Modi-Trump meeting: A landmark in bilateral ties
Notwithstanding a negative assessment by the anti-Modi and anti-Trump brigade, PM Modi’s meeting with Trump was crucial for bilateral ties with a comprehensive agenda covering trade, defence, energy,...
View ArticleLanguage fights: A big mistake
Some people try to create fights over language, but they forget how bad things can get. History shows that if we don’t learn from past mistakes, we might repeat them—and sometimes, things get even...
View ArticleHollywood & politics: A quiet Oscars
The Oscars are always full of surprises. Sometimes, things happen that no one expects—like when a man ran naked across the stage in 1974 or when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in 2022. But often,...
View ArticleScript changes
Trump’s on rampage but Oscars saw little politics. That’s both bad & good There’s Hollywood, and then there’s the theatricality of Oscars Night. Some of it is unscripted, like the streaker in 1974,...
View ArticleTongue twisters
Parties pushing for language conflicts should remember how quickly things can get worse Those who don’t learn from history are condemned to repeat it. In the truly troublesome cases, repetition risks...
View ArticleBorn in USA, back in Bharat
US stands to lose big from birthright citizenship order. India can gain if it creates an ecosystem to retain its highly skilled talent, and absorb those who may want to return Trump’s first action on...
View ArticleConnecting classrooms: Transforming rural education through broadband
“Education is the key to equal opportunity in our society, and the equality of educational opportunity must be the birthright of every citizen.” – Lyndon B. Johnson The 2025 Budget announcement by...
View ArticleThink about it!
An unconventional art history teacher unveils a piece of art for her class, and her students predictably groan about writing an essay on it. The teacher replies: “You don’t have to write an essay on...
View ArticleWhat is the foundational civilizational culture of India that is Bharat? Some...
Our religious and spiritual based culture is best expressed as Sanatana Dharma, i.e., universal and eternal human values, which when imbibed and practiced in daily work and living, lead us on the...
View ArticleSouth African G20 presidency: Challenges and opportunities
South Africa enters the G20 presidency as a middle power with a unique dual identity: A founding G20 member since 1999 and a prominent voice within the BRICS bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South...
View ArticleKerala’s fiscal autonomy, federalism and financial justice
Kerala faces a growing fiscal crisis that is as much a reflection of its own financial planning as it is a consequence of the Union government’s indifference to the state’s needs. The state, long...
View ArticleHow India’s new criminal laws curb civil liberties
From introducing vague offences to increasing police powers, India’s new criminal laws, touted as a means to ‘decolonise’ the criminal justice system, achieve anything but. In July 2024, India entered...
View ArticleDon’t babysit
The Supreme Court (SC) has allowed podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to make money again, but he still can’t say whatever he wants. He is only allowed to create shows if they follow ‘traditional Indian...
View ArticleDon’t babysit
Some SC remarks on Allahbadia case may encourage more censorship. Creatives always push the envelope SC has restored podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia’s economic freedom but curbs on his freedom of...
View ArticleThe Elon Ranger
Trump’s hatchet man who fires from the hip is like a character from a Western comic book Jottings from the White House diary: Boy, have I had one helluva week. Did that video that’s gone...
View ArticleAunty Dalit Politics
Mayawati, the leader of the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), has removed her nephew Akash Anand from the party. People are unsure why, but one thing is clear—her power in elections is fading. There was a...
View ArticleAunty Dalit Politics
Mayawati ousted her nephew from BSP. Reasons are confusing. But her electoral irrelevance won’t change What a fall it has been. Once pundits used to speculate that Mayawati could become India’s first...
View ArticleWhen parental love is not a guiding light
In a recently released film, Mrs, on an OTT platform, a mother suggests that her daughter ‘adjust’ in her in-laws’ home, where she is unappreciated, because it is socially acceptable. Her daughter...
View ArticleWhat’s obscene? What about free speech?
The Supreme Court, hearing the obscenity case against Ranveer Allahbadia on Monday, reiterated the right to free speech as well as its disinclination towards censorship. But it also said such a view...
View ArticleInside women’s WhatsApp groups: 4 trends you should know
Despite historical gender bias, a whiff of change is a foot for women in urban India. Important shifts in attitude, marriage, education and workplace may help alter the status quo. I am on multiple...
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