Ray Takeyh, senior fellow for Middle East studies at the CFR believes that the West could have got much better dividends without this war. He says that Araghchi had tabled proposals that called for the suspension of uranium enrichment for several years before allowing it to then resume at low levels. Linda Robinson, CFR’s senior fellow, also feels that there will be mass American casualties if special forces are deployed. Already Arab States are upset with these joint operations with Israel. The consensus among CFR experts is that Trump’s ambitious objectives cannot be achieved merely with joint assaults by air or sea.
Was this the legacy that the great freedom fighters from Punjab – or extend that logic to rest of India and Pakistan where custodial deaths are common – would have wanted their land and its future generations to inherit? As if the breakdown of the country and its gory partition with a divided Punjab were not enough to torment them in their graves, wouldn’t this thought leave them completely shattered and desolate: this divided land is united in its conviction to perpetuate the very colonial mindset they fought.
The Interim Government arranged extensive state protocol and privileges to the government-sponsored party, National Citizen Party (NCP), parties close to IG like Jamaat e Islami (JI) and their alliances, almost as if they were the government themselves. Similar privileges were given to the BNP and its allies. But no such facility was extended to the JP.
A democracy that is cutting down forests for votes risks mortgaging its ecological future for an electoral present. Welfare is essential; appeasement is corrosive. The difference lies in fiscal discipline, transparency and respect for citizens, who are not beneficiaries, but are owners of the republic. If we do not draw that line now, next year’s burden will demand another forest.
In past years, Indian Army was making its Pakistani counterparts pay by way of bombarding its locations/defences along the Line of Control (LoC). However as per an agreement between India and Pakistan in February 2021, this practice was stopped for the sake of peace for the civil population residing in the LoC belt. Otherwise, Pak army was paying at least some price for every terrorist attack in the Kashmir Valley by terrorist groups that it supports.
The rise of India and China in the 21st century will surely challenge the hegemony of the dollar. India’s rise is benign, while China’s rise threatens the west. Their evolving bilateral relationship will surely shape world trajectory as well as affect the dollar’s dominance. But for now, the dollar is king
The Trump administration is now redefining the migrant policy and methodology of dealing with the migrant issues for the rest of the world to observe, evaluate and practice.It is likely that those from South Asia and a few other countries would think several times before trying to enter the USA in an illegal manner and perhaps would stop indulging in such misadventure.
The planned deportation of 20,000 Indians from the US will require an endless stream of flights, if all of them are to be sent back, not to speak of more who are being caught as raids by US immigration continue. None of them should be allowed to be detained without access to lawyers, medical aid and humane conditions in the facilities they are kept. None of them should be allowed to be sent back in chains.
Three journalists were murdered in Bangladesh last year, and authorities detained four journalists seen as supporters of erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, unseated by the ‘monsoon revolution’ last August after a despotic 15-year rule. The subsequent caretaker government has targeted dozens of journalists, whose reporting was considered favourable toward Hasina’s government, in criminal investigations.
While no legal framework is entirely immune to exploitation, democratic societies must continuously refine their regulations to balance security and individual freedoms. Rejecting PECA 2025 outright ignores the fact that unregulated digital spaces can be just as detrimental as overly restrictive regulations.
Overall, India needs 7.0 to 8.0 % growth for 25 years continuously to become a developed economy. This does not seem to be plausible or possible at present. It appears that the government is neither able to define the term Viksit Bharat clearly and in detail nor has it been able to design the pathway to Viksit Bharat.
In the recent 2024 Lok Sabha elections, only 797 women filed nominations, out of a total of 8,360 candidates, and only 74 women were elected (Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Association of Democratic Reforms). From 2019 to 2024, the share of female candidates increased by only 0.5%, and their winning share remained below average, regressing to 13% of total MPs, a decrease that contrasts starkly with the legislated reservation of 33% of seats for women
The massive foundations for economic, educational, scientific and industrial prosperity were laid much before the divisive politics of Ram Temple got a boost in the decades of 1980 and 1990s. Bhagwat’s statement totally ignores the massive anti colonial movement. The reason for this is that those who stood for Hindu and Muslim nationalism were not part of it.
With China having around 1800 fighter aircraft and Pakistan about 400, India’s tally of approximately 530 combat aircraft amounting to 31 squadrons (each with 16 to 18 aircraft) means that it is woefully short of combat aircraft in view of the threat it faces from its two principal adversaries and two wide borders.
A recent study by the World Inequality Lab reports that India’s top 1% income share is among the very highest in the world. According to it, 1% of the population holds 22.6 % of the county's income and has access to a staggering 40.1% of national wealth. Hurun Global Rich List 2024 reports that India has 271 billionaires and ranks third, next to China and the USA.
For decades, we’ve allowed corporations to poison our planet, exploit our labor, hoard our resources, and abandon us in times of crisis. The flames we’re seeing today are the direct result of those choices.
While it is naive to expect a strong welfare system for the working class population in an intense and competitive business environment, what really bothers the proponents of social equity is that the physical and mental health of the working class have been hardly given thought to both by the state as well as the business class.
Bangladesh's real estate industry has evolved significantly over the past few decades, driven by rapid urbanization and increased economic activity. Dhaka, the capital, remains the epicenter of real estate development due to its role as the primary hub for commerce, education, and government services. However, land scarcity in Dhaka and other major cities has driven property prices to unprecedented levels
In fact, the decision to hang on in public life has given rise to the perpetuation of political dynasties. Successors like their parents or grandparents are not trained at the grassroots to understand the nuances of politics and often are not competent to occupy the seat of authority. Their politics produce suboptimal outcomes, and society is deprived of the benefits of the democratic franchise.
