Author: Supriya Jena

Ahead of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s trip to the United States, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with key American diplomats on Monday. They talked about important topics between the two countries and other global issues. Jaishankar will be in the U.S. from December 24-29, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During his visit, he will discuss these important matters with his American counterparts.

On the day before Jaishankar’s trip, Misri had meetings with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Deputy Secretary for Management Richard Verma at the State Department. India’s Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra, was also there. Verma expressed excitement for the continued growth of U.S.-India relations, highlighting a foundation of trust, shared values, and overall prosperity.

Earlier that day, Verma had a gathering with Indian think tank experts and U.S. officials to discuss progress in trade, defense, cultural ties, and global cooperation.

Verma shared interesting facts about U.S.-India relations:
– Trade between the two countries has grown from USD 20 billion in 2000 to USD 195 billion in 2023, and it’s expected to pass the USD 200 billion mark in 2024.
– Defense trade has risen from zero to USD 24 billion in the same time.
– The number of Indian students studying in the U.S. has jumped from 54,664 in 2000 to over 330,000 in 2023.
– The Indian diaspora in the U.S. went from 1.9 million to over 5 million people.
– The Biden-Harris administration has hired a record 130 Indian Americans for senior roles.
– India is now the U.S.’s top partner for military exercises, and the U.S. sends the most money back to India.
– One out of every five ‘unicorns’ (startups valued at over $1 billion) in the U.S. has Indian founders or co-founders.

There are plans to open two new Indian consulates in Los Angeles and Boston, and the U.S. is also planning to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to speak with experts about the economy on Tuesday. This meeting comes just before his government’s first complete budget for its third term, expected to be shared on February 1. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had presented the last budget for the year 2024 in July when Modi’s government won its third term.

This meeting is important because there are concerns about India’s slowing economy and reduced spending by people. The economy grew only 5.4% in the last quarter, which is the lowest growth in over two years. People are eager to see if the budget will include ideas to boost growth, encourage spending, and incentivize private businesses to invest.

The budget will also be monitored for any actions in response to former U.S. President Donald Trump, especially since he might impose new tariffs on countries like India. This situation has led many experts to lower their growth forecasts for India. For example, the Asian Development Bank has reduced its growth expectation for India in 2025 from 7% to 6.5%, and Goldman Sachs has revised its figure from 6.5% to 6.4%.

Despite a strong growth of 8.2% in 2024, high retail inflation means that the Reserve Bank of India is unlikely to lower interest rates to stimulate the economy. HDFC Bank noted that India’s future economic outlook is a mix of hope and uncertainty, with macroeconomic fundamentals appearing strong but facing unpredictable global challenges.

Sitharaman has already talked to key players, including economists and business groups, about the budget. While the upcoming budget will be a main focus of Modi’s meeting with economists, long-term strategies needed to make India a developed nation as per the Prime Minister’s vision might also be discussed

The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a big investment of Rs 2,723 crore to improve roads in the new capital, Amaravati. Municipal Minister P Narayana shared this news at a press conference and explained that this money will be used to build roads in specific areas, known as zones 7 and 10. So far, a total of Rs 47,288 crore has been approved for various projects in Amaravati.

Narayana mentioned that more approvals for other projects will happen this month. He also emphasized that the government will not make the people of Andhra Pradesh pay for the costs of building this new city. Instead, they plan to pay back the loans by selling the land that farmers contributed for Amaravati

Shyam Benegal, a famous Indian filmmaker, passed away at the age of 90 in a hospital in Mumbai. He had just celebrated his birthday nine days earlier. Benegal was known for making important films like “Ankur,” “Nishant,” and “Bhumika,” which focused on social issues and Indian life. He was one of the first directors to create what is called “parallel cinema,” offering a different style from mainstream Bollywood movies.

Benegal made over 25 films and worked in various genres, including documentaries and TV shows. His first film, “Ankur,” explored the struggles of cast and class in a small village. Other well-known movies include “Mandi,” about a brothel, and “Kalyug,” which is a modern take on the Mahabharata story. Benegal’s work often featured serious themes like gender equality and rural challenges, told in a way that made people think.

He was beloved by actors, giving many of them their big breaks, including Shabana Azmi, Smita Patil, and Naseeruddin Shah. He believed that cinema should be both personal and political, telling stories that mattered. Benegal once said, “Every social act is also a political act,” highlighting the importance of empathy in storytelling.

Benegal started his career in advertising and soon moved to making films. He received many awards for his work, including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. He even served as a member of India’s Parliament.

Just a week before he died, Benegal spoke about working on new film projects, showing his passion for filmmaking remained strong, despite his health issues. He will always be remembered as one of the greats in Indian cinema.

In an important development in the Punjab terrorist conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a significant associate of Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh, also known as Landa, and gangster Bachitar Singh, known as Pavitar Batala.

On Monday, they captured Jatinder Singh, also called Jyoti, from Mumbai. He had been hiding since the arrest of a weapons supplier named Baljit Singh, or Rana Bhai, in July 2024. The NIA used advanced technology and on-site investigations to find Jatinder.

The NIA found that Jatinder was part of a terror gang led by Landa, who is based outside of India and is associated with the banned group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). Jatinder was helping deliver weapons to Landa and Batala’s supporters in Punjab.

He was getting weapons from Baljit Singh, who is based in Madhya Pradesh and has recently faced legal action. Investigators discovered that Jatinder had brought ten pistols from Madhya Pradesh to hand over to Landa and Batala’s operatives in Punjab.

Jatinder was also planning to smuggle more weapons from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab, but the NIA stopped his plans with successful search operations throughout the months.

His arrest marks a big step forward for the NIA in fighting against the combo of terror groups and gangsters by preventing the smuggling of weapons and funding for acts of terrorism in India.