Nothing is as humbling an experience as an intense election campaign when you try to convince and mobilise voters to a cause. Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in the country in terms of population, is as wide in geographical expanse as it is compl
It has almost become a trend now to hear strange, sometimes bordering on the insane, advises on ‘how-to-escape-rape’ from intellectuals, sages, politicians and in this case, erstwhile feminists after the country has witnessed a horrifi
“Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I`ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?” The lines by the poet-author-playwright-filmmaker-journalis
Not even getting into the debate of “was Indira Gandhi qualified enough to be the Prime Minister of India” or “what qualifications does Sonia Gandhi have to be whatever”, the whole debate regarding Smriti Irani, current uni
Over the last few years, thanks to some of the popular movements, Indian citizens seem to have become more aware of their basic rights: gender issues, for example, are being discussed in this election like never before. For this reason campaigning
Like any other news-room, people in Delhi metro this morning were active enough to predict the results and margins. Many of them were a step ahead in predicting the trouble the new prime minister may face during his rule. While man
What is problematic with this report? While I am not competent to comment on the banking and financial issues discussed in this report, I find the committee`s attitude towards the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) v
If the general election that got over on Monday (May 12) has to be described in a word, that word has to be ‘watershed’. After all, this, as statistics show, is the election that drew out the most number of people – 55.1 crore, o
The media has reported the latest judgment of the Supreme Court (Constitution bench of 5 judges) striking down a provision of the law that governs the functioning of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), regarding the procedure for inquiring
An encounter with auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai mostly leaves commuters drained and exasperated. They drive recklessly, for most of them traffic rules are meant to be broken, and they argue over fares, despite the fact that metres are installed
Book review: A Strange Kind of Paradise: India Through Foreign Eyes: Sam Miller (Interview): Penguin India, 440 pages, Rs 599
Today when I speak to people about their voting preferences, the usual answer I get is "Even though I like party `C` I will vote for party `A` to ensure that party `B` stays out of power. When I ask them what if party `C` or any other party y
Dear diary, Got up in the morning again. I do, these days. Get up in the morning, that is. Gone are the times when I was the IPL boss and it was part of the brief to attend late-night parties and wake up late. Alas... (Note to self:
Justification for Change I am fortunate to have witnessed Dr. Dinesh Singh twice justifying the four-year undergraduate programme (FYUP) course, especially defending the introduction of Foundation Course papers and on that
My experience with elections dates back to the 2007 Delhi Sikh Gurudwara management committee (DSGMC) elections. DSGMC is an organisation that, apart from managing Gurudwaras in the national capital, also manages educational institutions, hospital
The government is not quite right. Choose to explain. No, I am not egging on the companies to disobey but I believe it is now more important for both; the government, including the state governments, and the corporate sector, includ
Afghanistan is preparing for its presidential election slated for 5 April, this election is very crucial for the country as well as its neighbours including Pakistan, Iran and India. Any development in Afghanistan will be directly linked to its ne
Indians are coming after a 14 year hiatus and they will once again play a sort of `international` cricket tournament in the UAE. This hosting of a segment of the IPL should be seen as a first step towards re-establishing test and one-day ties and
What with this Khobragade lady and the US courts now throwing out the case against her (so much for the big fight) and leaving crusader attorney Preet Bharara with a little egg on his face because the loophole offered him to put in another c
Arvind, I am a little tensed. And I believe the anxiety in me is typical of the feelings of hundreds of thousands of people across the cities, towns and villages of India. Arvind, three years ago when you steadfastly stood by Shri A
