'Even known names and social media handles went berserk by stating that Karachi has been attacked and an F-16 was shot down.'
This columnist cannot pretend to be an economic expert but can certainly point out that the statistics being reeled out on a daily basis now, have added to the economic burden of the people, says Seema Mustafa.
'It is important India to stay focussed on its primary national objectives: Combating terrorism; not losing sight of other security and strategic concerns (on the Sino-Indian front for instance); ensuring a strong economy and registering growth which includes improving the lot of common people; and finally making certain that the social fabric remains intact and harmony among people is not jeopardised, at least any further,' asserts Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
The people of the nation co-operated and patiently waited for the government's promised "ache din", and now they want their just rewards, says Adhil Shetty.
The Budget presented by the FM was expected to be highly populist in nature, but on the contrary it has turned out to be broadly one, that is expected to push for higher growth.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the excise duty cut would have an impact of Rs 10,500 crore on central government's tax revenues.
UPA ally DMK also opposed the move and demanded withdrawal of the hike.
The global crisis has presented India with a historic opportunity to grow faster, but according to Pratap Bhanu Mehta, head of a leading independent think tank, the country is unable to capitalise on it owing to political and macro-economic mismanagement. In an interview with Santosh Tiwari, Mehta strongly criticises the Congress for ineptitude. Edited excerpts:
At the end of the day, for many worldwide, the ongoing mutual attacks between Israel and Iran would seem a contest devoid of any moral high ground and only a bout between two ordinary adversaries, one that nevertheless risks spinning out of control into a larger conflagration, notes Shyam G Menon.
Terming the government's move to hike petrol prices as "callous", the CPI(M) on Friday demanded immediate roll back of the hike and restoration of the administrative regulation of petrol pricing.
The high point of the 19 Shastri months was the 22-day war that he fought against great odds and won in principle, even if military historians often call it a stalemate. Pakistan saw a great opportunity to conquer Kashmir and lost. It was the last time they had the relative strength militarily and diplomatically to take Kashmir. Shastri's resolve buried that dream forever, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Heave ho! Its budget time once again. Time for putting on our scrutiny hats and building up expectations of what Pranab Mukherjee will present to the country on Monday, February 28!
Two women died and two others suffered from suffocation after a fire broke out in an 11-floor building in Mumbai on Sunday morning. The blaze erupted at 6.11 am in Panna Ali Mansion building, located in Masjid Bandar area of south Mumbai. The fire was confined to the electric wiring and installations at a common meter box place and electric wiring in the common passage on the ground floor of the building. Two women in the common passage of the first floor sustained injuries to their hands and legs and also got suffocated due to smoke after the fire. Both of them, identified as Sabila Khatun Shaikh (42) and Sajiya Alam Sheikh (30), were taken to hospital where they were declared dead. A man on the building's sixth floor and a woman on the eighth floor also suffered from suffocation. The two persons, identified as Karim Shaikh (20) and Shahin Shaikh (22), were rushed to the government-run J J Hospital and their condition was reported to be stable. The blaze was doused by 6.31 am. The cause of the fire was not yet known.
'If we stay silent now, we betray the very foundation of justice in this country.'
Opposition MPs in India's Rajya Sabha raised concerns about US President Donald Trump's tariff threats, demanding the government clarify its response and engage in discussions with opposition parties. Leaders like P Chidambaram and Sagarika Ghose warned of potential economic repercussions, including depressed exports, lower FDI, and a significant tariff burden. The debate also touched on other issues such as the government's economic policies, demonetization, and the impact of GST on common citizens.
A superficial drama that never rises above its boring sentimentality, notes Mayur Sanap.
The visitor returns not just with the jewel-like beauty of the country imprinted on the mind, the body rejuvenated by hot stone massages, but also with the captivating stories and myths that are built into every important structure -- whether a tourist magnet or an off-the-beaten track spot.
In first year of the UPA-2, non-performance is visible in all areas of governance, writes Virendra Kapoor.
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) is the amount of funds that the banks have to keep with the Reserve Bank of India. If RBI decides to increase the percent of this, the available amount with the banks comes down. RBI is using this method (increase of CRR rate), to drain out the excessive money from the banks.
A 26-year-old groom, identified as Pradeep Jat, collapsed and died on a horse during his wedding procession in Madhya Pradesh's Sheopur district. The incident occurred on Friday night and a video capturing the man's last moments surfaced on social media. The groom, a former district president of the National Student Union of India (NSUI), possibly died due to a heart attack.
The monetary policy will not affect the common man directly in the near future. The increase in the SLR (to 25 per cent) does not have any impact as the scheduled commercial banks are already having the SLR at 27.6 per cent.
In its effort to be something of everything, the budget has become a bag of contradictions
The problem in India is that much of the cost of the roof over your head is on account of the land beneath your feet--which has been kept hopelessly expensive by the politician-builder nexus.
Police have arrested three persons from Mumbai, including a woman, for allegedly trafficking a man from Chhattisgarh's Durg district for 'cyber slavery' in Laos in southeast Asia and cheating him of Rs 2 lakh, an official said on Wednesday.
Kejriwal described the BJP's election manifesto as "dangerous for the country".
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday doled out income tax sops by raising threshold exemption and investment limits by Rs 50,000, raised duties on cigarettes, tobacco, pan-masala and aerated drinks, widened service tax base and announced measures to spur growth manufacturing and revive investor confidence.
The year 2025 started slowly at the box office but the summer is looking up for theatrical releases.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, accusing them of "speaking the language of urban naxals" and being "AAP-da" for the youth. He also took a swipe at former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying those who entertain themselves by getting photo sessions done in huts of the poor will find the talk about the poor in Parliament boring. Modi also hailed his government's decisions in the Budget and said that the Ayushman Bharat scheme, which his government started for the poor, has been stalled by some states, leaving poor people in hardship.
'The increase in the limit for TDS on interest to Rs 1 lakh will ensure greater cash flow in the hands of senior citizens.'
Hardening his stand on the passage of two key bills, Arvind Kejriwal on Monday renewed his threat to quit, saying he was ready to sacrifice the chief minister's post a "thousand times" to ensure "swaraj" and give power to the common people.
Senior journalist N Niranjan Nikam recalls his childhood friend Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the maharaja of Mysore who passed into the ages on Tuesday.
People in several districts of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat spent an anxious night as authorities enforced blackouts amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan.
Today's Hindi film mothers are younger, trendier, more mischievous. But, truth be told, says Dinesh Raheja, I still do miss sometimes the comforting presence of the trad mother.
Bharatiya Janata Party legislature party leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in as new chief minister of Maharashtra while allies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath as deputy CMs at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on Thursday evening.
Be it as a source of fire, secret or endgame, everything is seen through the prism of sex and good looks in The Royals, observes Sukanya Verma.
Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi's competent performances barely elevate this romantic drama, which prefers patriotic thrills, observes Arjun Menon.
Term life insurance policies, and senior citizens' health insurance premium are likely to be exempted from GST as most members of a state ministerial panel favoured cutting taxes to benefit the common man, an official said on Saturday. The GoM to decide on GST on health and life insurance premiums in its meeting on Saturday decided to exempt GST on premiums paid by individuals, other than senior citizens, for health insurance with coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh. However, 18 per cent GST will continue to be levied for health insurance cover of over Rs 5 lakh.
The Air India flight crashed into the sea after a mid-air bomb explosion in what was a failed assassination attempt on Chinese premier Zhou En Lai.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances