Vande Mataram in Bengal madrasas: BJP's Praveen Khandelwal hails move, Muslim leader Barelvi says should be decided by people

IANS | May 21, 2026 10:32 PM

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal on Thursday hailed the decision of the West Bengal government to make singing of "Vande Mataram" mandatory in madrasas across the state. However, Islamic scholar Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi opposed the move, saying no one can be pressurised to sing the national song.

India's new trade and defence deals signal strategic autonomy play amid global flux

Vivek Y Kelkar | May 21, 2026 9:39 PM

New Delhi: India has recently concluded deals with New Zealand, South Korea and Russia that are advantageous in headline terms, but signal more about India’s quest for strategic autonomy. They mark a deliberate shift in how New Delhi is deploying trade and defence alignment policies as calibrated levers of strategic autonomy amidst rising global rivalries and uncertainties. The agreements, different in scale and context, indicate a strategic logic: India is widening its economic and security options in a world where any singular dependence has become a strategic vulnerability.

'Recognition of India's farmer-centric policies': Padma Shri awardee hails PM Modi receiving FAO's highest honour

IANS | May 21, 2026 9:00 PM

Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh), May 21 (IANS) Padma Shri awardee and progressive farmer Ramsaran Verma on Thursday expressed happiness over Prime Minister Narendra Modi receiving the highest honour of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the 'Agricola Medal' for 2026, and said the recognition also belongs to the country's farmers, agricultural scientists and India's farmer-centric policies.

Vedanta arm TSPL faces Rs 127 crore penalty in power misdeclaration case

IANS | May 21, 2026 8:11 PM

New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Vedanta Limited on Thursday informed stock exchanges that the Supreme Court of India has ruled against its subsidiary Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) in a case related to alleged misdeclaration of power availability, resulting in a penalty payout of nearly Rs 127 crore along with applicable late payment surcharge.