As the nation readies to celebrate its 78th Independence Day, India’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 faces an important inflection point. The August 6 announcement by US president Donald Trump to impose up to 50% tariffs on Indian imports is not just a policy change; it is a stark reminder that global trade is increasingly shaped by power politics, not just economics.
India’s long-anticipated national census — initially scheduled for 2021 but deferred due to the pandemic — is now poised to begin in late 2026 and culminate on March 1, 2027. This iteration promises to be India’s first fully digital census and, more significantly, the first since 1931 to systematically enumerate caste. India has, till now, pursued data ubiquity including
As Bihar prepares for the 2025 Vidhan Sabha elections, the women of the state are now grappling with two significant challenges: the bureaucratic obstacles posed by the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and the empty promises of inclusivity made by politicians. Women, who have long been a silent yet decisive force in Bihar’s elections, are now at the cen
In the village of Panna, Madhya Pradesh, a 14-year-old walks nearly two kilometres daily—not to get to school, but to catch a fleeting mobile signal to attend her online classes. Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, her urban peer accesses AI-powered personalized learning platforms from the comfort of home. This disparity is not just anecdotal; it reflects a persistent and growing digital divide that
July 29, 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the release of the National Education Policy (NEP) and just over three months after the passing of Dr K. Kasturirangan – “Dr Rangan” to most of us. I had the privilege of working closely with him during the last decade of his life which he spent completely immersed in the world of education, covering everything from school education
Surveillance can primarily be understood as data collection for the accumulation of power. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) adds a further layer of complexity to it. AI can be defined as ‘machine learning’ that involves replicating already available responses through the process of iteration. This has enabled different forms of surveillance, the boundaries which remai
The theme of India-US relations has been a much-observed and commented-upon subject. Still, going by the traditional understanding and comprehension of the bilateral relationship, it has developed over the years as a partnership with the Americans earlier on persuading New Delhi to reach “Allyhood” between the two countries. The moral value-based relationship between New Delhi and W
As parliament is in the monsoon session, it is time to look at a familiar pattern: The persistent neglect of Private Member’s Bills (PMBs). Of the 82 bills listed for discussion during the Budget Session, not a single one was taken up for debate on any Friday, the day on which PMBs are taken up. This is clearly more than a scheduling failure; but does it reflect a deeper erosion of democr
The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility in India has witnessed a significant change through the years. What was earlier viewed as a statutory requirement is today more widely recognised as a catalyst for systemic, scalable, and sustainable change. This shift indicates how increased corporate awareness has linked social change with core business values and embedded it within national agen
By all accounts, the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) surplus transfer of Rs 2.69 lakh crore to the central government earlier this year is historic. Not only does this mark a 27.9% increase over the previous year, but it also constitutes roughly 7.6% of the government’s estimated revenue for FY 2025–26. This transfer has stirred debate—not just for its magnitude but also f
The world has become less peaceful over the past few years, chiefly because of external armed conflicts. While the world leaders claim to value peace and the respect for human rights and commit to restore peace when it is breached, the global peacefulness remains defined by conflicts, deaths, and the large scale displacement of people. This erodes the fundamental rights of people including thei
In India, gold is not just a commodity; it is tradition, sentiment, security and status rolled into one. It sparkles in wedding ceremonies, rests silently in lockers and forms the bedrock of generational wealth for millions. It is no exaggeration to say that Indians do not merely buy gold – they preserve it, revere it and pass it down through generations. And now, as gold prices nearly to
India pronounced its commitment to gender equality, decent work and inclusive participation in economic, political and social spheres for women. While the rhetoric of progress fills the air, the lived reality for millions of women in India paints a starkly different picture. Despite carrying a heavy workload, their work remains unaccounted for and unrecognized in the economic realm. What is lon
On World Youth Skills Day, observed every year on July 15, we’re reminded that the future of any economy depends on how well it invests in its youth. In India, where over half the population is under 30, the question of youth skills is not just about employment, it’s about meaning, wellbeing, and purpose. And it’s no longer just about training young people. It’s about re
Prime minister Narendra Modi last week completed a visit to five countries of Global South: Ghana, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Brazil and Namibia. The objective was to reignite old existing partnerships and to project India’s leadership and influence in the Global South community. The visit to the African countries of Ghana and Namibia marked a pivotal moment in
Intellectual Property (IP) has evolved into a critical component of innovation and global competitiveness in India’s economy. As businesses pivot toward intangible assets like data, algorithms and branding, IP protection is no longer a matter of formality—it is a strategic imperative. The last few years have witnessed an unprecedented rise in IP litigation, backed by judicial reform
Israel and Palestine have been the harbinger of troubles for the last 80-odd years. It is an unending and persistent saga of conflict and attrition which has bloodied the political, societal and economic turf in West Asia for long. The scale of wars, which were more than skirmishes of the day, ranged from the Nakba battle, the Galilee water conflict, the 1971 Yom Kippur war and the twin Intifad
In the history of BRICS, never has any joint statement issued after a leader-level summit contained any remarks—directly or indirectly, against the US. However, for the first time, during the 17th summit of BRICS in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, leaders voiced their concern about America’s imposition of tariffs on its trade partners, seen as unilateral bullying tactics which has kicked
As India`s renewable energy sector continues to expand, solar power plays a pivotal role in achieving energy sustainability. Within this domain, two types of solar panels dominate discussions: Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) solar panels and Non-DCR solar panels. Non-DCR solar panels are those that do not meet the Domestic Content Requirement, that is, they use imported solar cells and modul
India’s most important data exercise, the decennial census, is finally inching closer after an unprecedented delay. With enumeration now scheduled between 2026 and 2027, this will be the country’s first census in over 15 years. The last such exercise took place in 2011, before smartphones became widespread, before Aadhaar reached critical mass, and before schemes like Ujjwala, Jal J
