CATEGORIES

Corruption, Cronyism and Nepotism Against Jacob Zuma

Charges of corruption, cronyism and nepotism against President Jacob Zuma have put the government on the back foot in a country already reeling under high levels of economic inequality and unemployment.

Keeping Kuch Crafts Relevant With Contemporary Designers And Traditional Artisans

The Living and Learning Design Centre in a Kutch village is about dialogue between contemporary designers and traditional artisans and about keeping crafts relevant.  

Delhi's Air Pollution Explained!

An unusual confluence of factors caused unprecedented pollution and smog in the Delhi region soon after Deepavali, and experts warn of a similar episode in the days to come.

The Cow Menace

The BJP governments’ holy cow policy has given rise to the phenomenon of large herds of unproductive cattle abandoned by their owners creating social, economic and environmental crises across northern India.

For Pastures New

Sant Gopal Das takes on the Haryana government for failing to protect cows and to keep its promise to provide grazing land.

A Blow For Child Rights

The Supreme Court rules that sex with a minor wife, despite consent, is rape, but activists call for a more realistic perspective to prevent child marriages and also to uphold the rights of young couples.

Killer Spray

The death of nearly 20 farmworkers who sprayed pesticides on Bt cotton crops in Maharashtra puts the focus on the risky practice and on the claims about Bt cotton not needing pesticides.

The Golden ‘Diwali Gift'

The ability to evade identification while purchasing large quantities of gold and other precious jewellery is a move aimed at favouring some relatively richer groups while denying ordinary people their basic  socio-economic rights.

Devastated Puerto Rico

Three weeks after Hurricane Maria struck, Puerto Ricans continue to lead perilous lives, without access to water or electricity, and relief packages have only exacerbated the country’s serious debt problem.

Grand Scheme

The Maharshtra government’s Mumbai-Nagpur expressway is on course despite large tracts of irrigated land being lost to the project.

Deja Vu In Colombo

“The war” in Sri Lanka, as it is cryptically referred to, is over, but politicians, civil society and media commentators continue to be conflicted, even nervous, about what it has left in its wake and what is in store ahead.

Tumultuous Times

The political system in Brazil has been rocked by a mammoth corruption investigation nicknamed Operation Car Wash, even as the country’s economy remains trapped in the worst recession it has experienced since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Price is the Rub

Trade liberalisation policies and integration of domestic and market prices of natural rubber have severely affected rubber cultivators of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Valley on Fire

The anger and violence in Kashmir following the killing of the Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani defines the heightened anti-India sentiment in the valley.

Striking at will

Under pressure on many fronts from Syria to Turkey to Iraq, the Daesh reverts to guerilla tactics, leading to a surge in terror attacks in many countries.

Is Demonetisation Promoting Inequality?

Narendra Modi’s “surgical strike on black money” through demonetisation tears asunder the lives of vast sections of the poor, promoting a gigantic transfer of income and wealth from the poor to the rich on a scale unprecedented since Independence.

Demonetisation Pushing The Government Into An Unprecedented Governance Rollercoaster

The seemingly never-ending glitches in the demonetisation drive and the pressure of expectations from the ground seem to be pushing the government into an unprecedented governance rollercoaster fraught with dangerous political ramifications.

A New Platform

Jignesh Mevani’s rally in New Delhi brings fiery youth leaders on a single platform to mount a challenge to the BJP and fight against atrocities on Dalits and other marginalised sections of society.

Reliance Jio: A Full Scale War In The Mobile Telephony Business

Reliance Industries unleashes a full-scale war in the mobile business by blurring the divide between voice and data. But its entry as a harbinger of radical change is sullied by grave questions of regulatory negligence that has stifled competition.

MSV: The Legend of Music

M.S. Viswanathan (1928-2015) and his music have a unique space in the hearts of both connoisseurs and commoners.

Omar Sharif: Star, Undimmed

Actor Omar Sharif (1932-2015) will always be remembered for his roles in Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago.

Debating Death Penalty

The broad consensus on abolishing the death penalty at the Law Commission's consultation with political leaders and eminent citizens augurs well for the campaign against capital punishment.

Abdul Kalam: Technologist To The Core

Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), missile and rocket technologist, institution-builder and motivator of men, was relentless in his quest to build an India strong and self-reliant in science and technology.

Punjab: Behind The Decline

Census figures show a negative growth rate for the Sikh population in Punjab, but it is the Sangh Parivar, not Sikhs, that uses this to stoke up communal tensions.

Refugee Crisis In Europe - The Tipping Point

As refugees from strife-torn West Asian and north African countries flow to Europe, pressure from the public forces European governments to adopt a more humane response to them.

China's Parade Of Power

China showcases its military might in a stunning display of weaponry to send a message of deterrence to the U.S., providing alongside a glimpse of its aim to build a Eurasian world order.

Emergency Days Not Far!

If constitutional dialogue is taken as tyranny, Emergency days in new fatigues may not be far behind. There are enough signs to caution the country.

A Call For Dignity: Step To Curb Sexual Exploitation

The National Legal Services Authority recommends various steps to curb human trafficking for sexual exploitation and to rehabilitate victims of the crime.

Prize Catch Of Chhota Rajan

The intelligence apparatus hopes the arrest of Chhota Rajan will lead to information that helps bring Dawood Ibrahim to book, but many people feel that a breakthrough may be unlikely.

Canada Witnesses Its “Obama moment”

Canada witnesses its “Obama moment” as the Liberals, with their sunny campaign, win a clear majority in a “strategic” vote for change.