The Lokpal’s ruling that High Court judges are amenable to its jurisdiction and the Supreme Court order staying it on its own motion raise more than a mere question of law. The issue concerns both the independence of the judiciary and its accountability. That the Court, government law officers and senior advocates found the Lokpal’s … Read more
Election aid allegations The truth about U.S. President Donald Trump’s statement, about a $21 million USAID grant in a bid to “get someone else elected”, citing the ostensible reason of ‘boosting voter turnout’ in India, is shrouded in obscurity and opacity. As ordinary people, we do not understand the correlation between voter turnout and election … Read more
A sentence in the first paragraph of an article, “Manipur is in need of `greater common good’ politics” (Editorial page, February 20, 2025), should have said: “The State Assembly, however, has not been dissolved but kept in suspended animation’…”, and not ‘animated suspension’. Published – February 22, 2025 12:32 am IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brief and official working visit to the United States last week was significant in many ways, reiterating the strong bonds between the two nations and igniting a new momentum in the economic relationship. The visit was replete with productive outcomes for industry of both sides, with major announcements across trade, defence, … Read more
With less than a week for the UGC’s deadline to submit feedback on its draft regulations on the appointment and promotion of university teachers and Vice-Chancellors (V-C), States ruled by parties other than the BJP have ratcheted up their opposition. At a conclave in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka challenged the regulations, saying … Read more
Every Chief Justice of India coming into office has the spectre of the legal system’s backlog haunting him or her, as does every senior and concerned member of the higher judiciary. It is an ever present phenomenon — currently, the Supreme Court of India has 82,000 cases, the High Courts over 62 lakh, and the … Read more
‘Between 2020 and 2035, 200 million people are projected to move to Indian cities , reflecting the tremendous potential that they have to shape India’s sustainable development trajectory’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which was passed in the Lok Sabha in December 2024, offers great promise to combat increasing … Read more
The popular YouTube show ‘India’s Got Latent’ has sparked controversy after criminal proceedings were initiated against its creators and participants over allegedly obscene remarks in one of its episodes. On February 18, 2025, the Supreme Court granted interim protection from arrest to podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia, one of the participants named in the FIRs. This has … Read more
RSS volunteers at a rally in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Praveen P.K. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar led the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from 1940 until his death in 1973. With Golwalkar at the helm, the RSS spread its wings across the country. His book, ‘We or Our Nationhood Defined’, remained at the core of RSS ideology, … Read more
Passengers board an overcrowded train for Prayagraj’s Mahakumbh at the New Delhi railway station on February 15, 2025. At least 18 people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a stampede that broke out that night at the crowded railway station. | Photo Credit: PTI In India, nobody bats an eye when they … Read more