Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has urged the government to confer the Bharat Ratna on Kanshi Ram, the Dalit icon and founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), describing him as a “symbol of empowerment and hope.” In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary, Mr. Gandhi credited him with strengthening the foundations of Indian democracy. This is not the first time he has made such a demand.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has announced the names of nine candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections and the list features party president Nitin Nabin and senior BJP leader from Bengal, Rahul Sinha.
The bust of British architect Edwin Lutyens at Rashtrapati Bhavan has been replaced with that of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, marking a symbolic move to shed the country’s colonial past.
In a major step to deepen India’s parliamentary engagement across the world, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted ‘Parliamentary Friendship Groups’, aimed at strengthening interparliamentary cooperation and legislative dialogue, with more than 60 countries.
Mandapam, was envisioned as one of the largest artificial intelligence gatherings ever organized
in the country. Designed to position India as a global leader in AI innovation and collaboration,
the summit aimed to connect policymakers, global tech leaders, startups, researchers, and
students under one roof. With more than three lakh delegates attending from across India and
abroad, the scale of the event reflected the nation’s growing ambition to lead the AI revolution.
However, despite its grand vision, the summit quickly became overshadowed by logistical
mismanagement and widespread chaos.
Following a landslide victory for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman was officially sworn in as Prime Minister on February 17, 2026, ending his 17-year exile and signaling a transformative political shift. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a formal congratulatory message and held preliminary discussions with Rahman to stabilize ties, he was unable to attend the ceremony in person due to high-profile bilateral commitments with French President Emmanuel Macron and a major AI summit in New Delhi. Represented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, India’s participation underscores a pragmatic effort to reset the “enduring friendship” with Dhaka and maintain regional stability under the new administration.
Around a dozen MoUs, defence ties in the wake of the new Rafale deal, and trade talks, besides discussions on a range of sector will take centre stage as Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai today. The two leaders are set to review progress in the India-France strategic partnership and chart the course for future cooperation.
In his farewell address, he also stressed Bangladesh’s strong connections to India’s ‘Seven Sisters’, the Northeastern states, but skipped any direct mention of India itself.
In his speech, he also emphasised protecting women’s rights, curbing violence and trafficking, and tackling child marriages.
