The Opposition must understand that while 2024 may draw mileage from the growing resentment towards the BJP, the real battle and proof of how well India learnt from its disastrous dalliance with the Right-wing, will be in 2029, observes Shyam G Menon.
'So potent is the menace of false news that scientists have now devised a psychological vaccine to target it,' says Veena Sandhu.
Ajit Balakrishnan offers a recipe for creating 100,000 plus angel investors in India.
R K Narayan's house has been preserved as a simple museum with his memorabilia, thanks to the imagination of a commissioner of Mysore, who stopped its sale by RKN's successors to a property developer and purchased it for the government.
Money is a touchy topic for most of us. Money fights between couples are all about control and freedom. Keeping the communication channels open and respecting each other's attitudes can help couples manage finance better.
Investor mistakes are just too many and to me everything looks major. P V Subramanyam tells a few that bother and bug him as an investment advisor.
'The Left brands any criticism of Islam -- its history, its dogmas -- 'Islamophobic', conflating criticism of an ideology with criticism of a people,' notes Vikram Johri.
Most people simply don't know how to address someone they engage with professionally. We women are often at the receiving end of such ignorance -- often from sexist ignoramuses, says Veenu Sandhu.
'A class antagonism of rich versus poor took the colouring of a communal confrontation,' says Sunil Sethi.
The poet and professor's 'life breath is now in the hands of those sworn to uphold his Constitutional right to life.' 'Will they be true to their oath?', asks Jyoti Punwani.
'Given that he would have a good understanding of how many jobs the economy can create at the moment, was Modi hailing the modest pakoda-seller to infuse some charm in self-employment?' asks Udit Misra.
Not only is your privacy stripped stark naked, says Mitali Saran, the system itself is illegal and vulnerable.
Because a settled account will do more damage to your credit history than you can imagine.
Make a fresh start to this New Year with an appropriate insurance policy
Of India's sacred rivers, she is the holiest. It is believed that even the Ganga comes in the form of a cow for a purifying bath in the Narmada, says Geetanjali Krishna.
'A pandemic like this will leave behind a trail of political, economic, social and psychological scars.' Coronavirus is going to impact every being on earth even if they do not contract it.' 'Everyone will pay a price,' cautions Ramesh Menon.
We asked you to tell us your reason for choosing not to vote. This is what our readers shared.
'The Indian Right can afford to be rigid; but as liberals, our position has to be one of constant evolution, or else death awaits us,' argues Sreehari Nair.
While buying health policies, customers should reveal any pre-existing diseases. This is the only way to ensure that the insurer does not reject claims.
'The existence of Section 295A on the Indian statute books sits uneasily with India's ambitions to be seen as a progressive democracy,' says Kanika Datta.
In prior elections, not only have opinion poll forecasts been very different from the results, the error margin has increased over time. One need only look at the charts that show the Sensex half a year before and after the results day for the last six elections. The markets did not change direction in any, says Neelkanth Mishra.
'Rather than encouraging transparency, the opacity of electoral bonds adds to the murkiness,' argues Amit Tandon.
The expectation that Mr Modi would be a major reformer, capable of reinvigorating the Indian economy, were based on a complete misreading of both his actions and his performance as Gujarat chief minister, says Mihir S Sharma.
'Some BJP old timers have remarked that the BJP is now driven by its own high command, the way the Congress was under Mrs Gandhi, says Subir Roy.
'Of course, I would like a world in which candidates don't ask for my vote on religious (etc) grounds.' 'But will we ever live in a world free of such appeals?' 'More important, will a Supreme Court verdict, by itself, ever deliver such a world?' asks Dilip D'Souza.
How can brands reach consumers who travel on multiple roads of discovery? This will be the challenge of the future, says brand guru Ambi Parameswaran.
'The whispers and the murmurs had reached even the king's private quarters.' 'Of a royal surgeon wielding a chain-saw like a carpenter; a chemist with a cannister of acid; the royal chief executioner instructing someone about the fine art of handling swords...' 'All this being supervised by Mohammed's closest confidant.'
Not just e-commerce players, even spirits majors are banking on artificial intelligence and chatbots to offer newer, quicker, smarter services. Shivani Shinde Nadhe reports.
The advice your mother gave you about choosing your friends wisely got a whole new meaning with lenders looking at your social media posts
As economic policy making moves from pragmatism to populism, the bulls begin to make way for cautious optimists.
Brands names are always critical, but -- as Ambi Parameswaran has discovered -- finding the right one for the Indian consumer requires something special.
It would perhaps make more sense if the finance ministry gave greater emphasis on the need for a similar exercise to phase out exemptions and concessions in indirect taxes like customs and excise.
In an offline chat, mind/life coach, NLP trainer and Mental Health Guru Anu Krishna encourages Rediff.com readers to talk about their problems and offers solutions.
'Politicians have always dealt in lies and propaganda.'
'But the scale of the propaganda and the impunity with which it is being unleashed now is stunning,'
'Allah is there above and, with him as witness, I am giving you this money. If my Mariam's letter arrives, you must deliver it.' The clerk stood still in astonishment. 'Where must it be delivered?' 'Upon my grave!'
For the first time in our political history, Pakistan has become centre stage of the incumbent's campaign, points out Shekhar Gupta.
For stressed loans, the need is to prevent disruption in cash flows from a systemic perspective, conserving employment and assets in untainted enterprises with the potential for recovery, says Shyam Ponappa.
Elizabeth Hurley, one of the great beauties of our time, said there was only one way to lose weight, and it was 'to go to bed hungry', says Aakar Patel.
This will violate the time-honoured convention that a government elected for a five-year tenure presents only five full Budgets, but the NDA government will no doubt present it as yet another initiative of Mr Modi.
