Russian President Putin on two-day visit to India beginning December 4

Vartha Bharati | 28-11-2025 | 15:00:00 IST

Russian President Vladimir Putin (PTI)

New Delhi (PTI): Russian President Vladimir Putin will undertake a two-day visit to India from December 4 to hold annual summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that is expected to produce significant outcomes to further solidify the bilateral strategic ties.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), announcing the visit, said on Friday that it will set the vision for strengthening the India-Russia 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership'.

"At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin will pay a State visit to India from December 4 to 5 for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit," it said.

President Droupadi Murmu will also receive Putin and host a banquet in his honour.

"The forthcoming State visit will provide an opportunity for the leadership of India and Russia to review progress in bilateral relations, set the vision for strengthening the 'Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership' and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest," the MEA said in a brief statement.

The focus of the Modi-Putin talks are expected to focus on deepening cooperation in areas of defence and security, trade and civil nuclear energy.

The Ukraine conflict is also likely to figure prominently in the talks.

India is looking at procuring additional batches of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Russia as the weapons proved to be very effective during the Operation Sindoor.

It is learnt that the proposed procurement may figure in the talks between the two sides.

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 upcoming summit is expected to produce significant outcomes to further solidify bilateral strategic ties, people familiar with the matter said.

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 the country has been a key pillar of New Delhi's foreign policy.

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Time has come to implement Women's Reservation Act: PM Modi's letter to LS, RS floor leaders

12-04-2026 ¦ 12-04-2026 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PTI)

New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the time has come for the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act in its true spirit and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections are conducted with the quota for women in place.

In a letter to the floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, ahead of the three-day special sittings of Parliament, Modi also asked all members to come together in one voice to pass the amendments to the women's reservation law, officially known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

"After extensive deliberations, we have reached the conclusion that the time has now come to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in its true spirit across the country.

"It is imperative that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections are conducted with women's reservation in place," the Prime Minister said in his letter dated April 11.

The Budget Session of Parliament has been extended, and a special three-day sitting of the House has been convened on April 16 to 18.

The Women's Reservation Act will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, of which 273 will be reserved for women.

The provision to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was brought by amending the Constitution in 2023.

However, the women's quota would have come into effect only after the completion of the delimitation exercise on the basis of the 2027 Census. This meant the reservation would not have become enforceable before 2034 if the present law remains as is.

To implement it from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, changes were needed in the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam; hence, the government is holding a special session to pass the amendments to the law.