News for 'Society Policy Institute'

Impact investing still nascent, India must climb the ladder faster

Impact investing still nascent, India must climb the ladder faster

Rediff.com7 Apr 2015

It's time India makes social, environmental impact like its global peers

Why India must LISTEN to this man

Why India must LISTEN to this man

Rediff.com16 Jan 2018

'Learning by doing is in our genes.' 'We are applying the wrong method by making our children sit in a classroom for eight hours, listening to someone talk.'

'We know India can run -- judging by cricket -- but can it fly?'

'We know India can run -- judging by cricket -- but can it fly?'

Rediff.com18 Mar 2015

The elements are all aligned to make India a global powerhouse, says IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde.

Climate Change: Looking for hope beyond Lima conference

Climate Change: Looking for hope beyond Lima conference

Rediff.com22 Dec 2014

With the weaker-than-expected agreement at the recent Climate Change Conference at Lima, there is an urgent need to highlight endeavours in civil society and business for a sustainable global economy with grassroots empowerment, say Rajni Bakshi.

Obama vows to protect religious minorities at home and abroad

Obama vows to protect religious minorities at home and abroad

Rediff.com16 Jan 2016

Obama made no reference to any country in his speech but said that his administration works to promote religious freedom around the globe.

President Mukherjee interacts with students on Teachers Day

President Mukherjee interacts with students on Teachers Day

Rediff.com5 Sep 2016

India has suffered the brunt of terrorism, including that of the cross-border variety, he said.

Trade war is Trump's bid to halt China's rise

Trade war is Trump's bid to halt China's rise

Rediff.com28 Sep 2018

Chinese observers believe the Sino-US relationship will be impacted by issues in North Korea, Japan, India, Ukraine and Iran and that conflicts with these 'third parties' will without exception ultimately become conflicts between China and the US, points out former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade.

Modi mocks PM: 'Good days coming in 4 months'

Modi mocks PM: 'Good days coming in 4 months'

Rediff.com9 Jan 2014

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narendra Modi on Thursday chose a global NRI meet to hit out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had said that "we are set for better times".

Sharad Pawar: 'Modi is a loner'

Sharad Pawar: 'Modi is a loner'

Rediff.com13 May 2019

'We know each other for quite some time.' 'He could provide stability to the country for five years.' 'But he could not provide confidence to the countrymen that he is our leader.'

Committed to provide transparent, predictable tax regime: PM

Committed to provide transparent, predictable tax regime: PM

Rediff.com21 Nov 2015

"Reform is not an end in itself. Reform for me is just a way station on the long journey to the destination. The destination is the transformation of India," he said.

'Very, very hard for Modi to return with a comparably large majority'

'Very, very hard for Modi to return with a comparably large majority'

Rediff.com21 Aug 2018

'Most likely scenario is Modi comes back with either a much smaller majority and no majority at all and a coalition.' 'Very hard to imagine him doing better than he did last time.' 'He will then be a weaker prime minister,' the author of The Billionaire Raj tells Rediff.com's Vaihayasi Pande Daniel.

Post-Modi difficulties in Gujarat

Post-Modi difficulties in Gujarat

Rediff.com29 Feb 2016

Successor Anandiben Patel isn't having an easy time, with a protest movement by her own community and new challenges in keeping the mandate

How Mayawati-Akhilesh plan to defeat Modi-Shah in UP

How Mayawati-Akhilesh plan to defeat Modi-Shah in UP

Rediff.com11 Oct 2018

'The SP-BSP have almost come to an understanding that the BSP will take the larger share of parliamentary seats and take care of national politics.' 'The SP in future assembly elections will take larger seats and take care of state politics.'

'Pakistan will seek turmoil and violence in Kashmir'

'Pakistan will seek turmoil and violence in Kashmir'

Rediff.com29 Jul 2016

'It should be of concern that some youth in Kashmir have started raising Daesh flags along with those of Pakistan.'

A nation of tax avoiders?

A nation of tax avoiders?

Rediff.com7 Mar 2017

Exemptions, and the fact that farm income is outside the tax net, ensure that India's tax-GDP ratio stays low.

Sushma makes strong pitch for India's permanent seat at UNSC

Sushma makes strong pitch for India's permanent seat at UNSC

Rediff.com29 Sep 2018

Swaraj emphasised that the UN must accept it needs fundamental reform.

How India's young innovators do well by doing good

How India's young innovators do well by doing good

Rediff.com25 May 2018

'Let me talk about young Indian startups with their hearts in the right place and how they are proving that innovations that represent 'affordable excellence' -- breaking the myth that 'affordability' and 'excellence' cannot go together -- is indeed possible!' says Dr R A Mashelkar, the eminent scientist, in this fascinating feature.

India refuses to endorse BRI, mounts veiled attack on Pak

India refuses to endorse BRI, mounts veiled attack on Pak

Rediff.com24 Apr 2018

"Terrorism is an enemy of the basic human rights: of life, peace and prosperity," Swaraj said.

Will Imran Khan wrest Pakistan on July 25?

Will Imran Khan wrest Pakistan on July 25?

Rediff.com12 Jul 2018

'The army has been open about its determination to keep the PML-Nawaz out of power at all costs.' 'Both the military and the higher judiciary have indicated a preference for Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik e Insaaf,' says Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan Desk at the Research and Analysis Wing, India's external intelligence agency.

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.

Why is UIDAI cracking down on individuals hoarding Aadhaar data?

Why is UIDAI cracking down on individuals hoarding Aadhaar data?

Rediff.com13 Apr 2016

Private firms' offer to print Aadhaar details on plastic card a breach of law

President Pranab's address to Parliament: The transcript

President Pranab's address to Parliament: The transcript

Rediff.com9 Jun 2014

President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday addressed the first joint sitting of Parliament as mandatorily required under the Constitution after the general elections. The address is the political, economic and foreign policy road map of the Narendra Modi government and covers virtually all crucial areas.

What's the point talking to Pakistan?

What's the point talking to Pakistan?

Rediff.com20 Aug 2014

'India had nothing to gain by the talks except for some brownie points from the US for being reasonable. Pakistan desperately needed the talks to get arms and money from the Americans,' says T P Sreenivasan.

Are you aware of your workplace rights?

Are you aware of your workplace rights?

Rediff.com23 Oct 2018

Did you know that employers have to pay equal remuneration to its male and female employees who are carrying out the same or similar work?

The Power of Assured Indian Innovation

The Power of Assured Indian Innovation

Rediff.com25 May 2018

Can we make high speed 4G Internet available at 10 cents per GB, and make all voice calls free of cost -- that too in a large and diverse country like India? Can we make high-quality but simple breast cancer screening available to every woman, that too at the extremely affordable cost of $1 per scan? Can we make a portable, high-tech ECG machine which can provide reports immediately and that too at the cost of 8 cents a test? Can we make an eye imaging device that is portable, non-invasive and costs 3 times less that conventional devices? Can we make a robust test for mosquito-borne dengue, which can detect the disease on day 1, and that too at the cost of $2 per test? Amazingly, says Dr R A Mashelkar, the eminent scientist, all this has been achieved in India, not only by using technological innovation but also non-technological innovation.

When it comes to CSR spending, one in three BSE 100 firms is a laggard

When it comes to CSR spending, one in three BSE 100 firms is a laggard

Rediff.com9 Mar 2018

Corporate affairs ministry sending notices seeking details of fund disbursal

Lessons to ensure a safer future for Indian farmers

Lessons to ensure a safer future for Indian farmers

Rediff.com17 Jun 2015

Commercial banks are also expected to be soft on loan repayments and restructure the loans, if not write them off.

India committed to build Indian Ocean Rim Association, says S Jaishankar

India committed to build Indian Ocean Rim Association, says S Jaishankar

Rediff.com2 Sep 2016

India said it is committed to building up Indian Ocean Rim Association in line with its own expanding bilateral ties with the members of the grouping.

PM Modi's op-ed in Canadian newspaper

PM Modi's op-ed in Canadian newspaper

Rediff.com15 Apr 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's opinion piece in Canada's The Globe and Mail focuses on commercial cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector.

How much does India really spend on defence?

How much does India really spend on defence?

Rediff.com27 Apr 2015

No one really knows what proportion of the nation's wealth and income are available for defence

Honouring Solar Mamas

Honouring Solar Mamas

Rediff.com26 Sep 2013

Bunker Roy, founder of the Barefoot College at Tilonia in Rajasthan, was awarded the Clinton Global Citizen Award at a ceremony in New York on September 25.

'No difference between UPA1, UPA2 and this govt'

'No difference between UPA1, UPA2 and this govt'

Rediff.com16 Oct 2017

'Karna is the greatest warrior in the Mahabharata -- in fact, Arjuna is a nobody in front of Karna.' 'But Arjuna had a better advisor in Krishna than Karna.' 'Karna failed because he listened to the wrong advice given by Salya.' 'It just shows wrong advisors can land even the mighty in trouble.'

How 23 new banks will make an impact in India

How 23 new banks will make an impact in India

Rediff.com18 Sep 2015

The niche banks - small finance and payments banks -have been set up to further the regulator's objective of deepening financial inclusion.

Nationalism? What's that got to do with Trump and Brexit?

Nationalism? What's that got to do with Trump and Brexit?

Rediff.com3 Feb 2017

Nothing, according to Deepak Lal. He argues that the contemporary attempts to control immigration in the US and UK are not nativist.

7th pay panel's draft report riddled with dissent notes

7th pay panel's draft report riddled with dissent notes

Rediff.com12 Nov 2015

The notes argue that it will widen the talent base available to govt to deliver increasingly complex services to a demanding population.

Why do Modi and Sonia avoid the press?

Why do Modi and Sonia avoid the press?

Rediff.com14 Aug 2015

'Since Modi is walking a tightrope between two worlds -- one of the saffron brotherhood and the other of the proposed smart cities and bullet trains -- it is understandable why he is averse to scrutiny lest he loses his balance by tilting too heavily on one side or the other. But, why has Sonia Gandhi acquired the reputation of a sphinx,' asks Amulya Ganguli.

Manmohan's advice for Modi: 'No free market without freedom'

Manmohan's advice for Modi: 'No free market without freedom'

Rediff.com6 Nov 2015

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday stepped into the raging debate on intolerance by condemning the murders of dissenters and some on the basis of what they eat and said the nation is deeply concerned at the "blatant violation" of the right to freedom of thought, belief and speech by some violent extremist groups.

Assault or murder of thinkers can't be justified: Manmohan on intolerance

Assault or murder of thinkers can't be justified: Manmohan on intolerance

Rediff.com6 Nov 2015

Amid a raging debate over intolerance, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday deplored "blatant violation" of the right to freedom of thought by "some violent extremist groups" and shared the view that it was an "assault on the nation".

Sharif continues urging for US mediation in Kashmir

Sharif continues urging for US mediation in Kashmir

Rediff.com23 Oct 2013

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif continues his exhortation for US mediation in Kashmir, and harks back to his meeting with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee when the latter had agreed to a resolution of Kashmir imbroglio; senior us officials assert there is 'absolutely no change in us policy' that Kashmir has to be resolved bilaterally. Aziz Haniffa reports.

Obstruction and obfuscation have become hallmark of opposition: BJP

Obstruction and obfuscation have become hallmark of opposition: BJP

Rediff.com7 Jan 2017

The political resolution passed at the party's national executive claimed that the Modi government has created a new "history" in the direction of the poor's welfare with its bold initiatives.