Prime Minister Modi outlined his government’s political and economic vision, emphasizing that governance is rooted in citizen trust through reforms like reduced red tape and financial empowerment, while simultaneously challenging the historical application of the “Hindu rate of growth” as a colonial mechanism intended to malign Indian faith. Concurrently, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar firmly defended India’s strategic autonomy, insisting that New Delhi will maintain diverse partnerships, including robust ties with Russia, without seeking validation from external powers, a positioning that occurs as the new U.S. National Security Strategy calls for India to act as a crucial security partner in the Indo-Pacific while stressing an end to mass migration. Domestically, ongoing communal tensions resurfaced in West Bengal, where rival leaders laid foundation stones for replicas of the Babri Masjid and the Ayodhya Ram Temple, igniting fresh public discourse about constitutional rights and religious freedom. Major challenges arose in the transportation sector, compelling the government to impose strict airfare caps and operational directives on IndiGo following mass cancellations, even as India prepares to send investigators to the U.S. to aid the probe into a deadly Air India Dreamliner crash. Amidst these significant developments, the sources also reported that the Indian cricket team secured a commanding ODI series victory over South Africa.

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