The United States Ambassador to Bharat, Sergio Gor, calling Jammu and Kashmir an “important part of Bharat” during his first visit to the Union Territory is certainly welcome. But should Bharat chest-thump over an American diplomat acknowledging what is an established constitutional and national position? Certainly not. Gor’s statement is diplomatically significant, particularly because Washington…
The Income Tax Department’s nationwide verification of suspicious foreign remittances is a necessary move. At a time when financial transactions are becoming increasingly sophisticated and money can cross borders at the click of a button; the tax authorities cannot afford to look at outward remittances in isolation. The Department’s announcement of August 18 is particularly…
Nalgonda, Telangana: In a chilling case that has sent shockwaves through Telangana’s Nalgonda district, two Class 10 students have been detained for allegedly murdering their school principal, Roopa Reddy, in her own home for money—turning a relationship between teacher and student into one of betrayal, greed and brutal violence. Roopa Reddy was allegedly killed on…
Chennai: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council on August 20 at Mamallapuram near here, and the chief ministers of southern states and UTs will take part, the government said on Wednesday. The Southern Zonal Council comprises the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and…
New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday condemned the Congress for its decision that only first two stanzas of Vande Mataram will be sung at all party events in the future, saying the main opposition party has completely shattered its claim of being the “sole copyright holder” of the freedom struggle with its “adamant” stand against…
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday sent former minister Satyendar Jain and four others to judicial custody until September 3 in a corruption case involving the Delhi Jal Board. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh sent Jain, former Delhi Jal Board CEO Udit Prakash Rai, and private persons Nagendra Yadav, Raja Kumar Kurra and Pankaj…
New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee on Wednesday decided to abide by the 1937 resolution of its highest decision-making body on Vande Mataram, saying only two stanzas of the National Song would be sung at all party events henceforth. The Congress decision came after the BJP accused its leaders of insulting Vande Mataram by not…
The Madras High Court’s observation that there is no legal bar on Tamil Nadu playing its State song, Tamil Thai Vazhthu, before Vande Mataram or the National Anthem may appear, at first glance, to be a narrow question of protocol. It is not. It exposes a far more serious weakness in the way the Union…
The Income Tax Department has finally begun pulling at a thread that could lead to a much larger financial story: how apparently insignificant entities are being used to move disproportionately large sums of money out of Bharat. In a nationwide field-verification exercise, the department has put approximately 394 entities under scrutiny, including 117 located in…
The gloves are off, with political rivals indulging in increasingly cheap allegations and personal barbs against one another. But beyond the political slugfest, what are the realities, particularly regarding the performance of the Prime Ministers who have shaped independent India? After all, India’s present status in the comity of nations has been profoundly influenced by…
