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As the Congress party is getting ready for its mass contact programme 'Bharat Jodo' Yatra, a five-month-long pan-India march from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, what it urgently needs to do is a Congress Jodo Yatra.
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The revelation that the Central government did not cooperate with the Supreme Court-appointed technical committee on the Pegasus scam does not come as a surprise. It fits into a pattern of systematic obfuscation of the NDA government on the issue of snooping on the opposition leaders, dissidents and critics. Again, not surprisingly, the court-appointed panel […]
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Weaponising the Central investigating agencies to target political opponents and crush dissent has been a troubling trend. The NDA government has been blatantly misusing the probe agencies to go after the rivals in a manner that is transparently unethical and immoral. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been turned into a tool to torment the opposition […]
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The government’s decision to expand the policy of lateral entry into the bureaucracy is, no doubt, appreciable, but it alone cannot solve the crunch of IAS officers nor can it be seen as a panacea for the ills plaguing the administrative machinery. The primary objective of this initiative is to hire experts and specialists from […]
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What is more appalling about the preventable road accidents in India caused by potholes is that no one is held accountable for such tragedies. Even the conservative official figure puts the pothole death toll at 5,626 between 2018 and 2020. This is quite alarming for a country that aspires to compete with developed nations in […]
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Jammu & Kashmir’s tryst with electoral democracy has always been marred by controversies. This time too, it is no different. As the volatile region is headed for Assembly election after a gap of almost a decade, a fresh political row has erupted over the inclusion of ‘non-locals’ in the electoral list. Understandably, the opposition parties, […]
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The allegation that freebies worth over Rs 1,000 crore were paid to the doctors for prescribing an irrational dose of popular fever drug Dolo-650 during the Covid-19 waves exposes the deeply-entrenched corruption in pharmaceutical marketing. The brazen indulgence in unethical practices also brings the conduct of the drug regulatory system under scanner. While the market […]
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The impact of the slump in the Chinese economy is bound to be felt across the world in the coming days. Supply chain disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, which originated in China, have already dealt a massive blow to the global economy. The latest economic indicators emerging from Beijing are quite disappointing, a fact […]
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The Gujarat government’s decision to grant remission and prematurely release the 11 convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape case is outrageous and has shaken the public faith in the justice system. It is ironic that the move by the BJP government in the poll-bound State runs contrary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s oft-repeated assurance […]
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Hyderabad: Given its hegemonic actions and blatant breach of international protocols in the recent past, China’s move to dock its spy ship in Sri Lanka must be viewed with suspicion. India’s concerns in this regard are quite justified as the ‘Yuan Wang 5’ is a powerful tracking vessel whose significant aerial reach — reportedly around […]
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For the first time, the Independence Day celebrations witnessed the display of an indigenously developed artillery gun at the iconic Red Fort. It was truly a proud moment for the defence research community as the Advanced Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) demonstrated the country’s prowess in developing arms and ammunition indigenously. This also reflects a key […]
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The recent inauguration of India’s first modern ethanol plant in Haryana’s Panipat, on the occasion of World Biofuel Day, marks an important milestone in the country’s transition to a low-carbon economy but, at the same time, food security concerns surrounding ethanol production must be addressed. India’s target to have 20% ethanol blended in petrol by […]
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As India celebrates completion of 75 years of independence with pomp and fervour, a hard look at the social realities on the ground reveals a gloomy picture; a scenario that is nothing to be proud of. For a vast majority of people, there is still no freedom from discrimination, inequality, exploitation, and atrocities. The Independence […]
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Terrorism is a global menace that warrants joint international response and coordination. It cannot be tackled in isolation, nor can it be condemned selectively. The nations which infamously pursue ‘good terrorist, bad terrorist’ line of policy are bound to swallow their own bitter medicine. By blocking the joint bid by India and the United States […]
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Never in the recent past the threat to the core values of federalism was as serious as it is now, with the NDA government systematically usurping the rights of the States and taking unilateral and arbitrary decisions. No wonder there is a growing sense of frustration among the States over the steady erosion of the […]
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The 215-member strong contingent put on a stupendous show in the just concluded Commonwealth Games to return with a medal tally of 61 – including 22 gold, 16 silver and 23 bronze medals. The performance helped India finish fourth in the points table – which appeared to be a distant dream before the start of […]
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The Uttar Pradesh government appears to be caught in a catch-22 situation after the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) named 40 persons, including the Ayodhya Mayor, an MLA and a former legislator in a land scam. There are two aspects to the emerging scam, one about the illegal plots being sold on which colonies are built […]
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The economic blockade of the national highways in Manipur called by the All Tribal Students’ union Manipur (ATSUM) has begun to have its impact with trucks being lined up along the NH-2 Imphal-Dimapur highway and NH-39 Imphal-Hiribam highway. The ATSUM called for the blockade to protest against the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Council 6th and […]
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India’s decision to enhance the existing targets on climate change is a welcome development but the country has a long way to go as it has an unenviable task of balancing the imperatives of development and the urgency of environmental protection. New Delhi’s move to update the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), under the Paris Agreement, […]
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One of the key reasons cited by the NDA government while revoking the special status of Jammu & Kashmir three years ago was that it would lead to the decline in militancy. However, recruitment into militant ranks remains a cause for concern for the security apparatus in the union Territory. This is a disturbing trend […]
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The NDA government’s decision to withdraw the much-debated and contentious Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament is hardly surprising, given the widespread concerns over the proposed legislation and the complex dynamics surrounding the issue. The Joint Parliamentary Committee itself has recommended 81 changes in a Bill of 99 sections. It also made 12 recommendations for […]
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More than two decades after the 9/11 terror attacks, one of its masterminds and al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has been brought to justice. His death in his hideout in Kabul in a high-precision drone strike by the United States forces has dealt the biggest blow to the terror group since its founder Osama bin Laden […]
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Though India is the largest importer of weapons and military equipment in the world, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the country’s arms imports fell 21% during 2017-21 compared with the 2012-16 period. This trend demonstrates that the emphasis on ‘Make in India’ drive and indigenisation is yielding positive outcomes. The embargo on the […]
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Without reliable data, no welfare programme can be effective, however lofty its objectives may be. While the aim of any affirmative action programme is to reduce the socio-economic inequalities and lift the disadvantaged sections out of poverty, the key ingredient in this task is the data that is accurate, reliable and reflective of the ground […]