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The National Education Policy, 2020, encourages students up to at least Class 5 to learn a regional language in addition to the local language or mother tongue and English. While the Central government asserts that the choice of the additional regional language is left to the States, the NEP’s strong pitch for the three-language formula … Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mauritius this week, and his meeting with its newly elected Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam, marked a decade since his last visit. His trip aimed to strengthen the India-Mauritius strategic partnership and launch new economic and development initiatives. While Mr. Ramgoolam’s previous tenure (2005–14) overlapped briefly with Mr. Modi’s, the … Read more

India stands at a critical juncture, caught between the anvil of technological disruption and the hammer of cultural nationalism. While the Union government champions economic independence and global technological leadership — exemplified by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s co-chairing of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Summit in Paris in February — its linguistic policies risk undermining … Read more

Three sets of data — January’s industrial production, February’s retail inflation and the performance of mutual funds in February — present a contrast between India’s real economy and the financial markets, that is both concerning and heartening. In the real economy, February’s 3.61% retail inflation is a seven-month low aided by a steady and welcome … Read more

A marginalisation There is a stark contrast in governance, media coverage and national concern regarding Manipur and the rest of India, and it is worth pondering over this. Had Manipur been located where Delhi is today, would its fate have been different? For months, Manipur has witnessed ethnic violence, displacement, and unrest. However, the urgency … Read more

The Union Budget 2025-26 has been hailed for its increased allocation towards women-centric schemes, with the total gender budget rising to ₹4.49 lakh crore, marking a 37.25% increase from the previous fiscal year’s allocation of ₹3.27 lakh crore. The increased allocation is substantial even if one factors in an inflationary rate of approximately 3.61%. Despite … Read more

The Union government told the Supreme Court that new regulations will empower the UGC to de-recognize higher education institutions that discriminate, especially based on religion or caste. The court was hearing a petition by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who died by suicide. Photo from last year shows University of Hyderabad students … Read more

Marriage, a cornerstone of societal structure, is traditionally viewed as a fundamental institution, not only forming the bedrock of family life but also defining social roles and statuses. However, the phenomenon of desertion, the abandonment of a spouse without justifiable cause, starkly contradicts these ideals, leaving a trail of vulnerable women in its wake. A … Read more

A sati-stone at Veerabhadra temple in Andhra Pradesh In Europe, Christian clergy burnt alive women suspected of being Satan-worshipping witches. In Arabia, the ‘People of the Ditch’ were martyrs who chose death by fire rather than giving up Islam. The theatre of death in matters of faith is very much part of human culture. The … Read more

The Andhra Pradesh government presented a Budget of more than ₹3.22 lakh crore for FY2025-26. The fiscal trends, revenue and fiscal deficits, and amount of public debt show that the State’s finances are severely stressed. It looks like the government is staring at tough days ahead. Public debt, the total amount of money that a … Read more