In January 2006, I stayed at Kashmir House in Islamabad’s posh F-5 Sector, a neighbourhood of broad avenues framed by hills, a rare sight for a South Asian capital. Having spent much of my college life at Delhi University visiting Kashmir House in Chanakyapuri, I could not help but notice the contrast. In New Delhi, … Read more
Contradictory A tribute to the RSS on October 2 alongside Gandhi Jayanti raises troubling questions of historical irony. Mahatma Gandhi embodied non-violence, interfaith harmony and social justice, while the RSS distanced itself from the freedom struggle, the Salt Satyagraha and Quit India movement. The ideological hostility to Gandhi’s principles cannot be ignored. National tributes should … Read more
While the standoff with Pakistan in May 2025 culminated in engagement in the air domain, subsequent developments have shifted attention to the maritime theatre, as seen in key naval movements, capability demonstrations and official statements from both India and Pakistan, with their navies recalibrating posture and signalling readiness for potential escalation. On October 2, Defence … Read more
The latest data on investment announcements in the country paint a mixed picture, with varying policy implications. New project announcements by the private sector overall rose to nearly a 15-month high in the first half of this financial year to ₹9.9 lakh crore. Such investments have historically been driven by Indian firms, but that concentration … Read more
India’s clean energy transition is gaining momentum. In 2024, India added 24.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar energy capacity, making it the third largest contributor globally after China and the United States, making it a key player in the global shift towards renewables. The United Nations Secretary-General’s 2025 Climate Report recognises India, alongside Brazil and China, … Read more
President Donald Trump’s 20-point “peace plan” for Gaza has won rare approval from Israel and key Arab countries. While Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it aligns with Israel’s war objectives, Arab and Muslim leaders have welcomed the initiative as a step towards peace. But one truly important voice is missing — that of any … Read more
“The ‘exclusive’ stories that ‘sources’ reveal to their preferred platforms, far from holding those in power accountable, brand critics of the government as foreign agents, or inadequately patriotic.” | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Unnamed whistleblowers who want the public to know certain things are often referred to as “sources” — a time-tested device in journalistic … Read more
At the TN Rising Investment Conclave in Hosur recently, a young founder from Torus Robotics walked up to the stage, papers in hand, ready to exchange an investment memorandum of understanding with the Government of Tamil Nadu. What set this apart from most of the other corporate majors exchanging MoUs that day was their journey … Read more
The Election Commission of India’s (ECI) completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, brings the final tally to 7.42 crore electors, a significant drop from the 7.89 crore figure before the exercise began. While the purpose was indeed to clean up the rolls, the lived reality of the exercise, including … Read more
An outreach While the Prime Minister’s outreach to the RSS, the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, is quite understandable, given the symbiotic relationship, other moves such as releasing a special stamp and coin on the occasion of the RSS’s centenary celebration could raise eyebrows. The concept of majoritarianism does not fit with the basic structure … Read more