News for 'Institute for Social and Economic Change'

Why Modi must meet Santosh Kaveri

Why Modi must meet Santosh Kaveri

Rediff.com10 May 2019

Santosh Kaveri, a young inventor from Karnataka, is a sterling example of the 'Made In India' initiative. Find out why his dreams of being an innovator-enterpreneur shattered.

Dee MC: The badass rapper girl

Dee MC: The badass rapper girl

Rediff.com1 Mar 2019

'I want to use my music to reach out to the youth, to inspire them to create history.' 'To share knowledge, to tell them the importance of voting, girl child education, menstrual hygiene.'

Rag pickers to rock stars: Meet Dharavi's slumdog millionaires

Rag pickers to rock stars: Meet Dharavi's slumdog millionaires

Rediff.com13 Oct 2015

A group of young guns led by Abhijit Jejurikar showed the world what they are capable of.

It's the start-up season

It's the start-up season

Rediff.com29 Dec 2015

Perhaps, the most misunderstood aspect is the role of the state.

'I see the genius of the Indian people'

'I see the genius of the Indian people'

Rediff.com1 Dec 2014

'Never lose your optimism. Never lose your aspiration and never -- even if India becomes a prosperous consumer society -- never ever lose that shining light in your eyes,' advises Dr Peter McLaughlin, headmaster of the Doon School.

World Bank projects displaced 380,000 in India

World Bank projects displaced 380,000 in India

Rediff.com22 Apr 2015

For the remaining projects, it is difficult to arrive at an estimate.

IAS topper: 'I want to fight corruption'

IAS topper: 'I want to fight corruption'

Rediff.com20 May 2016

Meet Jasmeet Singh Sandhu who ranked third in the Union Public Service Commission exam this year.

Is rural India angry with Modi?

Is rural India angry with Modi?

Rediff.com8 Apr 2015

The anger against land acquisition is not only among landowners.

The Indian Spring: Lessons for the world

The Indian Spring: Lessons for the world

Rediff.com30 Dec 2013

The Indian Spring represented by Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign, which has culminated in the Aam Aadmi Party's impressive electoral debut in New Delhi, began around the same time as the Arab Spring in 2011 but they led to different outcomes in India and the Arab world, says Ramesh Ramachandran.

Malvika Iyer's amazing story of grit!

Malvika Iyer's amazing story of grit!

Rediff.com17 Sep 2014

In 2002, at 13 she lost both her hands and severely damaged her legs in a freak accident. Today she is a dedicated social worker, a motivational speaker and model for accessible clothing in India.

Jaitley under fire, Modi the target

Jaitley under fire, Modi the target

Rediff.com28 Dec 2015

'Nobody would dare directly target Modi, and while there are murmurs about Amit Shah after Bihar, nobody is willing to say this openly. Arun Jaitley, in some calculations, is most expendable for Modi,' says Shekhar Gupta.

Full text: What Modi, Obama agreed on

Full text: What Modi, Obama agreed on

Rediff.com25 Jan 2015

This is the joint statement issued by the ministry of external affairs on the visit of US President Barack Obama to India.

Row after Maharashtra CM funds dancers' Bangkok visit from relief fund

Row after Maharashtra CM funds dancers' Bangkok visit from relief fund

Rediff.com24 Oct 2015

The sanction of Rs 8 lakh from Maharashtra Chief Minister's Relief Fund for a dance troupe's visit to Thailand has sparked a row with the opposition questioning the BJP-led government's "priorities" at a time when the state is reeling under severe drought.

'To call the BJP or its leaders 'fascist' is historically untenable'

'To call the BJP or its leaders 'fascist' is historically untenable'

Rediff.com16 May 2014

'Narendra Modi could be too old to change his personality. On the other hand, his attachment to the RSS could be mostly sentimental. So one must hope that if he becomes prime minister, he is able to detach himself from the RSS view of the world as completely as Narasimha Rao detached himself from the Congress's First Family.' 'India cannot be governed by the autocratic methods by which he has governed Gujarat. If he becomes prime minister he will have to learn to speak in a more civil language about his political opponents,' historian Ramachandra Guha tells Arthur J Pais/Rediff.com

FULL TEXT: Pranab's address at RSS headquarters

FULL TEXT: Pranab's address at RSS headquarters

Rediff.com7 Jun 2018

The soul of India resides in pluralism and tolerance. This plurality of our society has come through assimilation of ideas over centuries. Secularism and inclusion are a matter of faith for us. It is our composite culture which makes us into one nation.

MUST READ: The Narendra Modi Interview

MUST READ: The Narendra Modi Interview

Rediff.com2 Jan 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on range of issues -- from Rafale deal to Ram temple and triple talaq.

'Bringing religion into public life is a dreadful mistake'

'Bringing religion into public life is a dreadful mistake'

Rediff.com20 Oct 2015

'Communal tension and violent mobs have been part of our country, whichever government is in power. What has happened since the BJP came into power is that individuals or group activities asserting Hindutva have become louder, more aggressive.' 'Now we are finding ourselves in a country where reasoning and thinking have no place, the power lies with the goons.' 'I find any ban, whether on what we write, what we eat, how we dress etc, absolutely abominable. They have no place in a democracy.' Shashi Deshpande on why she joined the writers' protest against the growing intolerance in India.

Why are soft skills so important?

Why are soft skills so important?

Rediff.com29 May 2015

What differentiates one person from another is how well they can effectively utilise their skill and knowledge.

100 years of ITC: Corporate India's big success story

100 years of ITC: Corporate India's big success story

Rediff.com8 Dec 2014

ITC is one of those few enterprises in the world that has traversed a 100 year journey and has yet managed to remain contemporary, relevant and competitive.

The interview Narendra Modi MUST read!

The interview Narendra Modi MUST read!

Rediff.com22 Jan 2015

'Narendra Modi has had very good luck. Firstly, the fall of oil prices. You don't get that very often in your life and you certainly don't get that often when you are in government.' 'Secondly, the fantasy of Indian reforms has led to very strong capital inflows to have made his job much, much easier.' 'You ride the winds in times of fortune and he hasn't done that. At least, not yet.' 'Those winds of fortune which are blowing your way can certainly turn around easily. There are quite a few headwinds coming up. He may well, history will show, have missed the opportunities that existed.'

Shalini Krishnan quit a high-paying job to teach tribal students

Shalini Krishnan quit a high-paying job to teach tribal students

Rediff.com15 Jun 2015

Shalini Krishnan discovers the amazing talent and creativity of tribal children in Odisha.

Will the Supreme Court declare the Aadhaar Act a black law?

Will the Supreme Court declare the Aadhaar Act a black law?

Rediff.com11 Jun 2018

Unless the judges factor in the ungovernability of technologies and their beneficial owners, present and future Presidents, prime ministers, judges, legislators and officials handling sensitive assignments may become redundant with reference to their age-old roles for securing 'national resources and assets', warns Dr Gopal Krishna.

Maharashtra dumps SEZ for real estate

Maharashtra dumps SEZ for real estate

Rediff.com22 Sep 2013

Its new industrial policy appears to benefit industrial houses

World must remember Indian heroism in WWI

World must remember Indian heroism in WWI

Rediff.com7 Dec 2018

'The Indian Army served with honour and distinction in France and Flanders, East Africa, Gallipoli, Aden, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Transcaspia, Persia and even China.' 'The sacrifice of India's soldiers was consigned to the dustbin of history in the post-colonial world.'

Will stock markets remain bullish in 2015?

Will stock markets remain bullish in 2015?

Rediff.com16 Jan 2015

It will be difficult for the Indian equity to outperform overall growth to the extent bullish observers expect.

How Muzaffarnagar riots will impact 2014 elections

How Muzaffarnagar riots will impact 2014 elections

Rediff.com19 Sep 2013

Though Muslims have been trusted allies of Jats since the days of former Prime Minister Charan Singh, experts feel the alliance has had its share of strains following his death in 1987

The dangerous threat of nuclear terrorism

The dangerous threat of nuclear terrorism

Rediff.com5 Apr 2016

During last week's Nuclear Security Summit, President Obama asked the media to leave and then screened videos depicting plausible scenarios pertaining to nuclear terrorism.

Exclusive! Medha Patkar: Land acquisition ordinance will destroy poor

Exclusive! Medha Patkar: Land acquisition ordinance will destroy poor

Rediff.com14 Jan 2015

The new ordinance on land acquisition will allow land grabbers to deprive millions, destroy agriculture, horticulture, rivers, forests, tree cover and mangroves to extract minerals as well as ground water, without replenishment at a pace that will not leave anything for the next generation, warns activist Medha Patkar.

Budget 2018: An Exercise in Mindlessness

Budget 2018: An Exercise in Mindlessness

Rediff.com4 Feb 2018

'In the final analysis, all Budgets everywhere are like the schemes hatched by A A Milne's lovable Winnie-the-Pooh.' 'They may be well-intended, but often go awry.' 'Although Pooh and his friends agree that he 'has very little brain', he is occasionally acknowledged to have a clever idea, usually driven by common sense.' 'This Budget at a first glance does not appear to belong to that latter category,' says economist Shreekant Sambrani.

No rape in marriage?

No rape in marriage?

Rediff.com9 May 2015

A number of studies and statistics prove that marital rape is a reality in India. But laws that do not acknowledge this are another reality that a large number of married women are forced to live with.

Is your child ADDICTED to the Internet?

Is your child ADDICTED to the Internet?

Rediff.com12 Jan 2015

If your child is spending too much time online, an Internet de-addiction clinic can help him or her use technology in a healthy manner, reports Indulekha Aravind.

Rebalancing the Chinese Romance

Rebalancing the Chinese Romance

Rediff.com3 Feb 2015

'The question remains: Was the Obama visit truly a success? Only the future will tell us if the "breakthrough" in the nuclear liability issue will concretise into electricity.' 'As importantly, it will be interesting to watch how India's relations with China will evolve in the months to come.'

'I don't want to play the hero's friend any more'

'I don't want to play the hero's friend any more'

Rediff.com1 Sep 2015

'I have been offered the main lead many times now, including romantic and action hero roles. But they're not interesting. I want to do films like Aandhi, Angoor, Ram Aur Shyam, Mela, Deewar, Zanjeer and Sholay but I don't have a plan.' Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub gets ready for the next level.

How to mint millions by developing apps

How to mint millions by developing apps

Rediff.com12 Jan 2015

With big dreams and high hopes of earning lakhs or even crores, more and more youngsters are getting into software development for smartphones.

'The Congress is back -- sort of'

'The Congress is back -- sort of'

Rediff.com5 Jun 2015

Rahul Gandhi has taken the fight to the Modi government, feels Milan Vaishnav. Aziz Haniffa/Rediff.com reports from Washington, DC.

Budget numbers: Full of sound and fury

Budget numbers: Full of sound and fury

Rediff.com17 Mar 2016

High fiscal deficits raise inflation which hits the lowest income and salaried classes.

Food Security Bill: A few pertinent questions

Food Security Bill: A few pertinent questions

Rediff.com30 Aug 2013

Can the leaky public distribution system, or PDS, deliver the subsidised grain to two-thirds of the population?

'Modi's marriage is a Shakespearean tragedy'

'Modi's marriage is a Shakespearean tragedy'

Rediff.com11 Apr 2014

'If 17-year-old Modi wanted to get out of the marriage, which was imposed on him by a socially backward society and his family, it's not only ethical but his right to walk out of the forced marriage...' 'Jashodaben, a highly conservative woman who understandably, by the social standards of India of the 1960s, opted to remain confined to the marriage instead of kicking Modi out from her life for not starting the marriage in the real sense...''In spite of media pressure, if she does not speak against Modi, it suggests that Modi has not ill-treated her or exploited her after parting ways.' Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt speaks to people in the know about the controversy over Narendra Modi's marriage.

Exclusive! THE AMIT SHAH INTERVIEW 'We are pro-India'

Exclusive! THE AMIT SHAH INTERVIEW 'We are pro-India'

Rediff.com3 Nov 2014

The third and final part of BJP president Amit Shah's interview to Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com.

Budget session: India is a haven of stability, says President Pranab

Budget session: India is a haven of stability, says President Pranab

Rediff.com23 Feb 2016

The president outlined the government's agenda in the coming financial year in his customary address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament.