Jeffrey Sachs: 'The Quad Is An Anti-China Play, And India Is Being Used'

An India Today special investigation reveals that registered unrecognised political parties in Gujarat collected over two thousand crore rupees in donations between 2019 and 2024, based on data analyzed by the Association for Democratic Reforms. Ground checks across Gujarat, Delhi, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh showed that several of these parties exist primarily on paper. The Bharatiya National Janata Dal received 957.44 crore rupees, while The New India United Party secured over 600 crore rupees, though its registered Ahmedabad office was locked without any signboard. The Satyavadi Rakshak Party, which collected over 330 crore rupees in 2023-24, fielded just one candidate in Vadodara who finished last, operating from a locked flat in Anand. Similarly, the Aam Janmat Party collected over 220 crore rupees while its registered office remained shut, and Saurashtra Janata Paksha received over 200 crore rupees. ADR noted that 90 percent of donations come from individuals and large donors despite poor electoral participation and minimal vote shares.

At the India Today Global Aaj Tak BRICS Roundtable, former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi analyzed geopolitical security, defense diplomacy, and economic resilience surrounding the 18th BRICS Summit. Discussing Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to India and bilateral relations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria noted that high-level talks directly impact bilateral ties and regional stability. Admiral Tripathi described BRICS as a pragmatic multilateral platform rather than a military alliance, emphasizing that the path to peace requires strategic power. Both military leaders evaluated maritime security, counterterrorism, critical infrastructure protection, supply chain localization under the Atmanirbharta initiative, and defense exports. The panel also addressed non-traditional security threats, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and energy security risks along global trade choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz, while affirming the enduring strategic foundation of India-Russia bilateral defense relations.

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, bringing together member nations under the themes of resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to attend the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, arriving on 12 September for his first visit to India in seven years. A bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chinese President is on the cards alongside an economic agenda involving a 400-member business delegation. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is arriving in Delhi for a scheduled bilateral meeting with the Indian Prime Minister ahead of the summit. Prime Minister Modi is also slated to engage with other BRICS leaders and partner countries during the multilateral gathering in the national capital.