Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The NDA government has gradually nuanced its position on the issue of demographic challenge.
Much will depend on how the protagonists use the current interlude to work proactively for the beginning of a durable settlement or, on the contrary, prepare for a new round of escalation, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
CBSE exams and unemployment are divergent concerns for the middle class and the poor, and the idioms of protest don't speak to all of India's young people, points out Kanika Datta.
While the Andaman and Nicobar islands serve as a vital, stationary asset for projecting power in the Indian Ocean, referring to them as an unsinkable aircraft carrier ignores key military and geopolitical limitations, explains Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
If one has to compare the tenures of the two prime ministers one must credit Nehru with laying the foundations on which Modi is building a grand edifice, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
The men in my family left early. The women stayed. And somewhere in between, they made me whoever I am, notes Binu Alex.
India-Pakistan matches were never meant to be predictable -- it was meant to be unforgettable, notes K R Nayar.
The Gandhis have served both the Congress and India. But it has been 12 years since the 2014 verdict, and the returns have been diminishing. It is time for them to step aside, let the party find its own footing, and allow someone else to make the hard calls. That is what the Congress needs. And frankly, it is what India needs too, points out Harishchandra.
A sovereign cloud, our own DNS root and Root CA, a defence-led research base that builds for keeps, and a real national cybersecurity strategy that outlives electoral cycles are not vanity projects. They are the difference between a nation that can be switched off and one that cannot, points out Venkata Satish Guttula.
Sunil Gavaskar defended Rishabh Pant after the LSG captain's live TV slip-up, blaming broadcasters for interviewing losing skippers immediately after emotionally charged IPL defeats.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
The asymmetry in deposit and credit growth is the biggest challenge before the Indian banking industry. For every 100 deposit that a bank mobilises, it needs to keep 3 with the banking regulator in the form of cash reserve ratio on which it doesn't earn any interest. Another 18 is used for buying government bonds (statutory liquidity ratio). This means, a bank is left with 79 for giving credit. Add to this, its capital which can be used for giving loans. Most banks are facing a fund crunch. They need to find ways to attract deposits if they want to sustain credit growth, explains Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The US-China rapprochement, however tenuous, is not without implications for India. Both China and Pakistan have become closer to the US, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
India's foreign policy establishment is adjusting with alacrity in real time -- an extraordinary spectacle in itself, considering the manifest reluctance to indulge in public diplomacy critical of American moves, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
As the World Cup kicks off, sports enthusiasts are witnessing a fascinating transition from the familiar rhythms of cricket to the exhilarating dynamics of football, bringing with it new terminology, fan reactions, and game rules to master.
Immigrants' contribution to the US economy is disproportionate to their share of the population, meaning that losing them would shrink the economy even more than losing a random group of Americans, points out Sree Sreenivasan.
'Both men understand the stakes. They are not about to squander what they have.'
As Shastri Bhawan nears demolition, one of Delhi's most iconic government buildings leaves behind six decades of stories, power, journalism and public life.
Have a blast with Chand Mera Dil, one puzzling piece at a time!
A modified surgical technique developed at AIIMS, Delhi, is providing new hope for patients with severe spinal deformities. The technique, a refined version of posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR), improves spinal stability and reduces complications, leading to better outcomes and improved quality of life for patients.
Major Jojy Joseph led from the front. Laid down his life. In the service of the nation.
To get its act going in Myanmar, India would need very dynamic diplomacy and not the lazy all-eggs-in-one-basket approach, points out Subir Bhaumik.
I have spent the last couple of days trying to understand what exactly is making me so angry about the viral controversy surrounding comedian Pranit More's crowd-work show. At first, I thought it was because of the audience member whose story has now sparked outrage across social media. Then I thought it was because of the comedian's response.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is set to be football's largest tournament but will unfold against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tensions, including conflicts, strained alliances, and complex immigration policies, challenging its traditional role as a symbol of global unity.
Both the political executive in New Delhi and the newly elected political dispensation in Kolkata must be careful to ensure that their image is not tarnished by induction of undesirable elements in the name of political expediency, asserts Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
The primary objective should be to figure out a way to grow at 7 to 7.5 per cent with inflation around 4 per cent. Any policy that can help us get there must be experimented with. Those that work should stay. Those that do not should go, suggests Karan Bhasin.
'A film that puts a Malayali collector, a Malayali general, and a Malayali gangster all in the same national plot does not feel pan-Indian. It feels like a school play where only one family showed up,' notes Binu Alex after watching the Mohanlal-Mammootty starrer Patriot.
Few leaders since Independence have been able to establish such a direct connection with the electorate or shape the national conversation to the extent that Narendra Modi has done over the past decade, points out former Union minister Dr Karan Singh.
The falling Total Fertility Rate offers India a chance to become the Pandavas -- fewer in number, but each citizen genuinely empowered, educated, and capable of contributing to a civilisation worth building, asserts Amberish K Diwanji.
The special screening of The Devil Wears Prada 2 looked like a catwalk, as film folk dressed glamorously to keep up with the film's theme.
Why would a country that requires close to $90 billion in net foreign capital annually to create jobs, build productive capacity, and sustain rapid growth permit $30 billion of capital to flow abroad, thereby contributing to pressure on the rupee? asks Debashis Basu.
The Indian stock market mythos of 36 years is wrapped in a diaphanous negligee, lashed together by a delicate, etheric sash of 1.6 bull markets. To make money from here on will require a ground invasion, trench by trench, rather than carpet bombing. Way more difficult, points out Shankar Sharma.
'Why are we deliberately taking apart an electoral system that has worked?' 'There is no answer to that, and there is no data and has never been any on the absurd slander that foreigners are voting here,' asserts Aakar Patel.
Sunil Gavaskar revealed he was once 'pulled up' for writing to IPL captains seeking ideas to improve the league.
Have fun with this fun jigsaw!
The Femina Beauty Awards turned into a full-blown fashion parade as Bollywood's best dressed stars arrived serving drama, sparkle and couture-level glam.
A wellspring fuelling the CJP tsunami is the high levels of youth unemployment. Millions of youngsters, including extremely over-qualified people, apply in desperation for any job that is advertised. No government has been able to deliver on this front and things may get worse as artificial intelligence enters the workforce, points out Devangshu Datta.
While tensions have eased at several friction points and mechanisms for managing the boundary have been reactivated, underlying differences persist. Disputes over naming practices in Arunachal Pradesh, continued infrastructure development on both sides, and unresolved questions regarding patrolling rights indicate that the structural gap remains, notes Dr Kumar.
