https://www.scmp.com/rss/524730/feed The latest news and top stories on Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament’s Lower House, India. He is known for being a four-term Member of Parliament representing Amethi and Wayanad, and a former Congress President and Vice President. His responsibilities include holding the government accountable, and he champions youth empowerment social justice and unity through the Bharat Jodo Yatras. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju As the Iran war reshapes West Asian geopolitics, Pakistan has unexpectedly emerged as a backchannel mediator between Tehran and Washington, potentially sidelining India’s efforts to assert itself as a credible global diplomatic actor. India, despite its growing partnerships with the US, Israel and the Gulf states, has been absent from any meaningful conflict-resolution initiative on Iran. Umer Karim, a political science researcher at the University of Birmingham, said India’s strengthening... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347999/pakistan-steps-iran-mediator-while-india-watches-wings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3347999/pakistan-steps-iran-mediator-while-india-watches-wings?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:21:12 +0000 Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow Biman Mukherji,Maria Siow The sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s coast has raised concerns across South and Southeast Asia that the Middle East conflict may be expanding into the Indian Ocean, while also intensifying political pressure in India for a stronger response. Analysts said the strike’s location near key sea lanes linking Asia with the Gulf had heightened fears the conflict could spill into waters vital to regional trade while also raising doubts in New Delhi over its cautious... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345575/us-sinking-iranian-warship-near-sri-lanka-sparks-regional-anxiety-pressure-india?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:50 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India’s parliament pushed through an overhaul of a rural employment scheme on Friday despite an opposition walkout and a session that stretched well past midnight. The Developed India Employment Guarantee and Sustenance Mission bill will supersede a decades-old rural jobs scheme for millions of the country’s poorest. It replaces the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, a defining legacy of the previous left-leaning Congress government, which was in power from 2004 to 2014. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3337121/indias-parliament-approves-divisive-rural-jobs-scheme-despite-opposition-walkout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3337121/indias-parliament-approves-divisive-rural-jobs-scheme-despite-opposition-walkout?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 12:57:54 +0000 Reuters Reuters India’s Supreme Court modified its order on stray dogs on Friday, directing that those picked up from streets in and around Delhi be released after sterilisation and immunisation, following a storm of protests from animal lovers. Earlier this month, the court ruled that all stray dogs in Delhi and its suburbs be moved to shelters following a surge in dog bites and cases of rabies. Critics of the ruling had said it could not be implemented because there were not enough shelters. Many animal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322840/indias-top-court-modifies-stray-dog-order-after-protests-animal-lovers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3322840/indias-top-court-modifies-stray-dog-order-after-protests-animal-lovers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Aug 2025 10:24:17 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg India’s opposition was preparing to confront Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over the controversial revision of electoral rolls in the eastern state of Bihar on Monday, as parliament convened for its monsoon session. Just months before crucial state elections, the Election Commission of India in June announced a sweeping revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls in a move that has ignited a political firestorm. Opposition parties and activists have taken to the streets and courts, warning... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3318949/indian-parliament-starts-monsoon-season-will-voter-roll-change-create-political-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3318949/indian-parliament-starts-monsoon-season-will-voter-roll-change-create-political-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 03:44:25 +0000