Bombing of Tehran

The Iran Conundrum, Trumpian Dilemma and the Shifting Sands of West Asia

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. 

Custodial Killings with no Judicial Remedies: A Sad Tale Across Two Punjabs

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. 

Bangladesh's Recent Election was Neither Free nor Fair

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.

Competitive Populism vs Economic Development: When Forests are Monetised to Fund Revenue Expenditure

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.

More on Perspective

Indian Foreign Policy: Rooted In Moral Conviction In Strategic Autonomy And Multilateralism

India, as a founding member of the NAM and an active participant in the SCO, continues to uphold the values of equality, liberty, justice, and non-violence in international relations. The recent SCO Summit (Tianjin, 2025) and improving India–US ties — including President Trump’s conciliatory gestures on trade — reflect India’s growing confidence and self-reliance in global diplomacy.

Is Globalization Flawed, Or Is It Its Implementation?

Research shows that globalization boosts economies, improves job opportunities, reduces conflict, and increases trade. However, it also widens income gaps and harms the environment. These challenges can be managed through effective institutions and public policies focused on education, health, and sustainability—not by rejecting globalization.

World Needed A Rare ‘Earth Deal’, Not Another Rare-Earth Deal!

The world needed the two largest emitters to show courage in Busan — especially when one of them, China, has already shown how ecology and economics can go hand in hand. Instead, they chose commerce over conscience.And the message to developing nations is painfully clear: When climate ambition competes with commercial bargaining — climate loses.

Taliban's Patriarchy And The Hindutva One: What Is Similar And What Is Different

Every form of politics that cloaks itself in religion tends to preserve feudal values and promote hostility toward the “other.” Even Christian fundamentalism reinforces patriarchal norms. Nazi Germany, too, confined women to the three Ks—Kirche, Küche, Kinder (Church, Kitchen, Children). As we condemn patriarchy and the denial of human rights, we must recognize that all sectarian nationalisms—those rooted in religious or racial superiority—share these regressive traits.

Rethinking Affirmative Action in India’s Universities: Needed Structural Reform, Not Symbolic Arithmetic

Reservation in education has achieved moral legitimacy and expanded access, but it has also created new inequalities and stagnation. Its future lies not in expansion or abolition, but in redefinition. Affirmative action must evolve from symbolic arithmetic to structural reform, grounded in data and fairness.

Are Corporates Driving India’s Ladakh Policy?

In Ladakh, it is not just 150 sq km of pasture land allotted to corporates for solar power projects, but also the mining on land of corporate choosing. Why bother about the ecology, environment and disasters? 

UAE Bank's Acquisition of Indian Bank: A New Paradigm In Growing UAE–India Cooperation

If executed smoothly, this transaction will serve as a template for future cross-border collaborations, especially within the framework of CEPA and the broader India–UAE economic corridor. It demonstrates that when capital, strategy, advisory prowess and bilateral ambition converge, remarkable outcomes follow. 

Afghanistan-Pakistan Truce And The Regional Conundrum

With nine terrorist camps destroyed by India in Op Sindoor, the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camps in Pakistan are being relocated deeper inside – in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. This could bring them in conflict with the TTP, unless they decide to join hands. Notably, Pakistan has formed an alliance between the LeT and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP or ISIS-K)

2025 Economics Nobel Prize: Can India Offer Its Own Development Model?

A possible model based on Spirituality + Technology = Sustainability and Happiness may help in reducing greed, provide equitable distribution of resources and provide a new paradigm of development not only for India but for mankind. Once the mighty engine of innovation starts in India then the Darwinian evolution of the disruptive model of Phillipe Aghion and Peter Howitt will follow.

India’s Silent Crisis: Ignoring Mental Health Can Prove Costly

According to the World Health Organization, neglecting mental health could cost India over $1 trillion in lost economic output over a decade. That figure isn’t just about hospitals or medication; it represents absenteeism, reduced innovation, and the quiet burnout that drains motivation from classrooms, startups, and boardrooms alike.

Sri Lanka’s Delicate Tightrope Walk Between Asian Powers

The island-nation’s strategic location in the Indian Ocean has placed it at the centre of intensifying geopolitical competition and rivalry between China and India. Sri Lanka’s experience in balancing its own priorities and needs with the competing interests and concerns of India and China through the lens of project financing has largely succeeded despite occasional hiccups

Theatreisation Of Military In India: No Need To Copy Foreign Models

Theatreisation of military, while conceptually appealing, is not a one-size-fits-all solution. India’s strategic geography — with two contiguous adversaries, interlinked land-sea challenges, hybrid threats, and extraordinarily diverse terrain — does not lend itself to neat theatre divisions.

India’s AI Journey: Transforming Fiscal Management For A Developed India

AI is proving to be more than just a digital tool; it is becoming a fiscal multiplier. By tightening compliance, improving revenue forecasts, preventing leakages, and guiding expenditure, AI is reshaping India’s fiscal landscape. Recent tax reforms under the GST regime adjusting slabs to reduce rates on essentials while taxing luxury goods higher were made possible through AI-driven fiscal analytics.

Can India Defend Its Vast Maritime and Underwater Domain Against Regional Rivals?

India’s underwater defence remains a top priority. The Navy currently operates 19 submarines—16 conventional and three nuclear-powered (including two ballistic missile submarines and one leased nuclear attack submarine). China, by contrast, possesses 60–70 submarines, including 12 nuclear-powered platforms, and aims to grow to 80 submarines within the decade

Can India's Growth Story Be Built On The Backs of Exploited Labour?

When companies see they can get away with violation of labour laws or erode the dignity of workers or do worse with regard to their workforce, more violations of the kind will follow. The only antidote is to put down illegality with an iron hand, to impose exemplary costs on businesses that have little regard for people and to send the message that violations will be met with firm and swift action.