Opinion

China’s appeal for ‘mutual trust’ is prosperous

28 Jun 2023 21:15 PM IST

In its reaction about a host of defence and commercial agreements during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State visit to Washington last week, China called upon “relevant countries” to act in ways “conducive to mutual trust” in the region. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing in Beijing

Electoral bonds in the politico-legal landscape and change in dynamics of elections

28 Jun 2023 21:08 PM IST

A bull may have good qualities, but you will never bring them out by waving a red flag in the face. This is often suited most to the precarious situation of expecting the national or state legislature (read it as a tag team of political parties) to self-tighten the noose

Poll season: Transparency needed in political funding

28 Jun 2023 20:59 PM IST

In a few weeks from now, India will head for elections in five states, and a few months thereafter, the countdown will begin for Lok Sabha elections due possibly around April 2024. Once again, there will be editorials in newspapers and heated debates on television centred on how it is

The BJP vs Barack Hussein Obam

27 Jun 2023 22:38 PM IST

Does criticising former US President Barack Obama help India’s case? Given that the Prime Minister has just returned from a rather successful US trip where he was feted by President Joe Biden, why is the BJP so rattled by a former President’s comments? The reference here is to Obama’s interview

Issues and challenges involved in ownership of copyrighted content in Artificial Intelligence

27 Jun 2023 22:36 PM IST

In the last few years, the world has witnessed the generation of creative works by artificial intelligence (AI). The development of artificial intelligence towards technologies capable of autonomous creation brings to the fore several interesting yet muddled copyright questions. The questions include whether a man-made machine, or intelligent agent, may

Modi’s US visit sets global inclusiveness template

27 Jun 2023 22:33 PM IST

There is much talk on how the West is crumbling and how the alternative “universe” of non-western nations is the future. Yet, there are many reasons for Indians to still take note and make use of the various western strengths, including US ones. And thus, there remains a need for

Anatomy of an animus: Why is Obama wishing India ill?

27 Jun 2023 02:38 AM IST

The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States witnessed substantive outcomes that will take the India-US partnership to newer heights, especially with deals such as the potential co-production of the GE-414 engine in India, with 80% technology transfer. This is something unprecedented as the US does not

The Wagner mutiny: Implications for Russia, Putin and the Ukraine war

27 Jun 2023 02:37 AM IST

The Wagner Group, a private armed force run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of President Putin, opened a mutiny against the Russian government and the latter was all set to tackle the mutiny. On 23 June, Prigozhin launched an armed rebellion after accusing the Russian military of killing Wagner

Plea for public funding of higher education

27 Jun 2023 02:35 AM IST

The new education policy (NEP 2020) laments that the public expenditure on education is “nowhere close to the 6% of GDP, as envisaged by the 1968 policy, reiterated in the policy of 1986, and reaffirmed in the 1992 review of the policy”. It is good that the new policy realises

Emergency, a blot on Indian democracy

26 Jun 2023 02:00 AM IST

On Monday, it will be 48 years since the dreaded internal emergency was promulgated by the then Congress government headed by Indira Gandhi, which many contemporary historians consider as one of the darkest chapters in the recent history of this country. The declaration entailed suspension of basic human rights and

A black chapter: How the press was muzzled by Indira Gandhi

26 Jun 2023 01:58 AM IST

The Emergency took the nation unawares. Most senior leaders, including Jayaprakash Narain (JP), were arrested in the early hours of 26 June 1975. Censorship was imposed. In order to prevent newspapers in the national capital from publishing the news of the arrests, electricity was cut from newspaper offices. Motherland was

Needless controversy over Gandhi Peace Award to Gita Press

24 Jun 2023 01:54 AM IST

There appears to be no reason why such a huge controversy has cropped up over the decision to present the Gandhi Peace Prize to the 100-year-old Gita Press, which has perhaps published more books than any other publishing house in this country. The award is to mark the centenary of