfortunate because they are our brothers who come to Kashmir. It is a matter of shame for those who killed humanity. It is written in the Quran that if a person kills one innocent person, he kills all of humanity.”

Reaffirming their national identity and solidarity, another resident said, “We are Indians and we are proud of it. Kashmiris are renowned for their hospitality worldwide. We support the decisions taken by Prime Minister Modi. What happened is very unfortunate. A Kashmiri will die but will not let even an injury fall upon his guest.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Tuesday with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan.

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh also attended the meeting.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with Prime Minister Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Monday. The meeting came a day after Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan briefed the Defence Minister on some decisions in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.

The government has said that the terrorists responsible for the terror attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.

The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack. Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the terror attack.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. (ANI)

After a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was earlier detained by Pakistan Rangers, the force has issued a strict advisory to jawans to be alert and vigilant during border patrol.

A senior BSF officer confirmed that, although the advisory has been part of their regular briefing, after Pakistani Rangers detained the jawan during patrolling duty, all patrolling parties have been instructed to be extra cautious during duty.

Amid ongoing tension at the border, jawans have been asked to be extra cautious and avoid inadvertently crossing the border during patrol duty. Even the farmers working on farms at the borders have been asked to be vigilant,” the officer added.

Another BSF officer said that such incidents are common in the Punjab border where jawans from both sides often cross the border inadvertently and issues are used to get resolved in a single flag meeting, but this time Pakistan is not turning up for the meeting despite several attempts.

“Pakistan is not responding because of ongoing tension after the Pahalgam attack, but we have lodged our protest with the Pak Rangers and are making all efforts to bring back the jawan,” the officer added.

An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the incident in which Jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw inadvertently crossed the international border.

An inquiry has been initiated into the matter; further details are awaited.

Pakistan Rangers detained a BSF trooper on April 23 after he inadvertently crossed the International Border near Punjab’s Firozpur.

The incident occurred while a BSF trooper was crossing the border to provide security to local farmers working near the fence.

According to initial reports, the trooper unintentionally stepped into Pakistani territory.

The BSF is the primary force responsible for guarding the 3,323 km long India-Pakistan border, spanning the states of Jammu and Kashmir (including parts of the LoC), Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.

This border is one of the most sensitive and volatile in the country, due to historical tensions and ongoing security challenges. (ANI)

Nripendra Mishra, Chairman of the Construction Committee of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, said on Tuesday that the Ram Mandir construction will be completed by June 5 this year.

Speaking to ANI, Mishra emphasised that 99 per cent of the temple construction work has now been completed.

“Ram temple construction will be completed by June 5 this year. 99 per cent of the temple construction work has now been completed. The ‘Garbhagriha’, where Ram Lalla is enshrined, had already been completed earlier. However, the first and second floors and the shikhar (main spire) above were still under construction. Today, the Dhwajdand (temple flagpole) has been installed atop the shikhar, which is essentially a symbolic declaration that the work on the shikhar is now complete. The overall construction of the temple is now nearly finished,” Mishra said.

“The installation of the Ram Darbar on the first floor–which includes the idols of Lord Ram, Sita ji, and Hanuman ji–will take place on May 23. All preparations for this have been completed. The idols will arrive in Ayodhya on May 23 and will be placed in their respective sanctums. Following this, there will be some associated religious ceremonies. On June 5, Lord Ram will be ceremoniously enshrined according to our faith and rituals,” Nripendra Mishra said.

The Chairman of the Construction Committee of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra further mentioned that the Prime Minister had given special importance to seven temples to be built for the sages and devotees who were associated with Lord Ram.

“These seven temples are also now complete. The temples of Maharishi Valmiki, Shri Vashisht ji, Vishwamitra ji, Ahilya ji, Nishadraj Maharaj, Shabari Mata, and Agastya Muni located within the temple premises will also be opened to the public after June 5. The worship rituals for the Ram Darbar and the six temples built along the Parkota (outer boundary) will take place on June 5. Champat Rai ji will announce a detailed program for the June 5 ceremonies,” Mishra said.

“One or two days after June 5, once the temple is fully completed, devotees will be able to visit all the different temples within the premises for darshan,” he asserted.

Nripendra Mishra also emphasized that they are hopeful and inspired by this unwavering faith of the devotees after the temple witnessed daily footfall between 75,000 to 1 lakh.

He also listed challenges faced during the construction of the temple.

“We faced many geographical challenges during the construction. Sourcing materials from various places was also a major challenge. There were many discussions regarding engineering and design because our vision was that this temple should last for the next 1,000 years without damage. For me, these engineering challenges were the toughest part. The solution to all these challenges can be summed up in one word: teamwork,” Nripendra Mishra said.

Heaping praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mishra also recalled his working under him.

“I worked under the Prime Minister for nearly six years. Back in those days, even before the Supreme Court’s verdict had come, he often used to say that he would only visit Ayodhya once the construction of the temple began. I remember him indicating that in the past 15-20 years, although he had travelled to surrounding districts for political events, he had not gone to Ayodhya. It was clear in his mind that a temple would be built in Ayodhya–no matter what,” he said. (ANI)

Legendary actor Jackie Chan will be honoured at The Locarno Film Festival.

According to Variety, the festival organisers will honour Jackie Chan with a lifetime career award, recognising the martial arts master who helped define Hong Kong action cinema before becoming a Hollywood mainstay.

Chan is “beloved for action films that bridged the gap between East and West,” the Swiss event dedicated to indie cinema noted in a statement.

Chan, who made his name in martial-arts films in his native Hong Kong before establishing himself in Hollywood with 1995’s “Rumble in the Bronx” and then achieving global attention in the wildly popular “Rush Hour” films, will be making the trek to the Swiss fest where he will introduce his early films “Project A” (1983) and “Police Story” (1985) – both of which he directed and starring in – as part of the tribute.

Chan will hold an onstage conversation in Locarno on August 10.

Chan, who is 71, was celebrated with an honorary Oscar in 2017.

“Director, producer, actor, screenwriter, choreographer, singer, athlete, and daredevil stuntman, Jackie Chan is both a key figure in contemporary Asian cinema and one whose influence has rewritten the rules of Hollywood cinema,” said Locarno Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro in a statement. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting which was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. 

Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh also attended the meeting.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had met PM Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Monday. The meeting came a day after Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan briefed the Defence Minister on some decisions in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed.

The government has said that the terrorists responsible for the terror attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.

The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack. Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the terror attack.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) met a day after the Pahalgam terror attack. In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support to cross-border terrorism. (ANI)

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said that the state cabinet has passed a draft bill that will set clear guidelines on school fees for all 1,677 schools in the city. The move comes after complaints from parents about alleged harassment and arbitrary fee hikes by some schools.

“I feel overjoyed to tell you that the Delhi Government has made a historic and brave decision, and the draft Bill has been passed by the Cabinet today. A complete guideline, procedure for fees will be decided for all 1,677 schools (aided, non-aided, private) in Delhi, whether that is aided, non-aided, private and all kinds of schools,” CM Gupta said.

“For the first time in history such a Bill is being drafted by the Delhi Government which is foolproof. The roles and authority of parents, school, management, directorate and the government is well defined in it,” she added.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that earlier governments had not made such provisions to regulate school fees.

“There was just Delhi Schools Act 1973 in which there was one section on fee in which there was no guideline so that the fee hike in private schools could be checked,” she said.

On April 15, the CM had warned of strict action against schools found violating regulations.

“Parents from various schools have been meeting me, sharing their grievances. No school has the authority to harass parents or children, threaten expulsion, or arbitrarily hike fees. There are strict rules and laws in place, and compliance is mandatory,” she had said, speaking to ANI.

“We have issued notices to all schools against which complaints have been received,” she added.

During a recent public dialogue programme, CM Gupta also responded to complaints against Queen Mary School in Model Town. Parents had alleged that the school collected extra fees and expelled children.

“Today, during the public dialogue programme, a case related to Queen Mary School, Model Town came up, in which parents of children lodged a complaint regarding wrong collection of fees and expulsion of children from the school. Taking immediate cognizance of this matter, the concerned officials have been instructed to conduct an immediate investigation and take strict and necessary action,” she wrote on X.

She added, “The Delhi Government is fully committed to transparency, equal opportunity and the protection of children’s rights in the field of education. A zero-tolerance policy has been adopted towards any kind of injustice, exploitation or irregularity, no laxity will be tolerated in this. Our resolve is clear, every child should have access to justice, respect and quality education.” (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated Kamla Persad-Bissessar for securing a win in the elections held in Trinidad and Tobago and said that he looked forward to working with her to strengthen the partnership for shared prosperity and the well-being of the people of the two nations.

This win marks the comeback of Persad-Bissesar, 73, who served as the Prime Minister from 2010-2015,

In a post shared on X, PM Modi stated, “Heartiest congratulations @MPKamla on your victory in the elections. We cherish our historically close and familial ties with Trinidad and Tobago. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our partnership for shared prosperity and well-being of our people.”

UNC political leader and Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister-elect Kamla Persad Bissessar secured the win in the 2025 general election. At 10:10 p.m. (local time) on April 28, the United National Congress (UNC) defeated the PNM government, with PNM political leader Keith Rowley stating that if the voting trends held, the PNM would be entering the Opposition with 10 to 12 seats, local newspaper Trinidad and Tobago Newsday reported.

Speaking from her constituency office in Siparia, Kamla Persad-Bissessar urged UNC supporters not to be boastful or arrogant as the vote counting was underway. She said, “We have a lot of work to do, so we are heading up now to (UNC) party headquarters.”

She said the UNC held its 19 seats and flipped several seats previously held by the PNM. However, she did not want to declare any of these flipped seats since counting was still underway. She said TPP had won the two Tobago seats.

A few minutes later, at Balisier House, Rowley, joined by outgoing Prime Minister Stuart Young and PNM deputy political leader Rohan Sinanan, conceded the defeat. He said that, based on the numbers coming into Balisier House, they were heading into the Opposition with 10 or 12 seats.

He said, “Tonight is not a good night for the PNM, but it might be a good night for the people of TT,” Trinidad and Tobago Newsday reported. He stated, “Things have gone very well with the processes, the results are coming in now, but from what we have coming in to Balisier House, it would appear that we have lost the election.”

Conceding defeat in the election, he said, “We are conceding defeat on election night, but tomorrow is another day. We conceded in 1986, we conceded in 1995, and we conceded in 2010, so, in this 70-year-old party, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t win.”

He said that they had made comeback from one seat and added that “10 to 12 seats don’t count us out,” Trinidad and Tobago Newsdayreported. Rowley called the election results surprising and added that the PNM will start its campaign for the next general election in the next five years. (ANI)

The Padma Awardees paid homage at the National War Memorial in the national capital on Tuesday.

The Padma Awardees also visited the Prime Minister’s Museum and Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.

President Droupadi Murmu presented 4 Padma Vibhushan, 10 Padma Bhushan, and 57 Padma Shri Awards for the year 2025 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I held at the Ganatantra Mandap of the Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday.

The Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, many Union ministers, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I, where the Padma Awards were presented, and said that outstanding individuals from all walks of life were honoured.

“Attended the Civil Investiture Ceremony-I, where the Padma Awards were presented. Outstanding individuals from all walks of life were honoured for their service and achievements,” PM Modi posted on X.

Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was posthumously conferred with the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Public Affairs.

Sushil Kumar Modi’s wife, Jessie Sushil Modi, received the award from President Droupadi Murmu.

He served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013 and again from 2017 to 2020.

Former Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Hriday Narayan Dikshit, received the Padma Shri award from President Droupadi Murmu for his contributions to Literature and Education.

The Padma awards, among the country’s highest civilian honours, are conferred in three categories – Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.

The awards are given in various disciplines, such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, and literature.

The Padma Shri award is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India after the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, and the Padma Bhushan.

The awards are announced annually on the occasion of Republic Day. The President of India confers them at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, usually around March or April. (ANI)