Dr Sandhya Rani There was a time when political criticism in India revolved around ideology, governance, economics, national security, or public welfare. Today, however, some of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s critics appear deeply traumatised not by policy, but by his sunglasses, shoes, kurtas, wristwatches, and even the teleprompter placed before him during speeches. Apparently, in…
M Jaishree Every few months, social media erupts with alarming claims that the Indian Rupee has “collapsed” because the exchange rate against the US Dollar has weakened. Charts are circulated. Emotional comparisons are made. “The rupee has fallen from ₹45 to ₹85 per dollar,” they say, implying that Indians have somehow become half as rich….
Words matter. More so when they come from the highest constitutional offices in the country. A politician may survive on rhetoric. A television anchor may thrive on provocation. But the judiciary, particularly the office of the Chief Justice of India, is expected to embody restraint, balance, and constitutional sobriety. That is why the reported “cockroach”…
Indian politics has entered a new phase. We have had lotus politics, hand politics, broom politics, cycle politics, lantern politics and enough defections to start a furniture showroom. Now comes the newest entrant – the CJP. Not one, but two. First came the US-based Abhijeet Dipke’s Cockroach Janta Party – a movement that appears to…
A new voice of democratic dissent in the digital age In Indian democracy, the methods of expressing dissent have evolved over time. During the freedom movement, satyagraha and sit-ins were the primary means of political resistance, while at other times, literature, theatre, and journalism served to question power. As we enter the third decade of…
Lakshman Rao The sage Kakshivantha, born of the lineage of Uśij, raises his solemn invocation to the Vishvedevas in the dignified cadence of Trishtubh metre, as preserved within the sacred corpus of the Rigveda. Addressing the Ritvijas, the officiating priests, he exhorts them to perform the sacrificial rites with precision and reverence, offering oblations to…
The warriors of the Kaurava ranks, enraged and stung by the fierce resistance of Abhimanyu, pressed forward in wrath. O King, though they were proficient archers and veterans in the craft of war, they could not equal the son of Arjuna. Thus reported Sanjaya. Arjuna, beholding the splendid valour of his son as he contended…
Shani Dham Temple is located in Jourian town in the Jammu district of Jammu & Kashmir. The temple stands on Shahid Commandant Shamsher Singh Marg near the Community Health Centre and Post Office in Jourian. Because of its gigantic idol of Lord Shanidev and growing spiritual importance, the temple has become one of the well-known…
New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday. This was Adhikari’s first meeting with the prime minister in the national capital after being sworn-in as the chief minister on May 9. “Chief Minister of West Bengal, Shri @SuvenduWB met Prime Minister @narendramodi,” the Prime Minister’s Office…
New Delhi: The NDA is likely to lose one Rajya Sabha seat in the biennial elections for 26 seats in 12 states across the country, while the Congress-led opposition is set to gain three. The Election Commission on Friday announced elections for 26 Rajya Sabha seats on June 18 following the retirement of incumbents, including…
