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India Pulse | March 5, 2026: Your Daily Digest of India's Governance, Progress, and Vision
The India Pulse Newsletter for March 5, 2026 covers Finland President Alexander Stubb stating India will play crucial role deciding next world order during New Delhi visit, President Murmu viewing Finland as valued trusted partner, India-Finland aiming to double bilateral trade by 2030, Nitish Kumar & Nitin Nabin filing Rajya Sabha nomination papers, Jaishankar meeting Finnish President Stubb, Amit Shah to address CISF Raising Day ceremony, and 8th Central Pay Commission inviting stakeholder representations.
NEWS IN DETAIL
Stubb Says India Will Play Crucial Role In Deciding Next World Order
President of Finland Dr Alexander Stubb delivered keynote address at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr Stubb said that the Global South will decide the next world order, and India will play a deciding factor in it.
He remarked that the global power balance has shifted, and the Global South has economics and demography on its side. President Stubb said the era of a Western-dominated world is over, but this will take some time to sink in across the West. He acknowledged that there are major challenges in world politics today.
President of Finland stressed that a power vacuum will be felt without a functioning world power. He added that if nations give up on international rules, the current world order will collapse.
He opined that the West should try to figure out how best to contain power in an imperfect world. He said India has been under no illusions and has based its foreign policy on a pragmatic worldview. He said India has been careful not to rely solely on the goodwill of one partner and this approach makes sense. He said that India does not isolate itself and its power is based on active engagement.
On shaping the new world order, Dr Stubbs said Finland’s policy is based on values-based realism. He highlighted that India has been applying values-based realism for thousands of years. He said this is evident in how India works as a constructive member of the United Nations.
He stressed the need to increase representation, saying that the voices of the Global South must be heard much louder. He said India should have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. He said trade is being wielded as a geopolitical tool, and India’s leadership is needed in this era.
President Stubb said new technology should not increase the divide between developed and developing nations. He said AI will only benefit the world when it is shared. He added that global phenomena such as climate change and migration require solutions.
The theme this year is Saṁskāra – Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement.
India Views Finland As Valued, Trusted Partner: President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu met President of Finland Alexander Stubb at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
The President said Mr Stubb’s presence at the Raisina Dialogue is a matter of pride for India. She expressed confidence that his views on the contemporary global situation will be valuable for the participants.
President Murmu said India views Finland as a valued and trusted partner, with ties based on mutual trust and shared democratic traditions. Both leaders agreed that in recent years, India-Finland relations have evolved into a dynamic partnership driven by innovation, clean technologies, education and economic cooperation.
She also expressed confidence that the recently announced India-EU Free Trade Agreement will provide fresh momentum to bilateral trade and investment.
The President said Finland is a global leader in advanced digital technologies. She appreciated the role of Finland’s companies in the country’s journey towards a Viksit Bharat. She said several Indian companies are active in Finland and thousands of Indians, particularly IT professionals, are contributing to the Finnish economy. President Murmu also commended Finland’s leadership in sustainable development and clean technologies.
She highlighted the country’s progress in climate action through the expansion of solar and wind energy, promotion of green hydrogen and initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuels Alliance.
She also briefed President Stubb about the LiFE Mission, which promotes sustainable lifestyles. She said that by combining Finland’s expertise in sustainable technologies with India’s green energy innovation, both countries can demonstrate that prosperity and sustainability can go hand in hand.
India, Finland Aim To Double Bilateral Trade By 2030
India and Finland have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with both sides agreeing to double bilateral trade by 2030.
Speaking at a press briefing following the recent visit of the Finnish President, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Sibi George said the relationship between the two countries has grown steadily over the decades.
He noted that the partnership has evolved into one driven by innovation and technology, reflecting shared priorities in emerging sectors and economic cooperation.
Meanwhile, Secretary George also announced that India and Finland will co-host the World Circular Economy Forum, highlighting the growing collaboration between the two nations in sustainability initiatives.
Nitish Kumar, Nitin Nabin File Rajya Sabha Nomination
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and BJP president Nitin Nabin were among five NDA candidates who filed their nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha polls on Thursday.
They filed the papers in the presence of India’s Home Minister Amit Shah at the office of Assembly Secretary Khyati Singh.
The other NDA candidates who filed their nominations are BJP state general secretary Shivesh Kumar, JD(U)’s Ram Nath Thakur and RLM’s Upendra Kushwaha.
DMK’s Tiruchi Siva and J. Constandine Ravindran, AIADMK’s M. Thambi Durai, PMK’s Anbumani Ramadoss, Congress’ M. Christopher Tilak, and DMDK’s L.K. Sudhish were among those who filed their nominations for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha.
Jaishankar Meets Finnish President Stubb
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar called on Finnish President Alexander Stubb in the national capital, expressing confidence that high-level engagements would continue to bolster bilateral relations between India and Finland.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s state visit to India highlights the deepening strategic partnership between the two nations. Amid global shifts, leaders are advancing cooperation in emerging technologies, sustainability and trade. Our next report has more details.
Amit Shah To Address CISF Raising Day Ceremony
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address the 57th Raising Day ceremony of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) in Mundali, Odisha, on March 6, 2026.
The Home Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the campus of National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Bhubaneswar, along with virtually inaugurating the transit campus of NFSU.
Mr Shah will inaugurate an exhibition on the ‘New Nyaya Sanhita’ in Bhubaneswar and will also flag off a Mobile Forensic Van.
In addition, Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) will also be signed with the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar and the Rashtriya Raksha University. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi will be present on the occasion.
8th Central Pay Commission Invites Representations From Stakeholders
The Eighth Central Pay Commission has provided an online structured format for inviting Memorandum/Representations from Associations/Unions of serving employees/pensioners, organizations/institutions as well as from employees, pensioners and interested individuals on its website - 8cpc.gov.in. Submissions would be received upto April 30, 2026.
The structured format for submitting memorandum is also available at the MyGov.in portal- innovateindia.mygov.in.
The Commission has requested stakeholders to make submissions on the above portal only. Paper-based copies/emails/pdfs may not be considered by the Commission.