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An already weakened Indian economy has been hit hard by the double whammy of the Ukraine war and the Omicron-driven third wave of the pandemic. As a result, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by a dismal 4.1% — the slowest in 12 months — in the final quarter (January to March) of 2021-22. […]
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There was a time, not long ago, when prophets of doom had a field day making alarmist predictions in the event of the formation of a separate Telangana State. It was as if darkness would envelop the region once it became a separate State. However, in a journey marked by indomitable spirit and dogged determination, […]
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The plight of sex workers in India — whether they are forced into flesh trade or drawn into it voluntarily — goes largely unnoticed by policymakers. They are marginalised, stigmatised and vulnerable to harassment in a society that is deeply patriarchal and judgmental about the choices that women make. The Supreme Court’s recent direction declaring […]
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Framing celebrities in controversial cases to earn media spotlight and attention has been a dangerous tendency among a section of officers of the central investigating agencies. In the process, enormous damage is caused to the reputation of the accused persons and their families. The high-profile drugs case involving Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan […]
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It’s a moment of immense pride for the country as Geetanjali Shree’s translated Hindi Novel, ‘Tomb of Sand’, has won the prestigious International Booker Prize, becoming the first work in any Indian language to receive the honour. Originally published in Hindi as ‘Ret Samadhi‘ in 2018, it is translated into English by Daisy Rockwell. ‘Tomb […]
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The way the Pakistani leaders, across the political spectrum, reacted to the conviction of Yasin Malik, the chief of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), on terror funding charges demonstrates the level of toxicity prevailing in the neighbouring country and their unabashed support to terrorist elements out to foment trouble in India. A […]
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There must be something terribly wrong with the system that makes buying military-grade weapons off the shelf cheaper and more accessible than buying health insurance cover. For all its sheen of freedom, democracy, equal opportunity and liberal values, America’s worst kept secret is the menace of mass shootings. One fails to understand why any legal […]
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The NDA government’s ambivalence on the caste census has been exposed by its ally Janata Dal (United) with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar deciding to go ahead with the exercise which is essential to fine-tune the reservation policy. Though the Constitution doesn’t explicitly allow the States to conduct a census, it must be pointed out […]
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India needs to shed its ambivalent, tentative and incremental approach towards its relationship with the western democratic world. In the changing global geopolitical environment, in the wake of China’s growing belligerence and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India needs to tap the emerging opportunities and realise its potential as a technological power. The ongoing summit […]
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The proposal to introduce an urban employment guarantee scheme, on the lines of MGNREGA being implemented in rural areas, is an idea that is worth experimenting with to provide immediate relief for the unemployed but should not be seen as a panacea or a long-term solution to the problem. This is because the issues related […]
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Despite a surfeit of welfare models being experimented across the world, the gulf between the rich and the poor has been widening. The pandemic has made the world more unequal, with wealth distribution becoming more skewed than ever before. In the case of India, the inequality is all the more stark. The latest ‘State of […]
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The Supreme Court’s ruling that the States and the Centre can equally legislate on matters of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a welcome development. This upholds the spirit of cooperative federalism, for which the States like Telangana have been steadfastly fighting. In fact, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has been at the forefront […]
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The big challenge before India in its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy is to repair the strained bilateral ties with Nepal and wean the Himalayan nation away from China’s influence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s day-long visit to Lord Buddha’s birthplace Lumbini in Nepal on the occasion of Buddha Purnima, the first by an Indian PM, served not […]
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A modern state guided by the Constitution and principles of secularism and equality cannot allow itself to be distracted by the disputes inspired by mythological claims and contested medieval history. If the bone of contention happens to focus on places of worship, then the consequences can be dangerous for society. The row involving the Kashi […]
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What the 1983 world cup win was for cricket, the Thomas Cup victory is for Indian Badminton. Both the achievements are extraordinarily significant because the odds were stacked against India. It’s a moment of glory that brought cheers to the sport lovers in the country. In the 73-year history of Thomas Cup tournament, the top […]
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Though belated, the government’s decision to reduce the gap between the second dose and booster for international travellers to three months is a welcome move. The next logical step would be to consider reducing the gap for booster doses for all citizens from the present nine months. There is no reason why the vaccine and […]
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The Centre’s sudden decision to ban export of wheat reflects a knee-jerk reaction and may not be helpful in taming the soaring inflation. Only last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told United States President Joe Biden in his inaugural address at the 2+2 ministerial meeting that if the World Trade Organization (WTO) allows India […]
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The spiralling retail inflation is emerging as a major cause for concern. The consumer price index (CPI)-based inflation for April skyrocketed to an 8-year high of 7.79%, much above the Reserve Bank of India’s comfort zone of 6%, for the fourth straight month. The latest data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) presents a […]
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The institution of marriage, built on the premise of equality, should not be allowed to be used as a cover for sexual violations. It should not give any special male privilege or a licence for unleashing a brutal beast. Looking at the way the current laws are being implemented, one wonders whether marriage automatically grants […]
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The dangerous meltdown in Sri Lanka, in the wake of public anger and violence spiralling out of control, can have security implications for India. The situation needs to be handled with sensitivity. As a close neighbour with historical ties, India has demonstrated its support and extended a helping hand in the hour of crisis. However, […]
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The NDA government’s sudden decision to take a relook at the sedition law, a piece of colonial baggage, is a welcome move but the Supreme Court, which is hearing a batch of petitions on the matter, must be allowed to take the review process to its logical conclusion. One can only hope that the government’s […]
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India is caught in a paradoxical situation on the energy front. On one hand, it needs to continue to exploit fossil fuels like coal to meet its growing demands but on the other, meet the international goals on climate change by phasing out fossil fuels and adopting clean energy technologies. Intense heatwaves across India, with […]
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Even after two years of gruelling work, the Delimitation Commission’s final order for the union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has left many disappointed. The proposal to have an additional six Assembly seats for the Jammu region, from 37 earlier, and raising Kashmir’s tally by one to 47 has ruffled feathers in the Valley. Regional […]
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India may have every reason to dispute the methodology adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for calculating the number of Covid deaths in the country but it is an undeniable fact that the Centre had bungled the handling of the pandemic during the second wave. There can be no dispute that the ruling dispensation […]
