CATEGORIES

'In Future, Tourism Will Totally Change'

In an exclusive interview with Jyotika Sood, central tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel explains how the Rs 20lakh crore stimulus package, formation of a National Task Force, and encouragement to states to initiate relief measures will kick-start and revive the sector. The Atma-Nirbhar Bharat package will create demand and drive businesses, as money flows into the hands of the people

Mitron, Have A Samosa Now

Indian app developers will have to step up their game to beat the country’s dependence on China

Kiss A Valley Lily

Crippled by long periods of unrest, the hopes Kashmir’s tourism industry fostered for a full summer season were wrecked by the pandemic. Its deliverance now lies in the hands of the Centre and the local regime.

Out For A Run

As the lockdown fog lifts, hordes of those confined till recently are desperate to get away, but to non-touristy spots, in private conveyance, while keeping their safety guards up

COMA DHAM

MY money or my life? Can I have both?

Money is in the journey

The mood is wanderlust after the long lockdown. But Covid still lurks. Will tourists hit the road again to revive our tourism-dependent economy?

Waiting From A Distance

Hotels and resorts accommodate fewer visitors, reduce the number of tables in restaurants, and disinfect rooms for 24-48 hours before they are re-allotted—welcome to the new normal

Till Messiah Comes

The EPS government has made a hash of the corona battle

Shunyata Under The Bodhi's shade

Hotels have reopened, but visitors stay away from the world’s holiest Buddhist site

Heaven Does Not Shut Down

From promoting local tourism to projecting Kerala as the ‘wellness destination’, the tourism sector is looking to reboot

Missing In Action

The pandemic may not be the real reason why Parliament is not in session

Must Our Hearts Break?

The horrific privations of families of fallen heroes are, thankfully, a thing of the past. While affirming the Indian Army’s great tradition of selfless duty and sacrifice, this is an anguished appeal to the political leadership to not cheaply throw away men’s lives and to the public to tend always to their morale.

Mine Your Own Business

Modi government’s push for self-sufficiency in coal revives age-old debate over the cost of development

The Crude Truth

A glut in oil production has seen prices hitting rock bottom. And the global crude war is getting interesting.

BORDER TROUBLE IN VALLEY VIEW

Tension on the China front haunts Ladakh even as the Valley witnesses a familiar spate of encounter killings

Smoke The Tso

As the difficult goal of status quo ante in Ladakh is being pursued, fresh diplomatic and military solutions to deal with China are aired. And the politicians squabble, pointlessly.

The Political Jugglenaut

Behind the first Rath Yatra without pilgrims in Puri is a nail-biting tale enmeshed in a legal tangle that puts the Naveen Patnaik government in poor light

Neighbour's ENEMY

India’s paternalistic attitude towards neighbouring countries generated resentment and created space for China. New Delhi must now shore up inner confidence, make up for past brashness and regain their trust.

Private Limited

States’ cooperation vital for success of revamped mining policy

A Wise Gardener

India is far from being isolated in the neighbourhood. But to push China back will need a symphony of strategic tasks.

Blood On The Barbed Wire

Named after Ladakhi explorer Ghulam Rasool Galwan, the Galwan river flows west from Aksai Chin to converge with the Shyok in Ladakh. It slices through high-altitude mountains and the peaks overlook the valleys and pass—especially a stretch of India’s 255-km Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi road running close to Galwan valley.

Snip A Forked Tongue

The equal cost imposed on China for its escalation at Galwan should caution it against a further violation of the June 6 agreement. With matching military strength in the area, both sides must ensure peace.

Bihar Poll Theme: Fifteen Vs Fifteen

As Nitish replays old vinyl titled ‘RJD jungle raj’, Lalu’s son says— CM doesn’t have anything to show other than the Yadav family

Hot And Sour Asia Policy

China’s strategy is to keep alliances from building amongst its regional rivals, using the carrot and stick routine.

NO ONE'S GODSON

Sushant Singh’s suicide puts the spotlight on nepotism and the price outsiders pay to fit in Bollywood.

‘Hong Kong's youth are desperate. They no longer care about their lives.'

June 12 marks the first anniversary of major clashes between pro-democracy protestors and the police in Hong Kong after its government introduced a controversial extradition bill. It was later withdrawn in face of mounting opposition, but protests continue unabated. Evans Chan has traced the evolution of the city’s resistance from the 2014 Umbrella Movement to the leaderless protests of 2019 in his engaging documentary We Have Boots. He talks to Syed Saad Ahmed about the film and the struggle against Chinese authoritarianism.

Lotus Wilts in Loktak

Former CM ibobi Sigh of Congress (left) and CM N. Biren Singh, who leads the BJp alliance

Every Home A Studio Rasa

Driven by passion, enabled by technology, this is how Chennai’s musicians are serving concert-starved rasikas

‘My body is in great shape, tennis muscle memory runs deep'

To measure the contribution of the inimitable, and irreplaceable, Leander Paes to Indian tennis, one just has to look at the success percentage of his 30-year Davis Cup career: an astounding 72.65 per cent (singles/doubles, on all surfaces). Also, the 1996 Olympic bronze medallist holds the Davis Cup world record of most wins: 45 (77.58 per cent) in 58 ties played. Still, the ageless Paes, who turned 47 on June 17, is not averse to continuing, postCovid shutdown. While cleaning his Mumbai apartment during the lockdown, he spoke to Qaiser Mohammad Ali in a free-wheeling interview. Excerpts:

Change or Perish

The immediate need for infrastructure and a credible military ecosystem is all very well. But the PLA’s ability to fight a transformational, algorithm war—non-kinetic and non-contact—is the danger in the future.