India’s opposition to incorporating the China-backed Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement into the framework of the World Trade Organization is neither obstructionist nor regressive—as some critics lazily claim. It is, in fact, a calibrated, strategic, and principled stand rooted in protecting policy sovereignty, preserving multilateral balance, and resisting the creeping normalization of backdoor rule-making…
The West Asian theatre is once again ablaze. The ongoing conflict triggered by the late-February strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran has now stretched into a grinding, uncertain war with no clear endgame. What is evident, however, is the scale of destabilisation—not just for the immediate region but for the global order…
The moment the Election Commission of India announced the poll schedule, West Bengal predictably slid back into a familiar, ugly script—violence, intimidation, and political muscle-flexing. This is not coincidence; it is a pattern. And at the center of it stands All India Trinamool Congress under Mamata Banerjee. Despite pre-emptive steps by the Election Commission—replacing the…
If there was ever a moment for the Narendra Modi government to claim that it doesn’t just make promises but executes them, the latest developments in Maoist-affected regions offer a compelling case. The surrender of a top CPI (Maoist) leader in Chhattisgarh—days before the Centre’s self-imposed March 31 deadline—signals not just an operational success, but…
At a time when the world is rattled by a prolonged and volatile conflict in West Asia, India has quietly demonstrated what mature statecraft looks like. While global headlines scream about disrupted oil routes, spiralling fuel prices, and geopolitical brinkmanship, New Delhi has stayed focused on outcomes—not optics. The safe passage of multiple Indian-bound LPG…
There are moments in a nation’s journey when decisions appear abrupt, even disruptive—but history later reveals them as decisive turning points. India has witnessed several such moments since 2014, and behind many of them stands one man whose name rarely seeks the spotlight but invariably shapes outcomes: Ajit Doval. The recent buzz around the film…
Is India facing a genuine structural shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or is the current anxiety merely a byproduct of geopolitical tensions and panic-driven behaviour? The truth, as always, lies somewhere in between—but the facts on the ground suggest this is more than just manufactured fear. The Union government has firmly denied any nationwide…
For decades, Indian cinema—arguably the most powerful cultural instrument in the country—did not merely entertain; it was subtly, and at times overtly, curated to serve a narrative. Not a national narrative rooted in civilisational pride, but one shaped by ideological gatekeeping that often diminished India’s past, glorified invaders, and tiptoed around uncomfortable truths. Filmmakers were…
For years, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) was the favourite punching bag of armchair critics, self-styled defence experts, and a section of the political class that seemed more comfortable importing power than building it at home. The “doubting Thomases” spared no opportunity to label India’s premier aerospace PSU as inefficient, outdated, and incapable of delivering world-class…
In the theatre of global morality, the United Nations increasingly risks being seen not as an impartial arbiter of justice, but as a selective commentator—loud when convenient, muted when uncomfortable. Take two recent tragedies. In Kabul, a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre has triggered global outrage. Civilian casualties are staggering—Afghan authorities claim over…
