New Delhi, Dec 04: Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi Thursday evening on a two-day visit to further expand a nearly eight-decade India-Russia partnership that remained in stead notwithstanding a fractious geopolitical environment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a private dinner for Putin this evening to set the tone for the 23rd India-Russia summit talks on Friday.

Boosting defence ties, insulating India-Russia trade from external pressure and exploring cooperation in small modular reactors are set to be the focus of the summit meeting between the two leaders that is expected to be closely watched by Western capitals.

The Russian leader’s nearly 27-hour visit to New Delhi has assumed greater significance as it is taking place against the backdrop of rapid downturn in India-US relations. Following the summit, the two sides are expected to seal several agreements including in areas of trade.

On Friday morning, Putin will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan before the summit.

Modi will also host a working lunch for the Russian leader and his delegation at Hyderabad House, the venue for the summit.

Putin will also visit Rajghat in the morning, according to people familiar with the matter.

After the summit, Putin is set to launch the new India channel of Russian state-run broadcaster, following which he will attend a state banquet to be hosted in his honour by President Droupadi Murmu.

The Russian leader is expected to leave India around 9 pm on Friday.

New Delhi, Dec 04: Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended Navy Day greetings to the force personnel on Thursday and said the Indian Navy is synonymous with “exceptional courage and determination”.

In a post on X, he also said in the recent years, the Navy has focussed on self-reliance and modernisation, and this has “enhanced our security apparatus”.

Navy Day on December 4 serves as a reminder of the naval force’s “vital role” during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. The missile boats of the Indian Navy had launched a daring attack on the Karachi harbour as part of Operation Trident.

“Navy Day greetings to all personnel of the Indian Navy. Our Navy is synonymous with exceptional courage and determination. They safeguard our shores and uphold our maritime interests. In the recent years, our Navy has focussed on self-reliance and modernisation. This has enhanced our security apparatus,” Modi said in his post.

He also recalled a recent occasion when he spent time with naval personnel on board INS Vikrant, India’s indigenous aircraft carrier.

“I can never forget this year’s Diwali, which I spent with Naval personnel on board INS Vikrant. Wishing the Indian Navy the very best for their endeavours ahead,” the prime minister said.

INS Vikrant, frontline frigate INS Udaygiri, destroyer INS Kolkata and several other state-of-the-art naval platforms were part of an operational demonstration by the Navy off the coast of Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday evening. It was witnessed by President Droupadi Murmu.

Murmu, the supreme commander of the armed forces, attended the event on the Shangumugham beach as part of the Navy-Day celebrations, as the Navy showcased its maritime prowess and multi-domain combat capabilities.

In a post on X on Thursday, she extended greetings to the Indian Navy personnel, veterans and their families on Navy Day.

“Warm greetings to Indian Navy personnel, veterans and their families on Navy Day! The nation salutes the brave men and women who safeguard our maritime borders and national interests with courage, vigilance and unwavering commitment. From securing trade routes and strengthening the blue economy to leading humanitarian missions, the Indian Navy embodies discipline, compassion and responsibility,” the president said.

Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi also offered his greetings and reaffirmed the force’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of India’s maritime interests.

“On occasion of #NavyDay2025 we renew our pledge to serve the Navy and the Nation with Duty, Honour and Courage, and continue to stand firm as a #CombatReady, #Credible, #Cohesive and #FutureReady #Aatmanirbhar Force committed to protecting and promoting India’s National Maritime Interests — Anytime, Anywhere, Anyhow” — Adm Dinesh K Tripathi #CNS & all personnel of #IndianNavy,” he said.

In his address at the operational demonstration held a day ago, the admiral had said Navy Day is celebrated on December 4 each year to commemorate the “daring and decisive attacks of the Indian Navy on and off the Karachi harbour during the 1971 India-Pakistan war”.

“The day also offers us an opportunity to pay homage to our brave warriors, whose courage and supreme sacrifice continue to inspire us in service of the Navy and the nation,” he had said.

Navy Day is also about India’s rich maritime heritage — a heritage that continues to “shape our thinking and guide our course” — Admiral Tripathi had said.

New Delhi, Dec 4: Congress MP Mannickam Tagore on Thursday sought a full review of medical entrance exam NEET, saying it has not encouraged merit but rather commercialised education by strengthening private run educational empires and weakening schools.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, the Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu) MP said a committee set up by the Centre has found lapses in the coaching system in the country.

“There are reports that a central committee recommended about the conduct of JEE, NEET and CUET…the preparations begin as early as eleventh grade, the panel recommended to limit coaching hours to two to three hours, hold the exams twice a year and even shift to hybrid assessment using board exams,” he said.

Tagore termed the current practice a “flawed” policy with focus on only “single stakes exams” that benefitted only the rich, the coaching mafia and dummy schools.

“Government school children, rural students, first generation learners, students from SC, ST and OBC communities…all have been pushed out of opportunity not because of lack of talent but because they cannot afford lakhs of rupees on coaching. “The same committee report also highlights structural failures, syllabus gaps across boards, weak formative assessments, even teacher support and rise of dummy schools, these are not accidental,” he said.

Tagore asserted that the education minister must realise that NEET has not ensured meritocracy, it has commercialised education, it has strengthened private run educational empires, weakening schools.

“I demand a full review of NEET and its impact on equity. There should also be a roadmap to strengthen school education and urgent measures to end the coaching nexus,” he said.

The Ministry of Education had earlier this year set up a nine-member panel to examine issues relating to coaching and the emergence of “dummy schools” besides the effectiveness and fairness of entrance examinations.

Meanwhile, Sangli MP Vishaldada Prakashbabu Patil, raised the issue of pressures being faced by school children.

“A student of St Columba’s school died by suicide over harassment by teachers. An FIR has been filed but no arrest has been made. Student suicides have grown…I urge the government to intervene in the matter and get these people arrested. An example has to be set for teachers to be aware about the action they will face if they harass or hurt the students,” he said.

New Delhi, Dec 4: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a private dinner for Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, hours after he lands in New Delhi to further expand a nearly eight-decade partnership that has remained steadfast notwithstanding fractious geopolitical environment and tensions.

Boosting defence ties, insulating India-Russia trade from external pressure and exploring cooperation in small modular reactors are set to be the focus of the summit meeting between Modi and Putin on Friday that is expected to be closely watched by Western capitals.

The Russian leader’s nearly 27-hour visit to New Delhi has assumed greater significance as it is taking place against the backdrop of rapid downturn in India-US relations.

Following the 23rd India-Russia summit, the two sides are expected to seal several agreements, including in areas of trade.

As the Russian leader is visiting India amid renewed American push to end the war in Ukraine, the issue is likely to figure prominently at the summit.

The Russian president is likely to arrive in New Delhi at around 6:35 pm on Thursday, and hours later, Modi will host him for a private dinner in reciprocation of a similar gesture extended to the Indian prime minister by the Russian leader during his visit to Moscow in July last year.

On Friday, Putin will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan before the 23rd India-Russia summit. Modi will also host a working lunch for the Russian leader and his delegation at Hyderabad House, the venue for the summit.

Putin will also visit Rajghat in the morning, according to people familiar with the matter.

After the summit, Putin is set to launch the new India channel of Russian state-run broadcaster, following which he will attend a state banquet to be hosted in his honour by President Droupadi Murmu.

The Russian leader is expected to leave India at around 9 pm on Friday.

In the summit talks, New Delhi is expected to press for addressing the increasing trade deficit caused by India’s procurement of large volumes of Russian crude oil.

The Russian president’s trip to India is taking place at a time when India-US relations are going through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades after Washington imposed a whopping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including 25 per cent levies for New Delhi’s procurement of Russian crude oil.

The impact of American sanctions on India’s procurement of Russian crude oil is likely to be discussed at the summit.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said New Delhi’s purchase of crude oil from Russia may decline for “a brief period” in view of Western sanctions, but, at the same time, he said Moscow is taking steps to enhance the supplies.

At the summit, Putin is expected to apprise Modi about the latest US efforts to bring an end to the Ukraine conflict. India has been consistently maintaining that dialogue and diplomacy is the only way forward to end the war.

Following the Modi-Putin talks, the two sides are expected to ink a plethora of agreements, including one on facilitating the movement of Indian workers to Russia, and another on logistical support under a broader framework of defence cooperation.

It is learnt that under the trade basket, Indian exports to Russia are expected to significantly increase in areas of pharma, agriculture, food products and consumer goods.

The move comes amid concerns in New Delhi over a ballooning trade deficit in favour of Russia.

India’s annual procurement of goods and services from Russia amounts to around USD 65 billion, while Russia’s imports from India stand at around USD 5 billion. Officials said India is also looking at boosting cooperation in the fertiliser sector. Russia supplies three to four million tonnes of fertilisers to India annually.

The Indian and Russian sides are also likely to discuss New Delhi’s proposed free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

Ahead of the summit, the defence ministers of the two countries will hold wide-ranging talks on Thursday that are likely to focus on India’s plan to procure additional batches of S-400 missile systems and other critical military hardware from Russia.

The S-400 missile systems proved to be very effective during Operation Sindoor. Top military officials said the overall focus will be to further expand the already close defence and security ties between the two countries, with a particular focus on ensuring expeditious supply of military hardware from Russia to India.

In October 2018, India signed a USD 5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding a warning by the US that going ahead with the contract may invite US sanctions under the provisions of Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).

Peskov said there may be a discussion on the possibility of Russia supplying Su-57 fighter jets to India. India is in the process of procuring a batch of fifth-generation fighter jets.

Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, Lockheed Martin’s F-21, Boeing’s F/A-18 and the Eurofighter Typhoon are the main contenders.

Ways to bolster bilateral energy ties are also expected to figure prominently in the summit. It is learnt that Russia has offered India additional discounts for its procurement of crude oil.

The offer came after the volume of India’s purchase of Russian crude oil registered a decline in the last few weeks following the latest wave of US sanctions on two Russian oil producers.

India and Russia have a mechanism under which India’s prime minister and the Russian president hold a summit meeting annually to review the entire gamut of ties. So far, 22 annual summit meetings have taken place alternatively in India and Russia. The Russian president had last visited New Delhi in 2021.

In July last year, PM Modi travelled to Moscow for the annual summit.

Russia has been a time-tested partner for India and a key pillar of New Delhi’s foreign policy.