Keyword : India

US explanation sought into beating of Indian by cops in Madison

In an unusually quick and angry response after recent Modi-Obama bonhomie, the government on Thursday summoned an official in the US embassy to the external affairs ministry and demanded expeditiou

US cop arrested and sacked for assaulting Indian in Madison

With India putting pressure and the US setting in motion its internal laws into process, one of the two police officers who allegedly assaulted the 57-year-old Sureshbhai Patel in Madison, Alabama,

Spouses of H-1B visa holders to get work permits in US

This is good news for thousands of families as the US has announced that it would provide work permits to spouses of H-1B visa-holders. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begi

See documentary on gangrape, BBC producer urges Modi

The BBC, while declaring that it has no plans to telecast the controversial documentary on December 16, 2012 gangrape incident in India, it went ahead and broadcast it in the UK. Earlier, the docum

Social media has become a tool of terror and fear, says CIA chief

Nobody knows better about terror than this organization and one should take note when it talks. CIA Director John Brennan has said that changing technology and social media websites have “gre

India’s FDI doubles and China sees slump

As India eases FDI (foreign direct investment) norms the FDI has more than doubled to $4.48 billion in January, the highest inflow in last 29 months. Compare this to China and India seems to have d

Want of self-belief robs India of global top rank in Resilience Index

Despite being in toppers list of economic powers of the world, India has been ranked 119 out of 130 countries on an index of business resilience of nations based on economic, risk quality and suppl

Migrant Indians keep India at the top with $70 billion remittances

Call it increasing faith in growth story of India or patriotism or failing economies in Europe, India is the leading nation in receiving remittances from Indians in foreign countries. India receive

India’s nuclear deal to help Canadian company and create jobs

A good deal makes economics and financial sense. The $280 million deal to supply uranium fuel to India formally ends nuclear-untouchable status of India and makes stocks of Canadian producer Cameco

India is one of the unhappiest countries, says World Happiness Report

India is one of the unhappiest countries in the world. It ranks 117 out of the 158 countries in the third World Happiness Report.  People who live in the happiest countries hav

Modi talks tough but sets ambitious agenda for China ties

Talks were candid and outlook was ambitious. Prime minister Narendra Modi was candid in his official talks with the Chinese leaders as he touched border issue while setting an ambitious agenda for

Motorable route to Kailash-Mansarovar to open in June

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the second route for the Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra will become operational next month (June), allowing more Indians to undertake the pilgrimage

Modi building a USA in Asia, calls unity and shared prosperity

Prime minister Narendra Modi seems to be building a USA in the backyard.  On Tuesday, he called for unity among Asian countries and said they must work as Asians to shape the world and reform

E-visa for Chinese will help tourism, says minister Sharma

Minister of state for Tourism Mahesh Sharma has hailed the extension of e-visas to Chinese nationals. Sharma said on Tuesday that “It was a great vision of our prime minister that he took a l

Modi`s one year has been satisfactory, says Jaitley

Satisfaction and positive sentiments are major themes of one year of Modi government. This is what came out at a press conference on Friday addressed by finance minister Arun Jaitley in the nationa

Another scandal over Bofors, envoy sought to ‘censor’ Pranab’s comment

First it was unnecessary political comment made by a constitutional authority. Now, another gaffe has been committed by a serving diplomat. Ahead of his visit to Sweden, president Pr

Delayed monsoon: Nasa project may help India prepare better

India battles uncertain monsoon due to El Nino this season and uncertainty is the bane of Indian agriculture sector. The policy makers and planners need to have long term plans for a country that i

Indian army’s covert operation is cosmetic, may muddle complex northeast

The road from Manipur’s capital Imphal to Chandel offers a picturesque view dotted by green hillocks and small ponds. The serenity turns sinister when one looks at strong presence of security

Private wealth holders’ growth zooms in India

China and India will catapult Asia-Pacific as the wealthiest region in the world and is expected to surpass North America by next year. The Boston Consulting Group`s `Global Wealth 2015: Winning th

Expect good salary hike this year due to optimistic economic growth

Salary levels in India are likely to exceed growth figures of the country, which is good news for professionals. While most of forecasts predict that India’s growth will be in the range of 7.

Blunt Ratan Tata speaks of flaws in governance in India

Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has questioned the basic of governance and sought to redefine it in the post-liberalisation India. He was also at pain to explain how weak enforcement of rule

Nathu La opens for Kailash pilgrims and new frontier of Sino-Indian friendship

Another door has opened to China and it has people connect. After over half-a-century of closure as consequence of the 1962 Sino-India war, Nathu La pass opened on Monday for the first batch of Ind

India is now top 10 destinations for FDI, Make in India to make big difference

For the first time India is one of the top 10 destinations for foreign direct investment (FDI). While acknowledging India’s climb, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unct

Fitch joins Moody’s, warns of weak business environment

After global rating giant Moody’s warning that there were growing concerns about risk of policy stagnation in India and “some disappointment” over the pace of reforms under the Mo

Leverage numbers and strength, Modi tells BRICS nations

Making a strong case for economic cooperation among the BRICS nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today “we need to see our strengths and then cooperate on skill development”.

Evening digest: AAP legislator shot at in Delhi

In a bizarre incident, unidentified men opened fire at the office of AAP legislator Kailash Gehlot in Delhi on Friday but no one was hurt.  The Aam Aadmi Party legislator was then at his resid

Gurdaspur terror attackers came from Pak, confirms Rajnath in RS

Home Minister Rajnath Singh said today that the terrorists who attacked Dinanagar in Gurdaspur in Punjab came from Pakistan.  They came to India via Ravi river. Analysis of the two GPS machine

Morning briefing: Home ministry meeting today on ISIS threat, two Indian hostages free

Union home ministry is likely to hold a meeting with state police chiefs today (Saturday) to review the situation in the wake of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) threat. The meeting is being

IoT has potential to brighten up east

The `Internet of Things (IoT)` can spice up the the east. According to a joint report from PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Confederation of Indian Industries, West Bengal with Kolkata, is

India may show dignified restraint as Pak invites Kashmiri separatists

The NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan will take place despite Pakistani high commission inviting Kashmiri separatist leaders to meet Pakistan’s national security advisor Sartaj Aziz,

India growth story: Micromax in top 10 list of world mobile sellers

It is a Make in India story of a different kind. Indian mobile phone maker Micromax features on the list at the 10th spot with 9.9 million units sold in the April-June 2015 quarter.

Kashmir is unfinished agenda, asserts Pak army chief and warns of unbearable cost

After almost coming to a point of talking last month, there is now war of words. Pakistan Army chief Gen Raheel Sharif has responded to his Indian counterpart’s remarks about terrorist violen

India’s faultlines are stumbling block for reaching UN goals

Sustaining the goals being set by the United Nations (UN) for the world seems to be unattainable even for developed countries. In case of India, the country faces numerous issues. T

ADB cuts India’s growth story to 7.4%

In an update to ‘Asian Development Outlook’ report, the Asian Development Bank has lowered India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth to 7.4% in 2015 from an earlier estimate of

India fails to gain due to messy urbanization, says World Bank

Analyzing the patterns of India’s urbanisation, World Bank says that while India added seven multicity agglomerations between 1999 and 2010 for a total of 30 cities, Indian cities are not abl

When India rekindled Zuckerberg`s belief in Facebook

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has had his belief in his company reinforced by India. This was confessed by Zuckerberg himself as he hosted prime minister Narendra Modi on sunday at the headquart

CSR is vital for inclusive growth of India

According to a conservative estimate, every year $ 4.5 billion or Rs 25,000 crore is available from the corporate social responsibility (CSR) kitty and its proper utilization is going to change Ind

Poor are getting richer, extreme poverty in world falls below 10%

Due to sustained policy interventions the world may see end of poverty in next 15 years as the number of people in extreme poverty is now less than 10% and this has happened for the first time. The

Evening digest: Stalled road projects get revival funds

The Cabinet today approved a slew of measures, including a one-time financial assistance for stalled road projects and a cash boost for fertiliser firms. In a boost for infrastructure, the Cabinet

Cloud services spending growth over30% in India

Spending on cloud services in India market is expected to reach $ 1.9 billion by 2019. High rates of growth is attributed to public cloud services, which is to touch $ 731 million by the end of thi

Morning briefing: India, US to hold maiden policy planning dialogue today

India and USA will hold first policy planning dialogue in Delhi today (Wednesday) to share perspectives on key global issues and analyze major global trends including the West Asian situation, rise

Morning briefing: India, US to hold maiden policy planning dialogue today

India and USA will hold first policy planning dialogue in Delhi today (Wednesday) to share perspectives on key global issues and analyze major global trends including the West Asian situation, rise

GAIL tops carbon disclosure index list in PSUs

State-owned natural gas processing and distribution company GAIL (India) Limited has topped the public sector undertakings in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI) released by Carbon Disclo

Morning briefing: India`s GDP growth accelerates to 7.4% in Q2

Higher manufacturing output pushed India`s GDP growth to 7.4 per cent in the September quarter as compared to 7 per cent between April and June 2015. Analysts said GDP growth in Q2 was in line with

Morning briefing: Cong scores in rural Gujarat, BJP retains urban areas in civic polls

The Congress has made a comeback in the rural areas of Gujarat and won 21 of the 31 district panchayats, while the BJP retained its hold over urban pockets clinching all six municipal corporations

Morning briefing: India and Pakistan hold NSA-level meeting in Bangkok

In a sudden breakthrough in the stalled Indo-Pak dialogue, the National Security Advisors of the two countries met for four hours in Bangkok on Sunday and discussed terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir, an

Morning briefing: UN chief welcomes India, Pak decision to engage in dialogue

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon today welcomed the decision by India and Pakistan to engage in a comprehensive dialogue to discuss peace and security issues and hoped for progress in their efforts

Zika alert in India, Hyderabad firm claims to have world’s first vaccine

 The union health ministry has sounded an alert for Zika and appointed the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as the nodal agency for investigation of any outbreak of the viral infecti

India needs a forward looking foreign policy: C Raja Mohan

“We have never been so connected to the world. The scale of India’s external engagement today has become quite dramatic. And so, dealing with it is going to be a challenge. This cannot

It’s time India went on a job hunt

If the long queues at the employment exchanges and the crowds at private job fairs are an indicator, then trouble lies ahead for the Indian economy. The time has come to make employment generation

All the action from the first-ever BSF-BGB drill

In March this year, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) conducted their first-ever joint drill – Sundarbans Maitri – to sanitise the international bord

Rs 100 crore fine, jail term for wrong map of India

You will now face a seven year jail term or Rs 100 crore fine if you prepare an erroneous map of India, says the draft of “The Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016”.

Should passive euthanasia be allowed in India?

Should passive euthanasia be allowed in

India becomes second-largest country with internet users

The annual Internet Trends Report by Mary Meeker says that India is the only exception o

India still to go a long way in achieving global nutrition targets

Over the last decade, momentum around nutrition has been steadily building: in 2012, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted the 2025 Global Targets for Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition.

Pakistani Hindus facing a humanitarian crisis

The hope of relative safety of a religious majority as well as the fear of maiming and mutilation following partition forced mass exodus from either sides of the new border. The 1951 census of Paki

India-Bangladesh power project a risk for investors and consumers, says think tank

The proposed coal-fired Rampal power plant in southwest Bangladesh is no longer economically viable as it would “drive up electricity rates, cost far more than its promoters say, and put inve

India well prepared for Brexit aftermath: Jaitley

As Britain voted to opt out of the EU Friday, India has asserted that it is well prepared to meet its consequences. “We are well prepared to deal with the short and medium ter

PM Modi says Rajan is patriotic, loves India

In what has come as too late a reaction from the highest echelons of government  on RBI governor Raghuram Rajan’s decision to quit following open criticism by the BJP MP Subramanian Swam

India’s standing improves in World Bank’s logistics performance index

India now ranks 35 in the World Bank’s logistics performance index, in which Germany is right at the top and Luxembourg a close second. Sweden occupies the third spot. The repo

Have a heart: Include medicine cost in insurance

Should health insurance include the cost of medicine? That is the question raised by a recent study on India which seeks to measure the financial burden of cardiovascular diseases on people.

“[India is an example of] how to tackle development challenges”

Dr Mukhisa Kituyi is the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He has extensive background as an elected official, an academic and a holder o

A recap of mass evacuations of Indian nationals from war-hit countries

Strife-torn South Sudan is witnessing a heavy fight between former rebels and government soldiers. In 2011, South Sudan split from its northern neighbour, Sudan, in a contentious separation after m

Memories, bitter and sweet

The crisis of 1991 is the most momentous event I was ever involved in; it is also perhaps when I did the greatest service to my country. But it is also when I met colleagues with sharp knives &ndas

Who will reform the idea of reform?

For the last one month, India has been wallowing in a cool, scented pool of self-congratulation over the 25th anniversary of economic reform that began in July 1991. But as has been well said, what

The business of living, then and now

After teaching English literature in a postgraduate college for nearly a decade, Dr Shiv Kumar Gilra managed to save Rs 4,500 for a scooter. Then, back in the seventies, one had very limited option

Children of Reforms

You can see them around you all the time. They cut across geography, gender, caste, class, community and religion. Almost all of them have tell-tale signs – they are young, generally between

“We need leaders who will try to explain the logic [of reforms] to the people,” says Montek Singh Ahluwalia

If there is one person from the bureaucracy who has made the biggest contribution in planning and implementing the economic reforms, it has to be Montek Singh Ahluwalia. Commerce secretary at t

“India is now wide awake. We shall prevail. We shall overcome.”

THE DIAGNOSIS ‘At the edge of precipice’ 2. The new Government, which assumed office barely a month ago, inherited an economy i

687 athletes banned for doping since 2009

As wrestler Narsingh and shot putter Inderjeet Singh try to prove their innocence in front of the national anti doping agency (NADA) over allegations of substance abuse, the story of Indian athlete

India has failed in bringing administrative reforms: Mark Tully

  It was the former prime minister, Rajiv Gandhi, who first wanted to introduce economic reforms. In the pursuit of that, I saw Rajiv as someone who got himself into what I may call a

So near, yet so agonisingly far

India’s claim to the full-fledged membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) comes at an opportune time when most of the nations in the international system are knocking at the door of

The poor have been forgotten more and more: Harsh Mander

I was still in civil services when economic reforms were introduced in 1991. A more dramatic event around that time [1992] was the demolition of Babri Masjid. In retrospect, one realises ho

Education in India: Status check

While the government is in the process of implementing the new education policy, PRS Legislative Research has compiled data collected through various sources – district information system for

China ranks higher than India because of its investment in education, infrastructure

The recently released ninth edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII) co-published by the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Cornell University and INSEAD, shows tha

Key takeaways from the Indo-US military logistics agreement

India and the US have signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA), which establishes basic terms, conditions, and procedures for reciprocal provision of logistic support, supplies

Modi’s Balochistan plan: From moral ascendancy to smart mind games

Prime minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address to the nation with references to Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) set the cat among the pigeon

Stateless Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka

In June, 27-year-old Sujatha, who was seven months’ pregnant, and her five-year-old daughter Ammu, set out on a nerve-racking journey from India on a boat to Australia. They boarded t

They made India proud at Paralympics 2016

Having clinched a silver and a bronze medal in Rio Olympics 2016, India did much better at the Paralympic Games 2016 by bagging two golds, a silver and a bronze.   A tota

All you need to know about the Rafale fighter jet

India is moving closer in signing the much-awaited deal of purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. As per news reports, work is going on over the Inter-Governmental Agreement. Once that is

India fares poorly in World Economic Freedom Index

India slipped by 10 positions and now ranks 112th amongst 159 countries and territories included in the Economic Freedom of the World: 2016 Annual Report. India’s neighbours Bh

ONGC to acquire additional 11 percent stake in Russia’s Vankorneft

 State-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp. Ltd (ONGC) has signed definitive agreements with Russia’s national oil company Rosneft PJSC to acquire an additional 11 percent stake in its unit, JS

Few Indians approve of the way Modi is tackling Pakistan, says Pew report

“Just 22 percent of the public approves of Modi’s management of India’s volatile relationship with Pakistan. Half disapprove. This harsh judgment is relatively unchanged from 2015

10 things you must know about Indus Water Treaty

  1.    It was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 for sharing of waters of six river originating in India and flowing to Pakistan and is, till today, considered to be the most

Technological readiness is India’s biggest weakness: WEF report

Ten years of competitiveness in India’s GDP per capita in PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) terms almost doubled between 2007 and 2016, from $3,587 to $6,599. Growth slowed after the 2008 crisis,

Meanwhile on Twitter, Indians and Pakistanis go to war

  #IndiaStrikesPak Mentioning India str

Surgical strike: A middle path between restraint and aggression

India has finally struck, albeit surgically. After the Pakistan-sponsored terrorist attacks in Poonch and Uri on September 11 and 18,

Sri Lanka too pulls out of the SAARC summit

India’s diplomatic heft in South Asia became clear when Sri Lanka too decided not to attend the SAARC summit in Islamabad.   With this, five members of the eight-me

Resolve issues through dialogue: UN chief tells India, Pakistan

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, has offered “his good offices” to help resolve the escalating tension between India and Pakistan following a terror attack in Uri that left 19 Indian s

5 stories you must read over the weekend

As a number of conspiracy theories are floating around as reasons for the Akhilesh-Mulayam fight, here we are trying to have a deeper understanding of the bonds and equations within the Yadav clan

India has world’s largest number of poor: World Bank

India is by far the country with the largest number of people living under the international $1.90 a day poverty line, 224 million, more than 2.5 times as many as the 86 million in Nigeria, which h

Enforce report on India’s solar product policy, US to WTO

The US will press for the rapid enforcement of a World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel report that found India’s domestic content requirements breach international trade rules.

India’s GDP to be 7.6 percent in 2016: World Bank

In India, GDP growth will remain strong at 7.6 percent in 2016 and 7.7 percent in 2017, supported by expectations of a rebound in agriculture, civil service pay reforms supporting consumption, incr

Large share of H-1B visas granted to Indian outsourcing firms: World Bank

The US has received an enormous net surplus of inventors from abroad, while China and India have been major source countries. Some countries like Canada and the United Kingdom are major destination

Remittance flows to India to dip: World Bank

Remittances to the South Asian region are expected to decline by 2.3 percent in 2016, following a 1.6 percent decline in 2015. Remittances from the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries continue

A possible India-led Trade Facilitation in Services agreement at the WTO?

On September 23, India circulated a concept note to members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to consider a Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) agreement that, according to New Delhi, is com

The sledgehammer blow and its aftermath

The time has come for India to announce to the world that India can no longer be transgressed or trespassed with impunity. And there couldn’t have been a more telling way of doing so than by

Karimov: The man who steered Uzbekistan through transition times

Uzbekistan president Islam Karimov, who died in September at the age of 78, will be remembered as the leader who steered the former Soviet Republic with political acumen by carefully maneuvering th

Ajit Doval: The hawk

Should the Indians be worried about Afghanistan’s future? National security advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval offers a perspective on this. In 2001 then US president George W Bush had l

Outlook stable, says S&P on India rating

Standard and Poor’s global ratings affirmed its `BBB-` long-term and `A-3` short-term sovereign credit ratings on India. It said that the outlook is stable. The ratings on Indi

“We have to convince women about benefits of LPG”

Many women in Ballia, UP, say it is difficult for them to collect even a small amount for refilling gas.  We frankly don’t have a clear answer to that. But it is

Lighting up the Indian kitchens

Seema Devi, a 34-year-old woman, is not much different from other homemakers of her village – Takerson in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh. But ask her about her latest acquisition, and she t

World’s first malaria vaccine soon

 The world’s first malaria vaccine will be rolled out in pilot settings in 2018, the results of which would give an indication of whether they can be deployed on a wider scale, the World

India is top source of international migrants: Pew

India is right at the top among all countries when it comes to international migrants, with Mexico standing second, said a report of the Pew Research Centre.   The report: &lsqu

Govt, pvt sector must collaborate to bring women and migrants in formal banking

India ranks in the middle of a group of 26 emerging economies regarding access to formal financial services, according to a global study. The Brookings Financial and Digital Inclusion Project (FDIP

When Gandhi met Nehru the first time

Gandhi and Nehru. The two people, above all, who defined the national freedom movement, and thus, the moral template of the independent India. (That is not to belittle Tagore, Ambedkar and many oth

Why the world should be watching India’s state elections

India’s election commission on Wednesday announced the schedule to the assembly polls in five states, heralding the biggest political event in the calendar. Some 60 million vot

By 2020, median age in India will be 28.1 years

In the next three years, the median age in India is projected to be 28.1 years, as compared to China (38.1 years), Japan (48.2 years) and USA (37.3 years), said a report of the standing committee o

Demonetisation may lead to temporary slowdown of economy: Mukherjee

Demonetisation, while immobilising black money and fighting corruption, may lead to temporary slowdown of the economy, said president Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday. “We all will

Demonetisation expected to temporarily dampen India’s oil appetite: Analysts

The dramatic rise in India`s oil demand shows no signs of faltering, leading analysts say that the country will remain a driver of Asian growth in 2017.  Consumption is expected to r

India ranks below Bangladesh, Nepal in inclusive development index

India has fared worse than its neighbours: Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China, in an inclusive development index. World Economic Forum’s Inclusive Growth and Development Report 2

India fares poorly in global ranking of passports

India has the 81st position on the Passport Index, the real-time global ranking of the world’s passports. It is ahead of its neighbours Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Passpor

US use of anti-dumping measures at WTO impacts India

 India is one of the countries most affected by the US’ use of anti-dumping (AD) measures at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), a recent review of US’ trade policy reveals.

India’s air pollution one of the worst in the world: Study

Increasing exposure to polluted air and a growing and aging population have meant that India now rivals China for among the highest air pollution health burdens in the world, with both countries

India seeks dispute panel against US at WTO

India has submitted its first request for establishment of a dispute panel against the US at the World Trade Organisation (WTO)—a request that was blocked by Washington on February 20 stating

India will be home to world’s largest Muslim population by 2050: Pew

Indonesia is currently the country with the world’s largest Muslim population, but Pew Research Center projects that India will have that distinction by the year 2050 (while remaining a maj

India, Pakistan spar at UN Human Rights Council

The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) has become the new platform for verbal spats between India and Pakistan as the rival countries have already clashed four times during the ongoing session o

China ahead of India in internet accessibility: Pew

 Internet use among Indians is less as compared to Chinese, according to findings of the Pew Research Center, a US-based think tank. “In our latest poll, 71% of Chinese say the

India, Pakistan again hold talks over Indus Water Treaty

India and Pakistan began discussions on the Indus Water Treaty on Monday, six months after New Delhi suspended talks following the Uri terror attack. The talks are being held in Isla

India an unhappy country: Report

 India ranked 122nd among list of155 countries, according to the World Happiness Report 2017. It is four points do

Schooling improved in India, shows HDI

India has slipped one spot in the Human Development Index 2016. India’s HDI value for 2015 is 0.624 — which put the country in the medium human development category - posi

Five points about UK parliament resolution on Gilgit-Baltistan

  Here are five highlights of the resolution that was passed by the British parliament over Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan.   Read:

India is now net exporter of electricity

For the first time, India has exported more electricity than what it has imported, said the Central Electricity Authority, the designated authority for cross border trade of electricity.

The racist Indian

  Our heads must hang in shame over the attack on five African students in Greater Noida – for it was no ordinary assault. It was an attack on our Indian sensibilities. It

The secret of Modi’s success

Here is a proposition: Narendra Modi is the top  thinker, the top intellectual of our times. Is that an exaggerated claim? Not altogether. Here’s why. After Brexit and aft

The magic of Moditva

The well-turned-out officials had reached the sachivalaya in Gandhinagar on time, believing it would be another routine meeting with the chief minister. As soon as they had settled in, the

India and France ink MoU on civil aviation

Airports Authority of India (AAI), a Miniratna PSU, and the French Civil Aviation Authority have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen technical cooperation programme bet

Recycling lessons that India can learn from the US

 India can learn a thing or two about recycling from the US where even entire buildings are being recycled. The US currently generates nearly 260 million tons of solid waste annually

India’s growth to rebound as cash shortage eases: IMF

India’s growth is expected to rebound to 7.2 percent in FY 2017-18 as the cash shortages accompanying the currency exchange initiative ease, said an International Monetary Fund report that wa

Bhutan’s pursuit of happiness, shortage of health sub-centres in UP, and role of digitisation in IGNOU

In many ways the story of Gross National Happiness in a country is the story of Bhutan and its modern history. There are two major transition points in Bhutan’s recent history, the beginnin

Dengue could be history soon

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellmann and Melinda Gates in April volunteered to get bitten by the dengue causing Aedis mosquitoes in Indonesia. They were donating blood

Year 2022 – and not 2019 - is India’s new milestone

The Narendra Modi government seems to have shifted its focus from 2019 and is now looking beyond it. Some of the initiatives are now aligned to be completed by 2022.  

Internet users in India to double by 2021: Cisco

 Internet users will grow to 829 million in 2021, up from 373 million in 2016, said a Cisco report that was released on Friday. In its visual networking index (VNI) forecast, Cisco s

Bihar, UP push India towards becoming world’s most populated country

Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are the three states that have the highest total fertility rate (TFR), propelling India towards becoming the world’s most populous country in the nex

India unwilling to budge on border dispute with China

Army chief General Bipin Rawat personally oversaw the defence preparedness in Sikkim, amid Chinese media’s vituperative comment on India and escalating tension between the two countries over

“Education is the best antidote to child labour”

How can we ensure that children taken away from labour will have a better future? By making education a fundamental right. After enacting the Right of Children to Free and

Promising a new dawn

In a historic move, the government, after nearly two decades, ratified two of International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) core conventions on child labour – convention number 138 (minimum

Mosul liberated: India`s help needed to rebuild Iraq

 With the Islamic State (IS) losing Mosul to the Iraqi forces, a massive reconstruction effort is required to rebuild this ancient city. According to estimates, $100 billion is required to mak

As US out of climate pact, India must play a bigger role: Jairam Ramesh

 The vacuum created by US president Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement is a golden opportunity for India to stand up and demonstrate its leadership on c

Osama’s presence in Abbottabad turned US against Pakistan: author

 The discovery that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was living comfortably with his family in Pakistan while Americans were hunting for him all over the world, was the turning point in the Was

China’s aggression in Doklam will grow in coming days: Experts

In the Chinese calendar, August 1 and October1 are important days. August 1 is the foundation day for the Chinese army, while October 1 is the establishment day for the People’s Republic of C

The power of 10

Pageantry has been a common feature of every Republic Day function that India has organised since 1950. However, it has not been without a fairly large share of weighty political and diplomatic sym

What India needs to do to finally become a superpower

For the past 25 years, India has been rising in stature. It is continually called an upcoming superpower but has been unable to reach the promised status. India’s importance in the world is m

Must empower trafficking victims: Fadnavis

 Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that human trafficking is a crime against humanity and “the victims lose their dignity and die every day”.  Sp

A happy tale of a tail

There’s a story about seeking happiness that goes like this. A dog has an epiphany that happiness lies in its tail. So it begins an endless quest, moving in circles, chasing its tail but neve

The reforms process has been very slow: Yashwant Sinha

Last year the nation marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of economic liberalisation. Back in those tumultuous days, Yashwant Sinha was an important part of the dramatis personae involved

A remembrance of things past

As India celebrates 70 years of freedom, Governance Now looks back and picks 70 words – or phrases, buzzwords, slogans, events – that best define this ancient nation and young

Governance in India: 70 years and counting

India began her tryst with destiny almost seventy years ago, in the midnight intervening 14th and 15th August 1947. The country the British left behind was but a collection of over 600 native state

India and China will live side by side: Dalai Lama

Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has said that neither India nor China has the ability to defeat each other.    The 14th Dalai Lama was giving the inaugural l

Can Trump rein in Pakistan?

Pakistani leaders must be feeling frustrated after US president Donald Trump warned Islamabad that America would not remain a silent spectator if Pakistan continued to be a safe haven for terrorist

India promises all help to Nepal

At a time when the standoff between India and China on Doklam is on and Beijing, in its bid to isolate India, is trying its best to win over the South Asian country’s neighbours, New Delhi&rs

India, China end impasse, agree to withdraw troops from Doklam

More than two-month old standoff between India and China on Doklam appears to have been resolved as the two countries have agreed to withdraw their border personnel from the area which lies at the

Steel minister seeks stronger ties between Australia, India

 Union steel minister Chaudhary Birender Singh has invited Australian government and businesses to be a part of the ambitious growth and development opportunities available in India.

Modi to visit China

A day after India and China agreed to withdraw their troops from Doklam, an area that saw a face-off between the two sides since June 16,  New Delhi released statement on prime minister Narend

India, Japan look at collaborating on dual-use technologies

India and Japan are keen to further strengthen defence and security cooperation under the framework of the “Japan-lndia Special Strategic and Global Partnership”.  

Myanmar gets diesel from India

 The first consignment of 30 metric tonnes (MT) of high speed diesel (HSD) was sent from India to Myanmar by land route.  Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. (NRL), which has been supplyin

India, Japan to write Africa’s growth story

September 13 promises to be a busy day in the diplomatic calendar with two back-to-back events of high developmental and strategic importance for India. First, prime minister Narendra Modi and his

India’s perseverance on Pakistan paid off at Xiamen

 When Chinese President Xi Jinping was signing on the declaration of the BRICS that referred to the Pakistan- based terrorist groups as threat to peace and security in the region, the Indian d

US secretary of state and defence secretary to visit India

Bilateral engagement between New Delhi and Tokyo would receive a fillip when Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe lands in India for a three-day visit from September 13. Although, he is coming here f

India-Japan bilateral trade doubled in 2012-13 from 2006-07

The negative or slow growth in trade with Japan is a matter of concern for India in view of the fact that there is high potential for faster progress on goods and services trade, noted the Indian

Whispers of an Indian wind

India was wide-eyed when China aggressively pushed its Silk Route project – and it was then that New Delhi decided to give Beijing a dose of its own medicine by launching an ambitious initiat

Finding a diplomatic way through political instability

As an emerging global power and the most powerful state in South Asia, India has been perennially concerned about protracted political instability and resultant social turmoil in Afghanistan duri

Pak rattled by Indian wheat for Afghans via Chabahar

Pakistani experts and commentators seem rattled by India’s rather swift move to operationalise the seat route to the landlocked Afghanistan via the Iranian port of Chabahar, ending, for all t

India to raise terrorism issue in back-to-back trilateral meets

This is a crucial month for India’s foreign policy makers as two back-to-back trilateral meetings, one at the ministerial level and another at the foreign secretary level, are going to be hel

Pakistan’s undiplomatic behaviour

 Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson Muhammed Faisal said his country granted the Indian request to offer mother and wife of Kulbhushan Jadhav an opportunity to meet the Indian ex-nav

India, Myanmar, Thailand negotiating motor vehicles pact

The government of India is implementing two projects as part of Trilateral Highway between India, Myanmar and Thailand, parliament was informed on Wednesday. Read:

‘There’s visible engagement with China, but with India, the engagement is not as visible’

Under president Yameen Gayoom, the Maldives has closed ranks with Beijing on a free trade agreement and the belt and road initiative. Recently, it suspended opposition councillors who met India

The slow road

In the aftermath of the Doklam standoff with China, India has been trying to consolidate its relationship with Southeast Asian countries through an ‘Act East’ strategy. But what many se

Modi woos South Korean business honchos

 “From princess to poetry and from Buddha to Bollywood; India & Korea have so much in common,” prime minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the India-Korea Business Summi

Q3 GDP comes in at 7.2 percent

The Q3 2017-18(Oct-Dec) GDP stood at 7.2 percent, up from Q2 2017-18(July-Sep) which was 6.5 percent, authorities said on Wednesday.   Real GDP or Gross Domestic Product

India, Russia envision multimodal transport route

The India-Iran-Russia-led International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which is a sea, land and rail transport project, is ready for its operationalisation in June, even as China’s m

An African salient

To counter Beijing’s aggressive agenda in the Indian Ocean, New Delhi is seeking to create strategic bastions in Mauritius, Seychelles and Madagascar. The immediate provocation was Ch

Who has been investing in India through Mauritius?

The official statistics provided by the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) under the ministry of commerce and industry shows that between January 2000 and December 2017, India rec

Surging oil prices worry India, says Pradhan in OPEC meet

Minister of petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan has said the fragile world economic growth will be at threat if the crude oil prices continue to surge. He said surging oil prices

India gifts HAL Do-228 aircraft to Seychelles

India has gifted a HAL Do-228 aircraft to the Republic of Seychelles at a ceremony in New Delhi on June 26.The aircraft was handed over by external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to the President,

If you’re a woman living in India, be scared, very scared...

India has been ranked as the world’s most dangerous country for women due to the high risk of sexual violence and being forced into slave labour, according to a Thomson Reuters Foundation sur

Saudi ARAMCO and ADNOC ink pact for India’s $44 bn refinery

State owned Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi national oil company (ADNOC) have signed a pact to jointly build a $44 billion integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra. The

India’s balancing act with China

On the first day of his August 19-20 visit to India, when Japanese defence minister Itsunori Onodera held talks with his Indian counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman, several defence and strategic-related

Why not have time zones in India?

It`s an idea rejected by the central government many times over - the latest in December 2018. India must remain united by a single time, the government reasoned, because coordination between zones

Why not legalise gambling?

Life is a gamble everywhere. But in India, different states have different laws on gambling, lotteries, casinos. And betting on games, perfectly legal in many countries, is not allowed anywhere in

Putting Northeast on a tourist map

The northeastern region (NER) is known for its lush green hills, vast flourishing plains, deep valleys, natural caves, free flowing rivers, large variety of flora and fauna, cuisines, and for its h

The Triptych and us

Some of the developments in India during the past four years, such as lynchings, growing polarisation among communities on caste and religious lines in every walk of life and the consequent fear ps

For the Republic

Whether we need Republic Day parades or not is debatable. But there is splendour in the spectacle. Olives, khakis, fatigues, crease and polish, brocade and shining metal, guns greased and oiled to

The rich continue to get richer, and the poor poorer: Oxfam

Indian billionaires saw their incomes surge by Rs 2,200 crore a day in 2018, and the wealthiest got wealthier as the top 1 percent of the country’s richest increased their fortune by 39 perce

Indian republic @70: Constitutional vision vs. social reality

This 26th of January earmarks the 70th anniversary of the Indian republic. In the 69 years of journey, India has made considerable progress in democratising the society at large. The Constitution o

India beats Japan to become world’s second largest steel producer

Steel minister Chaudhary Birender Singh has India has become the second largest producer of steel in the world leaving behind Japan and the USA.   He said when comparing

Where water is lethal

Well water in about 400 villages along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab is laden with deadly arsenic. The World Health Organisation (WHO) sets a safe limit of 10 micrograms of arsenic per litre

Interview with a changemaker

On first meeting Rokeya (name changed for confidentiality reasons) you wouldn’t take her for a fighter. She comes across as a shy, soft-spoken person. She is 24 years old now, stays in a vill

‘Internet for all’: Only way forward

Safer Internet Day celebrated on February 5th is a global initiative to make the Internet a better and safer place for everyone. This year`s slogan is "together for a better internet”- a

6 percent reduction in tobacco use in India: GATS 2

Tobacco consumption in India has decreased by 6 percent among the adult population. As per the latest GATS 2 (Global Adult Tobacco Survey), tobacco consumption among adults aged 15 and above has co

6 percent reduction in tobacco use in India: GATS 2

Tobacco consumption in India has decreased by 6 percent among the adult population. As per the latest GATS 2 (Global Adult Tobacco Survey), tobacco consumption among adults aged 15 and above has co

Estonia eyes on more e-Residents from India to open startups

Riho Kruuv, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia talks to Vishwas Dass on key issues like the importance of e-Residency programme of the Government of Estonia and why Estonia is becoming a pre

India’s per capita power consumption likely to grow by two fold, says power minister

Union power minister RK Singh has said the per capita current power consumption of 1,200 units is expected to grow 2-3 times at par with the international consumption after every Indian gets access

Kashmir conundrum and Pakistan’s democracy deficit

The Kashmir conundrum was never below the radar, but the Pulwama attack has once again put terrorism and foreign-aided separatism on top of the national agenda. The ghastly killing of the CRPF pers

When caste overtakes nationalism

As India waits for Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman`s return from Pakistan, Google search on the 34-year-old `braveheart` saw a major spike. Not surprisingly, people were more keen on finding ou

The high road to despair

India has 16 crore people who drink and 6.5 crore drug users, a survey by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences estimates. Of those who take alcohol, 5.7 crore have health or dependency probl

Delhi, NCR ranked most polluted cities in the world: Report

India`s national capital region (NCR) has been ranked as the world`s most polluted region in the world, said a report by NGO Greenpeace.    The latest data compiled

Making medicines affordable

Calling for a pragmatic and compulsive licensing system in healthcare, chairperson, Cipla, Dr Yusuf Hamied said that government must formalise essential drugs. Making a strong voice for compulsory

Encouraging STEM education, empowering girls to be tech innovators

India is now the sixth-largest economy in the world, with a 2017 GDP of $2.6 trillion, according to the database of the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook (WEO) for April 20

Crossing the border

Ghar mein ghus ke marenge (We will hit you right inside your own home),” prime minister Narendra Modi thundered, when he addressed a meeting at the civil hospital in Ahmedabad on March 4.&nbs

Who benefits from India-Pakistan conflict?

The dastardly attack on the personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of February 14 in Pulwama that killed forty men has already turned a new page in the India-Pakistan ties. The loss of pr

Why not have a reconciliation panel?

Jenine di Giovanni, a reporter who was a first-hand witness to the destruction in Bosnia, Chechnya and other places, wrote: “In the aftermath of any war or genocide, healing and reconciliatio

India a year unhappier

India is unhappier than ever before. The United Nation`s World Happiness report 2019 has ranked India at the 140th position from the previous 133 in 2018, dropping seven spots in just a year and 23

Eliminating tuberculosis within a generation

Published ahead of World TB Day (24 March 2019), The Lancet Commission on Tuberculosis estimates that there are significant financial benefits of reducing TB mortality. With the country shouldering

Land digitisation and India

The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business report 2019 ranks India at 166 out of 190 countries in ‘Registering Property’, lower from last year’s ranking of 154. This, in spite

Schooling in freedom

This year’s interim budget allocated Rs 93,847.64 crore for education. Of this, Rs 56,386.63 crore was for school education, a hike of 10 percent over the allocation made in the previous budg

Make oral care integral to universal health coverage

In a world that continues to witness a sharp divide between the rich and poor, and diseases continue to stare menacingly at humanity, it is only prudent that World Health Organisation declared Univ

The maker unmade

The bad news about India’s engineering graduates continues unabated. Most recently, a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that American students of computer

India Votes: Scenes from first phase of polling

The world`s largest democracy goes to vote this summer. Polls are taking place in India`s 543 constituencies from April 11 to May 19, in seven phases.The first phase of polling on Apri

The heat is rising

The day Amit Shah filed his election candidature papers from Gandhinagar, BJP workers were enthusiastic in preparing for a series of rallies in the constituency – but they had a complaint:

Voting for Mumbai meri jaan

“Voting is an important constitutional duty and a right that turns our

“Sometimes we wonder if we are living in a democracy at all”

Sharad Pawar is the grand old man of Indian politics. He is among the last stalwarts from a generation that is fading out. He has served as chief minister of Maharashtra four times and held crucial

Making sense of India’s elections

With highly appropriate lyrics at the start of every chapter, combined with deep insights from rigorous analysis of data – Citizen Raj is an absolute delight to read.   

Banking sector will now look at reaching poorest of poor

“The banking sector under the leadership of prime minister Narendra Modi has seen major announcements like the bold step of demonetization and PMJDY which were never seen before. We are now l

Dangerous meat

It’s a Friday morning at a poultry warehouse in Gazipur, Delhi, not far from its infamous mountain of garbage. Kites and vultures roost on pylons and hover in the thermals over the swollen la

The Evolution of Modi

Gujarat was passing through a turbulent phase in the 1980s. The decade began middle class agitations against new reservation policies, and the caste friction turned communal under the watch of chie

What Imran’s rant against RSS tells us about Modi’s Kashmir policy

An unintended consequence of the inversion of Article 370 and the division of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories is the curious revival of Pakistan’s interest in Indian

Why Modi-Xi informal summit in Mamallapuram is important

Barely four days are left for Chinese president Xi Jinping to land in Mamallapuram (or Mahabalipuram) for an informal summit with prime minister Narendra Modi. While official confirmation is still

India stays home, thanks Corona fighters, prepares for tough battle

Sunday marked a watershed in India’s battle with the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus outbreak: following prime minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for a “janta curfew”, people stayed

Covid-hit world economy may recover sooner than expected

Fitch Ratings in its latest Global Economic Outlook (GEO) expects global GDP to fall by 4.4% in 2020, a modest upward revision from the 4.6% decline expected in the June GEO. The recovery in econom

A walk down the rich history of Ayurveda

The Indic Quotient: Reclaiming Heritage through Cultural Enterprise By Kaninika Mishra Bloomsbury India, 230 pages, Rs. 499   

Alert India faces China’s aggression on multiple fronts

India is facing aggression from China – not in eastern Ladakh alone, rather it is seized with a Beijing-backed proxy war in the northeast region and also ‘Salami Slicing’ of diffe

Why India’s ranking on Happiness Index has been falling

The World Happiness Report, one of the best tools for evaluating global happiness, is based on how ecstatic people perceive themselves to be. It considers six characteristics to rank countries on o

Fact, truth and philosophy

During an online course promoted as a foundational step towards tuning one’s mind for personal spiritual growth (presumably for eventual greater happiness and even bliss through self-realizat

20 years after 9/11, threat to India at elevated level

We are at a defining moment of history twenty years after the deadliest terrorist attack that killed 2,977 and injured more than 6,000 in the USA. Just to recollect, four commercial flights were hi

India and Singapore to link their Fast Payment Systems

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapo

Mumbai on full alert against Omicron

After reports of Omicron, a new potentially contagious variant of coronavirus detected in South Africa, Belgium, Hong Kong, Britain and Israel, more European countries have reported cases, raising

The Indian Muslim faces a conundrum. Here are the possible solutions

Unmasking Indian Secularism: Why We Need a New Hindu

Not just another Manto anthology

The Collected Stories of Saadat Hasan Manto: Volume 1: Bombay and Poona Translated by Nasreen Rehman Aleph Book Company, 548 pages, Rs 999 The

Unveiled: Competitiveness Roadmap for India@100

The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has released a blueprint for the country’s economic future over the next 25 years, leading to the centenary of independence.

Climate change: What is India’s action plan?

Climate change is a global crisis that is only becoming bigger by the day. Any action to mitigate the effects of global warming and pollution is made difficult by the obvious conundrum: when all na

Why governance is not golf – and we’re not entitled to a handicap

Ashok Lahiri is among those few policymakers who can take credit for having shaped India’s economic history in recent decades. The economist, who is now a member of the West Bengal Legisl

What exactly is new in ‘A New History of India’

A New History of India: From Its Origins to the Twenty-First Century By Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Shobita Punja and Toby Sinclair Aleph Books, pp 480, Rs 999

India, US join hands, Operation Broader Sword stalls 500 illegal shipments

Over 500 shipments of illicit, and potentially dangerous, unapproved prescription drugs, combination medical devices, and synthetic drug precursors were stopped from reaching American consumers in

A new chapter in India`s French Connection

Literature partakes of the glory of courage and chivalry in the French context. Think of D’Artagnan, Arthos, Porthos and Aramis, who are the chief Protagonists of the novel, ‘Three Musk

In Israel’s Hamas war, India maintains its stance on global terrorism

The entire Israel-Palestine quagmire can be perceived through the vivid lens of the Political Contest Model where in the quintessential nation-state actor is pitted against the non-state actor in a

Cultural Nationalism in India: Explained by Ram Madhav

The Hindutva Paradigm: Integral Humanism and the Quest for a Non-Western Worldview By Ram Madhav Rupa Publications, Rs 395, 440 pages

The Women of My Country: The Other Half?

1700 in 70: A Walk for a Cause By Gita Balakrishnan Rupa Publications, Rs 595, 208 pages

Process on to form next govt: PM resigns

Prime minister Narendra Modi met president Droupadi Murmu and tendered his resignation along with that of his council of ministers on Wednesday, a day after the vote was counted in the General Elec

What the failure of BRI may mean for ‘Chinese Century’

The End of the Chinese Century? : How Xi Jinping Lost the Belt and Road Initiative By Bertil Lintner HarperColins, 256 pages, Rs 499.00

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


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