The last week's headlines have captured the contrasts and contradictions within India in all their starkness, and sharpness.
Sumit Bhattacharya attends Narendra Modi's rally in the temple city, and finds a people yearning for change, yet torn between affiliations and ambition
Instead of working to reduce the subsidy bill, various political elements seem to be pushing for even higher subsidies.
A person may be inclined to look elsewhere for the desired sexual fulfilment if they feel unfulfilled or unsatisfied in this area, warns Sybil Shiddell, country manager India, Gleeden, a discreet extra marital dating Web site.
Mr Mukherjee has presented a good budget, perhaps even a very good one under the circumstances, but he has shied away from presenting a great budget.
The most aspirational and optimistic youth are in places that have seen the least growth and yet they are hardly turning out to vote.
In the last three years, the Union Territory administration has invoked 311 (2)(c) of the Constitution to sack more than 50 employees, who were allegedly operating in shadows within the government and drawing a salary from the public exchequer, however, they were helping Pakistani terror outfits, providing logistics to terrorists, propagating terrorists' ideology, raising terror finances and furthering secessionist agenda, officials said.
EAM Jaishankar's mission is aimed at strengthening India's strategic autonomy in a complex international environment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A democracy is one, only if it has a robust Opposition. And as its actions show, the Modi-BJP combine gives two hoots for that. So, the Opposition must learn to convince people why the BJP must go. Else, it can count down to 2029, points out Shyam G Menon.
'It is important to understand that when it comes to setting examples of truth, honesty and ethical conduct, leaders need to be true to their principles or values 100 per cent of the time.'
Bhagyashree goes down memory lane... Kriti has a question... Kapil tries his hand at music...
Being driven to abandon Indian middle-class values, asks Ajit Balakrishnan.
Grain stocks in the current procurement season will be enough to feed all those who go hungry, and the FCI only needs to invest in proper storage facilities.
'The ending Vijay Tendulkar had written was different.' 'According to him, the film ended with Anant Welankar's suicide.' 'I felt such an ending would be too nihilistic.' 'Bahut zyada defeatist ho jaata.'
The move came after the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday approved an amendment to the British-era Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.
Today there are 1,400 B-schools accredited by the All India Council for Technical Education and countless more -- of questionable credentials or otherwise -- that function without AICTE certification.
'They have no incentive to be part of either the NDA or INDIA at this stage, but they may hedge their bets towards the winning coalition in the post-poll setting.'
We must heed what the CJI has said. Challenging every judgment of the central government is inviting chaos, asserts Shreekant Sambrani.
'But will there be matching action as far as tribals are concerned on the ground?'
'I think my first obsessive, possessive and only half-requited -- as we would joke -- 'love' was Ivan. I saw him first slouching down the corridor of St Stephen's College nearly 50 years ago and was instantly smitten (as was everyone else around him).'
India's historical focus on its continental borders has overshadowed its maritime ambitions, but that is changing quickly, notes Ajai Shukla.
Organised retailers in India today are caught in a bit of a bind: on the one hand, they're raring to roll out new stores so that they can grab space and market share. But, on the other, lease rentals are prohibitive and footfalls don't seem to be getting converted into the kind of buying many thought they would. It's not easy anymore.
'In investing, you have to first make sure you don't make big mistakes.' 'I would advise small investors to be systematic, don't be arbitrary; don't be on either end of the risk spectrum.' 'Don't go from fixed deposit to option trading or crypto trading.'
The MoD did not reveal the number of missiles procured through the latest contract.
However, this information was inadvertently revealed through an official MoD photograph that accompanied the announcement.
There seems to be a desire for opacity when it comes to confronting China, points out Aakar Patel.
'They also think that if all opposition parties rally behind him, then 2024 will be Rahul versus Modi and that will be advantage BJP'
Should we not be creating roles in India for the talented, asks Ajit Balakrishnan.
These films, even at their saddest, darkest and grossest, retain their sense of humour, their sense of proportion, which again is something you associate with a Malayali.
'If Mayawati had performed better, then the BJP would have had a much tougher time to win UP.' 'The present gap in number of seats between the BJP and SP would have got reduced.'
'Rain-fed farms in the drier parts of the country are feeling the pinch of lack of water, and this pinch is only going to increase. Some of the biggest companies have shut down because of non-availability of water.'
If Kerala wants to sustain its room for independent thinking and talk back to Delhi when needed, it should put its finances in order. Or - if one takes the North East example - Kerala's political posturing may end up commensurate with its financial dependence on others, suggests Shyam G Menon.
On May 25, Batra was removed as IOA chief after the Delhi High Court struck down the post of 'life member' in Hockey India, courtesy which he had contested and won the apex body elections back in 2017.
'For him to suddenly leave the way that he did, it shattered me.' 'It took me a long, long, time to come to terms with it.' 'Because the loss of such a friend can destroy you.' 'The loss was and continues to be immense.'
'People who tell you otherwise are either psychopaths or plain delusional.'
Amid questions over his future, many political observers believe he has enhanced his political stature.
The BJP hopes that any vote AAP gets should only be from the Congress. At the same time, it does not want AAP to get too much of it. Because, a declining old opponent is a blessing as much as a rising new rival is a threat, points out Shekhar Gupta.
By filing his nomination as Congress president on Friday, Shashi Tharoor has shown he is no 'quockerwodger' -- a word he introduced into our lexicon which means someone acting on the instructions of an influential third party.
'He (Modi) has spoken of being a prime minister for all Indians but he...presides over and has mostly been silent in the face of widespread communal violence, mob lynching and cow vigilantism'
