Sticking to his anti-India stand, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu told the parliament today that the island nation will not allow “any country to interfere with or undermine our sovereignty”. He said New Delhi and Male have agreed that Indian troops will leave The Maldives by May 10, according to local media reports.

President Muizzu said Indian troops on one of the three aviation platforms in the island nation will leave by March 10, and those on the other two will pull out by May 10. “Maldives will not renew the agreement with India to chart the country’s inner and underwater charts. We will not allow any country to interfere with or undermine our sovereignty,” the President said.

India has 80-odd troops in the island nation to provide humanitarian aid and medical evacuation. President Muizzu’s campaign had focused on reducing Indian influence in affairs of The Maldives and the presence of Indian soldiers emerged as a major point of contention ever since he took over.

Reuters had earlier reported that the two sides had reached agreement on withdrawal of troops at a meeting in New Delhi.

The External Affairs Ministry has said the two countries “agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions to enable continued operation of Indian aviation platforms” that provide humanitarian services to the Maldives. The soldiers, Reuters reported, will be replaced by civilians.

President Muizzu’s anti-India stance has drawn criticism at home, especially in the light of the new government’s outreach to China. Soon after taking over, President Muizzu visited China and met its President Xi Jinping. This was a major shift from The Maldives’ traditionally close ties with India, and also a significant development in view of the geopolitical equations in the Indian Ocean region. 

Opposition parties MDP and The Democrats recently issued a joint statement, describing the shift in the island nation’s foreign policy as “extremely detrimental”.

The statement said that “alienating any development partner, and especially the country’s most long-standing ally, will be extremely detrimental to the long-term development of the country”. It also stressed that “stability and security in the Indian Ocean is vital to the stability and security of the Maldives”.

Another party has urged President Muizzu to apologise to India. Gasuim Ibrahim, leader of the Jumhoori Party, has said the Maldives President must formally apologise to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek “diplomatic reconciliation” to mend ties.

Mr Ibrahim’s remarks referred to President Muizzu’s statement soon after he returned from China. “We may be small, but this doesn’t give them the licence to bully us,” he had said, without naming any country. The remark was seen as a swipe at India.

Asked about the strained ties, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said neighbours need each other. “History and geography are very powerful forces. There is no escape from that,” he has said.

BYJU’s has paid January salaries to its employees after reports suggested the ed-tech firm would delay payments for the month. In an email thanking his employees for not giving up, founder Byju Raveendran said he had to “move mountains” to make the payroll.

Founded in 2011, the company is facing lawsuits from lenders and allegations of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations, which has led to an acute financial crisis in the company that was once valued at $22 billion.

Mr Raveendran informed his employees that the January salaries have been paid despite being told they may have to wait till Monday.

“I know you were told that you will get your salaries by Monday. Many of you wrote to me that you wouldn’t mind waiting even more because you know what I am going through. But you did not have to wait even till Monday,” he said.

BYJU’s spends nearly Rs 70 crore per month towards payroll expenses, according to Moneycontrol.

“I have been moving mountains for months to make payroll, and this time, the struggle was even bigger to ensure that you receive what you rightfully deserve,” he added.

He also thanked his employees who did not give up and continued working for the company despite the hardships.

“Everybody has made sacrifices, everybody has grappled with decisions they never desired to make, and everybody is a little bit weary in this battle, but nobody has chosen to give up. This is because we are proud of what we have built. When we have self-respect, we have enough,” Mr Raveendran said.

BYJU’s failed payment deadlines has prompted lawsuits by overseas lenders. Its Alpha unit had even declared bankruptcy after the lenders filed an insolvency petition in an US court. It is also facing raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over allegations of FEMA violation, which has led to several resignations from the company.

Its latest valuation has dropped to $250 million from its peak worth of $22 billion in 2022, with the company seeking $200 million in exchange of new stocks.

Earlier this month, BYJU’s pushed back against a resolution by its shareholders to oust its founders from board, saying the investors don’t have voting rights to bring changes in the top leadership.

The Telangana cabinet headed by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has decided to change its official abbreviation and adopt a new state anthem. Telangana Talli, the symbolic mother goddess of the state, will also be reimagined in a new look.

Andre Sri’s ‘Jaya Jaya Ho Telangana’ will be made the state anthem while the state’s abbreviation will be changed to TG from TS. The ruling dispensation has accused the former regime to have chosen ‘TS’ to match their party name. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was earlier known as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which was changed to reflect their national aspirations.

The cabinet also decided to hold a caste census in the state – in line with the Congress’s promise to hold it across the nation after coming to power. Mr Reddy had last month said that caste census will be taken up in the state soon.

These were among the decisions announced ahead of the Telangana budget session that begins Thursday.

Chief Minister Reddy has also challenged his predecessor K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), his son KT Rama Rao (KTR) and nephew Harish Rao for a debate on the floor of the assembly on irrigation projects. BRS has accepted the challenge.

The Congress and the BRS have been locked in a war of words, accusing the other side of letting down the interests of the state and the farmers.

The state government will also implement gas and power guarantees during the session – the Chief Minister will make the announcements in the assembly.

The cabinet has also issued orders to allocate 100 acres for a new high court complex in Rajendranagar district.