Archive

1. In 2025, China recalibrated its foreign policy under Xi Jinping amid intensifying competition with the United States, transatlantic frictions, and a shifting regional security environment.

2. China hosted the SCO Summit in Tianjin on 31 August–1 September 2025 and also participated in the BRICS Summit and the ASEAN–GCC–China Summit.

1. In 2025, the return of President Donald J. Trump was marked by assertive governance, deep political polarisation, and extensive use of executive authority in domestic and foreign policy.

2. The Trump administration used executive orders to reshape institutions, including a directive to review historical narratives in national museums and restore monuments under a “truthful” history framework.

1. India–EU ties gain strategic momentum ahead of New Delhi summit, aiming for a new Joint Strategic Agenda and revival of long-pending Free Trade Agreement negotiations across sectors rapidly.

2. EU became India’s largest goods trading partner, with bilateral merchandise trade about $136 billion in 2024–25, covering machinery, transport equipment, chemicals, metals, mineral products and textiles overall strength.

1) UN Peacekeeping supports countries moving from conflict to peace through deployed missions under UN mandates, complementing peacemaking and peacebuilding, with tasks expanding beyond military observation into multidimensional governance support.

2) India is among the largest contributors, with over 2,90,000 peacekeepers serving in more than 50 UN missions since the 1950s, reflecting sustained operational commitment across continents.

1. Over the past 11 years, India has expanded global influence through climate leadership, AI governance, public health diplomacy, humanitarian assistance, and strategic defence, aligning international engagement with national interest and inclusivity.

2. India’s G20 Presidency (Dec 2022–Nov 2023) spotlighted the Global South, hosted 200+ meetings in 60 cities, and convened the 18th Leaders’ Summit at Bharat Mandapam.

1. India placed 54 institutions in QS World University Rankings 2026, including 12 IITs and eight first-time entrants, making India the world’s fourth most represented country overall globally today.

2. Representation rose from 11 ranked Indian institutions in 2015 to 54 in 2026, a five-fold decade increase that positions India as the fastest-rising G20 nation over the decade.

1. FATF, created at the 1989 G7 Paris Summit, is an independent inter-governmental body that sets global standards to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing effectively.

2. FATF standards help authorities trace illicit funds linked to drug trafficking, illicit arms trade, cyber fraud, and other serious crimes, reinforcing coordinated national and international responses globally.

Key Takeaways

PM Narendra Modi visited Jordan on December 15-16, 2025, his first full-fledged visit to the country.
Five MoUs were signed in the areas of renewable energy, water resource management, cultural exchange, digital solution and twinning between Petra and Ellora

Key Takeaways

PM Narendra Modi visited Ethiopia on 16-17 December 2025, on his first bilateral visit.
He was conferred with ‘Great Honor Nishan of Ethiopia’ country’s highest honour during Addis Ababa visit.

1. Overview of the Partnership

India and Russia share an enduring, time-tested relationship strengthened over 78 years. The 2000 “Strategic Partnership” and the 2010 elevation to a “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” institutionalised cooperation across political, defence, economic, nuclear, space, science, culture and multilateral domains. The Intergovernmental Commission (IRIGC) operates at two levels: IRIGC-TEC (economic, scientific, cultural) and IRIGC-M&MTC (military & technical).