Page 30 - NIS English 01-15 Aug, 2026

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Independence Day Special
Cover Story

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Vaccine Maitri during the COVID period
Under ‘Vaccine Maitri’, over 300 million
(30 crore) doses of COVID vaccines were Amidst global challenges
supplied to 99 countries. like the Ukraine
conflict, India firmly
established an ‘India
First’ approach
by adopting an
independent and
balanced foreign
policy.

72

Neighbourhood First
and Act East

n Regional cooperation and connectivity received a
new impetus through the ‘Neighbourhood First’
and ‘Act East’ policies.
n These policies prioritize strong physical, digital,
and cultural ties with neighbours such as
Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Myanmar,
Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

n Strategic and economic ties with Asian and
neighbouring countries were strengthened.

28 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || Aug 01-15, 2026