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TOI

Jayanta Kalita

BJP is well on its way to creating a ‘regional party-mukt Bharat’

TMC, BJD, Shiv Sena, NCP, AAP and AGP have all become weak, second-rung players in states they once dominated. And it doesn’t look like that the BJP juggernaut is stopping anytime soon, even to catch its breath

BJP’s Assam hat-trick: Has Himanta settled scores with Congress, finally?

Widely credited with expanding the BJP’s footprint in Assam and across the Northeast after switching from the Congress in 2015, Sarma has played a key role in significantly weakening the grand old party in the state

Mission Istanbul: Who is Salim Dola – the ‘Dawood aide’ brought back to India?

Apprehended by Turkish agencies, Dola is now in NCB custody and is expected to offer investigators insight into the financial pipelines, shadow networks, and cross-border alliances sustaining his narcotics trade

Article image for: World’s 5th-largest military spender: Did Op Sindoor drive India’s $92bn defence surge?

World’s 5th-largest military spender: Did Op Sindoor drive India’s $92bn defence surge?

Global military expenditure has hit a record $2.9 trillion, signalling a world preparing for prolonged instability. India’s increased defence spending reflects a broader strategic doctrine focused on modernisation, indigenisation and preparedness for multi-front challenges

Article image for: 10 US scientists dead or missing: How unusual is this trend?

10 US scientists dead or missing: How unusual is this trend?

The researchers tied to sensitive US nuclear and aerospace programs have died or disappeared in recent years. While a federal investigation is on, these cases appear to echo a broader global pattern — one that remains difficult to explain and even harder to conclusively link

Article image for: A year after Pahalgam: How Op Sindoor rewrote India’s Pakistan playbook

A year after Pahalgam: How Op Sindoor rewrote India’s Pakistan playbook

The April 2025 terror attack triggered a decisive shift in India’s security posture — from restraint to calibrated retaliation. The country formalised a more assertive approach, integrating military, technological, and diplomatic tools

Article image for: Can BJP score a hat-trick and seal Assam as an impenetrable fortress?

Can BJP score a hat-trick and seal Assam as an impenetrable fortress?

Assam is among a select group of states where the saffron party has maintained an unbroken winning streak since it secured a landmark national mandate in 2014. Will the BJP-led NDA be able to extend that dominance in the April 9 polls?

Article image for: Drones, data, cognitive warfare: How India plans to build a future-ready military

Drones, data, cognitive warfare: How India plans to build a future-ready military

The ‘Vision 2047’ document released recently outlines a three-phase roadmap aimed at transforming India’s military into a technologically advanced, integrated, self-reliant, and ‘world-class’ force by the centenary of India's independence

Article image for: Amit Shah declares India ‘Naxal-free’: What it means and what lies ahead

Amit Shah declares India ‘Naxal-free’: What it means and what lies ahead

Officials, however, stress that the end of Naxalism will be a gradual process rather than an absolute one, even if key operational targets have been achieved

Article image for: How Pak Army chief’s ‘go to Iran’ jibe exposed Shia-Sunni faultlines

How Pak Army chief’s ‘go to Iran’ jibe exposed Shia-Sunni faultlines

Field Marshal Asim Munir recently told Shia clerics that those who “love Iran so much” should “go to Iran” — a remark widely condemned by community leaders as provocative and offensive. But the Shia-Sunni divide in the Islamic world is not new

Article image for: Built to survive: Inside Iran’s ‘unbreakable’ military chain of command

Built to survive: Inside Iran’s ‘unbreakable’ military chain of command

Over the years, Iran has built a deeply layered defence architecture to ensure continuity of command and resilience in the face of sustained assault. Here’s how it works

Article image for: Fighter jets, tanker planes, radars: How $5-bn US military assets went up in smoke

Fighter jets, tanker planes, radars: How $5-bn US military assets went up in smoke

Iran’s retaliatory strikes and related incidents have damaged or destroyed a range of US military platforms across West Asia, including systems critical to Washington’s regional power projection

Article image for: How US busted a Japanese gangster seeking to sell nuke material to Iran

How US busted a Japanese gangster seeking to sell nuke material to Iran

Yakuza gang leader Takeshi Ebisawa thought he was dealing with US smugglers and an Iranian general. But they turned out to be an undercover US Drug Enforcement Administration officer and a confidential source

Article image for: Has US strike on Iranian ship brought torpedoes back in fashion?

Has US strike on Iranian ship brought torpedoes back in fashion?

With the March 4 action in the Indian Ocean, the US Navy effectively reintroduced classic submarine-versus-surface-ship warfare — an aspect of naval combat that had remained largely dormant since World War II

Article image for: Pakistan faces a big test. Will it join Saudi's war against Iran now?

Pakistan faces a big test. Will it join Saudi's war against Iran now?

Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir has met the Saudi defence minister to explore joint steps to counter Iranian strikes under their September 2025 mutual security pact. But why is it easier said than done?

Article image for: Pak has a ‘you-are-attacked-we-are-attacked’ pact with Saudi Arabia. What now?

Pak has a ‘you-are-attacked-we-are-attacked’ pact with Saudi Arabia. What now?

The Sept 2025 Saudi-Pak security pact stipulates that an attack on one of them would be treated as an attack on both. But can Islamabad afford to join a military campaign against Iran, ignoring the Shia-Sunni equation at home and amid its own war-like situation with Afghanistan?

Article image for: How Iran war could hurt India’s strategic interests, help China’s territorial ambitions

How Iran war could hurt India’s strategic interests, help China’s territorial ambitions

The Israeli-American attack marks a dramatic escalation in Washington’s regional engagement, reviving grim memories of earlier US-led interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s how a prolonged war could reshape global strategic calculations

Article image for: Drones, dark web, sleeper cells: How India plans to tackle Pak-sponsored terror

Drones, dark web, sleeper cells: How India plans to tackle Pak-sponsored terror

The Modi govt recently released ‘Prahaar’ — India’s first comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy, outlining a seven-pillar strategy built on ‘zero tolerance’, intelligence-led prevention and a whole-of-society approach

Article image for: ‘Used like toilet paper’: How Pak minister’s gaffe left Munir in a spot

‘Used like toilet paper’: How Pak minister’s gaffe left Munir in a spot

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has repeatedly criticised Washington’s 'use and throw' approach toward Pakistan. Such remarks, however, risk embarrassing Army chief Asim Munir, who has gone out of his way to cultivate goodwill with Trump

Article image for: 'Make in India’ Rafales, missiles, spy planes: What’s driving India’s rapid military expansion?

'Make in India’ Rafales, missiles, spy planes: What’s driving India’s rapid military expansion?

With an estimated outlay of ₹3.6 trillion, this marks India’s largest-ever defence procurement programme. The plan combines near-term operational capability with long-term defence industrial objectives, in line with ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative

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