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Honouring Chola legacy India should formally honour the Chola legacy for launching successful naval expeditions beyond India shores and establishing the Tamil influence across Southeast Asia. Getting the Indian Navy to celebrate ‘Rajendra Chola’ day would be a fitting tribute to these unmatched maritime achievements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s references to Chola military and democratic … Read more

India’s efforts to reduce poverty have produced admirable results. As per the World Bank’s revised poverty line, between 2011 and 2023, approximately 270 million people have been able to come out of extreme poverty. That’s more than the population of Germany and Russia, combined. The poorest caste and religious groups saw the fastest absolute reduction … Read more

The recent controversy on X between a hepatologist and an Indian chess Grand Master, on whether practitioners of traditional medicine can claim to be doctors, has sparked much commentary on the role and the status of practitioners of traditional Indian medicine systems such as Ayurveda and Unani, in India. Committees, governments, perspectives The burning issue … Read more

‘Systems of food, health and hygiene have collapsed’ | Photo Credit: AFP A recent joint statement by about 30 western states, which includes the United Kingdom, France and Italy, has called for an end to the war in Gaza. It condemns Israel’s ‘drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking … Read more

The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Tamil Nadu had a subtle political message. In his address at the valediction of the annual Aadi Thiruvathirai festival at Gangaikonda Cholapuram to mark the birth anniversary of Rajendra Chola I, he focused on the legacy of the Chola emperor and his father Rajaraja Chola I to … Read more

Jan Suraaj party chief Prashant Kishor with supporters during ‘Vidhan Sabha march’, highlighting alleged failures of the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government, in Patna, Wednesday, July 23, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI Last year, Prashant Kishor transitioned from his consultant role into the dynamic arena of electoral politics. With Bihar going to the polls in October, … Read more

The key objective of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 is the protection of children, but over the past few years, courts around the country and rights activists have called for some exemptions. Noticing a trend that adolescents, above 15 years but under 18, in voluntary relationships and having consensual sex … Read more

The world and Gaza It is unfortunate that the world does not seem to be moved by the fact that people of Gaza are facing acute starvation as a result of a genocidal war. Words such as ‘humanity’, ‘conscience’, ‘empathy’ and ‘altruism’ ring hollow in the context of collective global inaction. Aid airdrops without lifting … Read more

On July 3, 2025, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) government, representing the culmination of Russia’s recent overtures toward the Taliban. This followed the decision to upgrade diplomatic ties and officially accredit the Taliban’s new ambassador, Gul Hassan, to Moscow. Now that the IEA flag is flying … Read more

France’s decision to recognise Palestinian statehood, in September, reflects President Emmanuel Macron’s deep frustration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the ongoing war on Gaza, as well as his willingness to adopt a more pro-active and constructive approach towards finding a durable solution. Of the 193 members of the UN, 147, including India, China … Read more