Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his government should support impartial investigations, act against demonstrably fabricated prosecutions and review provisions that can prevent judicial determination of responsibility for alleged unlawful killings.
Critics dismissed it as juvenile and a mockery of democracy, but a purely theatrical exercise does not sustain that length, that number of listed speeches, or that degree of procedural discipline. It remained, however, an innovative symbolic exercise with no government or Election Commission presence and no legal power to remove anyone.
Economists, scientists, journalists, authors, professionals and other knowledgeable individuals can contribute to society by explaining complex issues, questioning assumptions and encouraging evidence-based discussion.Their role need not be confined to supporting or opposing political parties.
In a city where marginalised communities have limited digital access, a platform built around online portals and project briefs is already exclusionary by design.Without offline channels, the platform risks serving the already organised rather than those it claims to reach.
One of the concerns of India has been the expanding Chinese presence in Sri Lanka. The China-funded mega projects like Hambantota Port and Colombo Port City have caused some discord in the India-Sri Lanka relations. Growing Chinese presence in South Asian nations - Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka - has been a cause of major security concern for New Delhi.
Diamonds remain a cornerstone of the Belgo-Indian economic relationship, but in recent years strong growth has been visible in various other sectors. The port city of Antwerp is considered to be the international centre of diamond trade which is dominated by Indian diamond traders mainly from Gujarat.
It is good to be ever wary of a nation and a leadership that is and has historically been all about itself at the cost of others, driving others to misery as it gobbles up resources and pushes the idea of American exceptionalism.
It is in this light that one welcomes a new report from US-India Policy Institute and Centre for Development Policy and Practice, ‘Rethinking Affirmative Action for Muslims in Contemporary India’. This report takes an approach away from quotas for Muslims as a whole. They recognize that Muslim community has different economic layers.
Tharoor is acutely aware that he is not particularly liked by the Congress leadership, especially the Gandhi family because of his independence. Things have come to a stage where even Tharoor posting a selfie of him with India’s Minister for Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal and Britain’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds is seen as unfurling the red flag.
The assertion of "first comers" is central to sectarian nationalism but contradicts the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. We must aspire to equality for all citizens, regardless of language or religion. Digging into history to serve political ideologies should be left to academics, not wielded as a tool for divisive politics.
Despite venture capital investments in Indian startups, recent innovation has been lacking. Many Indian companies are run by MBA graduates, business heirs, or marketers. Successful western startups, however, are often founded by engineers. Engineers have a higher propensity for innovation, and promoting this culture may help foster investment.
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
