Congress MP says decades of peace initiatives have repeatedly been followed by terror attacks and calls for verifiable action against terrorism before any engagement

Congress MP Manish Tewari has questioned renewed calls to resume dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying any discussion with Islamabad must first address the issue of cross-border terrorism. Responding to an appeal by 117 eminent personalities from both countries seeking the restoration of diplomatic engagement, Tewari asked whether such talks could be meaningful without concrete action against terror infrastructure.

Speaking on Friday, the Congress leader said successive Indian governments had consistently attempted to improve relations with Pakistan, but those efforts were repeatedly undermined by terrorist attacks.

According to Tewari, governments led by P.V. Narasimha Rao, H.D. Deve Gowda, I.K. Gujral, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi all pursued dialogue with Pakistan through formal negotiations or backchannel diplomacy. However, he claimed that each attempt was followed by acts of terrorism.

Calls for proof of dismantling terror infrastructure

Tewari said the key issue was whether Pakistan had provided any verifiable assurance that it had dismantled its terror infrastructure.

Referring to former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, he said a public commitment had been made after the Parliament attack to act against terrorism, but the assurance was later withdrawn. He added that similar commitments made during the tenures of former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi also failed to produce lasting results.

Questioning the appeal for renewed engagement, Tewari said those advocating talks should clarify what specific issues they intended to discuss while the threat of terrorism remained unresolved.

References Pahalgam terror attack and Indus Waters Treaty

The Congress MP also referred to the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, saying it further reinforced India’s concerns regarding terrorism.

He noted that India’s position became even more firm following the attack, pointing to the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as part of the government’s response.

Commenting on the timing of the letter seeking renewed dialogue, Tewari said India had consistently maintained that terrorism and bilateral talks could not proceed simultaneously. He also reiterated the government’s position that it would not differentiate between terrorists and those responsible for directing such attacks.

Peace remains desirable, but security comes first

While acknowledging that millions of people across South Asia aspire for lasting peace, Tewari argued that meaningful dialogue was not possible as long as terrorism remained a continuing threat.

He said India must first receive credible assurances from Pakistan, beginning with an end to the export of terrorism, before considering any resumption of diplomatic engagement.

The southwest monsoon has expanded into more parts of the country, bringing fresh rainfall activity to several regions. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), moderate rain is expected to continue in Mumbai and Delhi on Friday, while heavy rainfall is likely in parts of Uttarakhand under an orange alert.

The weather agency said the monsoon advanced further on Thursday, covering additional parts of Gujarat, the remaining areas of Uttar Pradesh, the entire Delhi region, most parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, along with some areas of Rajasthan. Conditions remain favourable for the monsoon to progress further in the coming days.

Orange alert issued for Mumbai and neighbouring districts

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar, indicating the possibility of moderate to intense spells of rainfall across these districts.

Residents have been advised to remain cautious as intermittent heavy showers could affect daily life in the region.

Strong winds to continue till July 8

The weather department said strong westerly winds are expected to persist over southern peninsular India and central India until July 8. It also noted the likelihood of an easterly wind anomaly over the north Bay of Bengal, eastern India, central India and adjoining northwestern parts of the country, which could support continued monsoon activity.

Heavy rainfall likely in parts of Uttarakhand

An orange alert has also been issued for Uttarakhand’s Nainital and Bageshwar districts, where heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast for Friday.

The monsoon entered Uttarakhand on June 30 and became active across the entire state by Wednesday. According to the Meteorological Centre in Dehradun, several parts of the state recorded light to moderate rainfall on Thursday.

With the southwest monsoon remaining active over large parts of India, several regions are expected to witness continued rainfall over the next few days.

Board examination marks could soon carry greater significance in admissions to medical and engineering courses, with the Centre reportedly considering a proposal to assign 50% weightage to board scores alongside entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE.

The proposal is part of a broader set of education reforms aimed at reducing the pressure associated with high-stakes examinations and making the admission process more balanced.

Education Ministry panel reviewing admission reforms

According to sources, the proposal is being examined by the Ministry of Education’s nine-member committee that was constituted last year. The panel was tasked with studying students’ growing dependence on coaching institutes, the rise of “dummy schools”, and concerns over fairness in major entrance examinations.

The committee is exploring several measures to improve the existing admission system while reducing the emphasis on a single examination.

Why the reforms are being considered

The discussions come in the wake of multiple controversies involving the examination system, including reported evaluation errors and paper leak incidents. These developments have sparked a wider debate over the credibility and reliability of high-stakes entrance examinations.

To address these concerns, the committee is considering giving 50% weightage to board examination marks in the admission merit process.

Other changes under consideration

Apart from increasing the role of board examination scores, the panel is also examining several other reforms.

These include aligning entrance examinations more closely with school syllabi to reduce students’ dependence on coaching centres, allowing multiple attempts for entrance tests, and gradually introducing adaptive, on-demand computer-based examinations.

Current admission process

At present, admissions to medical and engineering programmes are primarily based on candidates’ performance in entrance examinations such as NEET and JEE. Students are also required to secure the prescribed qualifying marks in their board examinations to become eligible for these entrance tests.

The proposed reforms are currently under consideration, and no final decision has been announced.