Governments are often judged by how well they react, but true leadership is about how well they reform. Ministries tend to excel in responding to crises such as managing disasters, controlling conflicts, and restoring law and order. While necessary, this approach only addresses immediate threats without securing long-term solutions. Reforms, on the other hand, shape … Read more
Last week’s Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit — the sixth — which brought the leaders of seven neighbouring countries to Bangkok at a time of global turbulence, was an opportunity to reignite the regional grouping after years of stasis. Originally cast as a “bridging” mechanism between South Asia’s … Read more
Scorching trade April has turned out to be the cruellest month given the rapidity with which a trade war is unfolding globally on account of the Trump tariffs affecting global markets. The Trump tariffs are a problem as there is also a legal aspect, their permanence (will there be a political blowback after an upending … Read more
The photo caption that accompanied a report, “Following public outcry, J&K panel meets stakeholders on quota issue” (‘News’ page, some editions, April 7, 2025) wrongly identified Farooq Abdullah as Omar Abdullah. The error was corrected in later editions. Published – April 09, 2025 12:32 am IST
A LinkedIn post by a former student of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, currently employed as a postdoc in a university of repute in the United States, caught me off guard a few days ago. He is actively seeking new positions where he may be able to leverage his experience in the biotech, pharma, or … Read more
In a world where the idea of state control of all economic activities is passé, and in a country where class differences have been overtaken by caste segmentations as entrenched identity markers, it is not a surprise that a party like the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has faced erosion in its support base and … Read more
Nearly three weeks before five Dalits entered a Shiva temple at Purba Bardhaman district under police protection, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a statement about her caste in the State Assembly that largely went unnoticed. On February 18, while participating in a debate in the Assembly, she emphasised that she was not only … Read more
Photo: reports.weforum.org The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 and QS’s World Future Skills Index contain critical insights into the state of India’s workforce and its preparedness for the future. They offer a roadmap for the government and universities to address the pressing challenges and opportunities in shaping a future-ready workforce. Their findings … Read more
In its March 20, 2025 issue, The Economist lamented how “India is obsessed with giving its people unique IDs”. It mocked how various arms of the Indian state announce new unique IDs nearly ‘every month for everyone from doctors, teachers, athletes, judges, gig workers to even cows and buffaloes’. The Economist got it half wrong. … Read more
With President Droupadi Murmu withholding assent for the Tamil Nadu Admission to Undergraduate Medical Degree Courses Bill 2021, the State is bracing for another battle against National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)-based admissions. State Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has convened a meeting of legislature party leaders on April 9 to strategise the next move. With … Read more