Representational Photo

India Needs A Strong Political Culture That Upholds Democratic Values

It may be argued that invoking the Bhutanese king’s principled stance as a reference point for a country as vast and diverse as India is deeply flawed—or, at best, a theoretical abstraction. Yet the fact remains: the ethos of good governance knows no geographical boundaries. If the highest leadership of a small, landlocked nation with limited resources could believe in, and strive towards, such ideals, why should our country fall short of visionary leadership, especially when it is far larger and endowed with greater capacities, opportunities, and strategic advantages?

India Needs To Get Real With The US and China

In this backdrop, opening up India fully to Chinese, including inviting the Chinese delegations, is akin to arranging visits of KFC owners to poultry farms! The hubris that this was to familiarize two big political parties and two economic powers with each other must have amused Beijing endlessly. Finally, insecurity is palpable in India’s handling of China and the US.  About time we get over this.

Somnath Temple: Instrumentalizing History As A Political Tool

History is not a tool to divide society and perpetuate the injustices of the past. It is there to show us what wrongs have happened in the past which should not happen again. We need to march towards a just society where all live the life of dignity and respect, a society where all of us enjoy equal citizenship rights.

Sri Lankan Government In A Fix Over Proposed Education Reforms: PM Under Pressure

Public opposition towards the reforms escalated after a web link to a gay dating site was found in one of the lessons in the grade six English language module.  This website was subsequently blocked by the regulator for internet users in Sri Lanka.  The lesson was intended to teach ten-year-old kids how to make online friends.

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India should institutionalise arbitration, avoid unilateral appointment of arbitrators

Allowing neutral arbitration institutions to appoint and administer arbitrators will help to address the challenges of unilateral arbitrator appointment by interested organisations, reduce the additional burden on courts to appoint arbitrators, and eliminate our arbitrators' bias in awards issued by arbitrators appointed by financial institutions.

Mosque-temple dispute in India: How far back can surveys go in determining ancestry?

Indian polity and judiciary have opened a Pandora’s Box which is deepening the religious divides in society. What is the need of the hour? To search for temple underneath every mosque or to build the ‘temples of Modern India’ as defined by Jawaharlal Nehru, “while starting the construction of the Bhakra Nangal Dam to describe scientific research institutes, steel plants, power plants, dams being launched in India after independence to jumpstart scientific and industrial progress.”

To restore faith in Indian democracy, EVMs need to go

There is no denying that the changing numbers have dented the image of the Election Commission of India, and the credibility of the election process itself under the EVM system is increasingly coming under strain. This is a blow to democratic systems, processes and traditions in India. 

Populism is a race to the fiscal bottom: What the Maharashtra verdict means for the state's economy

The LB scheme has been a successful formula which was used in Jharkhand as well and is part of at least a dozen other states which offer cash or kind benefits targeting women, It pays electoral dividends by increasing female voter participation. But what it does to the fiscal situation, and consequent drag on growth, inflation and interest rates as well as future tax burdens is not well examined. 

Why de-dollarisation of international trade is unlikely to happen anytime soon

India perceives Russia and China’s push for de-dollarisation to a large extent as ideological and remains hesitant in rallying behind BRICS’ de-dollarisation efforts. With the recent expansion of BRICS, varying national interests of member states will further complicate coordination efforts on de-dollarisation. 

Elon Musk and big tech imperialism: Indian policymakers be forewarned

If the East India Company used complex mechanisms and took 100 years to seize control and loot a subcontinent, the tech imperialists of today have the power to replay that story with nothing more than code, clicks, and clips that can divide people, break institutions and incite violence.

Unsustainable human practices can tilt earth's ecological balance

Seeing humans as the earth’s primary inhabitant has led to policies and practices that prioritize short-term economic gains over long-term ecological sustainability. Recognizing our role within a broader ecological system is key to developing strategies that respect the Earth's carrying capacity. Johan Rockström’s concept of 'planetary boundaries' outlines nine thresholds, like climate change and biodiversity loss, that shouldn't be crossed to maintain a 'safe space for humanity’.

India needs to talk bluntly to the US over sheltering of Khalistani extremists

India sent full details of Nijjar’s terrorist activities to Canada in 2014 but Canada simply sat on it. Canada also didn’t hand over Bangladeshi Noor Chowdhury who admitted being one of the killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, Bangladesh's founder president, in 1975. Stewart Bell wrote in his book ‘Cold Terror’’ that Canada became an operational base of international terrorism long ago and by 1998 every terrorist group in the world was operating in Canada.

Will Israel strike Iran's nuclear targets following its 100-fighter strike?

If Israel fails to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities now, it will be doing an ‘INDIA’, which too failed to allow Israel to strike Kahuta in Pakistan. Pakistan today is a formidable nuclear power. Had India allowed staging facility to Israeli fighters at Jamnagar, Kahuta might have met the same fate as Osirak in Iraq.

Pandering to separatists, Trudeau damages India-Canada relations

Trudeau, whose closeness to Canadian Khalistanis is amply borne out by photographs on the internet and his public outreach, has obviously not given any thought about risks to Canada’s future from the activities of the Khalistanis. 

The hand of God in the temple of justice: CJI's statement a disservice to sanctity of judiciary

The conduct of the CJI has thus invited some questions from even his admirers, and given rise to a new conversation on the motives for this distinctly religious bent being brought out openly in public debate, given that the CJI recently visited the Ram temple at Ayodhya. This is not good news for the legal system and the two sides in the Ayodhya judgement 

Climate meet COP 29: More despair than hope

Even as all countries are concerned about climate issues  and almost all of them are participating in the  global climate meets, some of the participating countries  are indulging in bloody conflicts and wars such as the ongoing Russia Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war.  All such wars and terrorist  activities involve use of missiles, dropping of bombs, shootings, drone attacks and so on  which cause emission of huge quantities of toxic gases and severe atmospheric pollution. It appears that climate meets have not discussed these conflict issues at all.

Mediation approach to inheritance dispute resolutions: 'Short term gain vs. long term relations'

Since India enacted the Mediation Act of 2023, one can not only reduce the burden on courts but also maintain family relationships through dialogue and discussion among family members with the assistance of a qualified mediator.

'Love Jihad' propaganda has had deep penetration into the Indian psyche

The Bareilly judgment shows how this propaganda is influencing Indian society, including judges who are supposed to base their verdict on concrete evidence.

Meeting the economic challenge: A litmus test for the interim administration of Bangladesh

Time is of the essence for the interim administration to take the bull by the horns and rein in the inflation by adopting innovative methods. Since the interim administration is composed mostly of professionals from reputable NGOs, many people are beginning to believe that the newly appointed advisers lack experience in statecraft, strategic thinking, and crisis management.