India’s 75 years of Independence are replete with major achievements but failures too. Compared with several other developing countries, India falls short of a first division on most counts but merits a high second division. I am proud that a […]
Not a first division but a high second: The hits & misses in our 75-year journey Read More »
Last week, I congratulated the Supreme Court in the Mohammed Zubair case for castigating police misuse of procedures to penalise free speech. Alas, its verdict upholding the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) will encourage the very harassment it had
SC’s verdict on PMLA encourages harassment it had criticised Read More »
Democracies prize free speech and criticism of public figures. Even false criticism of public figures does not qualify as slander in the US and other countries unless accompanied by malice. This can be irksome to politicians. Former Tamil Nadu chief
Netas should not go overboard on defamation suits Read More »
The storming of the presidential palace and ignominious flight of President Gotabay Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka was so dramatic that numerous theories were spun to explain away a routine economic bankruptcy. This arose from years of high fiscal deficits (government
The lesson from Lanka: Tighten your fiscal belt Read More »
In India, Global Capability Centres (GCCs) have escaped attention because MNCs do not publish separate balance sheets for offshore operations. However, Nasscom projects that by 2025 India could have 2,000 GCCs employing 2 million and generating $60 billion. De-globalisation has
India’s rise as GCC hub shows way forward Read More »
If there was a Supreme Court judgment that cried out for reversal, it would be the one on arresting human rights activist Teesta Setalvad and former police officer RB Sreekumar. The verdict has been castigated by hundreds of eminent persons
Teesta case: When did courts start demanding arrests? Read More »
The defence of India is not a job creation scheme, as many rioters seem to believe. India urgently needs to modernise its military capability, focusing on high-tech areas such as cyberwarfare, drones, missiles, and even space weapons. Boots on the
India needs Agnipath, not pensionpath Read More »
The BJP has expelled its media chief Naveen Kumar Jindal and suspended a prominent spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, for making insulting remarks about the marriage of the Prophet Mohammed. This followed protests from all major Islamic countries. Many of Sharma’s supporters
Child marriage: Why we should not point fingers Read More »
Despite US rhetoric on ‘defeating’ Russia in the Ukraine war, the US military is wary of supplying weapons to Kyiv with the range to attack Russia. This may drag the US into the conflict. With such limited military aid, Ukraine
Why a quick compromise for Russia will be bad for India, encouraging for China Read More »
Narendra Modi’s eight years in power have produced fantastic political success for the BJP, a slide in India’s democratic and civic freedoms, and a struggle to overcome global economic headwinds. After winning an absolute majority in the 2014 general election,
India has shown resilience but jury still out on the economy Read More »
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