ModiWatch: Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the anniversary celebration of Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Gujarat.

PM Modi exchanged views with the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, Denis Manturov, on enhancing cooperation in various areas, including trade and economic ties, energy, and connectivity.

PM Modi also congratulated Dr Navin Ramgoolam on his election victory in Mauritius.

Countdown to state elections

Opinion poll predicts victory for BJP and partners in Maharashtra: The Matrize opinion poll predicts that the BJP-led Mahayuti could secure between 145 and 165 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. In contrast, the opposition coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), is projected to win approximately 106 to 126 seats.

Sharad Pawar targets Maharastra government: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) chief Sharad Pawar said there was "utmost need for change" in the State if the condition of farmers, women and youth were to improve for the better.

The choice for voters in Maharashtra: In Maharashtra, two Shiv Senas and two Nationalist Congress Parties (NCPs) will compete for 85 seats. The Shiv Sena, led by Eknath Shinde, or the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, will face off for 49 seats. Voters will also select between the NCP (SP) and the NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, for 36 seats.

Home Minister says BJP will expel infiltrators: Home Minister Amit Shah stated that if the BJP were to take power in Jharkhand, a committee would be established to find and expel infiltrators from the state in addition to recovering the land that they had taken.

Rahul Gandhi joins campaign in Wayanad: The Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, joined his sister Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad on the last day of the by-poll campaign. He also promised to develop Wayanad into a global tourist destination.

India not nervous by Trump's return

Foreign Minister says India not nervous by Trump’s return: Speaking at an event, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said India is not among the countries that are afraid of Donald Trump’s return to power. He also said, there is a trend of a multipolar world but acknowledged old economies remain prime investment targets.

India-Russia ties

India-Russia bilateral talk: Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov and Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will jointly hold a crucial meeting of the intergovernmental Russian-Indian commission on trade, economic, scientific, technological, and cultural cooperation today in Mumbai.

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Foreign Minister prioritises trade in national currencies: Speaking at the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission meeting, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said bilateral trade in national currencies is of “great importance”. He also predicted that India-Russia trade valued at $66 billion would touch $100 billion by 2030.

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Shapoorji Pallonji Group to raise ₹8,000 crore: To finance roughly ₹8,000 crore ($948 million) in bonds, the Shapoorji Pallonji Group has reopened negotiations with private credit funds and international lenders, led by Deutsche Bank.

US private equity fund to acquire Indian company: According to the Economic Times sources, US private equity fund TA Associates will acquire the Bengaluru- and US-based revenue cycle management (RCM) services provider Vee Healthtek for $250 million.

Japanese bank looking to acquire Indian firms: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. is planning to increase investments in India, it’s actively looking for acquisition targets that will help boost its presence in the region.

Government announcements

Government raises ₹3,449 crore through selling stake in zinc production company: The government has raised ₹3,449 crore ($410.6 million) through offer-for-sale (OFS) by selling its 1.6% stake in Hindustan Zinc Ltd.

Cabinet to revise Jharia Master Plan: The Cabinet is likely to approve a proposal on a revised Jharia Master Plan, according to sources. The Jharia Master Plan is a plan for rehabilitating and resettling the population living in fire-affected and unstable mining areas of the Jharia coalfield. The plan was approved by the Centre in August 2009 with an estimated investment of ₹7,112.11 crore ($850 million). The plan expired in 2021.

Centre extends Foreign Secretary’s tenure: The Centre extended the tenure of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri till 2026, according to a Personnel Ministry order.

Centre to revoke FCRA of NGOs involved in anti-development activities: According to a Home Ministry circular, any NGO that engages in anti-developmental activities, religious conversion, maliciously encouraging protests, or has ties to terrorist or extremist organisations will have their FCRA (a law that governs receiving financial aid or contributions from foreign nations) registration revoked.

State government greenlights projects worth ₹3,353 crore: The Odisha Government approved projects that cover a wide range of sectors, including renewable energy, steel, manufacturing, textile, pharmaceuticals and cement projects with an investment outlay of ₹3,353 crore ($400 million).

Trump's return to shift FDI inflow to India

FDI inflow shift for India: According to a State Bank of India (SBI) report, Donald Trump's return may change the patterns of foreign direct investment (FDI) in India since the Trump administration's regulatory policies influenced international FDI inflows by encouraging capital to return to the United States.

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India hosts telecom event

India hosts South Asian telecom event: The Asia Pacific Telecommunity organised the South Asian Telecommunication Regulators’ Council, which was hosted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. Notably, a delegation from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan also attended the event.

India gets new Chief Justice

New Chief Justice of India: Taking over from Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Sanjiv Khanna took oath as the Chief Justice of India in New Delhi.

Farewell Vistara

Vistara-Air India merger: The Tata-owned airline company, Vistara, embarked on its last flight. The airline will be merged with Air India and operate under their name.

Views from the Op-Eds: DY Chandrachud's legacy.

Nalini Sharma (India Today) writes the past seven years have been transformational for the Supreme Court and a large credit goes out to the former Chief Justice of India (CJI), DY Chandrachud. She adds that CJI Chandrachud broke the glass wall that had previously divided the people and the judiciary. Chandrachud not only improved the transparency of the Collegium but also integrated technological innovations into the justice system.

Alok Prasanna Kumar (The Print) argues the legacy of DY Chandrachud will always be "consequential, complicated, and confounding." He divides judgements made by Chandrachud into three categories. The first category includes a judgment where the rhetoric matched the impact giving examples of the Puttaswamy verdict, which established the right to privacy as a fundamental right in India and striking down Section 377. The second category talks about a ruling where the rhetoric was high-minded but the impact minimal giving examples of the abortion judgement and the recent child marriage verdict. The third category details a decision where the impact was the exact opposite of the rhetoric while giving examples of the Ayodhya verdict and the Article 370 judgement.

Avay Shukla (National Herald) writes that DY Chandrachud's statement that he prayed for divine guidance on the Ayodhya Ram Mandir judgment, blurs the line between the judiciary and religious beliefs. He concludes, if this trend continues, temples might replace courts, with "head priests" dispensing judgments. He calls for the Ayodhya judgment to be reconsidered and warns that the judiciary must remain grounded in law, free from religious influence. He previously authored another piece on the legacy of DY Chandrachud, where he claimed that the former CJI chose not "to bring the country out of the morass it is being shoved into" and let the nation down.

Delhi Today: Hazy sunshine.

No solution for air quality: On Monday morning, the national capital's air quality was classified as "very poor," with a heavy layer of haze engulfing several areas of the city. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was measured at 349.

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