Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking at an event in Chennai, explained New Delhi’s approach toward neighboring countries by citing examples of Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He stated that India formulates its policies based on the behavior and relationship patterns of its neighbors, clearly differentiating between “good” and “bad” neighbors. According to him, India supports countries that maintain cooperative relations, offering assistance through vaccine diplomacy, economic aid, and emergency support.

Jaishankar’s remarks came just days after attending former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia’s funeral. He emphasized that India reserves the right to defend itself against nations that consistently support terrorism or pose security threats. He added that India’s neighborhood policy is guided by common sense and national interest rather than emotion. Referring to India’s firm stance toward Pakistan and its aid to Sri Lanka during its economic crisis, he suggested that a neighbor’s conduct determines India’s policy approach.

Although he did not directly mention Bangladesh, his comments indicated that India views mutual trust, cooperation, and security as the foundation of regional relations.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that nearly 2,000 people have been pushed back to Bangladesh over the past few months using provisions of a 1950 law. Speaking at a press conference on recent cabinet decisions, he said that anyone declared a foreigner by the state’s Foreigners Tribunal would be expelled within a week to prevent them from appealing to higher courts. Sarma added that 18 individuals were sent back on December 31 and described the push-back policy as a new administrative approach to curb illegal immigration.

Lawyers and human rights activists have strongly questioned the legality of invoking the 1950 law, arguing that it was enacted in a specific post-partition context and is now unconstitutional. Senior advocates from the Gauhati High Court said the law violates constitutional rights to equality and due process, as it allows deportation without notice, hearing, or appeal. They also warned that bypassing judicial review undermines the entire legal system.

Rights groups have demanded transparency, asking for the list of deported individuals and assurances that no Indian citizens were mistakenly expelled.

At least nine people have died and around 200 others have been hospitalized in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, after consuming contaminated water, according to authorities. The incident occurred in the Bhagirathpura area, where residents had reported foul-smelling water for several days. Officials fear the death toll could rise as more people fall ill.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced financial assistance of two lakh rupees for each bereaved family and said that action is being taken against those responsible for negligence. A leak was discovered in a local water pipeline near a toilet construction site, which is suspected to have allowed contaminated water to enter the supply system.

A three-member committee has been formed to investigate the incident and determine accountability. Residents had previously complained to authorities about the water quality but alleged that no action was taken.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that his government will adopt a tougher stance against what he termed 'illegal Bangladeshi' immigrants. Speaking ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections, he declared that anyone identified as a foreigner in Assam would be expelled without following any diplomatic procedures. Sarma said the era of a 'soft policy' on deportation had ended, and his administration would act immediately once a foreigner is declared.

According to the report, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is making the issue of so-called 'immigrants' or 'infiltrators' a central theme of its election campaign in Assam. Sarma stated that the state government’s approach aligns with recent remarks by India’s Home Minister Amit Shah. Previously, deportation required a lengthy diplomatic process involving the Ministry of External Affairs and verification with Bangladesh.

Sarma said that under the new policy, Assam will no longer wait for formal responses from Bangladesh before expelling those declared foreigners, signaling a significant shift in the state’s handling of immigration cases.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Thursday, January 1, to express condolences over the death of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia. During his visit, he signed the condolence book and met with officials at the mission. In a post on X, Singh said he conveyed deep sorrow over Zia’s passing and extended sympathy to her family and the people of Bangladesh.

A day earlier, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had traveled to Dhaka to attend Zia’s funeral and pay respects. During that visit, he met Tarique Rahman and handed him a condolence message from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The gestures from both Indian ministers followed recent tensions surrounding the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi.

In late December, protests organized by Hindu nationalist groups took place outside the mission, with some demonstrators shouting threatening slogans. Analysts view Singh’s visit as a significant diplomatic signal aimed at easing strains and maintaining normal bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh.

India has overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, according to the country’s annual economic review released on December 31, 2025. The review stated that India’s gross domestic product has reached approximately 4.18 trillion dollars and is projected to grow to 7.3 trillion dollars by 2030. Based on current trends, India could surpass Germany within the next three years to become the world’s third-largest economy, trailing only the United States and China.

The report highlighted that India’s real GDP grew by 8.2 percent in the second quarter of the 2025–26 fiscal year, up from 7.8 percent in the previous quarter. It also noted that merchandise exports rose to 38.13 billion dollars in November, compared to 36.43 billion dollars in January. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had earlier projected that India would overtake Japan next year, a milestone now confirmed by the review.

The findings underscore India’s accelerating economic expansion and its strengthening position among the world’s major economies.

Analysts suggest that India’s expanding role as one of Israel’s key defense partners signals a deep moral and geopolitical shift in New Delhi’s foreign policy. Once known for its non-aligned stance and vocal support for Palestinian self-determination, India is now seen as moving toward transactional alliances with powers criticized for violating international law. The shift has become more visible amid the ongoing Gaza conflict, as India quietly fills part of the supply gap left by European countries constrained by legal and political pressures on arms exports to Israel.

Under the “Make in India” initiative, joint production, technology transfer, and domestic manufacturing of Israeli weapon components have tied India more closely to Israel’s military-industrial network. Experts describe the partnership as pragmatic and mutually beneficial: Israel provides advanced military technology, while India offers production capacity, markets, and diplomatic backing. Critics, however, argue that this pragmatism comes at the cost of moral clarity and silence on international law.

Observers also note that India’s abstentions at the UN on Gaza-related votes and cautious diplomatic language reflect risk management rather than neutrality, potentially weakening its traditional Global South leadership role.

West Bengal Police have denied social media claims that their Special Task Force arrested five people accused of aiding the killers of Inquilab Manch spokesperson Shahid Sharif Osman Hadi. In a post on their official X handle on Monday, the police stated that such reports were entirely baseless. The post did not mention Osman Hadi or Bangladesh by name but clarified that no arrests of foreign nationals had been made in connection with any recent incident.

The denial follows widespread social media posts alleging that five Bangladeshi nationals were detained by the Special Task Force. Earlier, Dhaka Metropolitan Police had claimed that Osman Hadi’s killers fled to India and that Meghalaya Police had arrested two people for assisting them. However, both Meghalaya Police and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) rejected those claims, saying there was no evidence of any such arrests or cross-border movement.

Dhaka police later said their statements were based on information from arrested suspects and sources near the border, but Indian authorities have maintained that the reports lack factual basis.

India has granted final approval for the Dulhasti Stage-2 hydropower project on the Chenab River, located in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, according to The News. The project, costing about 327.7 billion Indian rupees, will be implemented by the state-owned NHPC Limited and aims to generate up to 260 megawatts of electricity. Construction is expected to begin early next year.

Analysts link the approval to India’s earlier decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) following the Pahalgam incident, which heightened border tensions and led to reciprocal military actions between India and Pakistan. Despite India’s move, Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to the IWT and pledged to continue participating in the neutral expert process. In August, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that western rivers must flow freely for Pakistan’s unrestricted use.

Experts warn that the project could harm Pakistan strategically and environmentally, as the Chenab flows into its territory. Environmental authorities have cautioned that altering water flow may disrupt the Marusudar River’s natural structure and ecosystem over a 25-kilometer stretch downstream of the Pakal Dul project.

A major fire broke out on the Tatanagar–Ernakulam Express in Andhra Pradesh early Sunday, resulting in one death. The incident occurred at 1:45 a.m. near Yelamanchili, about 66 kilometers from Visakhapatnam. Two coaches of the train caught fire while carrying 158 passengers. After the blaze was extinguished, one body was recovered from the affected coaches.

Following the incident, railway authorities detached the two damaged coaches from the train and arranged replacement compartments for the affected passengers at another station. Two forensic teams have been deployed to determine the cause of the fire, according to police officials.

Train movement on the Vijayawada–Visakhapatnam route was temporarily disrupted due to the accident, though railway staff were working to restore normal service as quickly as possible.

Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh’s Joint Secretary General Maulana Azizul Haque Islamabadi has alleged that extremist Hindutva groups in India have launched a religious war against minorities. In a statement issued on Sunday, he condemned what he described as the suppression of security and religious freedom of Muslim and Christian minorities in India. He cited incidents of Muslims being beaten to death on suspicion of being ‘Bangladeshi’ and attacks on Christmas celebrations in several Indian states.

Islamabadi further claimed that India’s ruling Hindutva forces are inciting nationalist hatred and anti-Muslim sentiment against Bangladesh. He referred to a BJP leader’s reported threat to treat Bangladesh as Israel did Gaza and accused Indian mainstream media of spreading anti-Bangladesh propaganda. He warned that India’s alleged hegemonic behavior could hinder good relations with neighboring countries.

He also mentioned recent incidents in Bangladesh, including arson attacks on Hindu homes in Chattogram and explosions near Christian institutions in Dhaka, which he attributed to political manipulation by fascist and hegemonic forces. He called for unity to resist such conspiracies and urged the Bangladeshi government to take a stronger stance against minority persecution in India.

Meghalaya Police and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) have denied Bangladesh Police’s claim that two suspects in the killing of Inquilab Mancha spokesperson Shahid Osman Hadi crossed into India’s Meghalaya state through the Haluaghat border. Senior officials from both agencies told the Hindustan Times on Sunday that the allegations were misleading and lacked evidence. They stated that no suspects had been identified or arrested in the Garo Hills region and that there had been no formal or informal communication with Bangladeshi authorities.

Earlier, Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Additional Commissioner S. N. Md. Nazrul Islam said the suspects, Faisal Karim Masud and Alamgir Sheikh, fled through Haluaghat after the shooting, assisted by intermediaries. However, Meghalaya Police dismissed this account, saying there was no intelligence or field verification supporting such claims. BSF Inspector General O. P. Upadhyay also rejected the report, saying no evidence existed of any border crossing.

Both agencies said surveillance along the border had been strengthened and intelligence operations intensified to prevent misuse of the frontier by criminal networks.

At least 400 Muslim families in Bengaluru, Karnataka, were reportedly rendered homeless after the state government demolished around 200 houses without prior notice. The demolition took place in Fakir Colony and Wasim Layout of Kogilu village at around 4 a.m. on December 22, carried out by Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited. The incident occurred during the winter season, leaving hundreds of families without shelter.

The affected residents claimed they had lived in the area for about 25 years and possessed valid Aadhaar and voter ID cards. They alleged that police forcibly evicted them without warning, leaving many unable to retrieve essential documents and belongings. The event has sparked a political dispute between Karnataka’s ruling Congress and Kerala’s Left Front, with opposition parties accusing Congress of adopting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s controversial “bulldozer rule.”

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the action, calling it an example of anti-minority politics under the Congress government. Reports also noted a broader rise in minority persecution across India, including violence against Bengali-speaking Muslims and attacks on Christians during Christmas celebrations.

A 24-year-old student from Tripura, Angel Chakma, was killed in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, after being attacked by a group of youths who allegedly hurled racial slurs and accused him of being Chinese. The incident occurred on December 9 when Angel and his younger brother went shopping. After protesting the insults, Angel was stabbed in the neck and spine, leaving him critically injured. He remained on life support for 14 days before dying. His father is a Border Security Force (BSF) soldier. The case has sparked outrage across India, particularly in the northeastern states.

Police have arrested five suspects, including two minors, while the main accused, Yagya Awasthi, remains at large and is believed to have fled to Nepal. Authorities have announced a reward for information leading to his capture. The suspects face charges of murder and criminal conspiracy.

Student organizations across northeastern India have demanded a national law against hate crimes. Tipra Motha Party leader Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma condemned the attack, calling it a blow to national unity and dignity.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed concern over the rising Muslim population in the state, predicting that by the time the next census report is released in 2027, the proportion of Muslims of Bangladeshi origin could reach around 40 percent. He noted that in the 2011 census, Muslims made up 34 percent of Assam’s population, of which 3 percent were classified as indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining 31 percent were of Bangladeshi descent. Sarma also pointed out that no census was conducted in 2021.

His remarks have reignited political and social debates in Assam over migration, identity, and citizenship, particularly in the context of longstanding disputes about alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Discussions about demographic shifts and their social and political implications have been ongoing in the state for years.

The Chief Minister’s forecast has drawn mixed reactions in political circles. Some have welcomed his emphasis on demographic issues, while others warned that such comments could inflame communal tensions.