Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Bharat’s Scientists Shock the World

For centuries, Bharat was a torchbearer of science, mathematics, and astronomy. Long before much of the world understood the movement of planets or complex calculations, ancient Bharatiya scholars had already laid foundations in mathematics, medicine, metallurgy and space observation. From Aryabhata to Sushruta, Bharat’s intellectual heritage was once admired globally. But history was not kind….

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

When Institutions Falter, Media Scrutiny Becomes Inevitable

In my view, one of the gravest dangers confronting Indian democracy today is not merely corruption, political confrontation, or institutional friction. Democracies are designed to withstand all that. The real danger begins when institutions entrusted with protecting constitutional morality themselves begin attracting public suspicion. Once that happens, public confidence starts eroding rapidly, and the vacuum…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Testing Times for Dravidian Giants

On the eve of the verdict, I will stick my neck out and say this: we may well be staring at a 4–1 verdict in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party across key battlegrounds—Assam, West Bengal, Puducherry, and, in a more complex arithmetic, even Tamil Nadu through alliances. That may sound bold. But elections are…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

TRS Returns. Relevance Doesn’t

Politics, much like history, has a habit of repeating itself—first as conviction, then as convenience. The latest attempt by K. Kavitha to resurrect the Telangana Rashtra Sena (Samiti) (TRS) name falls squarely in the latter category. It may evoke nostalgia, but nostalgia alone does not win elections, nor does it revive a sentiment that has…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

When Reform Meets Reality: The Road Ahead After the Women’s Reservation Setback

The defeat of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha is not just a legislative hiccup—it is, in my view, a defining moment that exposes both the strengths and the constraints of India’s constitutional democracy. For a government that has positioned itself as decisive and reform-driven, this outcome demands introspection, recalibration, and above all,…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Narratives vs Numbers: The PSU Turnaround They Don’t Want You to See

As a responsible citizen and an unapologetic nationalist, I feel compelled to dedicate this week’s Point of View to a growing menace—the deliberate spread of misleading, half-baked, and often malicious narratives through viral videos and social media campaigns. These are not random distortions. They are orchestrated efforts, amplified by sections of an intellectually compromised ecosystem,…

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Columnist M S Shanker, Orange News 9

Will Modi’s Fuel Gamble Deliver Poll Gains?

In politics, timing is everything. And in the middle of a global crisis triggered by the ongoing tensions in West Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to have timed his move with clinical precision—placing the Opposition on the defensive just weeks before crucial Assembly elections. These five state polls—West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and…

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