'I would think that India faces less damage from opinions voiced overseas compared to the damage it suffers if the right to free speech of its citizens is curtailed in the name of image management,' asserts Shyam G Menon.
Reports (not denied by India) that the USA had 'for the first time provided real-time details to their Indian counterparts on the Chinese positions and force strength in advance of a PLA incursion' into Tawang at the LAC in December 2022, helping India thwart China's expansionist designs, show how operationally effective the USA-India friendship has become on the ground. A engaging excerpt from Sreeram Chaulia's must-read new book, Friends: India's Closest Strategic Partners.
Hindu community leaders in Bangladesh are advocating the formation of a dedicated political party, reflecting a call for political representation to protect their rights and ensure their safety. Hindu leaders from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCOP) and other groups are now discussing the possibility of establishing a separate political party or demanding reserved parliamentary seats.
India and China on Monday released the first encyclopedia on their age-old cultural contacts, tracing back their history to over 2,000 years, starting from the visit of Chinese scholar Huen Tsang to India in the 7th century to bring Buddhist scriptures to China.
President, Student Exchange Cell, Prof Shailendra Singh said on Friday that the 45 students going abroad will not only act as brand ambassadors of IIM Lucknow but also promote India's culture, ethos and values.
After inaugurating development projects worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore for boosting the agri-economy in the Union territory, Modi said he was "elated to be among the wonderful people of Srinagar".
The trouble started when the SP member wanted to make a point on an ongoing heated discussion between Opposition parties and the Chairman in the Rajya Sabha over certain remarks made by BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari on Kharge a few days ago.
An angry Banerjee slammed a minister, a former Trinamool Congress mayor and a few bureaucrats for their "below-par performance".
Guruvayoorambala Nadayil is a no-holds-barred, silly comedy that will keep you glued to the screen even when the going gets tough towards the end but the smile on your face will not leave, observes Arjun Menon.
"Help in growing the equity culture in the area in people's language. Most of our communication tends to beEnglish. We need to get all of this communication done in the local language without which we are losing huge audience", he said at a function in Chennai.
A sojourn in Seoul, one of Asia's largest metropolises, where the ultra-modern coexists with the ancient -- temples and palaces with futuristic skyscrapers climbing to the stratosphere, K-pop with Buddhism, a village within city limits.
Delhi's appeasement strategy may now translate as more mega arms deals with the US, generating substantial business and job creation in the American economy. Make no mistake, Americans will use it to pressure India, predicts Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Dressed in traditional finery, Muslims across India offered prayers at mosques and eidgahs on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr on Thursday, marking the end of the holy month of Ramzan.
Once completed, the Centre will be a world-class facility welcoming pilgrims and tourists from all over the world to enjoy the essence of spiritual aspects of Buddhism, projecting India's growing soft power.
'What's the point in lamenting widespread toxic work culture, and the capitalist system that gives rise to it if there is no alternative?' 'Actually, there is,' says Ashish Sharma.
A peek into the life of a public-sector banker who did well professionally, but paid a price for it, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The recent 'revelation' by TN fishers freed by Sri Lanka after they had paid up Lankan rupees 50,000 each in fines, that their hair was tonsured in prison and they were forced to remove their garments other than the underpants, and were also made to clean toilets, as if with vengeance, has touched a raw nerve this time, just as another issue or issues had done it ahead of the Jallikattu protests, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The mass exodus of the Kashmiri Pandit community changed the very cultural ethos of Kashmir and there has been little turnback despite three decades having gone by since it got triggered by growing fundamentalism fuelled from across the border, Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said on Monday.
Tahitian Kauli Vaast surfed a near perfect final to claim the gold medal for France in the men's event on Monday.
We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
Russia's special presidential representative for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy said Prigozhin wanted to become Russian president but it was a "mistake".
The External Affairs Ministry claimed that more than mere courtesies were exchanged between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China President Xi Jinping at Bali G20 Meet in November 2022.
Cricket Australia termed 'arrogant' and 'controlling' in stinging review report
Social work students from India and the University of Chicago are using a new international exchange programme to learn about each other's cultures and how organisations in both the countries confront poverty and economic disadvantages.
'The two sides should support rather than undermine each other, strengthen cooperation rather than guard against each other, and enhance mutual trust rather than be suspicious of each other'
The state with the most people has displaced the state with the largest economy in terms of investor additions. Uttar Pradesh (UP) added 126,000 new investors in April, reveals National Stock Exchange (NSE) disclosures. This is higher than Maharashtra's 118,000. Maharashtra, which is home to India's financial capital of Mumbai, has traditionally been the biggest source of investors.
The government is considering a proposal to set up a Tourism Promotion Office in Israel to promote cultural and tourism co-operation between the two countries
When I asked Krishna Gopal Sengupta, who had travelled through Bangladesh from Chittagong to Petrapole if the interim government had made any impact at ground level, he said, "it's been only a couple of days. They will need some time." Shyam G Menon reports from Petrapole, India's entry point with Bangladesh.
Modi and Deuba discussed ways to strengthen ongoing cooperation and develop new areas in the multifaceted bilateral partnership.
Amid ongoing row over replacing German with Sanskrit as third language in Kendriya Vidyalayas, German Ambassador Michael Steiner on Wednesday reached out to Sanskrit teachers, including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue Dina Nath Batra and decided to resolve the issue through more cultural exchanges.
Weidong said India and China "should live in peace and avoid conflicts."
China is trying to legitimise its claim over Tibet through museums, and cultural institutions in the region, according to Tibet Rights Collective.
The two sides also reviewed the existing visa procedures to promote tourism and culture and discuss the cultural exchange programme for 2006-08.
At least 16 persons were killed and seven others were injured when a mini-bus rolled down into a deep gorge Sunday on the Leh-Manali road
It has invested billions of dollars in preparing for the 2022 soccer World Cup. However, human rights groups have criticised the treatment of migrant workers.
Check out the winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024. Now in its 17th year, the World Photography Organisation's awards ceremony is a major annual moment recognising the best photography in the world, celebrating the images and stories that have resonated with global audiences over the past year.
Heeramandi, a passion project that took off after years in development and planning, mirrors Sanjay Leela Bhansali's film-making's finest and frustrating features, observes Sukanya Verma.
Two days ago, the Chinese foreign ministry following a meeting between NSA Ajit Doval and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi in Johannesburg claimed that Xi and Modi had reached an 'important consensus' on stabilising bilateral ties at the interaction on the margins of the G20 Summit last November.
Except for people to people contacts, everything else cultural exchange, sports, trade etc should be conditional on Pakistan giving up its terror strategy. It is time to tell Pakistan that its 'death by thousand cuts' policy will not work, says Colonel (retd) Anil Athale
"Our primary focus of foreign policy is increasingly moving towards the South Asian nations," Australian High Commissioner to India John McCarthy said.
