The new forms of punishment in M.P.

On March 11, videos on the Internet showed nine young men, with their heads shaved, faces hidden, and feet bare, being paraded by the police in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. The men had been accused of creating a ruckus during the celebrations of the Indian cricket team’s victory in the ICC Champions Trophy, and misbehaving with … Read more

Letters to The Editor — March 12, 2025

Language policy The latest round of an exchange of words in Parliament is nothing but sound and fury that signifies nothing. There are a record number of aspirants from Tamil Nadu signing up to learn Hindi through the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha. Moreover, the National Education Policy does not mandate that Hindi has to … Read more

More signs of overhauling the compliance framework

‘A unified ‘One Nation, One Business’ Identity system could dramatically simplify compliance, reducing bureaucratic friction and the opportunities for corrupt practices’  | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Despite concerted efforts to combat corruption, red-tapism and bribery remain formidable barriers to business growth in India. A recent “India Business Corruption Survey 2024” presents a troubling picture: 66% … Read more

Building compassion into the health-care structure

On February 7, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a report, “Compassion and primary health care”, which recognises compassion as a transformative force in primary health care. The Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has called for an exploration of the role of compassion in global health, with specific attention to its impact … Read more

A more conciliatory approach – The Hindu

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami addresses the party cadre at a meeting in Attur in Salem district. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, who burnt his fingers during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by not stitching up an … Read more

Flawed food regulations fuel the obesity crisis

Schoolchildren at a stall in Vijayawada. The Indian Nutrition Rating system allows foods high in fat, salt and sugar, and ultra processed foods, such as biscuits, flaunt two stars on the packet when they might otherwise have four warning signals. Similarly, a soft drink that should have a high warning in sugar instead gets two … Read more

The Indian university and the search for a V-C

‘The winning university of tomorrow needs to be innovative and business-like as well as deeply philosophical. This calls for considerably liberal gateways for leadership positions’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto There have been reservations expressed from various quarters on the Draft University Grants Commission (Minimum Qualifications for Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff … Read more