As India and the US has reached an understanding, and Washington has recognised New Delhi’s right to food security and the claim that it cannot be denied by World Trade Organisation (WTO), all roadblocks before a possible global trade deal s
Justice Leila Seth has many firsts to her credit. She is the first woman to top the bar examinations in London in 1958, the first woman judge in the Delhi high court and the first woman to become chief justice of a state high court. She was also a
Former union minister GK Vasan, who broke away from the Congress on November 3, cannot be underestimated and the new party he is launching this month can rewrite political equations in Tamil Nadu. In 1996, the Congress had a vote s
When I was a child, which is a very long time ago, and my sole identity was that of a grandson, the English song I heard sung over and over again at home, and learnt to sing, was Cardinal Newman’s ‘Lead Kindly Light’, a gre
In the mid-1950s, a group of travelling artistes, mostly puppeteers from Rajasthan, would frequently tour the northern and eastern states, sometimes going as far as Nepal. The money was good, and they got respect. The only problem was finding acco
What is about westerners who suddenly get up and become jihadists? Like the 17-year-old Aussie Abdullah Elmir who told his parents he was leaving on a fishing trip and instead went to Syria to join the ISIS. Not just that but he posted a video pro
On October 16, if you had logged on to the IRCTC website and were looking for a ticket on August Kranti Rajdhani Express from Mumbai Central to New Delhi’s Hazrat Nizamuddin station (train number 12953) for the following day, you might have
“If we want sustainable growth we have to care for the weaker sections. That is why this government is focussed on creating smart cities, which would provide economic opportunities to all. This would create an environment for inclusive devel
The recovery of black money stashed abroad had become a hot issue during the elections, with BJP leaders promising to bring it back within 100 days of forming the government. While the Modi government’s position in the supreme court is quite
Eighty-eight percent Indian consumers have read or heard about major retailer data breaches in the past year but fewer than half (45%) admit that data breaches by retailers have increased their concerns about their personal data privacy during the
While Indian government is working on smart cities scheme, it could prioritise on interconnectedness between and within cities and have governance arrangements which may focus on true economic geography of cities, instead of administrative boundar
Delhi’s projected increase in per capita income is one of the largest among a group of global cities including London, New York and Tokyo between 2012 and 2030. According to a report released by London School of Economics (LSE) and Alfred He
Foreign and Indian observers and historians are almost unanimous in their response to the grand question: why India survived as a democracy after Independence? The answer invariably is a five-letter word: Nehru. Even Jawaharlal Nehru’s most
The beleaguered national flag carrier may soon get privatised. The Maharaja carrying a red balance sheet may not remain a public entity. In an exclusive interview to Governance Now P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, civil aviation minister, clearly said the
The latest downward revision in the diesel and petrol prices was huge and coming after a row of closer successive reductions in the last four months the feel-good factor across the vehicle-owning middle and upper classes ought to be all time high
The ‘tryst with destiny’ was Jawaharlal Nehru’s first and most famous speech as prime minister. But the one that has most coloured his historical reputation came towards the end of his long innings. Speaking in parliament after t
The finance ministry is leaving no stone unturned to make the pradhan mantri jan dhan yojna (PMJDY) a success. It has now advised banks to undertake a “campaign to disseminate information and awareness among the masses”.
A day is a long time in politics. November 9, the day when prime minister Narendra Modi expanded his cabinet, was such a day. Every moment of the induction of 21 new members in the council of minister was suffused with a sense of déjà
One of India’s most renowned and celebrated architects, Hafeez Contractor is empanelled with the housing boards of several states – Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. He has been instrumental in
Greater autonomy in administrative and financial matters, setting up a holding company for quicker decision making, segregation of ownership and management and promotion of inclusive development through corporate social responsibility (CSR) are fe
