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Mismanagement – Thy Name is NIPER

When the 84th Meeting of the Board of Governors of NIPER S.A.S. Nagar was held on June 7, 2024, one of the agenda items—84.2—was about showcasing the Institute’s achievements and building stronger collaborations with national and international academia and industry. On paper, it sounded promising. In reality, it exposed a deeper malaise. A Board member…

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Disappointing and Disgusting: When Cries for Justice Echo Under Judicial Supervision in HCA

By Vinay Rao Hyderabad cricket is no longer merely battling on the field. It is battling for institutional credibility. For over a year, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has resembled an organisation trapped in administrative turbulence rather than a professional sporting body. Opaque selections. Disputed appointments. Byelaws allegedly stretched to convenience. Leadership legitimacy under challenge….

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A Conspiracy Against the Prime Minister: Disgraceful and Dangerous

As a woman—and a first-generation political practitioner with the benefit of academic grounding—I watched last week’s developments in the Lok Sabha with deep dismay. What allegedly unfolded was not mere parliamentary disorder, but something far more disturbing: reports and widespread parliamentary chatter suggesting that a group of Opposition women MPs had planned a coordinated commotion…

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Convention Is Not Constitutional Immunity

Special Correspondent If parliamentary conventions carried constitutional immunity, Indian politics would be far less noisy—and far more convenient for those who mistake designation for distinction. Unfortunately for such assumptions, the Indian Constitution is refreshingly blunt on one crucial point: it does not recognise the office of the Leader of the Opposition at all. Not by…

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Summon Naravane, End the Drama

Special Correspondent Parliament has once again been paralysed—not over economic distress or a national security failure, but over selective leaks and political interpretations attributed to an unpublished memoir of former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. The Congress-led Opposition’s decision to stall the Budget Session over unverified claims marks yet another low in its increasingly…

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Through a Coach’s Eyes: India’s Next Cricketing Gifts

Having played Ranji Trophy cricket for Hyderabad in my younger days and continuing to coach tiny-tots even in my late seventies, I often hear people ask whether India can still produce world-class cricketers. My answer, without hesitation, is yes — abundantly so. Talent is not India’s problem. Guidance, patience, and timely correction often are. When…

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When the Speaker Stops the Prime Minister

MS Shanker Parliament is often described as the temple of democracy. Temples, by definition, are places where fear has no role—only order, dignity, and constitutional sanctity do. That is precisely why an extraordinary statement by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during the Budget Session deserves serious national debate, not silence. The Speaker publicly acknowledged that…

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