Census, caste, reservation Reservation was introduced to correct historical injustices, and even Dr. B.R. Ambedkar had said it should be a temporary measure. But seven decades after Independence, political parties are still using it for vote-bank interests. There is now competition among parties to increase reservations — not out of concern for the poor, but … Read more
A historical fact is that over nearly three years, the Constituent Assembly met for 167 days to frame the Constitution of India. Among the many crucial debates that occurred was the question of what form of government India should adopt. Defending the choice of a parliamentary system, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar argued that it offered more … Read more
After painstaking negotiations, marked by inflammatory exchanges, Washington and Kyiv have signed an agreement that would grant the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical mineral and oil and gas resources through a joint investment fund. Ukraine has claimed that it would lead to an equal economic partnership, while its actual impact remains uncertain. The idea of … Read more
Robin Uthappa (left) and Jarrod Kimber It’s that time of the year again, when the Indian Premier League (IPL) dominates sports pages in India across a couple of months. When it comes to sports broadcasting — and increasingly, podcasting — fans are divided into two groups. One group, old-school, likes former players sharing anecdotes from … Read more
A file photo of a journalist going into the Cu Chi tunnel network. | Photo Credit: Reuters In Satyajit Ray’s classic Pratidwandi, set in the late 1960s in Kolkata, the protagonist Siddhartha, played by Dhritiman Chatterjee, goes for a job interview. The panel asks, “What would you regard as the most outstanding and significant event … Read more
The calculated brutality of the terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir appears to have crossed a red line for India-Pakistan ties that were already at an all-time low. Following its diplomatic measures against Pakistan, what appropriate military response can India craft? Has the Pahalgam attack crossed a red line? Sharat Sabharwal and Lieutenant … Read more
Private Member’s Bills (PMBs) are a mechanism through which Members of Parliament (MP), who are not Ministers, can propose their own legislation. In India’s parliamentary system, most laws are introduced by the government, drafted by Ministries and tabled by Ministers. In contrast, PMBs come from individual MPs, both ruling party or the Opposition. In each … Read more
The Centre’s decision to include caste enumeration in the next national Census marks a sharp departure for the ruling BJP from its previous position. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in 2024 targeted the Congress election manifesto promise of a caste census as a reflection of its ‘urban Naxal’ thinking. During the general election last year, … Read more
Census and caste The Narendra Modi government’s surprise decision to have a caste-based census in the middle of heightened tensions with Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, and after fiercely opposing such a demand from the Opposition, only highlights the significance of caste dynamics in the electoral framework of Indian democracy. A caste census is … Read more
The President of China, Xi Jinping’s three-nation tour of Southeast Asia (April 14-18, 2025) to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia, had one goal: to pitch Beijing as the only reliable partner of choice. Facing what is at the moment a 145% tariff on Chinese exports imposed by the Trump administration, China is actively recalibrating its external … Read more