Giving economic aid to Kashmir is like giving TB medicine to a patient suffering from cancer and expecting it to work, says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'Indira Gandhi, it appears, did not to consult her Cabinet colleagues, or diplomats, or civil servants when she decided to sign the agreement in Shimla.' 'We ruefully recall Bhutto's perfidy and the Indian prime minister's gullibility,' says Lieutenant General Ashok Joshi (retd).
'Modi's political economy is more inspired by Indira Gandhi than Vajpayee.' 'She so wanted an Opposition-mukt Bharat.' 'Sounds familiar?' asks Shekhar Gupta.
'China's growing nexus with Pakistan and the two countries' unresolved territorial disputes with India continue to pose a formidable national security threat to India,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
'Does the Indian army's new assertiveness risk a clash escalating into shooting and possibly skirmishes?' asks Ajai Shukla.
Over 1.4 million foreign pilgrims, about one-fourth of whom are from the Indian sub-continent, will perform Haj this year, Saudi Arabia's Haj Minister said on Tuesday ahead of the world's largest annual gathering.
Sources in the PCB said that alternate venues such as Mohali and Kolkata had been discussed by Manohar and Shaharyar Khan but nothing was final as yet.
Flighting the ball has always been considered a hallmark of a good spinner but India's modern-day left-arm tweaker Akshar Patel says he doesn't even think of tossing the ball and banks on bowling flatter through the air.
Several protests -- some peaceful, some violent -- erupted across India on Monday against the police crackdown in Jamia Millia Islamia and the controversial citizenship law as students and political leaders took to the streets, even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi called these protests "deeply distressing" and appealed for peace.
'This is clearly a much stronger government, a much strong Prime Minister's Office and a much more disciplined approach. There is an improvement of the work culture in the government -- people don't play golf in the mornings anymore. There is a huge attempt going on to making business easier,' says Rakesh Mohan, executive director at the IMF.
Diwali, the festival of lights, was celebrated with traditional fervour across the country with people exchanging sweets and gifts with friends and relatives, decking up their houses with earthen diyas and tiny lights and illuminating the evening sky with fireworks.
A galaxy of top leaders, including Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari and leaders of BJP's allies such as Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shiromani Akali Dal supremo Parkash Singh Badal and Lok Janshakti Party founder Ram Vilas Paswan were present with Shah.
'We could crack IM modules in the country because one arrested member would spill beans on the other.' 'With ISIS, every module is different and is possibly being handled by different operators abroad.'
'His Promised Land was India.' Shekhar Gupta salutes General J F R Jacob, the incredible soldier who passed into the ages this week.
'A man who is sometimes loved and loathed in equal measure, a man we're seemingly tired of seeing yet can't imagine life without.' Dhruv Munjal salutes the incomparable M S Dhoni.
It's hard to be in the wilderness for more than two years but Harbhajan Singh was always "very confident" of once again donning the Indian cricket team's jersey and termed his latest comeback a "fresh beginning" in a career that has spanned over 16 years.
'Amit Shah's trajectory seems unstoppable; no wonder some say the day is not far off when he could be pitching for the top job, and that this is only the first step,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
The controversial Islamic preacher also said that his remarks were being blown out of context and that he is a messenger of peace.
Sushma Swaraj urged the SAARC nations to focus on culture, commerce and connectivity.
A municipal school in Tamil Nadu is encouraging its students to excel in karate and chess.
'The one thing India has over these two States, whose toughness awes us, is our ability to embrace diversity with ease. 'The way ahead lies in learning from Vajpayee's method, not in Xi Jinping's,' says Shekhar Gupta.
'A little old man who has renounced personal possessions, walking with bare feet on the cold earth in search of a great human ideal'.
The move has now been stalled as lawmakers raised questions about the end use of the combat aircraft.
Sushma in her address at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Foreign Ministers meeting said that terrorism is an enemy of basic human rights.
The first set of routes that it will launch internationally will be the routes that can be flown by its existing aircraft, the A320s, which will be routes within three, three-and-a-half hours of India
'The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are an asset that any country aspiring to become a major power would give anything to own.' 'It is disappointing that India has not capitalised on this potential,' says Vice Admiral Premvir Das (retd).
Former opener Virender Sehwag feels India remain overwhelming favourites to win the World Twenty20 title and showered praise on Virat Kohli, saying that even his kids can't move away from the TV set when the batting star is at the crease. "I had picked India, New Zealand, South Africa and West Indies before the start of the tournament. I still feel that way, with India winning the title 99 percent. Okay, they lost to New Zealand in Nagpur but the same thing happened in 2011 (when India lost to South Africa in Nagpur) and we went on to the win the World Cup," Sehwag told 'NDTV'. India's next match is against Bangladesh on March 23 and Sehwag sees the hosts winning it comfortably. Talking about India's win against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens, the former opener richly praised the team's batting mainstay Kohli. "The way Kohli is batting at the moment is amazing. It is difficult to take your eyes off the TV when he is batting. Even my kids want to see him bat," said Sehwag after being reminded of his witty one-liners while commentating on the Indo-Pak clash.
Defying prohibitory orders, protests were held in Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and several other cities. Protesters, mostly students and activists, were detained on a large scale in national capital and other places.
The Pune-based two- and three-wheeler maker will roll out the 150-cc bike, christened 'V', on February 1
Long-distance runner Kavita Raut's Olympic qualification was the icing on the cake on yet another impressive day for India at the 12th South Asian Games, in Guwahati, on Friday. Firmly entrenched atop the overall standings, India increased their medal tally to 248 -- including 146 gold, 79 silver and 23 bronze.
After assuming power in 2014 with a full majority of its own, the BJP-led NDA government started an ambitious process of reforming labour laws in the form of codes aimed at making the framework less cumbersome with a variety of alterations. It had planned four codes each for industrial relations, wages, social security and welfare, and occupational safety, health and working conditions. To this end, 35 central labour laws were to be converted into four codes that would have had the virtue of streamlining labour relations. But none of the proposed code Bills could be converted into a law principally because neither trade unions nor industry representatives came on board. They hold the key to India's low-growth-high unemployment paradigm but the government may struggle to push them through this time as well. Somesh Jha explains why
A round-up of our favourite photographs from the week gone by.
-- The gunman live-streamed the mass shooting inside the Al Noor Mosque -- Witnesses have said they saw 'blood everywhere' -- Four people are in custody after the shootings, including one woman and three men -- New Zealand Prime Minister said the shootings were 'an unprecedented act of violence, an act that has absolutely no place in New Zealand. This is not who we are'.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
'A lot of people had problems in adjusting with the change of time and it affected their sleeping pattern'
'Probably because he was aware that this was his 100th ODI. Or probably because, in the first of its knock-out games, his team had produced the sort of all-round display that induces smiles.'
Without Myanmar, India can't engage with any of the Asian nations to its east.
The Singapore Minister applauded Prime Minister Modi's effort to make India the manufacturing hub of the world.
The 1971 war reaffirmed the importance of inspirational senior leadership in battle and heralded the emergence of a new fighting class amongst officers and men of India's armed forces.
104-year-old bodybuilder Manohar Aich, who was once a household name in Bengal after becoming India's first Mr Universe in 1952, died at his Baguiati residence this afternoon, according to family sources. "Aich was on a liquid died for last 10-15 days and had stopped talking. He breathed his last at 3.50pm," his son Khokan Aich told PTI. Aich is survived by two daughters and two sons, one of whom manages a gym and fitness centre to fulfill his father's dream of making the youth "healthy and strong". "Never quit exercise, he would always say. His mantra to stay healthy was simple - healthy eating and exercise," Khokan added. Former Bengal cricket captain Laxmi Ratan Shukla, who is Minister of State for Sports, visited Aich's residence to offer his condolence. Aich, who turned 104 on March 17, had become India's first Mr Universe when he won the 1952 National Amateur Body-Builders' Association Universe Championships. Born in the district of Comilla (now in Bangladesh), Aich, at just four feet and 11 inches, was not the tallest of men. But encouraged by English officer Reub Martin, Aich took up bodybuilding and made this his passion during his stint at the Royal Air Force under British colonial rulers. He also went on to serve jail term when some years later he protested against colonial oppression, something which Aich considered as "turning point" in his life.
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