English essential.

"Citing 'inadequate' English language proficiency as a major factor affecting employability among youth graduating from public universities, the NITI Aayog has recommended these institutions collaborate with international language organisations to offer English and foreign language proficiency programs, with examples of success in Punjab and Karnataka." The Print. Not totally correct. Indian students going to Canadian or US universities have to pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. "In Punjab, a whole economy has formed to tutor students," and "If you go to any major town in the state, you will see a street full of IELTS centers." "A year ago, there were 11,000 registered IELTS centers in Punjab." But with Canada and the US imposing restrictions, "Only 6,000 of them survive today," wrote Kudrat Wadhwa. Knowledge of English is also necessary for Indians migrating illegally to the US and Canada. The Pew Research Center estimated 700,000 undocumented Indians living in the US in 2022, but "The official government data from the Department of Homeland Securities (DHS)...reporting 220,000 unauthorized Indians in 2022." BBC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US on 13 and 14 February, during which he met President Donald Trump, "US Intel Chief Tulsi Gabbard, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz and tech billionaire Elon Musk." NDTV. When Mr Modi "dropped in on Donald Trump,.. there was none of the bear-hugging bonhomie that was on display at the White House Rose Garden in 2017. The hand-clasping bromance of 2019 'Howdy Modi' was also missing. The Indian prime minister came bearing trade concessions on Harley-Davidson bikes and Tesla cars, yet the US president met him wielding a fat stick of tariffs," wrote Andy Mukherjee. Every year top students from engineering and medical institutions leave India "with most of them not returning to India (750,000 in 2022, which went up to 1.33 million in 2024, as per the reply given by the External Affairs Minister in the Lok Sabha)." Also, 7,500 millionaires left India in 2022, 6,500 in 2023 and 4,300 in 2024 because of, "rampant corruption, poor state of urban infrastructure, high level of crime, traffic jams etc." DH. As per the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, India has dropped to 96 from 93 last year, out of 180 countries and territories, with a score of 38 out 100. HT. In 2024, India imposed 84 internet shutdowns, the highest among democratic countries. Pakistan recorded only 21 shutdowns, the highest ever recorded in the country. India Today. From the moment he came to power, Mr Modi "has wielded sloganeering as a tool to shape public perception - leading millions like a modern-day Pied Piper. Every election cycle, every economic crisis, and every governance failure has not with accountability but with a new slogan," such as, "Acche din, sabka saath sabka vikas, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Amrit Kaal and Viksit Bharat." DH. India regularly slams Pakistan as a terrorist state (BS) while visiting terror on its own citizens. We need a new slogan. Something like "NITI Aayog said learn English". For in and out.