India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
New Delhi, Jul 2: The quiet Himalayan town of Dharamshala, has transformed into a hub of spiritual festivity this week as the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, marks his 90th birthday om July 6. The celebrations, which began yesterday in accordance with the Tibetan lunar calendar, will culminate on July 6, his official birthday. Thousands of guests, and devotees, including senior ministers, Buddhist monks from across the globe, and international supporters, have gathered in the hill town. Among the attendees is Hollywood actor and long-time devotee Richard Gere, who joined devotees in offering prayers and paying tribute to the revered leader. The milestone occasion has been accompanied by a significant spiritual declaration. In a long-anticipated statement delivered from the Library and Archive Centre behind Dharamshala's main monastery, the Dalai Lama's office confirmed that there will indeed be a successor after his death. He reiterated that the authority to recognise his reincarnation rests solely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust, which Dalai lama founded, stating emphatically that "no one else has any such authority to interfere." Responding to a media query, the Dalai Lama noted that when the time comes, the process of identifying his successor will unfold internally, without any further public announcements from him. Penpa Tsering, the head of the Tibetan government-in-exile, backed this declaration, saying the process would be conducted in accordance with Tibetan Buddhist traditions. He added that the 15th Tibetan Religious Conference had unanimously resolved to support the Dalai Lama's position on his succession. According to Tibetan Buddhist belief, senior monks are reincarnated after death, and the Dalai Lama is traditionally chosen only if religious officials are convinced that the candidate harbours the soul of his predecessor. The current Dalai Lama was identified as the 14th incarnation at the age of two. China vs Dalai Lama The succession issue has long been a source of geopolitical tension. China, which annexed Tibet in 1950, considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and claims the right to appoint his successor. The Tibetan exile leadership, however, has maintained that any such move by Beijing would be illegitimate. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in India since 1959, when he fled Tibet following a failed uprising against Chinese rule. After crossing into India, he and his entourage were granted asylum at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh which has become the headquarters of the Tibetan exile movement and the seat of the Dalai Lama's spiritual and political leadership. The mood in Dharamshala this week has been celebratory but also reflective. Monks in maroon robes, followers from across continents, and Tibetan families have been participating in prayer ceremonies, cultural performances, and public addresses. For many, the Dalai Lama's announcement brings a sense of clarity and continuity at a time when questions about the future of Tibetan Buddhism loom large. As the birthday celebrations continue, the focus remains on honouring a man who has not only served as a spiritual leader to millions but also as a symbol of non-violent resistance, compassion, and resilience in exile.
PRAYAGRAJ, India (AP) -- Millions of Hindu devotees, mystics and holy men and women from all across India flocked to the northern city of Prayagraj on Monday to kickstart the Maha Kumbh festival, which is being touted as the world's largest religious gathering. Over about the next six weeks, Hindu pilgrims will gather at the confluence of three sacred rivers -- the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati -- where they will take part in elaborate rituals, hoping to begin a journey to achieve Hindu philosophy's ultimate goal: the release from the cycle of rebirth. Here's what to know abo ...Read More >
Mark Carney declined to answer if he believed Indian PM had a role in murder of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar Canada's prime minister Mark Carney has defended his decision to invite India's prime minister Narendra Modi to the upcoming G7 summit in Alberta, despite Canada's federal police's conclusion that the murder of a prominent Sikh activist in British Columbia was orchestrated by the "highest levels" of the Indian government. Carney declined to answer reporters' questions over whether ...Read More >
Shimla, Jun 28 (PTI) India and Tibet are two ancient civilisations with interwoven roots that continue to shape a shared identity, Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Command, said on Saturday. He was addressing a seminar on shared Indo-Tibetan heritage and linked understanding of national security organised by the Army's central command in Shimla. Also Read | 'Hearts of 140 Crore Indians Beat With You': PM Narendra Modi Talks to India's 'First Astronaut' Shubhanshu Shukla Onboard ISS (Watch Video). The event brought together scholars, strategists and senio ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India, - The choice of a successor to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, is a matter of riveting interest not only for followers of his religion, but also China, India, and the United States, for strategic reasons. The Nobel peace laureate, who turns 90 on Sunday, is regarded as one of the world's most influential figures, with a following extending well beyond Buddhism. HOW WAS HE CHOSEN? Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated after his death. The 14th Dalai Lama, born as Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, to a farmin ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India - The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious figures this week ahead of his 90th birthday, as his followers wait for the Tibetan spiritual leader to share details about his succession in a move that could irk China. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist and says it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. Tibetan Buddhists hold that enlightened monks are ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday (Jul 2) that he will be reincarnated and that his non-profit institution will have the sole authority to identify his reincarnation, countering China's insistence that it will choose the successor of the Tibetan Buddhist leader. The remarks by the Dalai Lama, who turns 90 on Sunday, end speculation among millions of followers about whether there would be another Dalai Lama after his death. The Nobel peace laureate was speaking during a week of celebrations to mark his birthday which was expected to be closely watched by the US, India and Ch ...Read More >
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 2 (ANI): As the Dala Lama left the decision of his successor to the Gaden Phodrang, leaving no role for the Chinese, Penpa Tsering Sikyong, President of the Central Tibetan Administration, said that the Tibetan people will never accepy China's usage of reincarnation for political gain. 'During the 15th Tibetan religious conference held in Dharamsala... a consensus was reached on the following important points- The core process of recognising the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama is as per the unique Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Hence, we not only stro ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India - The Dalai Lama said on Wednesday his Gaden Phodrang Trust would have the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation, rejecting any role for China in choosing who succeeds him as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists. WHAT IS THE GADEN PHODRANG TRUST? The non-profit was registered in 2011 in the northern Indian town of Dharamshala, where the Dalai Lama is based. Its members include the Dalai Lama, senior monk Samdhong Rinpoche and close aides who work in the Dalai Lama's office in Dharamshala. The Dalai Lama heads the trust and its "alternate chairperson", or ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic signal, India on Thursday affirmed that the succession of the Dalai Lama will be determined solely by the current Tibetan spiritual leader and through established Buddhist conventions -- a stance seen as a clear rejection of China's attempts to assert control over the process. According to an NDTV report, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized that no external power has the authority to interfere in the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Rijiju, who is also a practising Buddhist, said, "The Dalai Lama is ...Read More >
NEW DELHI (AP) -- Three people died and at least a dozen are feared missing after being swept away in a flash flood triggered by torrential rains in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, local authorities said on Thursday. A rescue operation has been launched to trace the missing, said Dinesh Sharma, a local government spokesperson in Kangra. The town is about 18 kilometres (11 miles) from Dharamshala, a popular tourist destination known for its Tibetan culture and as the home of Tibetan spiritual leader, Dalai Lama. Sudhir Sharma, a lawmaker from Dharamshala, said in a social media po ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is probing from all angles, including sabotage, in the Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad that killed 274 people on board and on the ground last month, Minister of State (MoS) For Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said. Mohol said the black box of the Air India flight AI 171 that has been recovered is in AAIB's custody and will not be outside the country for a thorough assessment. The MoS was speaking at the Pune chapter of the Emerging Business Conclave. "It (plane crash) was an unfortunate incident. The AAIB has begun a full investig ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has decided to lift aid cuts for Tibetans in exile and provide $7 million in financing for projects such as those supporting health and education, the leader of the Tibetan government in-exile said on Wednesday. The Trump administration started cutting foreign aid after taking office in January as part of its "America First" policy, which has had an impact on programmes including those aimed at securing food supplies and preventing the spread of HIV in some of the poorest parts of the world. Penpa Tsering, leader of t ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) State-owned NMDC has reported a record 31 per cent jump in its iron ore production to 11.99 million tonnes (MT) in the April-June quarter of 2025-26 compared to 9.19 MT in the year-ago period, according to a statement. Its sales rose by 14 per cent to 11.51 MT in the first quarter of FY26 compared to 10.07 MT in the first quarter of 2024-25, the company said in the statement on Wednesday. Also Read | How Is the Next Dalai Lama Chosen? Know How the Successor of the 14th Dalai Lama Will Be Picked. In June, the company produced 3.57 MT of iron ore, registering a 5 per ce ...Read More >
DEHRADUN, India - Tibetans in exile celebrate the 90th birthday of spiritual leader the Dalai Lama next week, an occasion overshadowed by uncertainty about the future of the role and what it means for their movement. The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist -- who Tibetans say is the 14th reincarnation of the 600-year-old post -- will reveal if there will be another Dalai Lama after him. The inevitable change ahead brings wider concerns for Tibetans over the struggle to keep their identity alive after generations in exile, following a failed 1959 uprising against Chinese rule. The ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 11 (ANI): A parliamentary delegation from New Zealand and Fiji on Wednesday highlighted their solidarity with the Tibetan people's ongoing struggle for freedom. The event, which was held on Tuesday, followed the Central Tibetan Administration's official commemoration of the 35th anniversary of the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Also Read | Joe Biden Slams US President-Elect Donald Trump's Tariff Approach, Calls 'Action a Major Mistake'. The delegation, which included New Zealand Members of Parliament (MPs) Joseph Mooney, Ingrid L ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India - The Dalai Lama will meet 11 senior Buddhist monks on July 2 morning before delivering a written statement that will "most probably" talk about his eventual succession as the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhists, an official said. Tibetan Buddhists believe that enlightened monks are reborn to continue their spiritual legacy. The 14th Dalai Lama will turn 90 on July 6 and has long been expected to use the occasion to share possible clues on where his successor, a boy or a girl, could be found following his death. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a ...Read More >
Dharamshala, India/Hong Kong (CNN) -- The Dalai Lama has announced that he will have a successor after his death, continuing a centuries-old tradition that has become a flashpoint in the struggle with China's Communist Party over Tibet's future. Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader made the declaration on Wednesday in a video message to religious elders gathering in Dharamshala, India, where the Nobel Peace laureate has lived since fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese communist rule in 1959. "I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue," the Dalai Lama ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 3 (PTI) In an apparent snub to China, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday asserted that the decision on the Incarnation of the Dalai Lama would be taken by the established institution and the Dalai Lama himself and no one else. On Wednesday, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation. Talking to reporters here, Rijiju said the Dalai Lama is the "most important and defining institution" for the Buddhists. "And all tho ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) -- The Dalai Lama attended a celebration of his 90th birthday according to the Tibetan calendar. The event Monday in honor of the Tibetan spiritual leader was held at the Tsuglagkhang temple complex in Dharamshala, India. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. ...Read More >
Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 30 (ANI): The main Tibetan temple, Tsuglagkhang, in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala, erupted in vibrant festivities on Monday, as devotees and crowds gathered there to celebrate the 90th birthday of the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, the 14th Dalai Lama. The celebration on June 30 is based on the dates as per the Tibetan calendar, whereas, according to the Gregorian calendar, the birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama falls on July 6. Also Read | Laos Job Scam Alert: Cybercrime Centre Reveals Modus Operandi of Fraudsters Luring Indians Into Cybercr ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram: Ravada A Chandrasekhar took charge as the new State Police Chief on Tuesday. He succeeds Shaik Darvesh Saheb, who retired on June 30. His tenure will run until July 1, 2027. A 1991-batch IPS officer currently serving as Special Director with the Intelligence Bureau, Chandrasekhar is on central deputation. He was selected over Nitin Agarwal, who topped the official list of probables. The appointment order, issued by Kerala Chief Secretary Dr A Jayathilak on behalf of the Governor, was released soon after a cabinet meeting held on Monday. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh's Godav ...Read More >
NEW DELHI -- President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the Russian people were "united as never before," as he sought to project confidence in the wake of a short-lived revolt, at a meeting of a rare international organization where he can find a sympathetic audience. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, hosted via videoconference by India, was Putin's first multilateral summit since an armed rebellion rattled Russia and comes as he is eager to show that the West has failed to isolate Moscow over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Asian security grouping, founded by Russia and Chin ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, 3 Jul: In a snub to China, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday asserted that the decision on the incarnation of the Dalai Lama would be taken by the established institution and the leader of Tibetan Buddhist himself and no one else. This is the first reaction by a senior government functionary on the comments of the Dalai Lama on his successor. On Wednesday, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue and only the Gaden Phodrang Trust will have the authority to recognise his future reincarnation. Talking to reporter ...Read More >
Kolkata, Dec 4 (PTI) A five-member delegation of monks went to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission here on Wednesday to submit a memorandum demanding immediate steps to stop atrocities on Hindus and other religious minorities in the neighbouring country. Kartik Maharaj, one of the members of the delegation, said they had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to take legal recourse to ensure the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh. "Bigger protests will be organised in West Bengal if appropriate steps are not taken to ensure protection of the minorities in Ban ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama will address a major three-day gathering of Buddhist religious figures this week ahead of his 90th birthday, as his followers wait for the Tibetan spiritual leader to share details about his succession in a move that could irk China. Beijing views the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, as a separatist and says it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama has said his successor will be born outside China and urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. Tibetan Buddhists hold that enlightened monks are ...Read More >
Imphal, Jul 2 (PTI) Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday asserted the urgent need for strict verification mechanisms and close coordination between Aadhaar issuing authorities, ILP enforcement agencies, and local administrative bodies to ensure that identity documents are issued only to those who are rightfully entitled. In a post on X, Singh wrote: "I appreciate the enhanced measures undertaken by the State Government to strengthen and streamline the Aadhaar issuance process in Manipur. These efforts are critical to safeguarding our integrity and identity." Also Read | H ...Read More >
DHARAMSHALA, INDIA: A few days before his 90 birth anniversary, the Dalai Lama has given his followers assurance that his spiritual ancestry will last beyond his death. In an authoritative video address from Dharamshala, India, where festivities marking his milestone birthday are in progress, the Tibetan spiritual leader professed that he will be "reawakened," putting an end to long-lasting conjecture that he might be the last in the venerable line of Dalai Lamas. According to a recent Reuters report, more than 100 maroon-robed monks gathered in the library cheered as the Nobel Peace laureat ...Read More >