India

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India Unveils Major Border Infrastructure Upgrades with Inauguration of 125 BRO Projects

Dec. 9, 2025 | Infrastructure & Urbanization

India has bolstered its strategic infrastructure along critical border regions with the inauguration of 125 BRO projects.

**On December 7, 2025, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated these infrastructure works from Leh, marking the Border Roads Organisation’s largest single-day, highest-value event.**
Executed at a cost of around ₹5,000 crore, the projects comprise 28 roads, 93 bridges and four miscellaneous works across Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Mizoram.

**These upgrades improve last-mile connectivity to remote villages and forward military locations, boosting troop mobility, logistics and operational readiness.**
Enhanced road and bridge networks support real-time communications, satellite surveillance and rapid deployment capabilities, even during harsh winters marked by heavy snowfall and avalanches.

**A centerpiece of the effort is the 920-metre Shyok Tunnel on the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi Road in Ladakh.**
Built using a cut-and-cover design, the tunnel offers all-weather access through rugged mountain terrain, strengthens supply lines to forward posts and ensures safe passage during landslides and avalanches. BRO engineers and armed forces personnel overcame severe environmental conditions to complete the tunnel.

**Rajnath Singh also opened the Galwan War Memorial by virtual link to honor the bravery and sacrifice of the Armed Forces.**
He referenced Operation Sindoor, noting that robust border connectivity enabled timely logistics and rapid force deployment after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam.

**The BRO has adopted indigenous technologies, including Class-70 modular bridges developed with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.**
These modular bridges enhance disaster response and support economic activity in remote border areas.

**The inauguration in Ladakh drew governors, lieutenant governors and chief ministers from affected regions, along with Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and other senior military and government officials.**
Singh emphasized the government’s commitment to linking border regions with the national mainstream, strengthening tourism, creating employment opportunities and building public confidence in development and governance.

Parliament Debates 150 Years of Vande Mataram Amid Political and Cultural Divides

Dec. 9, 2025 | Politics

The Indian Parliament will convene a special debate to mark the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram.

**Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open a special Lok Sabha debate on December 8, 2025, dedicating ten hours across both Houses to celebrate the national song’s sesquicentennial.**
The Rajya Sabha discussion begins on December 9. In the Lok Sabha, speakers alongside the Prime Minister will include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and eight Congress leaders, among them Gaurav Gogoi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. The Rajya Sabha debate will be launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and followed by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.

**These sessions form part of year-long celebrations that Modi inaugurated on November 7 to promote Vande Mataram’s significance among youth and students.**
The Winter Session of Parliament continues until December 19, with early December dominated by these debates. The government has set aside three hours of Lok Sabha time for its speakers, allocating the remaining seven hours to opposition members and the Rajya Sabha.

**The debate’s political dimension pits contrasting BJP and Congress narratives.**
The BJP plans to accuse the Congress Working Committee of removing key stanzas in 1937, a decision Modi has tied to the seeds of Partition. Party spokespersons will point to Jawaharlal Nehru’s acceptance of a truncated version and argue that the Congress diluted the song’s original form.

**Congress defends the 1937 decision as an inclusive step based on Rabindranath Tagore’s advice to limit national use to the first two stanzas, which avoid religious imagery.**
The party rejects any link between that choice and communal division, noting it retained the widely accepted portions and preserved the song’s role in India’s freedom movement.

**Bankim Chandra Chatterjee first published Vande Mataram in Bangadarshan in November 1875 and later included it in his novel Anandamath in 1882.**
Rabindranath Tagore set it to music, and it became a rallying cry during the early 20th-century nationalist movement, especially after the 1905 partition of Bengal. Despite colonial attempts to suppress it, the song’s popularity grew, and by 1905 the Indian National Congress formally adopted part of it for national occasions. In 1950, the Constituent Assembly granted Vande Mataram equal status with Jana Gana Mana as India’s anthems.

**Religious and cultural objections have shaped Vande Mataram’s history.**
The Muslim League opposed it for its Hindu references, and orthodox Muslim groups still reject verses that personify the nation as a deity. Organizations such as the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind endorse only the first two stanzas, excluding later verses on theological grounds.

**Ahead of critical state polls, the BJP intends to link figures like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Subhas Chandra Bose to its campaign against regional rivals such as the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal.**
Opposition parties—including Congress, the TMC and the Samajwadi Party—may counter by recalling the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s role in the freedom struggle and the views of early Hindutva leaders. These Vande Mataram debates are poised to reflect and intensify existing ideological conflicts in the run-up to key state elections.

Monitored Intelligence for India - Dec. 10, 2025

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Govt revokes connectivity nod to 6.3GW renewables capacity since 2022 on development delays

Livemint | English | News | Dec. 10, 2025 | Regulation

Since 2022, India's Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL) has revoked transmission connectivity approvals for 6.3GW (6,343MW) of renewable energy projects due to developer delays, according to Union minister of state for power Shripad Naik. The cancellations affected 24 project grantees, with the revocations unrelated to transmission side delays. Sixteen petitions before the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) seek protection from these cancellations.

India is constructing an Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) to evacuate 172GW of renewable energy, with bids underway for 19GW capacity. The government is also coordinating with states to develop intra-state transmission systems for evacuating 152GW of renewables. These initiatives, combined with plans for hydro, nuclear, and other non-fossil energy integration, aim to meet the 500GW non-fossil capacity target.

Renewable energy growth faces challenges including power generation curtailment, unsigned power purchase agreements (PPAs), and transmission constraints. Approximately 44GW of renewable power remains unsold due to pending PPAs. Transmission expansion slowed in FY25, with only 8,830 circuit kilometers added—38% less than in FY24—due to land acquisition and right of way issues. India’s transmission network totals 495,405 ckm, with another 191,000 ckm planned by FY32.

To address stalled projects, the Centre has ordered cancellation of contracts where power sale agreements are not feasible, following a phased approach after exploring all viable PPA options. A parliamentary standing committee report noted that as of June 2025, non-fossil sources accounted for about 50% (243GW) of the total 485GW installed capacity, but cited challenges like delays in land acquisition, connectivity approvals, storage shortages, and limited domestic manufacturing. The committee urged stakeholders to adhere strictly to the planned roadmap to overcome these constraints and achieve renewable targets on time.

India welcomes UK action against Babbar Khalsa network

Times of India | English | News | Dec. 10, 2025 | Terrorism

India has welcomed the United Kingdom's recent action to sanction entities linked to the Babbar Khalsa terror group, reinforcing the global effort to combat terrorism, extremism, illicit financial flows, and transnational crime networks. The UK government imposed an asset freeze on Gurpreet Singh Rehal, an individual suspected of involvement with Babbar Khalsa, and an associated organization supporting the militant group.

This sanction marks the first use of the UK's Domestic Counter-Terrorism Regime specifically aimed at disrupting funding for the pro-Khalistan militant network Babbar Khalsa. Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed India’s eagerness to continue collaborating with the UK to enhance counterterrorism and security cooperation.

Gurpreet Singh Rehal is accused of engaging in activities supporting Babbar Khalsa’s terrorist operations, including purchasing weapons and military equipment for the group. The coordinated actions between India and the UK are positioned as vital steps in countering the financing and operational capabilities of extremist groups.

China must assure us our citizens won't be harassed: India

Times of India | English | News | Dec. 10, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

India has demanded assurances from China that its citizens will not face selective harassment after an Arunachal Pradesh resident was reportedly mistreated at Shanghai airport. New Delhi strongly protested the incident, reaffirming that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India and rejecting China's territorial claims. The Indian government has advised its nationals to exercise caution when traveling to or transiting through China.

The Indian External Affairs Ministry emphasized the expectation that Chinese authorities will not arbitrarily detain or harass Indian citizens at Chinese airports. China has denied any harassment claims, stating that border checks and law enforcement during entry and exit are standard practices worldwide. Despite tensions, China expressed willingness to improve ties with India and Russia, highlighting a positive direction in bilateral relations.

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