At the centre of the India–Algeria relationship lies energy, and in today’s world energy is no longer just an economic concern but a national security variable. Algeria is one of Africa’s most important hydrocarbon producers, and for India, which remains heavily dependent on imported energy, stronger engagement with Algeria offers more than a new commercial partner.
The Centre’s Namami Gange programme has moved well beyond a narrow river-cleaning mission into a
Rajendra was the son of Rajaraja I, the great Chola emperor who had already laid the foundations of Chola imperial expansion. Rajaraja I was one of the most celebrated rulers of the dynasty, and Rajendra inherited from him not only a large and disciplined state but also a political culture that valued military organisation, temple patronage, administrative order, and long-distance ambition.
In practical terms, that means India must be able to absorb a first strike and still retain the capacity to respond. Submarines are the most survivable leg of that triad because, unlike aircraft on bases or missiles in known locations, an SSBN at sea is difficult to detect, track, and target. That is why the expansion of the Arihant-class fleet is strategically consequential even when much of the programme remains officially opaque.
The scale-up is visible in output numbers. Fish production has risen from 141.64 lakh tonnes in 2019-20 to 197.75 lakh tonnes in 2024-25, reflecting average annual growth of around 7%. That production growth has translated into export momentum as well. India’s marine product exports have more than doubled over the past 11 years, climbing from ₹30,213 crore in 2013-14 to ₹62,408 crore in 2024-25, with shrimp continuing to anchor the export basket at ₹43,334 crore.
The project is being taken up as part of the Sagarmala Programme and is aligned with the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, both of which aim to build stronger multi-modal transport networks and improve logistics performance across the country. Construction is being executed by Western Railway on a deposit basis.
According to the ministry, the FCU verifies questionable claims through authorised sources and then publishes corrected information on its social media platforms for wider dissemination, including in border districts. During Operation Sindoor, the unit actively flagged misinformation circulating online, while the ministry also ordered the blocking of more than 1,400 digital media URLs carrying what it described as false, misleading, anti-India and communally sensitive content, much of it traced to Pakistan-based social media accounts and material inciting hostility against the Indian Armed Forces.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Secretary (West) Sibi George co-chaired the consultations with Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov. The two sides reviewed the current state of bilateral ties and exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest.
Addressing scientists and researchers at NSTL, Singh said the new facility would allow India to design, develop and test critical naval equipment, systems and sub-systems within the country, reducing dependence on overseas testing infrastructure. He described the LCT as more than just a new installation, calling it an enabling backbone for advances in propulsion, noise reduction and stealth technologies that are central to modern naval engineering.
For decades, scientists believed that a protein known as the sigma factor binds to RNA polymerase to initiate bacterial transcription and then detaches once RNA synthesis moves into the elongation phase. This “sigma-cycle” had widely been considered a standard feature of bacterial gene regulation, including in TB bacteria. But the new study shows that the process is more complex and far less uniform than previously understood.
