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: India marked a historic milestone on September 25, 2025. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the Agni-Prime missile from a rail-based mobile launcher at Chandipur, Odisha. This missile can strike targets up to 2,000 kilometres away. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called it a moment of national pride. The rail launcher adds a unique dimension to India's strategic capabilities. It is a specialised train-like system moving on railway tracks. The missile is stored in a canister, enabling it to launch while the train is moving. Earlier, missiles relied on fixed launch sites or trucks, but the rail system allows India to mislead adversaries. The Agni-Prime rail test enhances speed, range and stealth. The missile can be fired without stopping, ensuring minimal reaction time. The 2,000-kilometre range allows precise targetting of enemy bases. The train resembles an ordinary cargo train, keeping movements hidden from intelligence surveillance. With successful launch, India joins a select group of nations with rail-launched ballistic missile capability, alongside countries like the United States, Russia, China and North Korea. This is a step forward in India's self-reliance and defence strength. The advantages of the rail mobile launcher are immense. It is safer because it can move across the rail network, making detection difficult. Launches occur without long preparation, and trains can hide among normal cargo, providing operational flexibility. Multiple missiles can be carried on a single train for a stronger and faster strike. Canister design ensures functionality in rain, dust or heat, allowing rapid response along borders with China or Pakistan. However, the system comes with challenges. Building and maintaining it is costly, which is why even the United States avoided it. Maintenance on a moving train is complex and requires regular inspections. Its dependence on railway lines limits mobility in forests or mountainous regions. Enemy surveillance could potentially track the train, and large Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)-class missiles make the train heavy, reducing speed. Despite these limitations, the strategic advantages outweigh the drawbacks for major powers. Globally, rail-based ballistic missile launchers are rare. Only a handful of countries have developed them. Russia's RT-23 Molodets (SS-24 Scalpel) was operational but is now retired. The United States experimented with the LGM-118 Peacekeeper on rails but no longer maintains an operational system. North Korea tested rail-launched missiles in 2021, though only for short ranges. China primarily uses truck-based systems but is developing rail capabilities. India's inclusion in this elite club signals its growing strategic influence. The successful test of the Agni-Prime rail launcher marks a leap in India's defence power. It increases launch speed and strike range while maintaining stealth, strengthening deterrence and strategic flexibility. Challenges exist, but the benefits establish India firmly among the world's top defence nations. The missile is expected to join active service soon, highlighting India's rising stature in global security.
A top NATO chief has urged business leaders to begin preparing for a 'wartime scenario' following rising tensions across the world. The warning comes as Germany announced it was drawing up a list of bunkers and other underground facilities that could provide shelter for civilians in the event of an attack. Speaking in Brussels yesterday, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer (pictured) warned that NATO members needed to adjust their production and distribution lines in order to be less vulnerable to blackmail from countries such as Russia and China. The chair of NATO's military committee said: 'If we can m ...Read More >
New Delhi: There is a lot of activity happening in the Middle East/West Asia right now. Israel is keeping an eye on the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding the nuclear deal. Israel has assured the United States that it will not attack Iran's nuclear sites unless the nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran completely fail. This information has emerged from the U.S. news website 'Axios.' According to reports, citing two Israeli officials, Israel provided this assurance during a meeting that took place last week in Washington, which included Israel's Minister of Str ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Axiom-4 crew members, including Shubhanshu Shukla, were welcomed with hugs and drinks as they stepped into the International Space Station on Thursday. The newly launched spacecraft -- the fifth in the Dragon series and named Grace -- successfully completed a soft docking with the International Space Station at 4.01pm while orbiting above the North Atlantic Ocean."At 6:31 am EDT (4:01 IST) on Thursday, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft docked to the International Space Station for the fourth private astronaut mission to the orbiting laboratory, Axiom Mission 4," the National Aeronautics ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 27 (UNI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, and stressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility along the India-China border, as well as resolving issues through a structured roadmap of permanent engagement and de-escalation. The meeting was held yesterday on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Qingdao, China, a Defence Ministry statement said here. Rajnath Singh acknowledged the work being undertaken by both sides to bring back semblance of nor ...Read More >
Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 7 (ANI): Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan arrived at the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj on Friday and said that the 'Sanatana' culture embodies the oneness of being and that all the differences dissolve in it. Speaking to the media here, Arif Khan highlighted the Indian culture of seeing divinity in humanity, asserting that "manav" (humans) are a reflection of "Madhav" (God). Khan also noted that India's heritage, values, and ideals continue to be celebrated at the Mahakumbh, fostering unity among people beyond personal familiarity. "We should always not ...Read More >
New Delhi: A quiet splash. A dark current. And then, chaos. Concrete cracking. Steel shattering. Russia's mighty Crimean Bridge, once a symbol of unbreakable control, was torn. Not by fighter jets. Not by missiles. But by bombs, sleeping silently beneath the waves. On June 3 morning, Ukraine's security service SBU claimed responsibility for a jaw-dropping underwater strike on the Kerch Bridge, an important supply line between Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula. The attack, which reportedly used 1,100 kg of explosives, targeted the bridge's underwater pillars - crippling its foundation ...Read More >
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh participated in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Qingdao, China, emphasising the need for collective action against terrorism and extremism. During his meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun, Singh strongly condemned Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, underscoring the urgent need for cooperation to combat this global threat. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh proposed a comprehensive four-point plan to ease border tensions and improve diplomatic ties with China during a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart on the sideline ...Read More >
A Russian strike on a nine-story building in the city of Sumy in northern Ukraine killed eight people and wounded dozens, an official said Sunday (November 17, 2024), as Russia launched a massive drone and missile attack described by officials as the largest in recent months. "Among the eight killed in Sumy, 40 kilometers (24 miles) from the border with Russia, were two children," said Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko. More than 400 people were evacuated from the building. Ukraine's Zelenskyy urges allies to take steps before North Korean troops reach the front The rescu ...Read More >
The incoming US president has vowed to press for a quick deal to end Russia's war - leaving Kyiv scrambling to position itself ahead of his January inauguration Nato foreign ministers looked set to rebuff Tuesday a push from Ukraine for progress on joining their alliance ahead of Donald Trump taking power in the United States. The incoming US president has vowed to press for a quick deal to end Russia's war - leaving Kyiv scrambling to position itself ahead of his January inauguration. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said getting security guarantees from the Western alliance and ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 10 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday met Minister Delegate to the Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff of the National Army of Algeria General Said Changeriha in Bengaluru at Aero India 2025. Singh called their meeting a "great interaction." Also Read | US: Judge Finds Trump Administration Hasn't Fully Followed Order To Unfreeze Federal Spending, Orders White House To Release All Money. In a post on X, he said, "Great interaction with the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff of the National Army of Algeria Ge ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday stressed that the core objective of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is to combat terrorism and that all member nations must reflect this shared goal in both words and actions. Addressing an event in the national capital, Jaishankar underlined India's consistent position that terrorism must not be justified, glorified, or shielded under any pretext -- a message that resonated with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's refusal to endorse a joint statement at the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting on Thursda ...Read More >
New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of making "false allegations" about the statement of the Army chief on the situation at the India-China border. "The words attributed to the Army Chief by Shri Rahul Gandhi were never spoken by him at any time. It is a matter of deep regret that Shri Rahul Gandhi should indulge in irresponsible politics on matters of national interest," Singh said on X. In his speech on Monday in Lok Sabha during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, the leader of opposition clai ...Read More >
New Delhi, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has briefed his Belarusian, Tajik, Kazakh and Chinese counterparts on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. He met them on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in Qingdao, China, on Thursday. The Ministers agreed to continue cooperation to enhance capacity building, training, military technical cooperation, and military education, amongst other areas of common interest. According to a Ministry of Defence (MoD) press release issued on Friday, Rajnath Singh briefed ...Read More >
New Delhi: After India refused to sign a joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in China on Thursday, certain reports had claimed that the declaration had found a mention of the Balochistan crisis, but failed to mention the Pahalgam terror attack prompting India not to endorse the document. However, sources have clarified that these reports are completely incorrect. According to sources, the alphabet soup of the declaration document did not have either B (Balochistan) or P (Pahalgam) in its text. The document did not even have a reference t ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: India pushed for a permanent solution of border demarcation with China and underlined the need to solve complex issues through a structured roadmap of engagement and de-escalation, during talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on Thursday. Singh "stressed on border management and to have a permanent solution of border demarcation by rejuvenating the established mechanism on the issue," the defence ministry said on Friday, a day after two ministers held talks at Qingdao in China on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisat ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 3 (ANI): Producer Ektaa R Kapoor on Tuesday met with Odisha Chief Minister Charan Majhi in Bhubaneshwar. Visuals from the meeting surfaced online in which CM Mohan Charan Majhi and Ektaa could be seen exchanging warm pleasantries. Also Read | 'The Sabarmati Report': Union Home Minister Amit Shah Praises Vikrant Massey Starrer for Revealing the Truth Behind Godhra (View Post). Ektaa also visited Lingaraja Temple and offered prayers there. Notably, on Monday, Ektaa along with the team of 'The Sabarmati Report' attended a special screening of the film wi ...Read More >
India's Indigenous Light Tank: A Key Weapon System For High-Altitude Combat Friday, December 13, 2024 by Indian Defence News India's indigenous light tank, Zorawar, represents a significant advancement in the country's defence capabilities, particularly for operations in high-altitude regions. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and supported by various Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), the Zorawar is designed to meet the operational demands highlighted during the 2020 standoff with China in Eastern Lada ...Read More >
Jammu, Jan 14 (VOICE) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that the BJP government at the Centre treats Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir equally.Addressing the ninth Armed Forces Veterans' Day programme at Tanda Artillery Brigade in Akhnoor, the Defence Minister praised Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his effort to reduce the distance between the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi and asserted that the BJP government treats Delhi and Kashmir equally. "Kashmir was treated differently (by previous governments) in the past. As a result, our brothers and s ...Read More >
Nagpur, May 23 (PTI) India's indigenously developed 'Akashteer' air defence system performed "exceedingly well" during 'Operation Sindoor', said Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief Samir V Kamat, who expressed confidence that its success will draw international interest. India had deployed the indigenously developed and fully automated 'Akashteer' air defence control and reporting system, which emerged as the invisible force of new war capabilities during Operation Sindoor, launched against nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "Definitely, our a ...Read More >
Russia's nuclear doctrine has been updated to affirm its nuclear umbrella for primarily the six member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), including an explicit focus on Belarus. The announcement followed a joint meeting of the CSTO's Council of Foreign Ministers, Council of Defense Ministers, and Committee of Security Council Secretaries held in Astana. According to the state news agency TASS, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu highlighted the revisions, emphasizing Moscow's commitment to protecting its allies under the CSTO. The CSTO, formed in 2002 ...Read More >
New Delhi: India's opposition MPs on Wednesday, December 11, greeted their BJP counterparts in Parliament premises with the tricolour in one hand and a red rose in the other, urging the ruling party to ensure that the Parliament functions properly. This is the latest in a series of demonstrations led by Congress over the issue regarding industry mogul Gautam Adani getting indicted by the US. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also offered the tricolour in the form of a card to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh when the latter was entering the main Parliament building. Congress ...Read More >
Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) [India], January 13 (ANI): India's indigenous Anti-Tank Missile, Nag Mk 2, the third-generation Anti-Tank Fire-and-Forget Guided Missile successfully completed its field evaluation trials at the Pokhran Field Range in Rajasthan in the presence of senior officers of the Indian Army. There were three field trials conducted, with the missile systems destroying all the targets precisely- maximum and minimum range, thus validating its firing range. Also Read | 'People of India Reaffirmed Their Trust in PM Narendra Modi': Ashwini Vaishnaw Slams Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Over H ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 7 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday asserted that India has demonstrated a successful strategy to defeat terrorism, laying out five key positions on how the global community can uproot such activities, and assured retaliation against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism while showing zero tolerance against this menace. In an article titled 'We've shown how to defeat terror,' published in an English Daily, Singh reflects on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India's subsequent response through Operation Sindoor, emphasising the nation's ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Amid the ongoing Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, the Defence Ministry is going to take up Rs 10,000 crore proposal to buy three sophisticated spy planes to help Indian Air Force get a clear air-to-ground picture to carry out precision strikes against enemy ground targets like radar stations, air defence units and other mobile objects. The Rs 10,000 crore project for the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (I-STAR) is expected to be taken up for clearance at a high-level defence ministry meeting scheduled to be held in the four ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has requested Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah to immediately withdraw permission granted for the shooting of the film "Border 2' at the National Defence Academy (NDA) premises in Pune amid the ongoing controversy surrounding singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh. The singer-actor is facing a massive backlash for collaborating with a Pakistani artist, Hania Aamir, in his upcoming movie 'Sardaar Ji 3,' against the backdrop of continuing tensions between India and Pakistan. Diljit Dosanjh is currently working on ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): After India refused to sign a joint declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers' meeting in China on Thursday, certain reports had claimed that the declaration had found a mention of the Balochistan crisis, but failed to mention the Pahalgam terror attack prompting India not to endorse the document. However, sources have clarified that these reports are completely incorrect. According to sources, the alphabet soup of the declaration document did not have either B (Balochistan) or P (Pahalgam) in its text. The document did not ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) Upgrading India's Sukhoi-30MKI fighter fleet, production of air-to-air missiles and expeditious supply of two batches of S-400 missile systems figured prominently in Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's talks with his Russian counterpart Andrey Belousov in the Chinese city of Qingdao. The two defence ministers held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Thursday. The Indian Air Force is operating around 260 Sukhoi 30-MKI jets and it is looking at upgrading the fleet under an ambitious plan. The Russian-origin ...Read More >
India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved a ₹21,772 crore package to strengthen maritime security. This includes 151 new boats for the Navy and six Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) for the Coast Guard. These assets are designed for rapid response, surveillance, and rescue missions. With advanced technology and indigenous manufacturing under the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" initiative, the acquisitions aim to address emerging maritime threats in the Indo-Pacific and reinforce India's role in regional security.The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh ...Read More >
Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday that he held discussions on cabinet expansion with union home minister Amit Shah, party national president J P Nadda, and the party national general secretary B L Santhosh on Wednesday night. Fadnavis was on a two-day visit to Delhi days after being sworn in as chief minister. He met President Draupudi Murmu, PM Narendra Modi, defence minister Rajnath Singh and union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari. He also presented five different ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 12 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at his residence in the National Capital and presented him with an idol of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. "It was an absolute pleasure to meet and interact with Hon Union and Cooperation Minister Amitbhai Shah at his residence in New Delhi. Also presented him a 'murti' of SwatantryaVeer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar," the Chief Minister posted on X (formerly Twitter). Also Read | RRB JE Exam 2024 Admit Card Out at rrbapply.gov.in: Hall Ticket for 7,951 Junior Engineer Posts ...Read More >