Nuclear laws and the role of Opposition

Political parties in India, especially the Opposition, will soon need to take a view on a critical subject with a bearing on the country’s energy security and climate change mitigation. The proposal to amend the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Act (CLNDA), 2010, and the Atomic Energy Act (AEA), 1962 — which in the past … Read more

A historic move, but still unequal

Hoping to bring down the curtain on the three-decade-old struggle for internal reservation, the Karnataka government on Tuesday agreed on a matrix for slicing up the overall 17% reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) in the State. The Madiga community (Dalit left), who led the struggle from the front, will now get a 6% share … Read more

Letters to The Editor — August 21, 2025

Vice-President, the contest The Vice-President is expected to embody neutrality, remain above partisan politics, and uphold an unbiased stance that is free from any rigid political ideology. Traditionally, these posts have been held by eminent individuals whose contributions to society and the nation have been exemplary. By these standards, Justice B. Sudershan Reddy is a … Read more

The fact is the ECI is a commission in crisis

India’s first Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sukumar Sen (March 21, 1950 to December 19, 1958) was a man of few words. But he was a man of great action. He published no memoirs but is credited with having conducted one of the world’s largest and most inclusive elections. His life is a lesson for those … Read more

India’s democracy is failing the migrant citizen

In a democracy of 1.4 billion, every vote matters. But for millions of migrants from Bihar, democracy is quietly leaving them behind. A silent crisis is unfolding, where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of State electoral rolls, and at short notice, has led to the mass deletion of nearly 3.5 million migrants (4.4% of the … Read more

Punishing process: On gender identity recognition 

The Manipur High Court’s order to the State to issue fresh academic certificates to Beoncy Laishram is at once a matter of individual justice and a larger commentary on the state of transgender rights. What should have been a simple administrative correction became a legal battle, not because the law lacks provisions but because its … Read more

Breaking down the Chinese wall

As India and China commemorate 75 years of diplomatic engagement this year, strong signs of a diplomatic thaw have emerged. The meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart, Admiral Dong Jun, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Defence Ministers’ meeting in January; resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in June; … Read more

A urea crisis in Telangana

Urea, a soil nutrient essential for plant growth, has become a political flashpoint between the Central government and the Telangana government. Given short supply, farmers are standing in queues outside fertilizer shops for hours, hoping to secure urea for their crops. While the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are blaming each other … Read more