Morning Brief: Trump Calls USAID Voter Turnout Fund For India 'Election Interference'; Delhi Gets New CM Today; India Inc To Offer Average Pay Hike Of 9.2 Per Cent In 2025; And More

Catch up on the day’s must-read stories with Swarajya's roundup of the morning's headlines.

Trump Calls USAID Voter Turnout Fund For India 'Election Interference'

US President Donald Trump has again questioned the proposed $21 million USAID grant intended to boost voter turnout in India, suggesting it might have been aimed at influencing the country's elections. Speaking at an event, Trump stated, "Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government."

The controversy arose after Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) revealed the planned allocation, leading to political debate in both the US and India. Trump supported DOGE's decision to cancel the funding, expressing respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi but questioning the necessity of the grant.

Rekha Gupta To Take Oath As Delhi CM Today

Rekha Gupta will be sworn in as Delhi’s new Chief Minister today, becoming the fourth woman to hold the position in the capital. She will also be the only woman chief minister in any BJP or NDA-ruled state and the second currently serving in the country, alongside Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal. Notably, she is the first woman chief minister appointed by the BJP since the party came to power at the Centre in 2014.

A three-time municipal councillor, Gupta began her political journey in 1992 with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the RSS. She was elected general secretary of the Delhi University Students’ Union in 1995 and became its president in 1996. Her long association with the Sangh played a crucial role in her selection, and she recently visited its newly built Delhi office to meet senior functionaries.

India Inc To Offer Average Pay Hike Of 9.2 Per Cent In 2025

India Inc employees are expected to receive an average salary hike of 9.2 per cent in FY25, slightly lower than the 9.3 per cent in FY24, according to Aon. The firm's survey found that salary increments in India have been stabilising below 10 per cent since 2022, following a peak of 10.6 per cent that year due to the 'Great Resignation.' In FY25, three in five organisations are likely to offer salary increases of at least 9 per cent, based on data from over 1,400 companies across 45 industries. However, industries such as engineering design services, auto manufacturing, and non-banking financial companies are expected to offer salary hikes of 10 per cent or more this year.

Other Developments

Pak Army-ISI Delegation’s Bangladesh Visit Raises Concern

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi expressed concern over reports of a Pakistan Army-ISI delegation visiting areas in Bangladesh near the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor. The ‘Chicken’s Neck’ region, which connects mainland India to the Northeast, is of critical security importance. He did not elaborate on the purpose of the visit but indicated that India is closely monitoring the situation. The development has raised concerns given Pakistani intelligence activities in India's Northeast in the past, including the support for militant groups. ISI chief Lt Gen Asim Malik’s visit to Bangladesh earlier this year was the first by a head of Pakistan's intelligence agency in decades.

Microsoft Claims It Has Created A New State Of Matter

Microsoft claims to have discovered a new state of matter in its effort to build a quantum computer that could revolutionise fields like medicine, AI, and energy. Its scientists announced the creation of a “topological qubit,” a breakthrough that could significantly enhance computing power. This marks a major step in the global race for quantum supremacy, a field that has been pursued since the 1980s. The competition intensified in December when Google’s experimental quantum computer solved a problem in five minutes that would take supercomputers longer than the universe’s age. Microsoft’s approach, if successful, could surpass Google’s current quantum technology.

Trump Calls Zelenskyy A ‘Dictator’ Amid Peace Deal Push

Facing pushback from Kyiv and European allies over his push for a peace deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, Trump launched a sharp attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a Truth Social post, he called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” and warned that he must “move fast” or risk losing his country. Trump criticised the Ukrainian leader for postponing elections and accused him of doing a “terrible job.” Zelenskyy dismissed the accusations as Russian “disinformation” and rejected claims that Ukraine started the war. Although his approval ratings have declined, polls show that more than 50 per cent of Ukrainians have continued to trust him throughout the war.

American Citizens Could Get 20 Per Cent Of DOGE Savings

Donald Trump said he is considering a plan to return 20 per cent of the savings from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to American citizens and use another 20 per cent to reduce federal debt. Speaking at an event, he called it a "new concept" being discussed within his administration. The idea was proposed by businessman James Fishback, who suggested distributing USD 5,000 checks to tax-paying households if DOGE achieves USD 2 trillion in savings by 2026. Musk responded on X, saying he would "check with the President." While Musk considers USD 2 trillion a best-case scenario, he views USD 1 trillion as a more realistic goal.

From The States

Uttarakhand: Plea In HC Against UCC Rules On Past Relationships

A petition has been filed in the Uttarakhand High Court against parts of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) that require Aadhaar-based registration and details of past relationships. The petitioner opposes rules that ask for information about previous partners and divorces, as well as the mandatory registration of live-in relationships. The plea also challenges fines, police involvement, and the rule that live-in couples must share a home. Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran argued that Aadhaar already holds key details, making extra paperwork unnecessary. The petition asks the court to review these rules and provide temporary relief.

Tamil Nadu: Chennai Metro Phase II Expansion Begins

Chennai Metro Rail Limited has begun work on Phase II expansion, adding three new corridors totaling 118.9 km with funding from international agencies. Construction on Corridor 5 has started at Madhavaram Milk Colony, extending 47 km through key areas like Koyambedu, Porur, and Alandur to Shollinganallur. This corridor will feature five underground and 39 elevated stations. Four tunnel boring machines, named after Tamil landscapes, will be used for the project.

Rekha Gupta To Get Six-Member Cabinet

Rekha Gupta will get a six-member cabinet, with Parvesh Singh Verma and Kapil Mishra among the appointed ministers, as confirmed by a notification from President Droupadi Murmu’s office on Thursday morning. The notification also named Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Ashish Sood, Pankaj Kumar Singh, and Ravinder Indraj Singh as part of her team. This ends 12 days of speculation following the BJP’s 48-22 victory over the Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi Assembly election. The delay in announcing the Chief Minister had fueled uncertainty, with the BJP keeping its decision under wraps. The suspense ended late last night when the party officially named Rekha Gupta as the new Chief Minister.

Follow along for more updates throughout the day.