oppn parties The War In Ukraine: A Huge Test For Indian Foreign Policy

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  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
  • Kolkata witnesses traffic snarls on the first day of the Durga Puja festival as revellers start pnadal-hopping
  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
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The War In Ukraine: A Huge Test For Indian Foreign Policy

By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-02-24 16:57:13

About the Author

Sunil Garodia The India Commentary view

Disregarding overwhelming global opinion, Russia has finally invaded Ukraine. Almost all nations had asked both the countries to resolve their dispute through dialogue and negotiations. While Russian President Vladimir Putin first gave the impression that the build up at the border was just a military drill and then sought to convey the impression that the troops were being sent back to the barracks, he resorted to military action in the end after getting approval from the Federation Council. US President Joe Biden had consistently maintained that Russia will take military action and he was absolutely right in his assessment.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine will test India's foreign policy to the fullest. The balancing act which India is trying to maintain in its relations with Russia and the US is possible only in times of peace. India was able to escape attracting US sanctions under CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) when it purchased S-400 Triumf missile system from Russia through persuasive negotiations. But no such persuasion will work with the US now that Russia is in war mode. The US will impose strict sanctions on Russia and will also put pressure on India to make its stand clear. Although PM Modi held a high-level meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh after the invasion and will speak to President Putin, it is unlikely that India will go against Russia to the extent of openly criticizing the invasion. But if India remains neutral its relations with Ukraine will also suffer as Ukraine's envoy to India, Igor Polikha, has said his country is "deeply dissatisfied" with India's stand.

On the other hand, a threatening axis is developing between Russia, China and Pakistan. While the Xi-Putin summit at the Winter Olympics in Beijing despite a diplomatic boycott of the Games  by many countries, including India, was a huge statement by Russia, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit to Russia even as Russian planes are bombing targets in Ukraine and its troops have entered the neighbouring country confirmed that while Russia and China are coming together to fulfill their expansionist ambitions, Pakistan is trying to get attached to put pressure on the US, do China's bidding and weaken India's relations with Russia. This is a matter of huge concern for India. It will have to reorient its foreign policy in the face of changing global equations. 

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