Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is heading for the most crucial time of his political career. On Tuesday, no less than the Supreme Court dragged Prime Minister's Office in the massive telecom scam and that gives the hint of forming of the political storm which has the potential to damage PM Dr Singh.
Former national security advisor Brajesh Mishra, during whose tenure India-China relations had improved significantly, has said that China's present threat to India is more dangerous than in 1962, when the countries clashed in a war, and that Indian politicians were to blame for India's weak defence position.
Digvijay Singh's indictment of Home Minister P Chidambaram's strategy seems to be a preamble to the party's stance on Maoists which will differ from the government's plan, says Sheela Bhatt.
Sheela Bhatt lifts the lid off a Gujarat government scheme, piloted by Law Minister Amit Shah, currently in the dock over the Sohrabuddin encounter, to offer prime plots cheap to judges
That there is something awry in the entire strategy is now established. Now, even moderate critics of the government are questioning the methods of the home minister and his ministry.
Sheela Bhatt reveals the inside story on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's revelations to India on the Headley-Rana case, and of how the findings have changed the 26/11 investigation in India.
The tense atmosphere between India and China has changed for good after the Copenhagen summit, claimed a top-level source dealing with the Chinese in Indian government.
SuSu Sudhi Vathmeekam handles the subject of physical limitations judiciously without trying to manipulate a viewer's emotions, writes Paresh C Palicha.
The Centre has sought certain clarifications from Jharkhand on its recommendation to grant iron ore mining licence to ArcelorMittal, a move that will further delay the steel giant's Rs 50,000-crore (Rs 500 billion) proposed steel plant in the mineral-rich state.
A controversy -- described as climategate -- has broken out regarding the authenticity of the data provided by the prestigious East Anglia University of the United Kingdom that formed the basis of the United Nations report on climate change.
The foreign ministers' talks failed just when progress seemed on the horizon, says Sheela Bhatt
Sheela Bhatt reports on the tortuous negotiations to form a Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra.
The Mumbai police was aware of its mistake much before it came to light. They knew that it was a highly sensitive issue so they made a tremendous effort to locate the jacket.
India, says a senior diplomat in the Ministry of External Affairs who is a member of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's team to Washington, DC, is looking forward to the visit with anticipation.
'No political office anywhere in the world holds as much clout and influence over society as it does in India. I say that because the political office holder is the only person in the country whose influence is far more than his or her innate merit,' says L K Advani.
Nothing is going to dramatically open up on May 3. There will be too many ifs and buts and terms and conditions and guidelines in leading one's life in various zones, reveals Sheela Bhatt.
Director Shafi is back with his latest Malayalam offering.
In the other matches, Manipur trounced Nagaland by 10 wickets in the battle of newcomers while Jammu and Kashmir defeated Andhra Pradesh by five wickets.
Nearly a decade after Kutch faced its worst-ever earthquake, rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt in a two-part series assesses the transformation witnessed in the Kutchi society since the time the calamity struck on January, 2001, and its implications.
The February 25 India-Pakistan talks are bound to fail. India is acting under American and British pressure. The Americans and the British are just looking for an honorable excuse to flee from Afghanistan. And Pakistan will continue to undermine India till the Indian armed forces don't have clear superiority. This, in essence, is what former Indian national adviser Brajesh Mishra -- a vocal opponent of New Delhi's latest olive branch to Islamabad -- feels.
Sheela Bhatt meets RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at a media interaction in New Delhi. She says that while he was rigid on his stand on the Ayodhya issue, he impressed with his simplicity and clarity of thought.
Rahul Bedi, who has been writing relentlessly on India's strategic and defence related issues, thinks this year will cement India-United States defence ties like never before. New Delhi-based Bedi is a correspondent for the prestigious Jane's Defence Weekly spoke to rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt.
Sheela Bhatt explains why the judgment in the title suit in the Ayodhya case -- despite a delay of over half a century -- still comes at the wrong time for the Centre and several state governments.
Although Dr Manmohan Singh readily answered questions during his press conference, he gave the feeling that he is a secretive politician who doesn't reveal the story easily. More than 80 minutes of questioning failed to provoke him. He played a defensive game and didn't convey through anything new, writes Sheela Bhatt.
'The BJP is the most progressive force within Hinduism today.'
Haiti reminds Indians of Kutch. The rescue, relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims have local requirements that vary from region to region but, the story of how Kutch was reborn after the devastating earthquake of January 26, 2001 can became a useful template for Haiti.
The message that emanates from China's denial of a visa to General B S Jaswal has multiple messages, says Sheela Bhatt.
'We should not worry too much about Indian capabilities, both military and otherwise.'
No, the two stars are not getting married in real life. These pictures are from their latest Telugu film, Seetharamula Kalyanam (Lankalo).
Monday's verdict of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case was extraordinary in many ways. Reading Sheela Bhatt lists out 10 most important things to understand about the judgment.
Bureaucrats, police officers and the security clan spend public funds as lavishly as ministers do.
Check out these Telugu films releasing this festive season.
Sheela Bhatt deconstructs the murky goings-on in the Indian Premier League.
Sheela Bhatt says the Congress cannot have a celebratory party until it addresses the national issues demanding attention.
The recommendations of the people's tribunal on the problems of the tribals and the Maoist insurgency offers a comprehensive plan to tackle the situation and looks into the root causes of the issues at stake.
Nandkumar says it is too early to say to quantify the deficit in food grain production but, a 6-million hectare deficit in paddy cultivation has been noted in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Nandkumar, whose office has a top view of the farming sector in India says that Indian farmers could somehow make up by growing maize or jowar instaed of paddy.
'Their Maoism is a facade only to become leaders in society,' argues former IPS officer Mahendra Kumawat, who has extensively dealt with Naxalites.
On the night of November 25, at around 10.30 pm, Rakesh Maria hand-delivered a long letter to Chandra Iyengar, the state additional home secretary. He took three hours to draft his letter because he has attached a detailed rebuttal with his letter expressing a desire to resign if he is not defended.
Senior Police Inspector Ramesh Mahale tells Sheela Bhatt that the Headley-Rana angle will not affect his case.
The Union home ministry believes the newly-formed National Investigation Agency will have to reinvestigate the 26/11 case if the David Headley-Tahawwur Rana probe produces unexpected links with the Mumbai terror attacks. This will be a serious matter and hit the Mumbai police's credibility.
