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Digital Indias 10-Year Journey Highlighted By Modi Government With Monkey To Machine Storytelling

Ten years ago, if someone told you that you could study online, consult a doctor from a village, or pay a vegetable vendor with your phone, all without touching cash, you might have chuckled in disbelief.

But today, that’s our everyday reality. In 2015, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Digital India initiative, it wasn’t just a tech plan; it was a vision to transform governance, bridge the digital divide, and empower the common citizen with technology. In 2024, India celebrates 10 years of Digital India, and it’s not just a milestone; it’s a transformation story told creatively through an “evolution” narrative, from monkeys (manual chaos) to machines (automated ease).

The Modi government has showcased this progress with a unique campaign comparing older, slow methods with today’s seamless digital experience across key sectors. Let’s take a walk down this evolutionary path and witness how India changed.

Remember the days when classrooms ran on chalk and blackboards? That was the start. With Digital India came smartboards, online classes, and remote learning apps. The pandemic accelerated digital adoption in education.  Platforms like DIKSHA, SWAYAM, and even YouTube became classrooms for millions. Today, learning is just a click away, accessible not just in metros but deep into rural India, thanks to digital connectivity. A decade ago, mobile data was a luxury, mostly accessible in cities. Today, India boasts one of the world’s cheapest data rates. With 5G expanding rapidly, even small towns enjoy high-speed internet.  Communication has become limitless, from WhatsApp calls to video conferencing with government offices via e-Office, technology has erased distances and brought people together. Standing in ATM or bank queues was a regular chore. Then came net banking and card swipes. But what truly revolutionized payments? UPI, Unified Payments Interface. Launched in 2016, now transactions worth Rs 1 crore take place through UPI every second.  Whether it’s buying milk or paying rent, Indians can now pay with just a tap. The world is watching: India is leading the digital payments revolution. Earlier, senior citizens had to stand in long queues and submit physical life certificates to continue receiving pensions. Now, thanks to biometric technology and apps like Jeevan Pramaan, they can submit life certificates digitally from home. Dignity, convenience, and carede, livered digitally. Farmers once depended solely on local mandis and middlemen for selling produce. Many were exploited due to limited access to buyers. Through e-NAM (National Agriculture Market), farmers now connect directly with buyers across India, ensuring better prices and transparency. Over 1,300 mandis are now integrated into e-NAM. This 10-year journey is not just about apps and platforms. It’s about the empowerment of people, a farmer using a smartphone to sell produce, a student attending a coding class in a village, a grandmother consulting a doctor online, or a street vendor accepting UPI payments. The Modi government’s creative way of storytelling, from monkeys to machines, is not just symbolic. It’s a reflection of how far we’ve come, from primitive processes to precision systems, from waiting rooms to WhatsApp, from paper trails to digital highways. Digital India is not a project. It’s a movement. And the journey has only just begun.

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Worldnews

What Israels Attack On Iran Means For The Future Of War

Blurring the line between preemptive and preventive strike risks sending the world into a state of perpetual war. In the predawn darkness of June 13, Israel launched a “preemptive” attack on Iran. Explosions rocked various parts of the country. Among the targets were nuclear sites at Natanz and Fordo, military bases, research labs, and senior military residences. By the end of the operation, Israel had killed at least 974 people while Iranian missile strikes in retaliation had killed 28 people in Israel. Israel described its actions as anticipatory self-defence, claiming Iran was mere weeks away from producing a functional nuclear weapon. Yet intelligence assessment, including by Israeli ally, the United States, and reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) showed no evidence of Tehran pursuing a nuclear weapon. At the same time, Iranian diplomats were in talks with US counterparts for a possible new nuclear deal. But beyond the military and geopolitical analysis, a serious ethical question looms: is it morally justifiable to launch such a devastating strike based not on what a state has done, but on what it might do in the future? What precedent does this set for the rest of the world? And who gets to decide when fear is enough to justify war? Ethicists and international lawyers draw a critical line between preemptive and preventive war. Pre-emption responds to an imminent threat – an immediate assault. Preventive war strikes against a possible future threat. Only the former meets moral criteria rooted in the philosophical works of thinkers like Augustine and Aquinas, and reaffirmed by modern theorists like Michael Walzer — echoing the so-called Caroline formula, which permits preemptive force only when a threat is “instant, overwhelming, and leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation”. Israel’s raid, however, fails this test. Iran’s nuclear capability was not weeks from completion. Diplomacy had not been exhausted. And the devastation risked — including radioactive fallout from centrifuge halls — far exceeded military necessity. The law mirrors moral constraints. The UN Charter Article 2(4) bans the use of force, with the sole exception in Article 51, which permits self-defence after an armed attack. Israel’s invocation of anticipatory self-defence relies on contested legal custom, not accepted treaty law. UN experts have called Israel’s strike “a blatant act of aggression” violating jus cogens norms. Such costly exceptions risk fracturing the international legal order. If one state can credibly claim pre-emption, others will too — from China reacting to patrols near Taiwan, to Pakistan reacting to perceived Indian posturing — undermining global stability. Israel’s defenders respond that existential threats justify drastic action. Iran’s leaders have a history of hostile rhetoric towards Israel and have consistently backed armed groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently argued that when a state’s existence is under threat, international law struggles to provide clear, actionable answers. The historical scars are real. But philosophers warn that words, however hateful, do not equate to act. Rhetoric stands apart from action. If speech alone justified war, any nation could wage preemptive war based on hateful rhetoric. We risk entering a global “state of nature”, where every tense moment becomes cause for war. Technology tightens the squeeze on moral caution. The drones and F‑35s used in Rising Lion combined to paralyse Iran’s defences within minutes. Nations once could rely on time to debate, persuade, and document. Hypersonic missiles and AI-powered drones have eroded that window — delivering a stark choice: act fast or lose your chance. These systems don’t just shorten decision time — they dissolve the traditional boundary between wartime and peacetime. As drone surveillance and autonomous systems become embedded in everyday geopolitics, war risks becoming the default condition, and peace the exception. We begin to live not in a world of temporary crisis, but in what philosopher Giorgio Agamben calls a permanent state of exception — a condition where emergency justifies the suspension of norms, not occasionally but perpetually. In such a world, the very idea that states must publicly justify acts of violence begins to erode. Tactical advantage, coined as “relative superiority”, leverages this compressed timeframe — but gains ground at a cost. In an era where classified intelligence triggers near-instant reaction, ethical scrutiny retreats. Future first-move doctrines will reward speed over law, and surprise over proportion. If we lose the distinction between peace and war, we risk losing the principle that violence must always be justified — not assumed. Without immediate course correction, the world risks a new norm: war before reason, fear before fact. The UN Charter depends on mutual trust that force remains exceptional. Every televised strike chips away at that trust, leading to arms races and reflexive attacks. To prevent this cascade of fear-driven conflict, several steps are essential. There has to be transparent verification: Claims of “imminent threat” must be assessed by impartial entities — IAEA monitors, independent inquiry commissions — not buried inside secret dossiers. Diplomacy must take precedence: Talks, backchannels, sabotage, sanctions — all must be demonstrably exhausted pre-strike. Not optionally, not retroactively. There must be public assessment of civilian risk: Environmental and health experts must weigh in before military planners pull the trigger. The media, academia, and public must insist that these thresholds are met — and keep governments accountable. Preemptive war may, in rare cases, be morally justified — for instance, missiles poised on launchpads, fleets crossing redlines. But that bar is high by design. Israel’s strike on Iran wasn’t preventive, it was launched not against an unfolding attack but against a feared possibility.  Institutionalising that fear as grounds for war is an invitation to perpetual conflict. If we abandon caution in the name of fear, we abandon the shared moral and legal boundaries that hold humanity together. Just war tradition demands we never view those who may harm us as mere threats — but rather as human beings, each worthy of careful consideration. The Iran–Israel war is more than military drama. It is a test: will the world still hold the line between justified self-defence and unbridled aggression? If the answer is no, then fear will not just kill soldiers. It will kill the fragile hope that restraint can keep us alive. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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P7as2

Sara Ali Khan And Ayushmann Khurrana Team Up For Mudassar Azizs Next Comedy: A Promising New Pairing In Bollywood

In what promises to be a laughter-packed cinematic treat, Sara Ali Khan has officially been confirmed as the female lead in Ayushmann Khurrana’s upcoming comedy film, directed by the master of quirky entertainers, Mudassar Aziz. Produced by Bhushan Kumar and Juno Chopra, this still-untitled film is making a lot of noise in Bollywood circles, and rightly so. With a new jodi, an ensemble cast, and a return to vintage comedy forms, this movie is well on its way to being one of the most eagerly awaited entertainers of 2025. Though Ayushmann Khurrana is already feted for his robust comic timing and offbeat film selection, the inclusion of Sara Ali Khan adds a welcome novelty to the screen. This is the first pairing of Ayushmann and Sara, and the buzz surrounding this never-before-imagined jodi is real. According to a source close to the project, Sara was instantly hooked when she heard the script. “Sara and Ayushmann are a fresh combo in the comic space, and the actress fits the T for the character’s brief. She heard the script, and it was an instant yes from her side for the film,” the source revealed. The duo should provide a perfect blend of youthful exuberance and veteran comic talent, something the fans are ready to witness. Steering the project is Mudassar Aziz, who has made rib-tickling movies such as Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Pati Patni Aur Woh, and Khel Khel Mein. With his signature style that balances chaos, confusion, and comic relief, Mudassar is bringing back a genre that Bollywood has been missing: the classic ensemble comedy. A source described the film as “a typical comedy from the era gone by with a multi-star cast, where the lead is stuck in a situation leading to comedy.” In an age where Bollywood comedies are often fused with action or romance, this project stands out for staying true to situational humor and ensemble storytelling. While Sara is confirmed as the lead female face opposite Ayushmann, the film also boasts two more prominent female characters and a strong supporting ensemble. The casting for these roles is currently underway. Known for choosing characters that offer depth and a good comic rhythm, Ayushmann’s involvement further raises expectations. Given the legacy of films that feature a tangled web of characters and hilarious situations, this one promises to offer a vibrant blend of personalities, unpredictable twists, and feel-good chaos. The production for this untitled comic entertainer is all set to begin in August 2025. The producers are aiming for a packed, back-to-back shooting schedule and planning to wrap the shoot by November 2025. This is a lean schedule that reflects good artistic vision and good pre-production planning, which indicates that the team is confident in presenting a polished product. With Bhushan Kumar and Juno Chopra producing the venture, the movie is supported by industry veterans who understand how to reconcile commercial viability with good storytelling. Interestingly enough, this is not the only project that Sara and Ayushmann are going to be featured in together. The two also feature in a yet-untitled spy comedy being made by Dharma Productions. Already in post-production, that movie should see the big screens during the first quarter of 2026. This simultaneous debut of the new pairing in two totally different genres, comedy and spy shows, shows great onscreen chemistry between the actors and implies that both audiences and filmmakers are looking forward to seeing them paired together more. In an era where Bollywood has leaned heavily into action, thrillers, and biopics, this film may be part of a potential comic renaissance. With a nostalgic touch to classic ensemble comedies and the infusion of new talent and fresh dynamics, this project aims to deliver more than just laughs; it’s looking to recapture the essence of well-timed, chaotic, family-friendly humor that defined iconic Hindi cinema of the 2000s. If all goes according to plan, by the end of 2025, fans will be treated to not just a new comic blockbuster but also a promising on-screen duo in Sara Ali Khan and Ayushmann Khurrana, two actors who, until now, had not crossed creative paths. Directed by Mudassar Aziz, produced by Bhushan Kumar and Juno Chopra, and starring a colorful cast that includes Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan, this new-age comedy is turning out to be a full-fledged entertainer. The promise of a multi-starrer madhouse comedy, coupled with new casting options and an old-school storyline format, presents a welcome diversion from the prevailing trends of Bollywood. All eyes are now on August 2025, when the cameras start rolling on this yet-untitled comic caper, and if the early buzz is anything to go by, we’re in for a hearty laugh.

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Whats Happening To Your Businesses? Comedian Deeone Quizzes Cubana Chiefpriest