In this episode, journalist Mandeep Singh talks with the editor of Sikh Siyasat, Parmjeet Singh Gazi, to analyse three major recent developments:
- U.S. nuclear-testing announcement:
On 30 October 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States will immediately resume nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year pause, citing the need to match the testing programmes of Russia and China. The move has raised alarm among arms-control experts, who warn it risks undermining nuclear non-proliferation norms and triggering a renewed arms race. In the South Asian context, the decision could force a re-calibration of India’s deterrence strategy, prompt Pakistan to respond, and raise risks in an already tense regional strategic environment. - UK-Canada intelligence sharing on Sikh targets:
A recent report from Bloomberg L.P. describes how the UK’s signals intelligence agency GCHQ reportedly shared intercepted communications with Canada, implicating individuals working on behalf of the Indian government in discussions of potential Sikh targets: Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the U.S., and Avtar Singh Khanda in Britain. The revelations have stirred diplomatic tensions between India, Canada and the UK, raising questions about extraterritorial operations and the protection of diaspora communities. - Student protests at Panjab University (Chandigarh) over governance structure change:
Students at Panjab University in Chandigarh have strongly reacted to a notification by the Central Government proposing changes in the university’s governance: reducing the size of the Senate, abolishing certain elected bodies and replacing them with nominated ones.The notification was later withdrawn on hold amid protests.
The issue has become a flashpoint for larger debates on institutional autonomy, federal-state rights, and democratic governance of education institutions in Punjab.
