Sat May 31 12:33:52 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
This news digest from *The Hindu* on May 31, 2025, covers a range of Indian and international topics. Key points include India’s military strategy shift in a recent conflict with Pakistan, accusations against the government regarding the treatment of Bengali-speaking Muslims, India’s stance on the Indus Waters Treaty, Congress’s demand for transparency on war losses, potential impact of US tariffs on Indian exporters, a COVID-19 death in Delhi, and rain-related deaths in Northeast India.
**News Article:**
**India Shifts Tactics in Pakistan Conflict, Faces Scrutiny Over Refugee Treatment, and Mourns COVID-19 Death**
**New Delhi, May 31, 2025** – A range of significant events dominated Indian news today, from international conflicts to domestic policy and public health concerns.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan revealed that India adjusted its combat strategy after initial setbacks in the recent air conflict with Pakistan, ultimately securing a decisive advantage before a ceasefire was declared. However, the Congress party is demanding the government disclose the full extent of losses incurred during the four-day hostilities, following Gen Chauhan’s acknowledgement of aircraft losses. He dismissed Pakistani claims of downing six Indian jets as “absolutely incorrect”.
Domestically, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau has accused the government of targeting Bengali-speaking Muslims and illegally pushing them into Bangladesh following the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The party insists that those who have entered the country illegally should be handled through established legal procedures.
On the international stage, India has rejected Pakistan’s accusations of violating the Indus Waters Treaty, citing cross-border terrorism from Pakistani soil as the primary obstacle to the treaty’s implementation. Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh reiterated this position at a U.N. conference on glaciers in Tajikistan.
Economic concerns are also mounting as think tank GTRI warns that U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned doubling of tariffs on steel and aluminium imports will negatively impact Indian exporters and their profitability.
In public health news, Delhi recorded its first COVID-19 fatality amid a recent surge in cases, with a 60-year-old woman succumbing to the virus. The capital currently has 294 active cases.
Tragedy struck Northeast India as rain-induced disasters have claimed the lives of 10 people. Landslides in and around Guwahati, Assam, resulted in five deaths in the last 24 hours. Other states, including Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, also reported fatalities due to landslides, rockfall, and drowning.
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