Express View - The Indian Express Editorial Show: Recent Episodes
Express Audio
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
New episodes - everyday.
For more info log on to indianexpress.com/audio or write to us at podcasts@indianexpress.com
Sunday was a spectacular unveiling of the new Parliament by the PM. Its real inauguration will be when the Opposition takes its gleaming new seat, when democracy's grunt work begins
Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar should get to work to give Karnataka the government it deserves — and the change it voted with its feet for
The recent riots have led the Kukis to believe that state agencies are not neutral arbiters but act in favour of the dominant Meitei community. The onus is now on Imphal to win back the trust of the state's ethnic minorities
Putting 81-year-old Stewart on the cover sends out an especially powerful message against the unconscious — or even conscious — ageist bias that exists in industries such as beauty, fashion and entertainment
It must be taken up by HR departments across the country. Rather than subjecting adult employees to happy birthday emails and enforced team-building exercises, just buy them a drink
When the Congress works hard on the ground rather than argue up in the air, it can win. For the BJP, the PM's campaign presence can't make up for an absent government
SC's backing of Delhi government is welcome. Centre should heed and respect verdict's larger message
Delhi's nuclear arsenal is a means for credible minimum deterrence. Its “no first use” policy is a part of that promise
WHO says Covid is no more an emergency. But Covid has taught world the importance of remaining alert to emergence of new pathogens.
It is no one's case that journalists should not be subjected to due process of law. But there is a disturbing pattern in how governments across the political spectrum are treating the press
That athletes with medals in prestigious international events had to take to the streets – twice in less than four months – to make their grievances heard does not bode well for a country with ambitions of becoming a sporting power.
Pawar Senior's skills in coalition management have helped the MVA weather the many ambitions and contradictions among its constituents. His challenge now will be to convince his followers to stay the course.
Congress manifesto looks at social justice as a percentage of quotas, BJP as one of division.
Dealing with such problems requires joining the dots with municipal governance, urban planning and environmental management. Unfortunately, Indian cities have rarely been up to this task.
DU lecturer’s suicide should occasion introspection on recruitments in universities and colleges. Government must regularise posts, fill vacancies
The Maoist movement in India is shrinking. But it can still surprise security forces if complacency sets in
Governments would do well to engage in conversations with all stakeholders as they seek to balance the interests of both capital and labour. Fears of workers need to be assuaged.
The ministry claims the seriousness of the allegations means it requires more time to “examine” the probe committee’s report before initiating action. But there is a history of public authorities dragging their feet on complaints of sexual harassment.
Increasing reliance on local sources such as panchayats, municipalities and other local bodies will make future water body surveys more informative
There are bound to be debates, conflicts of opinion, and dissent. We will need to use and strengthen India’s democratic institutions to find the way forward.
The museum calls for a curatorial imagination that can capture the vibrant spirit of Indian democracy and transmit it to its visitors. The current fracas over the upgrade is an opportunity to rescue it from being turned into a morgue of banal claims and context-free information
It must provide an enabling environment for students. Ensuring security should not be at the cost of their freedoms.
Be it by courting non-dominant groups within the OBC category, or the most deprived or less mobilised sub-castes within the SCs, or by now reaching out to Pasmanda or backward caste Muslims with its labharthi politics, the BJP has sought to coopt Mandal and combine it with Mandir, often successfully.
At the heart of due process is the political will to ensure it. With the Atiq and Ashraf Ahmed killings, what is visible is its stark contrast
The open rebellion over seat distribution points to the absence of assertive state leadership. The party's attempts to expand its footprint by encouraging defections from rival parties have contributed to the mess.
AAP, India's newest national party is evidently eyeing a bigger playground. But taking centre-stage is still a long haul
The possibility of another object within the solar system hosting life forms would, statistically speaking, mean that extra-terrestrial life is extremely common in the universe, not rare. Our solar system, after all, is little more than a tiny speck of sand on a sprawling beach
Congress needs to recognise the importance of organisation if it hopes to do the battle on the ground. Grandstanding on democracy has to be followed by hard work
Current system encourages rote learning and does very little to develop critical skills or provide children foundational knowledge to deal with the pressing challenges of today
In this instance, as in so many others, the Supreme Court has moved the needle for greater openness and more freedom, without which both justice and democracy are incomplete.
They invite the charge that not only does the government wish to escape unpalatable facts, but it also wants to ensure that the students do not engage with social and political realities with a critical attitude.
Trends in poverty and inequality remain contentious terrain. The country's statistical system needs to be strengthened.
While a High Court ruling is open to review and may be challenged in the Supreme Court, the bold move to do away with a 153-year-old law, for which there should be no place in a democratic country, will certainly inspire those who have been agitating against the law in India.
Policymakers will have to rededicate themselves to sustained economic reforms by boosting the productive capacity of the economy through bettering the physical and social infrastructure
Protests by the Banjara community against the proposal for subcategories within the SC segment is a sign of the undoing of calculations of political parties.
Not only are there different rates of taxation for different asset classes, but even the holding period for differentiating between short-and long-term capital gains varies across assets.
The question that flows from the verdict is how the state can charge an individual for “membership”? Follows a troubling trend where the Court extends executive’s powers giving it the benefit of doubt
It was Punjab's youth that paid the highest price during the years of militancy and many in the state today have not forgotten that dark chapter.
Ever since the realignment of political forces following the rebellion in Shiv Sena ranks in June last year, Hindutva agendas have become more strident in the state
Trade data points to slowing momentum in the economy. Sluggish exports, tight monetary policy likely to drag down growth further
Indian women are rapidly making up for a long history of being rendered “the second sex”, leaving their male partners at a loss in a world that is, almost suddenly, no longer theirs to inherit
Authorities have tried to tell passengers that public transport is not the place for reels and videos. It may be a losing battle
It shows that the path to equality is fraught with obstacles long past their sell-by date.
After home high, Team India will be tested in England when they meet Australia in WTC final.
Saudi-Iran deal changes the dynamic in West Asia, Beijing’s entry complicates Delhi’s choices.
UGC must take corrective action and work with the NAAC to improve the quality of education.
Thackeray signals intent to regain control of the Shiv Sena. He has a long battle ahead
IE-ICIJ investigation shines a light on deficiencies in mapping forests, raises crucial transparency-related issues.
SC has done well to underline the need for an independent EC but its solution is facile — and fraught
Finance ministers meet in Bengaluru addressed many global economic concerns, but underlined the difficulty of forging consensus
After all, wasn't the argument that the hard-working British citizen was unable to work enough thanks to Europe's relaxed work culture?
There is a patronising conceit in believing Roald Dahl's books need to be censored, rewritten after all these years.
The move shows the government’s inclination to resolve a difficult predicament. It needs to do more
World Meteorological report underlines that challenges posed by rising seas will require interventions at diverse levels — global bodies as well as municipalities
The I-T survey of BBC's offices and the BJP's running commentary on what is anti-India smack of bullying — and match a disquieting trend.
In the age of swiping, window shopping for romance, spare a thought for those who faced the terror of an analogue Valentine's Day.
The enormous, untapped potential of India’s most populous state can fuel its engine of growth — and the nation’s
Like so many real and symbolic mothers, must the cow take on emotional, economic, social and civilisational burdens with no “me time”?
Rahul Gandhi's speech got a rousing riposte from the PM. But the joust is incomplete — Adani issues need more light than heat
Salman Rushdie speaks months after he was attacked. There is no rancour, the irreverence is alive and well.
Instead of enforcing punitive measures that seem to target the poor and minority groups more, it should invest more in women's education, healthcare and campaigns to educate people about the problems of marrying girls early.
Slashing of MGNREGA outlay assumes normalisation of economic activity, less need for safety nets. That assumption could be tested
The currency of a country says a lot about how it sees itself. Australia seems to be taking a step, if only symbolic, towards inclusion of “First Australians”
Budget has not strayed from path of fiscal consolidation, it has enhanced capital spending, provided tax relief to salaried middle class. It will need to hold its own against the electoral cycle
The fact that mainstream blockbusters would promote a secular ethos without calls for boycott, threats of violence or a barrage of ‘hurt sentiments’ — is something worth remembering.
The backstories of the victorious world U19 players reveal how cricket remains a vehicle of aspiration, provides a more level playing field
Using water as a weapon is never a good idea. It would be so much better for both countries to treat the IWT as an instrument for collaboration on climate action in the fragile Himalayan region.
Oscar nominations for two Indian documentaries tell a story of growing international recognition for country’s non-fiction films
Irregularities in housing project are yet another instance of corruption in a welfare project. State government must take correctives
Sunday’s defeat to New Zealand makes the Indian team's return to the Olympic podium feel like a long time ago
The rules threaten free speech online. Fake news is a problem but a PIB stamp and order to pull down isn’t the solution
In overcoming deeply-ingrained gender biases and rising to the top in a traditionally male-dominated sport, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik lit the way for generations of aspiring girls and women. As they step forward to take on Indian wrestling’s most powerful figure, the state must take their concerns seriously
The report, along with others, underlines the significance of empowering teachers and reaching out to students in their homes. A system that synergises the roles of the home and classroom is the way to go
As Prime Minister of New Zealand, she wrote her own lines. Her exit is also at a moment of her own choosing
Elusive domestic consensus in Pakistan, red lines on terror and Kashmir make it difficult for Delhi to take PM Sharif seriously
The stadium is a shrine to many. It's also the place that inspired Haruki Murakami to become a novelist
History shows that government-making in these states tends to be heavily influenced by the party in office at the Centre
There is opacity in the working of the Collegium, and a glaring lack of diversity on the bench. It must be allowed to reform without an overweening executive.
They must shun profligate policies, and strengthen their fiscal position to create the policy space needed to deal with possible economic shocks that may arise in the future.
The love that Padayappa continues to inspire among his fans, is in keeping with the human capacity to lavish adoration on the less-than-ideal.
The country that aspires to become a $5 trillion economy by 2025 cannot afford to keep losing home-grown talent. As planners give shape to the NEP's vision, addressing this vexing question cannot be postponed
Academic institutions are worried about plagiarism vis a vis ChatGPT. If machines can do all the writing, do students need to?
While the Centre’s push in the sector is welcome, states and the private sector too must be brought on board. The hospitality sector is labour-intensive and can provide some of the formal jobs that a transitioning Indian economy so desperately needs
Delhi needs a careful balance between nationalism and internationalism, a well-defined hierarchy of global priorities to further its leadership role
Loneliness, the loss of a parent, substance abuse, depression — these issues can strike anyone. But it takes a royal reality star to monetise them.
The driving consideration for both fiscal and monetary policy must be to preserve macroeconomic stability
There is greater confidence in the quality of films being produced, especially in the south, as seen in S S Rajamouli’s decision to lobby for RRR at the Oscars after it was snubbed for Chhello Show as India’s official entry. The Academy Awards in March would further shore up Indian cinema’s global aspirations.
If his war-like comments now are seen in the context of next year's general election, the augury of polarisation seems clear — and disquieting.
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi's overreach seems to be part of a pattern featuring BJP-appointed governors across states — Bhagat Singh Koshiyari in Maharashtra or Arif Muhammed Khan in Kerala, for instance — who are constantly locked in confrontation with non-BJP governments.
Shift of Muslim women students to private pre-university colleges, but fall in government college enrollment is troubling.
Until now the devotion that celebrity chefs inspire tended to undercut issues like poor pay, long hours; but Redzepi finally admits that something in the system is profoundly broken
Often, as with Bolsonaro, the elected authoritarian draws a line between the will of the majority (when he is elected) and the values of pluralism.
One must hope for a bumper crop and India reentering the world market at the earliest. Trade restrictions should be resorted only in extreme situations.
Joshimath crisis points to the perils of not heeding alarm bells, disrespecting a fragile region’s ecology.
NSO data points towards several areas of concern. One, private consumption is likely to contract in the second half of the year.
The state government must not whittle under pressure — financial or political — but continue with the new menu.
BJP is reaching out to Punjab, its Sikh community. But even in the best of times, Punjab has never been an easy conquest
With the much-needed hydrogen mission, India is making a relatively early entry into a still nascent technology domain
Japanese government is trying to pay people to move out of its crowded capital. But is money incentive enough?
The BJP evidently counts on contentious issues such as the border dispute with Maharashtra and corruption in the government to slip into the background if the poll campaign emphasises identity issues
Words and art are arguably no more or less important or human than agriculture and craft. The difference between the powerloom and AI, perhaps, is the power and self-importance of those the technologies “disrupt”.
If this case hits home for so many it is also because it draws attention to the greater vulnerability of women on India's streets, especially at night and more if they’re alone. How safe are the streets of the national capital for anyone?
It is a sobering reminder of the scourge that still stalks Jammu and Kashmir, claiming an intolerable toll
Embrace your 'goblin mode' in 2023. The pandemic irrevocably changed the world and it is okay to show it
Rahul Gandhi’s recognition of the way forward for the Opposition is welcome, though belated. But this project comes with significant challenges.
Demonetisation passes Supreme Court test but dissenting order needs to be read carefully by both RBI and Government — it points to pitfalls ahead.
The Modi government’s focus on improving the country’s physical as well as digital infrastructure ought to have given added impetus to investment. But on the ground, neither domestic nor foreign companies are really investing.
The government’s efforts would be rendered meaningless in the absence of support from the citizens. For the next few weeks, let us adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
The delay in holding assembly elections in J&K is unconscionable especially as the government repeatedly declares that the security situation is under control. The travails of Azad's outfit point to the political vacuum still to be filled in Kashmir
This is not the first time that poetry, couplets or a well-told anecdote or parable have made its way to a state assembly or Parliament. In an age where too many politicians prefer talking down from a pedestal, it is good to be reminded that politics can be poetry too.
Despite the leaps in technology and communication, politicians are on the ground, walking the talk. But a robust organisation is necessary to harness and channelise the energy generated by a yatra, build on its message, take it to the voters.
Two cricketers, wearing the infamous caps, may have just revealed the secret of fashionably wearing unfashionable things: The nonchalance that comes with recognising that what one wears doesn’t always have to be a symbol of one what is.
The everyday acts of violence in lifts, parking lots and corridors of gated enclaves indicate a moral and civic blindness. Ending it calls for a conversation that goes beyond the temporary outrage generated by a video.
The central bank has emphasised the health of the banking system. But banks will have to be mindful of the risks emanating from an increasingly uncertain global macroeconomic environment.
Is the BJP, in effect, saying that it won't act against its loose-tongued members until the furore they kick up goes international? The party should recognise that Thakur is no longer a symbol it can wield – she is a burden that is weighing it down.
While Delhi may want to play a role in ending the conflict in keeping with its aspiration to speak on behalf of the global south, where the economic brunt of the conflict is being most acutely felt, its wary engagement with both Moscow and Kiev suggests that it is uncertain about how it can do so.
The domestic reform agenda must be aligned with ensuring that the benefits from these trade pacts can be maximised. India must lower barriers to trade, seek actively to be a part of global value chains.
For Delhi, Deuba's departure is a disappointment. Yet its focus must remain on building on the ties that bind
It is folly to imagine that the value of any cuisine or food, with its unique history, can ever be measured by a mere ranking.
It’s time to dispense with the existing open-ended procurement of paddy and wheat at minimum support prices. All farm price support and input subsidies should be replaced with per-hectare income transfers
The issue of criminalising marital rape is a crucial and necessary conversation that is taking shape in courts. The state government’s stance is a welcome intervention in this debate at a time when the Centre is still to formulate its view
Ali Ahmed Aslam added yoghurt, cream and some spices to the chicken and the chicken tikka masala, or CTM as it is fondly called, was born. Aslam died this week in Glasgow at the age of 77.
More than settling the GOAT debate with Cristiano Ronaldo, which was media muppetry clearly, it was Messi earning back the love he always was entitled to but felt bereft of after 2014, from grudging home fans. Even the vanquished French won't mind ending up on the wrong side of that storyline.
That he is now expending precious political capital to double down on the failed liquor ban policy seems to indicate that he is out of governance ideas. In Bihar, it seems that the people and exchequer must suffer because of the chief minister's political commitment to a counterproductive measure.
It might help for Elon Musk to loosen his very firm grip on the megaphone. As it stands now, whether he remains CEO or not, Twitter seems to be turning into a one-man show.
In a country increasingly becoming constrained by a narrow imagination of uniformity, Mumbai is still maya nagari — a cauldron of multi-ethnic, multilingual and multi-cultural aspirations. To try to inhibit that idea of openness and possibility by casting communal aspersions on personal choice is a travesty.
Recent data indicates that the sharp slowdown in the advanced economies is already beginning to impact India’s export and industrial performance. Policymakers in India must be aware of the risks to growth and macroeconomic stability as they attempt to steer the economy through this uncertain period.
More than anything else, the Morocco story was about a nation smashing football's crusty stereotypes of masculinity, social orthodoxy and third-world bashfulness that seemed to hold back Asian and African countries at World Cups.
The need of the hour is to learn from past failures to address the growing crisis and take urgent steps that involve all stakeholders — students, parents, teachers, institutes and policy makers.
Spending has increased in response to extraordinary crises. But high subsidy bills also entail costs, create market distortion. Direct benefit transfers are the way forward.
As the economy grows in size, and income levels rise, the surge in demand for air travel needs to be anticipated, and appropriate action plans drawn up to enhance the system-wide capacity.
Messi never needed World Cup to underline his greatness; this World Cup and football need Messi to grace winner's podium.
The border stand-off seems to have been managed for now, but Delhi needs a clear vision, grand strategy to deal with China instead of reacting to each crisis as it emerges.
The fall in food inflation should nudge the RBI to consider a pause in raising interest rates.
RRR's international recognition and popularity expands the horizon for Indian cinema further. Perhaps, as Indian filmmakers get the confidence to work with bigger budgets and more special effects, the Western market will provide some incentive to experiment.
Usha and her team including Olympic medalists, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, boxer M C Mary Kom, shooter Gagan Narang, and table tennis star Sharath Kamal, make the revamped IOA a sports star-heavy umbrella body. Her personal charisma and achievements can energise sports at the grass roots.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud made an important call for legislative reform to address the gap in law that often leads to criminalisation of adolescent relationships. Parliament must take note, consult stakeholders.
The Bhupendra Patel government must ensure that the faultlines stoked and sharpened by competitive politics subside and are, in fact, softened and blunted by the outreach of the government to all sections. The needs and aspirations of the youth, the underprivileged and the vulnerable must be taken on board.
The Southern state of Travancore was one of the first among the princely states to refuse accession to the Indian union. It wanted to remain independent, but things changed after an assassination attempt on the dewan of the state, Sir CP Ramaswamy Aiyer. In this episode, historian Manu Pillai and renowned painter and descendant of the Travancore royal family, Rukmini Varma join us to tell us more about the story of the state’s integration.
Hosted by Adrija Roychowdhury and Damini Jaiman
Edited by Damini Jaiman
Mixed by Suresh Pawar
Editorial Support: Shashank Bhargava
Listen to all five episodes on the Indian Express://indianexpress.com/audio/pages-from-the-past/
Or download The Indian Express app:
iOS link: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/indian-express-news-epaper/id506351833
Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.indianexpress.android&hl=en_IN≷=US&pli=1
After 16 years of painstaking work, scientists have managed to gather DNA from animals that lived over 2 million years ago in a lush forest where there is now a vast, cold desert. As artists' renderings of what the arctic Eden looked like flood the internet, the beauty of eons past make the conflicts and issues of the day pale in comparison
Its challenge begins now. Delivering on its promises of public goods and services with efficiency and transparency is the only way forward for the AAP if it wants to build on its narrow victory.
Even as inflation concerns persist, growing dissent within MPC alludes to some easing in the quantum of rate hikes.
He wore several hats — academic, policymaker and institution builder — with equal aplomb. Alagh’s ability to gently tease out minute economic and sociological details without losing sight of the bigger economic picture — evident in his regular columns in this newspaper — will be much missed.
The Indian Express has released a new history podcast show called Pages from the past. In its first season, hosts Adrija Roychowdury and Damini Jaiman explore the stories of five princely states that were reluctant to join the Indian union in 1947. You can listen to the first episode of this 5-episode season for free on indianexpress.com or download our app where all the episodes are available for free. You can find the links here:
Listen to the first episode for free on The Indian Express website: https://indianexpress.com/audio/pages-from-the-past/ep-1-travancore-the-reluctant-princes-4/8307677/
Or listen to all the episodes for free on The Indian Express app:
iOS link: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/indian-express-news-epaper/id506351833
Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.indianexpress.android&hl=en_IN≷=US&pli=1
Attempts to use trade as a weapon will only distort the global market and hurt energy-poor consumers not responsible for the war.
The Indian Express has released a new history podcast show called Pages from the past. In its first season, hosts Adrija Roychowdury and Damini Jaiman explore the stories of five princely states that were reluctant to join the Indian union in 1947. You can listen to the first episode of this 5-episode season for free on indianexpress.com or download our app where all the episodes are available for free. You can find the links here:
Listen to the first episode for free on The Indian Express website: https://indianexpress.com/audio/pages-from-the-past/ep-1-travancore-the-reluctant-princes-4/8307677/
Or listen to all the episodes for free on The Indian Express app:
iOS link: https://apps.apple.com/in/app/indian-express-news-epaper/id506351833
Android link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.indianexpress.android&hl=en_IN≷=US&pli=1
Union Environment Minister’s plain speaking is welcome. Casting aspersions on all the scientific bodies we trusted when it came to Covid, Hepatitis-B or polio vaccines, is unreasonable.
More than commercial success, the legacy that the French writer leaves behind is of generosity of spirit, born of the knowledge that circumstances and futures can and do change, and the only thing worth holding on to is compassion and respect for life.
This pushback from the Patna HC at a time of an overweening executive is welcome. Hopefully, politicians, especially those in high office, would take cue from the judiciary and stop foregoing due process.
With tax collections exceeding expectations, the government has an opportunity for fiscal consolidation.
India's foreign policy can put its stamp on the global agenda. Delhi will need to put in place policies in line with the changing demographics.
India has rightly clarified its position on coal use, underlined its energy security needs. It must now work on long-term energy plans.
He played a pivotal role in turning China into an economic superpower. Jiang's funeral will take place in the backdrop of unprecedented protests across China. As China mourns Jiang, could there be another twist in the story?
Services, agricultural and allied sectors lead growth momentum as shadow of global slowdown looms large
The Nepali Congress-led ruling alliance is poised to retain office in Kathmandu. Delhi must build on the goodwill it has cultivated.
In the post-truth era of fake news and personally-tailored “facts”, gaslighting is a political strategy and idiom. But given that more and more people are searching for its meaning, there might be hope that truth and reason may prevail.
The Constitution is clear on the balance of powers, the Supreme Court's pushback against what tantamounts to overreach by the political executive is timely and welcome. In parallel, the court should step into overdrive when it comes to reforms within -- that make it more transparent and accountable.
What is a film festival where an artist, especially one invited to chair a jury, can't speak his mind? India-Israel bilateral ties do not not hang by the slender thread of a film review.
With this move, he has managed a victory for all those who have rolled their eyes at the exclamation-mark-ridden emails from HR. In France, where philosophers have long recognised that hell is other people, solitude should be a worker’s right.
Considering that India's petroleum imports have risen by a staggering 60 per cent between April-October this year, exerting pressure on the currency, lower oil prices if sustained could help bring down the import burden, ease the risks to macroeconomic stability.
Xi, who has centralised powers in his hands, now personifies the Chinese state. How he deals with the anger of the Chinese people is going to be telling.
From bringing special criminal legislations as populist measures to opposing bail as part of a tougher stance on crime, there are several issues for the government to address.
Cultivation of millets deserves a special push, given their nutritional superiority over wheat and rice — whether in terms of amino acid profile or vitamins, minerals and crude fibre content.
The time has come to look beyond emergency measures and provide the country’s public health services its long-overdue boost. The gains of the Universal Immunisation Programme should not be overturned by health emergencies.
The admission of a disabled person to the European Space Agency is a win. It is an expansion that must be lauded — of opportunity, representation, and what it means to be in peak physical and mental condition. It’s about time more people like John McFall stood on the pedestal that space explorers have come to ascend to.
SC’s diagnosis that poll body needs to be insulated from political pressure is spot on — but its prescription is not.
Assam and Meghalaya governments must not let the recent violence derail the border talks between the two states.
As populations in some parts of the world age more rapidly than others — China is starting to go grey faster than almost any other country — these questions will need to be addressed with greater urgency.
Iran’s women are undeterred and fearless. In showing solidarity, the Iranian football team makes its silence count. Brave as it was, it is important to recognise the gesture of the Iranian footballers at the FIFA World Cup as a supporting act to the fearless call of the women of their country for jin, jiyan, azadi (woman, life, freedom).
The BJP and AAP have focused on the right issues in the current municipal elections. But political parties must do more.
Donald Trump doesn't need to go back to Twitter, perhaps, because he already broke it. Only Elon Musk doesn't seem to realise that.
The revised Bill has dropped some of the more contentious rules that govern cross-border data flows after facing considerable opposition from Big Tech. But, at a time of government overreach, the arguably contentious provisions, which will vest greater power with government as opposed to an independent statutory authority, need to be reexamined.
While the acknowledgement of the judicial culture driven by fear by the CJI himself is an encouraging first step, the challenge is to find solutions. The onus is on the judiciary.
Tabassum knew how to probe without prying, with conversations that remain, to this day, a pleasure to watch.
The COP27 agreement on loss and damage is significant. But meet did not address several other pressing issues.
Despite all the pressure on players and coaches, and all their genuine concerns to call out Qatar, these are young men who grew up on singular and blinkered dreams of winning the World Cup for their nations.With Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo expected to play their last World Cup, FIFA might just find salvation in their swan song.
The burden of funding these pensions will fall on future generations. Rather than focusing on the immediate return and relief, political parties need to take a longer term view, and resist the temptation for such fiscally imprudent moves.
Large swathes of Americans are still in thrall of Trumpism. His third bid to be president revives spectres for America’s democracy that had not really gone away.
India might be decades away from qualifying for a World Cup but passion for football runs through it.
Elon Musk described Twitter as the ‘digital town square’ -- only now, it’s got dirty linen hanging all over it.
Delhi must avoid the temptation to turn its presidency into a gimmicky year-long “festival of India” in the run-up to the 2024 general elections.
Kalyan has star power, certainly, but is that enough to counter the YSR legacy with Jagan Mohan Reddy or Chandrababu Naidu's political and organisational capabilities? With the answers yet to come in, Andhra politics is poised for interesting times.
The climate problem can no longer be postponed: The solution to the crisis must be found without the poor having to do the heavy lifting.
When the court singles out the issue for its attention, asks what action the government proposes to take on the matter, it implies both that “forced” religious conversions are a significant problem and that existing laws are insufficient to deal with it. In a polarised moment, this could end up providing grist to political spectre-mongering about large-scale demographic change in the country, especially through religious conversions involving marriage.
The cuts of censorship are cruel and take time to heal – consider how long it has taken the Pakistani film industry to recover from the scissor-happy years of Ziaul Haq. But it is not too late for Joyland.
Bhagwant Mann government must know that it will take more to assuage anxieties over loosening grip on law and order in Punjab.
Implicit in this reassessment of key economic variables is perhaps the acknowledgment that even though India will be one of the fastest growing economies during this period, it will not be unaffected by the changing global conditions. The revised expectations suggest that the economy is likely to grow slower than expected.
England's cricket team remade itself for the T20 World Cup. It was a gamble that paid off.
Thaw in US-China relations would calm economic and political nerves in world capitals. Delhi too would be relieved.
SC decision to free Rajiv assassination convicts is fraught. Court needs to insulate due process from political considerations.
The visit underlines the all-weather nature of India-Russia relations despite differences on Ukraine. As the External Affairs Minister put it, if it is a partnership that works to India's advantage, it is in India's interest to keep it going.
With rich nations nowhere close to fulfilling their funding commitments in climate change mitigation and adaptation, “loss and damage” could become another polarising issue. The issue cannot be put off another year.
If one of India’s fittest cricketers hasn’t given up his khichdi – which includes rice and ghee – why should lesser mortals?
Protest can now be more individual-centric. In the social media age, the act of protesting has travelled a long, imaginative distance from the more traditional placard or picket line.
The political message from the American voter indicates that neither the Dobbs verdict (taking away the right to abortion) nor election denial has yielded the expected political dividends. But while there may not have been a “red wave”, there is certainly a turning of the tide.
While curtailing dollar dependence and exploring bilateral trade options by paying/settling in domestic currencies makes for sound economics, it cannot replace the need for India to export more. The idea will only work if Indian exports pick up.
As a judge, Justice Chandrachud has built a distinguished legacy of compassionate justice that has a keen sense of listening to voices that are either silent or seldom heard. His tenure as CJI may be a challenge in these fractious times but it's also a formidable opportunity for the scholar-judge.
It is preposterous on the part of Khan to expect the media to serve at the pleasure of his office. Both Khan and the CPM need to step back, this daily battle does neither any good.
The ‘grave’ of a character from Harry Potter highlights the real dangers that fandoms can sometimes pose.
Caste continues to be the primary category of discrimination, but norms of deprivation could also include gender, economic status, region and so on. That will need heavy lifting, social, economic and political, and could, three decades after Mandal, reshape the politics of affirmative action towards being much more inclusive.
If Germany moves out of the US-UK shadow – while honouring core liberal and democratic principles – a return to the Cold War can be avoided. It will be intriguing to see to what extent Berlin acts on its own and how much its priorities shape Brussels' outward orientation.
Suryakumar is also a perfect encapsulation of how professional cricket is rapidly resembling gully cricket. In the past, the reverse was true to an extent – kids would ape cricketers. Now, it’s cricketers letting their inner child shine through.
Punjab needs to sharply reduce, maybe halve, its three million hectares-plus area now under paddy cultivation. It simply does not have the water resources for this.
Dependence on right-wing parties might undo the new Israel PM’s past achievements. Delhi must be prepared to nudge the Israeli leader not to undermine the relations with the Arab Gulf, where India’s economic and geopolitical stakes have dramatically risen in recent years.
Putting out farm fires is, no doubt, a complex task. But AAP governments seem to be compounding it with their rigid approach.
In a BJP bastion, Congress fights for relevance, AAP for electoral viability and presence.
Ela Bhatt made self-reliance the chief pillar of her work. She helped women overcome deep-rooted social and economic barriers to lift themselves out of poverty and debt and realise, as she put it, that “poverty is not a destiny”.
By declaring that a fee, not some seemingly arbitrary factor, is what determines the reach and depth of someone's voice, Twitter may – perhaps involuntarily – be making a case that it is now more transparent.
The image frames the super star in villainous shades – still a desirable object for banter, eerie thrills and memes.
Those in power out to delegitimise a free press. And a newsroom that put self-righteousness above rigour.
Supreme Court has rightly reiterated that the 'two-finger test' in rape cases is offensive to the dignity of women. But a stringent legislature alone cannot fix what is broken till there is change in gender relations from the grassroots up.
Centre's tax revenues remain robust, though higher spending on food and fertiliser subsidies could make meeting the deficit challenging.
That the angry residents of a Chinese city found an outlet for their frustration in a Bappi Lahiri track is just another example of the immense capacity of music to contain multitudes -- of stories, meanings, experiences.
Providing relief is just the starting point. The bigger concern should be to understand why the bridge collapsed just four days after it was reopened. This is important for the sake of ensuring accountability and also for drawing lessons for the future.
The NCR's pollution problem is a complex interplay of the emissions from tailpipes of vehicles, agricultural activities in neighbouring states, industrial activities and geographical factors such as wind speeds. Delhi and Punjab governments must keep their ear to the ground, develop alternatives to stubble burning.
Even as Europe and the West are seeing the election of right-wing, populist governments that often fan nativist sentiments, Latin America seems to be developing a new Green leftism.
The Russian President’s overture to Europe, and praise for India at the Valdai Club are overshadowed by his escalating war rhetoric. His remarks sought to throw a very different light on India’s “neutrality” in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Musk’s takeover of the platform sets stage for more disruptions in Big Tech. The challenge needs all his talent – and more.
Having his mortality brought up again and again can’t be pleasant for George R R Martin. A little grace and understanding from the demanding fans is due.
The Narendra Modi government shouldn’t waste time in accepting the recommendation of its GM products watchdog. The main sowing season for mustard is from October to mid-November. An early decision will allow seed multiplication for farmers to be able to plant in the 2023-24 crop season.
The attempt to link Miya cultural politics with Islamist terrorism and illegal immigration threatens to further vitiate an already polarised environment. The state's political leadership needs to respect, and in fact celebrate, the multiple cultural yarns that constitute the weave of Assamese identity and citizenship.
The world today is built to blur important lines – be it the one between work and leisure, noise and information, or society and private life. In such a world, cats offer a model of healthy boundaries for everyone to emulate.
The move underlines that forcing Pakistan to scale down cross-border terror is a long haul.India's interests lies in playing the long game in these diplomatic battles with the goal of making the region more stable and secure.
The upcoming UNFCCC meet must address equity related issues, especially on climate financing.
Promenades and viewing points can be great levellers. The real work of urban planning, as the world slips deeper into the climate emergency, is to rethink the approach to public spaces.
T20 leagues are no match for the World Cup. India-Pakistan game on Sunday revealed the pull of national teams.
Global economic environment remains challenging. Policy makers must proceed with caution, be mindful of the risks.
Outward migration from India is unlikely to subside in the near future even though wages in Gulf nations are no longer competitive. Public policy must factor in these trends. The Centre could start a conversation with governments in the Gulf on improving oversight in contract enforcement and labour welfare.
Given the inordinate amount of research now being carried out across the world, isn't it possible that, like the “meetha khoon” types, all the others who think they are in destiny's cross-hairs, too, could be right? Perhaps they deserve a sympathetic ear.
As new president, Kharge must know it can't be Congress politics as usual. His first challenge: Work out the rules of engagement with the Gandhi family.
His wins in the latest by-polls are a warning to the ruling establishment that he may be regaining his popularity. The general election is due next summer, but Khan's demand for an early election is likely to become louder.
Members of BTS, among the most popular bands in the world, have to serve in the South Korean military. That's telling.
As Iranian women snip off locks of their hair, their protest resonates among women everywhere.
For oil-importing countries like India – the country imports around 80 per cent of its requirements – elevated crude oil prices pose problems at multiple levels. A reversal in prices will increase the cost of oil imports, exerting pressure on the current account deficit. High crude oil prices will also be inflationary.
To bring the peace, development and welfare that the Modi government promises, it is time to hold an assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir. The sooner the better.
The story of this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics is a wonderful testament to the remarkable tenacity of scientists. Their success is a vindication of the argument that reputations or past achievements count for little in matters of science.
Without a national organisation or a credible and resonant counter narrative to the BJP's pitch, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao may find it hard to realise his dream.
Freebie debate can – and should – go on in the political domain. EC has no place in it.
The fodder and feed situation should look better from here on. But, there can be no nutritional security for India without long-term feed security for its livestock and poultry.
Andrew Dominik’s biopic Blonde raises important questions of artistic manipulation and exploitation.
Crowd protocols must necessitate measures like barricading players at the end of the match to dissuade anyone storming the field. Heading into a World Cup, the sport desperately needs to send out a message – win or lose, your team will play the game, for football's magic is in its forever tomorrows.
Both the articulation of the Congress's problem and the proposal of possible solutions will be a significant legacy of the ongoing contest. Even if, as is likely, Tharoor loses this so-called election, the party should listen to him.
Beyond the challenge of navigating the tense dynamic among the great powers, Delhi must come to terms with the essential question in Ukraine — changing borders through use of force. As a nation brimming with diversity and confronting territorial expansionism on its frontiers, India can’t accept the idea that a major power attacks its neighbour, seizes territory and annexes the occupied regions.
Public rice and wheat stocks are at a five-year-low and two-thirds of their level a year ago. India’s next crop will not be ready before March end. Having imported wheat in reserve should help keep a lid on market prices.
Seen as a part of the lead-up to the Gujarat Assembly elections, the hurriedly put-together event might well deliver, like Indian wedding planners do, but the timing hasn't exactly been ideal.
Chauhan's appointment is the first instance of a three-star general being elevated after retirement to a four-star post.
In recognising every woman, married and single, as arbiter of her own body, SC's abortion judgment is momentous.
The release of Cohen’s unpublished story has fans engaging in literary forensics, hoping to uncover origins of his lyrics. This is, perhaps, the only tribute people can pay to artists who have given them much more than the price of admission to a museum, theatre or a CD.
When the White House spokesman speaks about both India and Pakistan as US partners with “different points of emphasis”, he confirms for India the logic of its non-alignment.
PFI also represents a militant strand of political Islam that draws money, cadre and, most importantly, legitimacy, by exploiting the fear among a section of the Muslim minority amid the rise of majoritarian agendas. That is a political challenge, which must be addressed politically.
The decision to live-stream proceedings must be the first step towards greater transparency that will enhance public trust in the judiciary’s functioning. The archive will be an excellent opportunity to identify and address systemic patterns that are affecting judicial functioning.
Electoral outcome in Italy underlines that the threat to liberal values can also come from the heart of the West.
With the US Fed continuing to tighten, the rupee will be under pressure. Even with the RBI unlikely to stop intervening in currency markets, considering the scale and speed of the drawdown of its reserves, the central bank should be circumspect about how it proceeds.
Over the centuries, as science has made it possible to view the intricacies of their bodies, creations and interactions, it has become much easier to appreciate the spider's artistry. In trying to see them as creative beings, another perspective becomes possible.
Policymakers need to plan for extreme weather events becoming par for the course. It calls for investing more in climate-smart plant breeding, agro-meteorological forecasting and digital-enabled farm extension.
The absence of decisive leadership and effective crisis managers have already led to many senior leaders leaving the Congress. Any bungle by the leadership now could lead to the unravelling of the party in Rajasthan and cast a shadow over the impending election to the party president's office.
Her story is about a Chakdaha girl growing into the game to become a role model for cricket loving girls.
The latest drive at coercive mobilisation is leading to protests and carries the danger of turning the military failure in Ukraine into a domestic political crisis. Putin’s effort to salvage something out of his massive miscalculation could only make matters worse for the Russian leader.
Supreme Court's concern on TV channels and hate speech couldn't be more valid. Unfortunately, the court's prescription is problematic. Not only does it overlook the structural forces enabling the issue, its solution could become more of a problem.
The personal loss of one of the 20th century's key writers has turned out to be a fortuitous lodestone for scholars to look back upon from the vantage point of history and glean new insights about the modernist’s scholarship.
For the ordinary people of Kashmir, many of whom have grown up without having watched a single film on the big screen, the promise of these miracles — taken for granted by millions around the world — is a hopeful start.
The conversation should be as much about nudging the automobile user into using the basic safety features in the vehicle as also about putting in place facilities that make roads and highways risk-free. They must also encompass pedestrians.
The longevity of the Congress owed much to the party's ability to accommodate multiple voices and interest groups within a broad ideological framework and under a collective leadership. Revival is a long road but there is no other first step.
Blyton's works can and should be questioned for their implicit prejudices. But we have to remember, “protecting children” from bad influences has been the refrain of almost every prudish censor.
Opposition parties today see the Governor's office as ready to destabilise their governments at the instance of the Centre. This trust deficit has to be bridged at the earliest.
This is a crucial opportunity to bring consistency in practice and, thus, ensure that those facing capital punishment get a hearing that’s fair, humane — and just. For, it’s about life and death.
Context is everything, but the bottom line is this: When a powerful state gets into citizens' wardrobes, there is usually a reaction from those who are affected. There are some valuable lessons here for India to learn.
Considering the system-wide ramifications of this move, the changes to the operations, systems and infrastructure of the players involved, and that this framework is under scrutiny around the world, there is need to tread cautiously. From state governments to load dispatch centres to power exchanges and others – they all need to be consulted at each step in this process.
Who would have imagined that a monarch would have such a strong hold over a modern democracy that its life practically grinds to a halt? But perhaps it’s not just the loss of a queen that is being mourned.
The introduction of the new species has led to conversations on human-animal conflict — a problem that doesn’t always get the attention it requires.
Although the SCO has become more attractive to a large number of regional countries that want to be associated with it, there are new lines of fracture emerging within it.
The NHA data show that India has a long way to go to attain the WHO yardstick of keeping out-of-pocket health expenditure to 15-20 per cent of the country’s GDP.
The inflow into the BJP is as much a result of the Opposition's failure to offer hope to ambitious leaders in its ranks as it is the outcome of the former's approach of winner should take it all.
He punched at the four walls within which a film was supposed to be contained, daring cinegoers to recognise the artifice that was cinema and take pleasure not just in the finished product but the nuts, bolts and clapboards that it's making involved.
Over time, shrine politics – its culmination the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 – has been enmeshed with narratives of nationhood and Hindu self-pride that frame Muslims as outsiders. As the legal battle continues in higher courts, it must not be forgotten that the crux of the matter lies in politics, rather in law.
The restrictions imposed now relate only to non-parboiled non-basmati rice, on which a 20 per cent export duty has been slapped.
On its part, India imposed a series of economic measures against China and matched the PLA deployments on the border.
For all its clarion call to the more empowered India of the future, the Central Vista project seems far too preoccupied with a past that has either lost its power to cramp the nation's present and future, or has become so entangled with it that separation seems to be a hopeless endeavour.
Most of the loans that have turned bad were under the first tranche of the scheme. This is worrying as it points towards the possibility of more pain surfacing in the months ahead.
Beyond the mechanics of the fashion cycle — in today, out tomorrow, back in day-after — can be read the signs of a society and culture in flux.
PM Hasina has done much to deal with terrorism, and to deny a haven to anti-India groups, despite the anti-Bangladeshi rhetoric from the highest political echelons in India. But that doesn't mean that Delhi should take things for granted.
That so many are willing to pay for the companionship that, in a less disconnected world, would be freely available, speaks of a profound malaise.
Vaccines such as iNCOVACC can prevent mild cases of Covid and break the line of transmission of the disease.
The net result of omissions in urban planning is on show in Bengaluru, where, as an IT czar put it, technology professionals are forced to be on the road for hours to design apps that promise to deliver groceries in 10 minutes.
The dairy sector, which accounts for over a fifth of the gross value added from Indian agriculture, needs to be prepared for a fresh resurgence of LSD, with deadlier consequences.
Imports remain robust as exports slow down sharply. Slowing global economy and trade suggest subdued outlook.
Campaign against Arshdeep Singh for a slip-up on the field is reprehensible, goes against letter and spirit of the game.
T M Krishna said on TVS’s passing: “When I began singing, I so wished to sound like you. Your music was filled with passion, romance, flourish and unrestricted flow. You made me fall in love with this music.”
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's supporters and opponents back home will be tracking her India visit to see if it makes headway on Teesta water-sharing.
Charging an official with sedition for what appears to be a legitimate complaint against an MP, or pulling up an officer in an Opposition-ruled state for not toeing the Centre’s political line, flies in the face of the rules of the game.
Leaders such as Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Prithviraj Chavan and Pradyut Bordoloi, some of them potential candidates, insist that making the rolls public is an essential step to ensuring transparency in the election process.
The last two decades have seen an explosion of aspirations and a manifold rise in the demand for education, but the country’s education system has not kept pace with this social reality.
Among the problems highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic was that of excessively demanding workplaces and burnout.
Karnataka is the only southern state where the BJP has the organisational spread and depth to win elections on its own. But evidently, the party, beset by corruption scandals and infighting, seems unsure of its governance record.
Three decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many of Mikhail Gorbachev’s presumed triumphs have turned out to be ephemeral.
It is easy to get swayed by the current of justifiable outrage at the reprehensible behaviour displayed in the videos.
Floods in Pakistan bear similarities to those in India. It's time for a collaborative mechanism to deal with extreme weather events
As Supertech towers crashed down, a mass of private tragedies became a public spectacle. At the Supertech demolition site, it was easy to forget, perhaps, that the two towers were once the brick-and-mortar embodiment of many families’ dreams
Challenge for new CPM secretary M V Govindan in Kerala: To hone and amplify party’s voice in its last citadel. Kerala is the last citadel of the CPM, the only state in India where left ideology continues to have political salience
US Fed signals more rate hikes ahead: As global macroeconomic environment becomes more uncertain, RBI must tread carefully. Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said the Fed would “use our tools forcefully” to tackle inflation
India-China war of words shows Beijing in poor light — for trying to pull into its tensions with US a country struggling to survive. If Beijing is really a steadfast friend of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan people and the world would like it to show more purpose on this front instead of stirring the geopolitical pot.
Jharkhand’s CM Soren has invited serious allegations of misuse of office that do disservice to his office and state. There can be little doubt that Hemant Soren has severely undermined his position as Jharkhand CM. His party and his allies need to decide on the cost of standing by him.
Sanna Marin has now apologised — she had also issued an apology for a visit to a club in December 2021 after being exposed to a Covid-positive person.
What the software to erase accents of call centre employees for convenience of US and UK customers gets wrong
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro — like Donald Trump, who he seems to have styled himself after – has been described as a “strongman”.
Of course, Arif Mohammed Khan is far from being the first incumbent of a Raj Bhawan to court controversy.
To begin with, the JD(U)-RJD coalition will need to find a brand new internal equilibrium, one that includes the arithmetic but also goes beyond it
Farmers in Punjab and Haryana — where rice yields average 4-4.5 tonnes per hectare —have been reporting a disease resulting in stunting of paddy. This “dwarfing” disease can potentially impact production in the most productive rice-growing belt.
In government, as the UPA, Congress was once accused of outsourcing policy to unelected and unaccountable civil society groups in the National Advisory Council. Now, as the party of the Opposition, Congress is trying to outsource its politics to some of the same entities.
Noor never sang in the thick or robust or nasal voice that was then in fashion. She did not embellish her songs with many classical elements either. She was averse to complicated taans used by ustads and pundits to showcase their musical prowess.
While the social sciences and humanities still register a larger presence of women researchers, numbers have increased appreciably in the sciences as well. Health sciences is now pegged at 24.5 per cent, natural sciences and agriculture at 22.5 per cent and engineering and technology at 14.5 per cent.
Against this complex background, the move to slap Khan with a terrorism charge, perhaps to be followed by an arrest, may end up making a political martyr of him, especially if the dots connect to the army.
With an aspirant being allowed to appear in up to nine papers, resulting in more than 50,000 subject combinations, the CUET — conducted in more than 550 cities in the country and 13 foreign centres — is a much bigger exercise than the entry tests to the IITs or medical institutions.
Improving the financial position of discoms will require timely and adequate tariff revisions and bringing down the aggregate technical and commercial losses, among other measures.
The BCCI is now conducting exams with tough questions that test their practical aptitude to see if they can find genuinely good umpires. But for now, the uncertainty continues.
The long overdue mea culpa to Littlefeather, however, feels like an afterthought, considering how little Hollywood has done in the intervening years to address the specific problem that she sought to highlight.
India has been experiencing persistently high levels of joblessness for the past few years. Despite a high rate of growth, last year was no different.
Although Justice Lalit has a short tenure of 74 days, he has said he would use the opportunity to lay down “healthy practices” for the future.
Facing arguably its worst economic crisis, Sri Lanka needs China more than ever. The country needs an IMF loan to see it through these times and such a deal is only possible if its major creditors agree to a debt restructuring programme.
For months, the government, judiciary and administrators have been trying to work out a formula, including drafting of strict rules, to improve the governance of the AIFF.
Bilkis Bano and her extended family were attacked by a mob on March 3, 2002 while they were fleeing their village in Limkheda taluka of Dahod district. The Supreme Court intervened in the case after Bilkis approached the National Human Rights Commission.
By linking Nari Shakti to national progress, roots to scaling heights, PM Modi enlivens the idea of aspiration. In his Independence Day speech from Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a long and large view. This was not a speech about schemes, programmes or plans. This I-Day, instead, the prime ministerial viewfinder framed a country that has turned 75 and is moving towards its centenary.
From the lack of enabling measures that force thousands of SC &ST students to drop out of institutions of learning every year to the persecution that can drive a young scholar like Rohith Vemula to take his own life, the discrimination faced by Dalit youth is endemic and deeply ingrained.
Rakesh Jhunjhunwala created an ecosystem where investors (both domestic and foreign) have learnt to trust and lend to Indian companies and entrepreneurs. That is his lasting legacy.
Women will shape the future of India, let’s listen to what they have to say — beginning today. India’s women dream for the nation and, to borrow the words of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, will help “build the noble mansion of free India where all her children may dwell”.
Sustained engagement with NATO must be an important part of Delhi’s self-assured strategy of multi-alignment. As India rises as a large economy its geopolitical salience as a swing state among the great powers is growing.
Ultimately, the voters need to judge the economic and fiscal implications of such policies. While a wider conversation on this issue is needed, it needs to be located firmly in the political process.
Kim isn't the only leader to have declared premature victory against the “malignant pandemic disease”. Strongmen, democratically elected or otherwise, have taken the pulpit and claimed they had vanquished the microscopic enemy as early as 2020, after the first wave.
Witnessing the 1968 student riots in Paris shaped Miyake’s ideas about fashion. He was working with the legendary couturier Hubert de Givenchy at the time, and grew disenchanted with making clothes for a privileged few.
Today’s situation is far less grim than in March, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and when the FAO’s food price index hit an all-time high. Back home, if the monsoon delivers reasonably, as it has, in the remaining part of this month and the next, the benefits would flow to the ensuing rabi crop as well.
Increasingly, regional outfits seem wary of the BJP’s aggressive and ambitious expansion plans and fear that the latter could ignore the coalition dharma and even break or swallow smaller groups to further its political goals.
At CWG, India’s track and field athletes made a mark, women’s cricket and hockey teams showed they are on right track. For India, the Commonwealth Games give a chance to assess how they are likely to fare when tougher assignments come along.
Olivia Newton-John was a singer, Hollywood star and cancer activist. For her fans, though, she’ll always be the girl from Grease. In 1992, after a breast cancer diagnosis, her music took a more spiritual turn and she became an activist for cancer awareness, founding the Olivia Newton-John Foundation to fund research.
While the ruling dispensation repeatedly declares its commitment to cooperative federalism, it is hard to dispute the notion that increasing political centralisation over the years has widened and deepened the faultlines in Centre-state relations.
According to research published in the BMJ last month, about 5 per cent of adults infected by the Coronavirus could develop long-term changes to not just their sense of smell, but also taste, as the two are linked.
The SSLV-DI was touted as a competition to small satellite launchers developed by US-based private companies such as SpaceX and Rocket Lab.
The challenge for Dhankhar, however, would be to persuade the government to allow the Opposition its say in the Rajya Sabha — his pre-BJP career as a Janata and Congress legislator should come in handy.
China vs India on its soil is hardly a sporting fixture that Sri Lanka can watch from the ringside without getting hurt itself.
PM has opened an important conversation over wasteful spending between people and their representatives. The debate, however, calls for the disentangling of several issues. What is a freebie? Is it different from a subsidy? Are there good and bad subsidies? Who decides?
Support for abortion rights in the state is heartening — obstacles for women are formidable, not insurmountable. The Kansas poll is the first electoral test for reproductive rights in the US since SCOTUS ruled that abortion was not a protected right under the US constitution and that the issue had to be “returned to the people’s representatives”.
Maldives President Solih’s visit came in a fraught moment in ties between the two countries. Delhi must tread carefully. Over the last four years, India has provided financial assistance for a slew of projects, both as grant and in credit lines. The biggest of them, the $500m Greater Male Connectivity Project, was inaugurated during Solih’s visit. India
Pelosi’s visit marks an inflexion point not only for Taiwan’s future but also for US-China relations and Asia’s geopolitical trajectory. The normalisation of relations between the US and China in the 1970s involved finessing the Chinese claim that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China.
That pulses are not prioritised speaks of perverse policies that encourage crops requiring more water and chemical fertilisers. The primary driver in this is, however, prices. Soyabean is trading roughly 50 per cent above its minimum support price (MSP).
The film business has always been risky. But showbiz has unarguably grown riskier over the last couple of decades, with actors taking up an ever-growing proportion of a film’s budget — upto 50 per cent, in some cases.
Look again, and Kelly was also making a statement on behalf of women pursuing professional sport. She showcased the free-spiritedness of the woman athlete on the sporting field.
For India, keeping al Qaeda away, under a new leadership, will be the challenge. It is India’s success that the group failed to make any dent in a country with the second largest Muslim population.
Take inflation, for instance. Recent data showed that retail inflation continues to remain elevated, coming in at 7.01 per cent in June. While this means that inflation has remained well above the central bank's target, it is lower than levels observed in much of the developed world.
But the road ahead is tough as the level of competition, even at the continental level, is much higher than at Birmingham. To be on the top of the world, the boy from Aizawl needs to be stronger and lift much heavier weights.
In Punjab — the first full state in which it has power — it cannot rely on virtue signalling on social media as an alternative to taking the bureaucracy along and working with officialdom.
The Delhi government, in an unwise and knee-jerk reaction, has overturned its policy and rolled back to the old regime where the government used to dominate the sale of liquor. This raises two questions: Who pays for these losses? Why would anyone invest in a state where government policy can change overnight?
Clearly, coalition politics, especially in the Opposition space, is at the crossroads as the BJP works to expand its footprint and argues that a “double-engine” government (governments led by the same party at the Centre and the state) is essential for economic growth and development.
Biden and Xi have apparently agreed to explore the possibility of a physical summit between the two leaders at the end of the year. Hopefully, both the leaders will have greater political room to find some common ground.
While BSNL's losses have dipped — in 2020-21, losses fell to Rs 7,441 crore, down from Rs 15,500 crore in 2019-20 — its revenues have remained flat.
War is tragic, its human cost high. Zelenska and Zelenskyy may need to pose to grab the West's attention and assistance.
With the ambit of “offences” only growing bigger and wider — including a whole range of “misdeeds”, from nudity to scenes from decades-old films — it is up to the state and its instruments to ensure that one individual's right to be offended does not impinge on others' freedoms
For all its hostile actions, Russia will find it difficult to obstruct a UN-backed deal guaranteeing safe passage for Ukraine's exports through the Black Sea to Turkey's Bosporus Strait and on to world markets
Centre’s lion plan continues to ignore urgent imperative of relocating the animal out of Gir. Experts believe the Gir lions would have been far more effective in the role assigned to the cheetahs. Conservation authorities need to do some rethinking on big cats
Forty years ago, in 1982, the Opposition quit in the Rajya Sabha, Israel dropped bombs in Beirut, the US and India began a new partnership, and there was a flood in Burdwan.
Parentese, it appears, is near-universal. It is a reminder of how much people have in common. Gurgling sounds, high-pitched coos, sing-song voices and simple tunes — it is difficult to think of “Parentese” (as baby talk is formally known) as being intelligible, let alone translatable.
Executions in Myanmar signal that generals don’t care what world thinks of them. In this, for Delhi, a sharpening challenge. Two of the four activists executed were the well known and respected pro-democracy activists, Ko Jimmy and the Phyo Zayar Thaw, who had demonstrated in the days after last February's coup that they could mobilise thousands to rally against the junta.
The party with the larger numbers is able to get its laws passed in Parliament, but it would be an impoverished notion of parliamentary democracy that defines itself only as one where the ruling side has its law, or way.
For Neeraj Chopra, the next challenge will be to cross the hallowed 90m-mark. Chopra’s recent performances suggest it’s just a matter of time before he joins the elite group.
Considering that MSMEs employ a sizable part of India's labour force, and are also suppliers to the larger economy, their financial distress has far-reaching consequences. Appropriate steps should be taken to ease their woes.
At a time when the TMC is seeking to expand its footprint beyond West Bengal and its leader Mamata Banerjee attempts to take the moral high ground on a range of issues — from probity to transparency — the corruption within undermines her credibility. Of course, the ED's record of booking Opposition leaders is dodgy. But the TMC can't hide behind that.
The number of PhD applications to IIMs from students of SC, ST and OBC communities increased only marginally in the past four years. In case of the IITs, this increase was more appreciable. But the pool of applicants continues to be shallow.
Nothing much should be expected from panel constituted by government. But the farm problem remains, needs addressing
President-elect Droupadi Murmu’s journey mirrors the trajectory of the country’s democracy and testifies to its uplifting possibilities
UK PM Boris Johnson’s last address to parliament was self-congratulatory and hinted at a sequel. Johnson was at his cutting best. He defended his government's performance in handling the pandemic, boasted about getting Brexit done and moralised about helping the people of Ukraine fend off the Russian invasion.
Ben Stokes’s message: Cricket calendar needs a breather or brace for the demise of the all-format cricketer. The cricket calendar is packed airtight. So congested that two teams of the same country are playing in two different parts of the world against two different teams at the same time.
The new Sri Lankan President has to build bridges with the Opposition and win the trust of citizen’s movement. Wickremesinghe's main challenge will be to set the economy back on track, which he has predicted might take until the end of 2023 to accomplish.
The Supreme Court's intervention is welcome and hopeful — at a time when FIRs are being filed at the drop of a “hurt” hat, when arrests become the norm rather than the exception, the court's doors need to open wider than ever for it to fulfil its role as the custodian of individual rights.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express. Listen to the editorial from the 18th of July about how data localisation norms may need easing, but startups should compete without relying on heavy handholding of state.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express. Today, the NDA govt’s plan to produce more weapons at home needs urgent and purposeful policy action.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.
The latest editorials by leading writers and columnists from the pages of the Indian Express.