Does national integration require the imposition of one language? Does the promotion of one language over regional languages threaten the diversity and federalism of the country? Can a national party in power try to monopolise education and language at the cost of pluralism? These are the questions being raised following the Maharashtra government’s move to … Read more
Letters to The Editor — May 6, 2025 letters to the editor New textbooks Gone are the days when children had the luxury of open grounds. In the world of today, children are in the vicious grip of the online world. There is so much competition that children are often over stressed. Their faces are … Read more
A sentence in the last paragraph of a report, “With 26 Rafales, aircraft carriers will have a full fighter strength” (‘News’ page, May 4, 2025) said: “…. the deal for 156 light combat helicopters (LCH) with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) at a cost of ₹62,700 was advanced…” The amount should have been ₹62,700 crore. Published … Read more
‘The AI boom is happening fast, and the current energy infrastructure will just not be able to keep up’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undoubtedly eased access to art and reduced the time and the effort required to complete certain tasks. For example, ChatGPT-4o can generate a Studio Ghibli-inspired portrait … Read more
The commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport, developed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) under a public-private partnership model with the Kerala government, marks a milestone in India’s maritime history. For a country such as India, which relies heavily on foreign ports for handling around 75% of its inbound … Read more
On April 24, India announced that it would hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan ceased its support for cross-border terrorism. The term “abeyance,” as used by the Government of India, suggests a temporary suspension, leaving open the possibility of reinstatement should Pakistan take credible steps to curb terrorism, particularly … Read more
For the first time since 1931, Census forms will record the caste of Indians, but questions remain on the extent of the impact that the data would have on India’s affirmative action programmes. Decadal censuses, until now, have categorised citizens as SCs, STs and as per religion. In decades of reservation for SCs, STs, and … Read more
Indian attitude to official and private foreign aid has always been ambivalent — sometimes welcoming, at other times hostile. With U.S. President Donald Trump’s targeting of USAID, the death knell, at least for official aid, seems to have been rung. Other European countries may follow suit, thanks to continuing global conflicts, anti immigration sentiments, and … Read more
Sound appeal While we are still struggling to overcome the sorrow resulting from Pahalgam, we are further saddened to learn that some elements are turning hostile towards Kashmiri students in some parts of the country. In this context, one would like to highlight the adorable stand taken by a lady who lost her naval officer … Read more
Intense discussion on the population of castes and their interplay with politics seems to be the season’s flavour in Karnataka. Even before the opposition from dominant castes to the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (popularly known as the caste census) recommendations could come to a head, another caste survey is set to begin in Karnataka on … Read more