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“Hamare Liye Maha tension ho gaya hai” (For us, it is a matter of great tension).”

This was a Baramati resident speaking with great feeling. For the Lok Sabha battle for Baramati has become a high profile, and in many ways a visceral, Pawar versus Pawar fight. The fight is ostensibly between “tai (sister)” Supriya Sule, the sitting MP of Baramati and daughter of Sharad Pawar and “Vehini (sister-in-law) Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Ajit is the nephew of Sharad Pawar and was groomed by his uncle. He represents the Baramati Assembly constituency at present. Recently, Sunetra was officially announced as the Ajit-led NCP’s Baramati candidate.

The year 2024 is set to mark a pivotal moment in the electric vehicle (EV) revolution. Driven by environmental concerns, tightening regulations, and technological advancements, the EV market is experiencing explosive growth, transforming the transportation landscape on a global scale. At the forefront of this transformation stands China, a nation that has strategically positioned itself as the undisputed leader in the EV industry.

The latest findings from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show that India was the largest buyer of military equipment globally from 2019 to 2023. This marked a 4.7% increase in its defense procurement compared to the five years prior. Notably, while Russia has been India's primary weapon provider, contributing 36% of its military imports, this period marked the first time since the early 1960s that Russian arms constituted less than half of India's total military imports.

Muhammad Manassara walked in late February into a gas station near the West Bank settlement of Eli. Armed with an automatic weapon, Manassara killed two people before he was shot dead by the owner of a restaurant at the station, the site of the killing last summer of four Israelis.

TOKYO: The Fumio Kishida government of Japan has just decided to allow the export to third countries of next-generation fighter jets which Japan will co-develop and co-produce with the U.K. and Italy. This outrageous decision follows the lifting of the ban on the export of lethal weapons last December.

Cryptocurrency giant Binance faces a tangled legal mess in Nigeria. The company is accused of serious offenses, including money laundering and tax evasion. Nigerian authorities in a formal chargesheet in the Federal Court alleged Binance facilitated the movement of at least $35 million in illegal funds. This anti-corruption charge came after the country's tax agency accused the platform of tax avoidance.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) turned 75 on April 4 this year marking a journey with many twists and turns in both cold war and post-Soviet period. When NATO was formed in 1949, its Cold War apologists claimed that its mission would be to repel “Soviet aggression,” a lie rooted in anti-communism. The real expansionist force in Europe then, as now, was U.S. which initiated NATO as part of its policy of encircling the Soviet Union. NATO’s real aim was to destroy the USSR—an obsession that even included plans for pre-emptive nuclear war.

We in India teach contemporary politics to our Class 11-12 students, who are considered grown enough to begin understanding what is happening in the political arena of the country. India gives voting rights at the age of 18, and hence certain level of understanding of contemporary politics is required to be imparted, not only to political science students of this age, but also others, so that they may become responsible and informed voters. Information and education given to them therefore must be neutral, free of bias and complete for their age. However, the changes in textbooks that the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) is bringing about smacks an effort of indoctrination on behalf of BJP, putting quality of education at stake.

Age has made a difference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He stands "surer" at the podium than on the eve of the 2019 campaign. But, 10 years on the trot, and age hasn’t taken the edge off Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaigning style. The Prime Minister’s outgoing personality is his hallmark. In contrast, Rahul Gandhi comes out more intense from behind the staccato style of delivering speech.

LUCKNOW: Laliteshpati Tripathi, great grandson of former chief minister Kamlapati Tripathi India block candidate contesting on TMC ticket from Bhadohi Lok Sabha constituency is all set to challenge BJP in this prestigious constituency in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Known for exclusive carpets all over the world Bhadohi Lok Sabha constituency will see direct fight between Laliteshpati Tripathi and BJP candidate yet to be announced.