Daily Briefing: India-China to hold Corps Commander talks in Northeast after Doval-Wang boundary meet

India and China are set to hold another round of Corps Commander-level talks in the Northeast, days after National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Beijing to discuss the boundary issue.

The proposed military dialogue comes amid efforts to address recent tensions along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh and follows several rounds of local commander-level talks. The discussions are also expected to focus on strengthening communication mechanisms between the two militaries, as New Delhi and Beijing seek to maintain stability along the border and build on recent diplomatic engagements.

What if the next great food pairing is not discovered by a chef’s instinct, but by an algorithm? Artificial intelligence and computational gastronomy are changing how flavour is understood, using vast databases of recipes and the molecular composition of ingredients to uncover combinations that may seem unlikely to the human palate.

By mapping shared flavour compounds and analysing thousands of culinary possibilities, AI can suggest pairings that chefs might never think to put together — turning food into a playground where chemistry, data and creativity collide.

The technology is not replacing the chef at the stove; instead, it is offering a new way to ask a delicious question: what else could work? India’s latest GDP numbers may point to strong economic growth, but they have also revived an old question: why do many Indians remain unconvinced by the headline figures?

The debate is less about whether the numbers are manipulated and more about the gap between aggregate growth and everyday economic experience. Weak job creation, pressure on wages, subdued consumer sentiment and the lingering impact of inflation can make rapid GDP growth feel distant from household realities.

At the same time, changes to the methodology and data sources used to calculate GDP have added to public confusion. The result is a trust deficit that cannot be settled by the GDP number alone — it requires looking at the wider set of indicators that reveal how the economy is actually performing.

In our Opinion section today, President Droupadi Murmu reflects on the profound role teachers play in shaping not just students, but the nation itself. Drawing from her own experiences as a student and teacher, she writes about the values of curiosity, compassion, independent thinking and ethical conduct that educators can instill in young minds.

At a time when India looks towards a knowledge-driven future, she argues that teachers must be held in the highest esteem for the lasting influence they have on generations to come. If there is one thing Mirzapur: The Movie knows exactly how to deliver, it is the kind of chaos its fans have come to love.

In her review, Shubhra Gupta finds the film an overlong but enjoyable ride, powered by Pankaj Tripathi’s return as Kaleen Bhaiyya. The film plunges audiences back into a world of revenge, violence, shifting loyalties and the relentless battle for power, with Tripathi bringing back the swagger and menace that made the franchise such a phenomenon.

Despite its bloated runtime, the dark humour, action and twists keep the ride engaging, making it a familiar yet entertaining return to the Mirzapur universe.