Editorials

India is known all over the world for its centuries-old syncretic culture and ethos of assimilation. They define the essence of the idea of India. However, the recent incendiary outbursts at a Hindutva conclave in Haridwar, targeting minorities, come as an affront to these core values. The hate speech, calling for genocide against religious minorities, […]

China’s recent announcement renaming 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh in mandarin language appears to be part of psychological warfare to keep India on tenterhooks and gain an upper hand in the border talks. Beijing must realise that merely assigning invented names to places does not alter the truth and that Arunachal Pradesh has been and […]

India is now in the grip of the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic with active cases crossing the one-lakh mark and the daily new infections hovering over 30,000. The New Year has brought in its wake a sense of anxiety and trepidation because the trend in daily case numbers is worse than what it […]

There is a sense of déjà vu in the way the NDA government has been approaching the task of law making. Act in haste and repent at leisure appears to be the mantra. No consultation with stakeholders and no public debate before introducing the Bills in Parliament, that too in a tearing hurry. The developments […]

Bungling in decision-making and then retracting seems to be the hallmark of the BJP government at the Centre. It is also clear that the union government sees reason only when tremendous pressure is mounted on it or it faces a threat of mass uprising. We saw this in the case of the infamous farm laws […]

Rythu Bandhu, the investment support scheme launched by the TRS government in May 2018, is by far the most innovative and landmark initiative of the administration that has had a profound impact on the farm sector, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The scheme not only pulled out farmers from the debt trap that they were in […]

Telangana may be the youngest State in the country, just into its seventh year of existence, but when it comes to bagging top ranks on various fronts, it has been giving other well-established major States a run for their money. In the past one month alone, Telangana has been in the news for its rapid-fire […]

When a law becomes a symbol of State oppression instead of protecting the interests of the citizens, it’s time for it to go. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), based on a 1942 British ordinance intended to contain the Quit India movement, is a classic example of how unbridled powers to security forces would […]

Though delayed, the Centre’s approval for booster doses for healthcare and frontline workers and senior citizens with co-morbidities and vaccinating the young population in the age group of 15-18 is a welcome move. There is no reason, whatsoever, for the delay in administering the booster doses to the general population since there is no shortage […]

The global scientific community could not have asked for a better Christmas gift. The successful launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most powerful and complex space observatory ever built, serves as a perfect gift that is expected to unravel the mysteries of the universe. The launch of the $10-billion telescope, a far […]

e-Shram portal needs to be followed by restructuring social security and social protection programmes

Stepping up vaccination coverage and enforcing Covid-appropriate public behaviour are the only two ways to counter the spread of the new coronavirus variant Omicron, which has higher transmissibility compared with the earlier strains. Going by the rate at which the new variant has been spreading, the possibility of a third wave hitting India cannot be […]

The tragic and untimely death of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat has cast a shadow over the ambitious reforms in the armed forces, a task that was close to his heart. His death has not only created a vacuum at the highest level of the military hierarchy but has left the […]

Silence of political parties on mob justice amounts to normalising despicable acts like lynching in the name of religion

Sri Lanka is a friend who is in desperate need of help. And, like a true friend, India needs to reach out with large heartedness, putting the misunderstandings of the past firmly behind it. Colombo’s deepening embrace of China should not come in the way of efforts to win back the confidence of the island […]

The Joint Parliamentary Committee’s report on the Personal Data Protection Bill, tabled in both the Houses, has ended up raising more privacy concerns than it has managed to address. Instead of prioritising the protection of citizens’ privacy, declared as a fundamental right by the Supreme Court, the JPC has approved more powers to the state […]

A massive opportunity beckons India in the semiconductor industry as the pandemic-hit world has been reeling under an acute shortage of chips with an all-pervading impact across sectors like automobiles, smartphones, laptops, tablets, consumer durables, gaming consoles and other electronic products. Promoting semiconductor fabs through a set of attractive incentives has become a geopolitical priority […]

The report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Uttar Pradesh police comes as a slap on the face of the BJP leadership which has been defending those accused in the Lakhimpur Kheri case in which four farmers and a journalist were mowed down by a vehicle belonging to Union Minister Ajay Mishra’s son […]

The terror attack on a police bus on the outskirts of Srinagar, claiming three lives, comes as a grim reminder of the audacity with which the Pakistan-sponsored terror outfits have been carrying out their macabre agenda in Jammu & Kashmir. The timing of the strike, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Parliament attack, is […]

The success of any public policy initiative depends on how effectively it is implemented on the ground. However lofty the objectives of a scheme may be, the outcome is dependent on the quality and efficiency of the delivery mechanism. It is a common experience in India that several welfare programmes, despite noble intentions, fall flat […]

As the economy is getting back to its normal rhythm, this is the right time for India to mandate booster shots

When Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan recently went on a rant against the ruling dispensation in India, irony died a death by a thousand cuts. It is a cruel paradox that the leader of a country created on the basis of religion, declared itself as Islamic Republic and continues to use terrorism as an instrument […]

The decision to call off the farmers’ stir brings down the curtains on one of the most turbulent and prolonged agitations in recent history; the protests that had forced the Centre to make a climb down and repeal the controversial farm laws. It is a victory for the democratic process that helped the farming community […]

It is to the credit of Indian diplomacy that efforts are being made to deepen ties with Russia, sending important message to China and Pakistan