India's Fight Against Maoism: Visualised In Graphics

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly said that the government is committed to eradicating Maoism from India by March 2026, and the goal got a fillip when at least 27 Maoists -  including top leader Nambala Keshavrao alias Basavaraju, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.5 crore - were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh earlier this month.

Data accessed by NDTV shows that the government and the security forces are inching closer towards the target of ending the Maoist movement, which began in 1967. 

Home ministry data reveals that there were 1,936 incidents of Maoist violence in 2010, which came down to just 374 in 2024 - a drop of 81%. 

The number of Maoist-affected districts has also seen a steep fall, going from 126 in 2013 to 70 in 2021 and just 18 as of April this year. 

Death Count Decreasing Too

In terms of civilian deaths in Maoist violence, the number was 720 in 2010, came down to 150 in 2019 and stood at 131 last year, up from 106 in 2023. There have been 19 such deaths until March this year. 

When the aggregate of deaths of civilians and security forces' personnel is taken into account, the figure was 1,005 in 2010 and went down by 85% to 150 last year. 

Infrastructure Targeting

Over the years, Maoists have been targeting infrastructure such as railway property, public and private sector units, telephone exchanges, mobile towers, roads and schools. These incidents have also decreased from 365 in 2010 to 75 in 2017, and just 25 in 2024.

Naxals Killed

According to reports, over 150 Maoists have been killed in just the first few months of this year. The figure was 136 in 2017, went up to 380 in 2023 and stood at 290 last year. 

After the encounter in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur earlier this month, Home Minister Shah had said it was the first time in three decades that a general secretary of the CPI-Maoist had been killed.

"Also glad to share that after the completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. The Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026," he had said.

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India Star Wears Jersey No. 18 After Kohli's Retirement, Scalps 3 In England

Pacer Mukesh Kumar struck three quick blows as India A staged a fine comeback despite Max Holden's eighth first-class hundred, as England Lions stumbled to 333 for five at lunch on the penultimate day of the four-day Unofficial Test here on Sunday. Overnight centurion Tom Haines (142, 208 balls) is still out there and Dan Mousley (2) is keeping him company at the break. The Lions are now trailing by 224 runs.

Mukesh bowled with a lot more venom in this session, getting his lengths correct and he was rewarded with three wickets of Holden (101, 101b), Lions' skipper James Rew (8) and Rehan Ahmed (3).

Interestingly, Mukesh was wearing a jersey number 18, which earlier belonged to Virat Kohli.  

Mukesh Kumar is wearing Virat's No 18 Jersey pic.twitter.com/V8jIxRaUhr

— Sohel. (@SohelVkf) May 31, 2025

Jersey number of Mukesh Kumar pic.twitter.com/kdILZ2pnVg

— (@imAnthoni_) June 1, 2025

The word hesitate doesn't exist in the dictionary of Lord Mukesh Kumar pic.twitter.com/5KJHwYcuBT

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) June 1, 2025

It's official Mukesh Kumar is India's new number 18 after Virat Kohli pic.twitter.com/PG00kccjQV

— Crayon (@Crayon_475) May 31, 2025

Holden hung his bat outside the off-stump to be caught behind by Dhruv Jurel, while Rew was trapped leg-before by a deliverer that was straightened up.

Ahmed's cavalier waft outside ended in the hands of Sarfaraz Khan at second slip.

England Lions lost three wickets inside 14 runs to give away the advantage handed to them by Haines and Holden during their 181-run partnership for the third wicket.

Holden, a former England U19 skipper and a prodigy of former pacer Angus Fraser, was quite impressive while bringing up his hundred off 99 balls.

The 26-year-old left-hander reached the landmark after seven first-class innings without even a fifty, flicking pacer Shardul Thakur for a single to fine leg.

Haines, a protege of former India coach Gary Kirsten, however, held his ground and ensured that the Lions will not suffer further damage.

Brief scores: India A: 557 vs England A: 333/5 in 75 overs (Tom Haines 142 batting, Max Holden 101; Mukesh Kumar 3/56).

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Engineer In US In Dilemma After Getting Job Offer In India With "Decent Pay"

The dream of moving abroad for a better life has fuelled the ambitions of countless Indians, but is the grass really greener on the other side? An Indian engineer, who chased that dream all the way to the US, is now seeking Reddit's advice on whether he should move back to India. The anonymous user revealed that he currently lives in the US with his wife and two young children, "one of whom is in Kindergarten". He said has spent most of his professional life in the US, but he was recently offered a job in India with decent pay. 

"Hi, I am in my mid 30s working in IT industry. I worked mostly in the US. I have 2 kids, 1 of which is in Kindergarten and other one is a toddler. I just got a job offer in India with a decent pay and in my native state. I am working for an Automotive company through an Indian consultancy," the Redditor wrote.

Should I move back to India from US? Is this right time to do it?
byu/Feisty_Tart_795 innri

The user shared that his current salary just meets household expenses, however, he added that he values the work-life balance and family time that he is able to get in the US. "I may not get it in India where the work demands more additional work time," he wrote. "I am unable to choose. What would you do if you are in my situation?" he asked the Reddit community. 

The post has gone viral, triggering a discussion online. "It's a hard choice, and honestly, no one can really help you decide. You just have to commit to one option, not look back, and accept that you can't have the best of both worlds," commented one user. 

Also Read | "Toxic And Hate Monger": Mohandas Pai Slams Hotmail's Sabeer Bhatia For His Remarks On India's GDP

"Move back before the kids grow up. Getting adjusted will be difficult as they get older," said another. 

"If you can't increase your salary in the U.S. and can live comfortably in India with additional savings, then it makes sense to move back. Your expenses will only rise once both kids start school," said a third user. 

"If you don't foresee making more $ here and your wife cannot help out financially, It's probably best to move back. It only going to get worse here and the bigger issues are actually going to be visa related. If you were to lose your job, you won't have a backup and will end up emptying all your savings. Your kids are young, they will get used to India. Once they're older, it will be really hard for them to move to India," commented one user. 

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30 Dead In 2 Days In Northeast After Flash Floods, Heavy Rain, Landslides

At least 30 people have died in the northeast in the last two days following landslides and flash floods. Today, fourteen people have died across the region in landslides and flash floods. Assam, Arunachal, Meghalaya, Manipur and Mizoram have been affected by landslides and flash floods. At least 60,000 people have been impacted in 12 districts of Assam.

Five people were killed in Assam, nine died in flash floods and landslides in Arunachal Pradesh. Seven members of two families were killed in Arunachal Pradesh's East Kameng district after their car was swept off the road following a landslide.

The weather office has issued a red and orange alert for parts of Assam and an orange and yellow alert for the rest of the northeast.

In Assam, five people were killed in landslides in the last 24 hours following incessant rain that led to floods in six districts, affecting over 10,000 people. 

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said all five deaths have been reported from the Kamrup Metropolitan district.

Urban Affairs Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah had on Friday said that three women were killed in a landslide in the Bonda area on the outskirts of Guwahati. 

In Guwahati, a 67-year-old record for the highest rain in a single day was broken after 111 mm of rainfall was recorded. The water level in many rivers in the northeast, including the Brahmaputra, has risen. 

9 Killed In Arunachal Pradesh

In a devastating incident last night, seven people lost their lives after a landslide swept a Brezza car into a deep gorge along the NH-13 stretch between Bana and Seppa in Arunachal Pradesh. 

The vehicle was carrying two families. Family members present at the accident site confirmed the identities of the victims. Meanwhile, a Sumo vehicle was also caught at the edge of the landslide-affected road, but fortunately, no casualties were reported.

Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister, Mama Natung, who also represents the area, expressed his grief through a Facebook post:

"It's very painful to hear about the tragic loss of seven lives in my Assembly constituency due to a landslide on NH-13 between Bana and Seppa. My heartfelt condolences go out to the bereaved families during this difficult time. I urge everyone to remain vigilant and to avoid night travel during the monsoon season. My thoughts and prayers are with the affected families. May the departed souls rest in peace. Om Shanti Shanti."

Authorities are ensuring safety along the highway as the monsoon season progresses.

A major landslide struck the Cabbage Garden area and a nearby restaurant near Pine Grove in Ziro late last night, claiming the lives of two individuals - a man and a woman.

The victims, both from Lakhimpur, Assam, were working at the restaurant when the landslide occurred following hours of relentless rainfall.

According to DySP Ojing Lego, their bodies were recovered and handed over to their families.

Search and rescue operations were promptly carried out by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and residents.

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Gill's Captaincy Receives Brutal Review After IPL Exit: "You Can't Drop..."

After Gujarat Titans' (GT) bowed out of IPL 2025 with a 20-run defeat to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Eliminator, former India batter Robin Uthappa said the Shubman Gill-led side cannot expect to win the championship if they suffer catching lapses and suffer due to flaws in strategy. In New Chandigarh on Friday evening, GT dropped three important catches – two of which were of Rohit Sharma, who went on to make a dashing 50-ball 81. Suryakumar Yadav was also given a reprieve in the 12th over, as MI made 228/5. GT also got their middle overs enforcer Prasidh Krishna to bowl with the new ball, a tactic which backfired as Rohit and Jonny Bairstow came out all guns blazing in the powerplay. "GT's strategy was more reactive than proactive. Using Prasidh in the powerplay – despite his success in middle overs – was a misstep.”

“His first over was expensive, and they failed to course-correct. The 26-run and 22-run overs proved costly. On top of that, their fielding let them down. You can't drop that many catches and expect to win a championship," said Uthappa on JioHotstar.

Uthappa, who previously won IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, reflected on how Rohit made a calculated shift in his batting approach after being given two reprieves.

"After the early drop, Rohit flirted with danger briefly but quickly recognised the need to take control. He shifted gears, played responsibly, found the gaps, and built key partnerships. His composure stood out. When players like Rohit, Dhoni, or Kohli are at the crease, the pressure is on everyone else. Sai Sudharsan is starting to reach that level too."

With MI set to meet Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Uthappa stated he expects a fierce battle between the two teams. The winner of Qualifier 2 will meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the title clash in Ahmedabad on June 3.

"Punjab are hurting and will come out firing. Mumbai, riding high on momentum, will bring intensity as well. It's set to be a blockbuster, one for the ages," he concluded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Pakistan Upgrades Ties With Afghanistan Days After China's Taliban Outreach

Days after a China-convened meeting that pushed for greater Pakistan-Afghanistan ties, Islamabad has made a significant announcement - that it will be sending an Ambassador to Kabul soon. This is the first time since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 that Islamabad has decided to upgrade its ties with its western neighbour.

The announcement was made on Friday by Pakistan's foreign minister Ishaq Dar, who met his Chinese counterpart and the Taliban's acting foreign minister last week in Beijing. Diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan are currently at a charge d'affaires-level - a step below that of an Ambassador.

Besides last week's ministerial-level meeting organised by Beijing, Pakistan's foreign minister had traveled to Kabul with a Pakistani delegation last month to hold delegation-level talks to further bilateral ties.

'POSITIVE TRAJECTORY'

Praising the "positive trajectory" between Islamabad and Kabul ever since last month's delegation-level talks, Mr Dar said it is time to upgrade ties with the Taliban. Announcing the decision to send an Ambassador, he added that "I am confident this step would further contribute towards enhanced engagement and exchanges between two fraternal countries."

Pakistan-Afghanistan relations are on positive trajectory after my very productive visit to Kabul with Pakistan delegation on 19th April 2025. To maintain this momentum, I am pleased to announce the decision of the Government of Pakistan to upgrade the level of its Chargé…

— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) May 30, 2025

Pakistan however, has not named the person who will be sent to Kabul as Ambassador. The Taliban too, has not responded to Islamabad's gesture yet, though it also has its charge d'affaires based in Islamabad.

CHINA'S MOVES IN AFGHANISTAN

China has made it a priority to settle differences between Pakistan and Afghanistan and push for Beijing's greater influence in south Asia. This could be seen last week. Besides the meeting where all three foreign minister's were present, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held individual closed-door talks with Afghanistan's acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

Though China was the first country to accept an Ambassador from the Taliban-run administration in Kabul, Beijing says it officially hasn't formalised ties with Kabul. However, Beijing has swung into action after India's outreach to the Taliban administration on May 15 - when foreign minister S Jaishankar held ministerial-level talks with Kabul for the first time since 2021.

Beijing has also announced that after last week's meeting with the Taliban minister, Afghanistan has come on board the so-called "China-Pakistan Economic Corridor" which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir or PoK. In addition to this, Beijing said that the informal talks it organised between the Pakistani government and the Afghan Taliban administration has led to the two countries to upgrade relations.

TRADING CHARGES

Ties between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained strained since December 2024, when nearly 50 people were killed in Afghanistan's Paktika province after Pakistan's air force bombed the region. Islamabad claims that those who launch attacks inside Pakistan use Afghan soil to do so. Kabul rejects this, saying such attacks emanate from within Pakistan, which is plagued with terrorists which are its own creation. Handling terrorism is Pakistan's domestic problem, Kabul has said.

Afghanistan's Taliban administration has also expressed concern over the manner in which Pakistan was deporting tens of thousands of refugees.

UNOFFICIALLY OFFICIAL

No country has formally recognised the Taliban administration since it took control of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US-led NATO forces. Nationals globally have called for the Taliban to change course on women's rights.

Pakistan now becomes the fourth country after China, UAE, and Uzbekistan to designate an Ambassador to Kabul. Although these governments maintain that they have not formally recognised the Taliban, diplomats and experts say that having an Ambassador officially present their credentials represents a major step towards recognition.

(Inputs from Reuters)
 

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How Trump Administration Targeting Chinese Students Was Years In The Making

The United States' plans to “aggressively” revoke visas for Chinese students did not happen in a day. US President Donald Trump and his allies had been laying the groundwork for this since years.

In 2023, in a campaign trail, Trump vowed to ban “Christian-hating communists, Marxists and socialists” from the country, shut down China-funded Confucius Institutes on U.S. college campuses and even prosecute Chinese scientific researchers and professors working at US universities. 

“The president laid it out there in the campaign… when he says he's going to do something in the campaign, he actually tries to do it,” said Ken Cuccinelli, who was Trump's deputy of Homeland Security during his first term, per a report by the Politico.

“The reason people like me raised it in the first term is the reason you're hearing from Rubio — there are very real security reasons to not help the Chinese advance their position in technical fields, and certainly not anyone more closely associated with [the Chinese Communist Party].”

The administration has China hawks who have been focussed on cracking down China's influence on US institutions.

About 277,000 Chinese students studied in the US last year, and Marco Rubio, Secretary of State has vowed to “aggressively revoke” the visas and said that they will focus on people with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or those studying sensitive subjects.

“The Secretary made this decision in the administration's ongoing effort to protect our homeland from espionage and other hostile actions,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

China has condemned the policy and termed it “unreasonable”, one that “damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and disrupted the normal cultural exchanges between the two countries.” The policy further complicated ties between the countries which are already battling strained ties since Trump put a 145 per cent tariff on Chinese goods but ultimately reduced it to 30 per cent after a temporary agreement with China. Similarly China also reduced the tariffs on the US from 125 percent to 10 per cent.

This week the US curbed critical US technology sales to China, including software that is used to make semiconductors. 

The visa revocations for Chinese students comes as the initial step in removing Chinese influence from the United States. Trump allies hope the next target will be funding for universities working with Chinese grad students. 

Moreover, US immigration law bars members of the Communist Party from becoming naturalised citizens or green card holders, however, these rules do not apply to people in the United States on student or tourist visas. 

“Those who come to enjoy our country must love our country,” Trump said. “We're going to keep foreign, Christian-hating communists, Marxists and socialists out of America.”

Legislation to limit Chinese nationals from obtaining visas for STEM-related studies had been introduced as early as 2020 by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) He applauded the administration's decision in a statement, saying “China's use of students to spy on political dissidents and American researchers is a well-documented national security threat.”

Rubio too had introduced a bill in 2021 targeting Chinese nationals in 2021. He pressured local colleges to shut down their Confucius Institutes when he represented Florida in the US Senate. He said in 2022, vocally opposing China, saying that it “is the most formidable near-peer adversary our nation has ever faced.”
 

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