Her speech ranged from Operation Sindoor and the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty to public-examination reforms, digital payments, women’s achievements and the protection of natural resources. Here are the 10 biggest takeaways.

1. India’s economy amid global instability

The President said India continues to be the fastest-growing major economy despite warfare and instability in several parts of the world. Citing economic projections, she said India’s growth rate was expected to be more than twice the global average.

2. Self-reliance as an economic and security strategy

She presented Atmanirbhar Bharat as more than an industrial programme, arguing that domestic capability strengthens both economic progress and national security. The message assumes added importance at a time of tariff disputes, supply-chain disruption and conflict-driven pressure on fuel and commodity prices.

3. Operation Sindoor sent a message beyond the battlefield

President Murmu described Operation Sindoor as a demonstration of the precision and capability of India’s armed forces. She said the operation conveyed that terrorists and those supporting them would face consequences regardless of where they attempted to hide.

4. Indus Waters Treaty suspension defended

The President defended the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, describing it as a decisive step taken in the national interest and particularly in the interest of Indian farmers. The reference was significant because Pakistan’s leadership had again criticised India’s water policy earlier in the day.

5. Naxalism and the transformation of affected regions

She highlighted the drive to make India free of Naxalism as a major national achievement, saying areas that had lived under the shadow of violence for decades were now witnessing renewed confidence and enthusiasm. The message has particular resonance in Chhattisgarh and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

6. Public examinations must become trustworthy

Calling students the architects of India’s future, President Murmu stressed the need to protect the integrity of public examinations. She said reforms were aimed at stopping unfair practices and making examinations more transparent, secure and credible for young people.

7. Welfare numbers placed at the centre of the address

The President cited the government’s estimates that more than 25 crore people had moved out of poverty. She also referred to nearly 59 crore Jan Dhan account holders, more than 32 crore of them women; free food support for over 80 crore people; and health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh for around 60 crore beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat.

8. India’s digital infrastructure as a global strength

She said India had created the world’s largest digital public infrastructure and accounted for more than half of global real-time digital transactions. Technology, she argued, had also made the delivery of welfare benefits more transparent.

9. Women are breaking barriers

President Murmu pointed to women’s growing participation across education, agriculture, defence and sport - from Drone Didis to the Air Force’s first woman Fighter Combat Leader. She also noted that women won eight of India’s 13 gold medals at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

10. Development must not consume the future

Her concluding message linked development with environmental responsibility. Future generations, she said, have an equal right to natural resources, and present-day decisions must not diminish that inheritance.

The larger political message

The address sought to present a single national narrative: security without hesitation, growth rooted in self-reliance, opportunity protected by fair institutions and development that reaches the most vulnerable. President Murmu closed with the Vedic expression ‘Vayam Rashtre Jagriyam’ - a call to remain alert and ready in the service of the nation.

India has delivered a sharp response to Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), asserting that continued cross-border terrorism has fundamentally eroded the trust required for cooperation under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). New Delhi also firmly rejected Pakistan's remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, reiterating its long-standing position that the Union Territory is an inseparable part of India.

Speaking during the UNSC High-Level Open Debate on "Natural Resources Governance: the Foundation of Peace, Security and Prosperity", India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, accused Pakistan of misusing the international platform to promote what he described as a false narrative on bilateral issues.

Addressing the Indus Waters Treaty, the Indian envoy said the agreement was built on mutual trust and goodwill, conditions that, according to India, cannot exist while cross-border terrorism continues to be used as an instrument of state policy.

"Our position on the Indus Waters Treaty remains clear and consistent. Cooperation based on mutual trust and goodwill cannot be expected when cross-border terrorism is regularly deployed as an instrument of State policy," the ambassador said during the debate.

India also used the opportunity to reiterate its position on Jammu and Kashmir, dismissing Pakistan's claims over the region. Ambassador Parvathaneni stated that Jammu and Kashmir "has always been, is, and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India."

He further asserted that the only unresolved issue relating to Jammu and Kashmir concerns what India describes as Pakistan's illegal occupation of parts of Indian territory.

The diplomatic exchange comes months after India placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance following the April 22, 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed. After the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) announced that the six-decade-old treaty would remain suspended until Pakistan takes what India describes as credible and irreversible steps to end support for cross-border terrorism.

According to government sources, New Delhi believes the circumstances under which the treaty was signed in 1960 have changed significantly due to persistent security concerns, changing developmental priorities, population growth and climate-related challenges.

India has also accused Pakistan of bypassing the treaty's dispute resolution framework. Officials said the agreement provides for a sequential process beginning with bilateral discussions, followed by reference to a Neutral Expert and, only if necessary, a Court of Arbitration. However, India maintains that Pakistan directly approached the Court of Arbitration, making those proceedings unacceptable from New Delhi's perspective.

Government sources further alleged that Pakistan has repeatedly objected to Indian hydropower projects on the eastern rivers despite those projects falling within India's rights under the treaty. At the same time, officials argued that Pakistan has not adequately developed its own water storage and river management infrastructure.

Officials also disclosed that India formally approached Pakistan in 2023 seeking discussions on modernising the treaty to reflect present-day realities, including advances in engineering, climate change, increasing water demand and population growth. According to the government, those proposals did not lead to meaningful progress.

Meanwhile, India is preparing to accelerate several strategic hydropower projects in the Chenab river basin to utilise the water resources allocated to it under the treaty framework. Key projects include the 1,856 MW Sawalkote Hydroelectric Project, 1,000 MW Pakal Dul Project, 850 MW Ratle Project, 624 MW Kiru Project, and the 540 MW Kwar Project.

The government also plans to undertake sediment flushing and reservoir management at the Salal and Baglihar hydroelectric projects to improve storage capacity, enhance operational efficiency and strengthen dam safety.

India's latest remarks at the United Nations underline the widening diplomatic divide between New Delhi and Islamabad over terrorism, water-sharing arrangements and Jammu and Kashmir. With the Indus Waters Treaty remaining in abeyance, future engagement on the agreement is expected to depend on broader political and security developments between the two neighbouring countries.

Iran has accused the United States of violating key provisions of the recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) during technical-level talks held in Doha, even as global oil prices continued to slide amid hopes of easing tensions.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the Iranian delegation raised the issue of the US violating Article 1 of the MoU, which commits both sides to ending war on all fronts. The meetings were mediated by Qatar and Pakistan.

In a separate discussion with Qatari officials and the central bank, the two sides discussed the release of approximately $6 billion in frozen Iranian funds. Iran maintained that it should have the right to use the money for purchasing goods based on its declared needs.

Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also rejected reports that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had been granted access to bombed nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, calling such claims false.

Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the talks made “positive progress” and discussions would continue after the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Meanwhile, Brent crude futures fell over 1 per cent to around $70.84 per barrel, while US WTI crude dropped to $67.75 per barrel. Analysts said easing geopolitical concerns following the Doha talks were weighing on prices.

The developments come as both sides continue indirect negotiations to stabilise the situation after the recent conflict. Further rounds of talks are expected in the coming weeks.

Pakistan has issued a fresh and aggressive warning to India over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, with Climate Change Minister Musadik Malik declaring that any attempt to stop Pakistan’s share of river water would face severe consequences.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Malik said, “The prime minister of the neighbouring country says not a single drop of water will be allowed to reach Pakistan. Anyone who tries to stop Pakistan’s share of water will face consequences.” He further remarked that those trying to block water would have their “hands cut off.”

The Pakistani government also announced it will host an international seminar on the Indus Waters Treaty in Islamabad on Tuesday to discuss its legal and technical aspects.

Tarar maintained that the 1960 treaty remains legally binding and cannot be unilaterally suspended, terminated, or amended by India. He said Pakistan’s rights under the treaty are protected by international law and described water as the country’s “lifeline” and a “red line.”

The remarks come days after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Islamabad could go to war if it felt its water security was under threat.

India had suspended the Indus Waters Treaty following the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people. New Delhi has maintained that the treaty will remain suspended until Pakistan takes credible and irreversible action against cross-border terrorism.

Signed in 1960 with the World Bank as mediator, the treaty governs the sharing of waters from the Indus river system. Pakistan relies heavily on it for irrigation and power generation.

The latest statements have once again heightened tensions between the two neighbours over the critical water-sharing agreement. Further developments are awaited as both sides continue to hold their positions.