Morning Digest: DMK sets delimitation conditions, Shah's FCRA assurance, PM's travel costs and more

The Narendra Modi government is exploring a fresh delimitation exercise, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has indicated it may support the constitutional amendment Bill if three essential changes are made. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in April. The DMK's conditions were reported on Thursday (August 6, 2026) as political consultations continue over the proposed legislation that could redraw parliamentary and assembly constituency boundaries.

In a separate development, officials in New Delhi reiterated that the Indian government had no involvement in the press conference held by deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Delhi on Wednesday. The Bangladesh government had expressed outrage over the event, but Indian officials maintained that the policy regarding Hasina remains unchanged.

The Union government has opposed a batch of petitions in the Supreme Court seeking a creamy-layer exclusion within the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) quotas, similar to the existing provision for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The government argued that judicial precedents have clarified that the principles of creamy layer do not apply to SCs and STs.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah met delegations of Christian bodies on Thursday and assured them that the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is “religion-neutral.” The assurance came amid concerns raised by Christian organisations about the proposed legislation, which seeks to regulate foreign funding to non-governmental organisations.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a renewed push for cooperative federalism, stating that India needs every State to be “strong” and that “laggard” States require “every handholding” to improve. She also emphasised the need for a strong Centre to manage defence, exports, and manufacturing, which individual States cannot handle alone.

The Ministry of External Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha that the government spent approximately ₹557.51 crore between 2021 and July 2026 on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits. In a written reply, Minister of State Pabitra Margherita said Modi visited 77 countries during this period and that the trips facilitated international partnerships across various sectors.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said that grievances of Gen Z are genuine and must be addressed. He disagreed with the anti-national tag for youth protesters and called for a law that allows same-sex couples to stay together, though not necessarily marry.

In the United States, President Donald Trump signed two immigration actions on Thursday aimed at limiting birthright citizenship and curbing “birth tourism.” This comes after the Supreme Court rejected his first attempt, but Trump signalled he is ready to try again.

China lodged a serious diplomatic protest with Japan over its latest defence white paper, which described Beijing as Tokyo’s “greatest strategic challenge” and made comments on Taiwan. The protest further escalates tensions between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Vivek K has announced the development of a Commonwealth rankings system, according to a brief statement. No further details were provided about the scope or implementation of the system.