India is set to witness yet another technological revolution with the rollout of 5G spectrum, and that’s our Cover Story of the week. Digital connectivity, we all know, has been a key component of the Modi Government’s flagship programnes and the launch of the 5G services will catapult India to a new high. With speed and capacities 10 times higher than the current 4G services, it will not only revolutionise data transfer and sharing, but also have a multiplier effect on industry, trade, transportation, public health, education and many other sectors, says our Cover Story. Another report on the subject highlights how technology has been defining the contours of global engagements and stresses that tech leveraging could also reshape the geopolitical landscape of the Indo-Pacific. Besides, we carry an interview-based report that emphasises that the Indian market is primed for the launch of the next generation of mobile broadband.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned a highly emotive blog dedicated to his mother as she entered the 100th year of her life. The blog, which is virtually an ode to India’s matrushakti, details her life and struggles, and how their bond has evolved over the years. On the Centrespread this week, we carry excerpts from the blog in which PM Modi talks about his childhood and growing-up days and highlights various aspects of his mother’s life which shaped his mind, personality, and selfconfidence. Oozing with pride, the PM emphasises that his mother “is as simple as she is extraordinary. Just like all mothers”. His exhortation that “While reading, you may even see your own mother’s image”, is among the reasons that prompted us to reproduce the highlights of this highly motivating blog in this edition. Some rare pictures carried along with the piece convey the special bond the PM shares with his mother.
Italy, the European country with which India’s cultural exchanges date back to an ancient history, is our Globetrotting destination this week. According to our report, Italy is a soft-superpower thanks to the immense richness of beauty, arts, music, literature, monuments, cinema, lifestyle, fashion and innovative creativity. The bilateral ties between India and Italy are not only rooted in the past, but are also driven by innovation, creativity and contemporary cultural milieu, the report stresses. After years of relative absence from the geopolitical affairs of the region, Italy has begun to signal its intention to enter the Indo-Pacific geography. It has done so by seeking to join India and Japan in a trilateral partnership, and that is the subject of a supporting story on this page. Pragati Maidan Integrated Transit Corridor Project, which the Government aims to showcase as yet another icon of the 21st century New India, was dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister last week.
We cover this significant development on the Rising India page.
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