Editorials

Cancer, the emperor of maladies, is considered the last frontier of medical knowledge, posing complex challenges that researchers are yet to overcome. It’s still largely a losing battle for humanity, despite tremendous strides made in the medical field. However, a recent drug trial, conducted in the United States, has brought cheers to the patients and […]

The much-touted ‘Vishwaguru’ tag will remain elusive for India if the country’s universities continue to fare poorly in the global rankings. No Indian university figures in the global top 100 institutions and only three institutions find a place among the top 200. The QS World University Rankings 2023, released recently, comes as yet another reminder […]

The Reserve Bank of India’s decision to raise the repo rate — for the second time in over a month — by 50 basis points sends a message that the central bank is focused more on taming runaway inflation. However, the move is expected to hurt economic recovery as home and vehicle loans are set […]

For a country that figures among the world’s largest arms importers, India’s oft-repeated assertion about achieving self-reliance in the defence sector may appear too ambitious. At the same time, it cannot afford to compromise on defence preparedness because it is wedged between two hostile neighbours — Pakistan and China. In this context, the Defence Ministry’s […]

India’s outreach in Afghanistan, the first since the Taliban captured power, carries immense significance and serves as a test for the country’s diplomatic skills. The Indian delegation’s visit to Kabul, led by joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs JP Singh, has demonstrated New Delhi’s eagerness to engage with the Taliban regime, which still […]

India is known all over the world for its centuries-old syncretic culture, religious diversity and ethos of assimilation. They define the essence of the idea of India. However, the recent incendiary outbursts by two BJP spokespersons against Prophet Muhammad and the Muslim community come as an affront to these core values. Ironically, the self-proclaimed guardians […]

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s observation that there was no need to search for a ‘Shivling’ in every mosque and start a new dispute everyday must be welcomed. More such voices of moderation and reconciliation are needed at a time when attempts are being made to flare up religious emotions based on […]

A fresh wave of terrorist attacks targeting Hindus and migrant workers has triggered fear and panic, prompting the Kashmiri Pandit families to leave the Valley in a turn of events that brings back the bitter memories of the 1990s when militancy was at its peak. The Centre must take the responsibility for the rapid deterioration […]

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. […]

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, […]

The taboo attached to sex work must be demolished and the focus should be on ensuring that they are allowed a life of dignity with full access to constitutional rights

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]