Forthright
Banakacherla dispute demands dialogue, not drama In a mature democracy, especially in a federal setup like India’s, disputes—no matter how contentious—are meant to be resolved through negotiation, transparency, and consensus-building. When issues as vital as inter-state river water sharing become hostages to political grandstanding, the real losers are not politicians but the people. The fresh…
When Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla steps back onto Earth today after an 18-day journey beyond its atmosphere, he won’t just be returning as a passenger of space. He will come back as a bearer of India’s rising ambition in the final frontier — space exploration. In what is being hailed as a historic moment for…
The political turbulence unfolding in Karnataka is neither new nor unexpected. It is a predictable consequence of Congress’s internal contradictions—an organization that has long struggled to balance competing ambitions, high-command interference, and ideological hollowness. The current standoff between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar is just the latest chapter in a party where…
The preliminary findings of the Air India crash have arrived — and with it, an unsettling mix of half-answers, speculative conclusions, and the familiar scent of bureaucratic insulation. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, on Saturday made public a 15-page report that has sparked more confusion than…
God save the Nobel Peace Prize Once a symbol of rare virtue and global statesmanship, the Nobel Peace Prize has now become the unofficial trophy for delusion and self-congratulation. And this year, the stampede is real. Everyone with a microphone, a modest PR team, or a record of doing the bare minimum for peace—or in…
In a world teetering between old alliances and emerging multipolarity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s just-concluded five-nation tour — Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Brazil, and Namibia — stands out as a strategic masterstroke. Lasting eight days, this was Modi’s longest overseas visit in the last ten years. While the global media is busy dissecting power…
India’s pluralistic fabric was once again stretched to its limits as communal violence flared during Muharram processions across three major states—Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The disturbing common thread: targeted attacks, allegedly by Muslim mobs, on Hindu temples and residential areas predominantly occupied by Hindus. This unsettling pattern has sadly become a recurring feature…
In a dramatic move that has sent ripples through America’s political establishment, tech tycoon Elon Musk has launched a new political outfit—the American Party—vowing to “give you back your freedom.” It came just a day after he polled his followers on X about forming a new party, suggesting the move was impulsive but not uncalculated….
In a nation as vast and diverse as India, data is the bedrock on which policy, planning, and public health interventions must stand. Yet the very foundation appears worryingly shaky. A recent compilation of 11 research papers on large-scale demographic and health surveys in India reveals an uncomfortable truth: we may be collecting more data…
For decades, the Congress party has masqueraded as the messiah of the downtrodden—Dalits, minorities, and the backward. But time and again, it has shown that its concern for the Dalits is little more than tokenism wrapped in hollow symbolism. The elevation of Mallikarjun Kharge as Congress president was touted as a historic move. But the…
