Bihar has prohibited alcohol, becoming the fourth state in the country to do so. Slowly yet surely, it seems, India is headed towards going ‘dry’. It is a bold move. One swallow does not a summer make, yet there is a clear trend for barring liquor. With Bihar, one of India’s most populous states, joining this bandwagon, a staggering 20 crore people now will not
The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) suffered a jolt on January 11 when the Modi government decided against supporting its case before the supreme court for minority status. Though during the UPA regime the centre had appealed against the Allahabad high court order stripping AMU of minority status, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi submitted before the apex court that the centre was not inclined to
It was a quirk of fate that made her foray into the tumultuous politics of J&K. Mehbooba has grown into an astute politician and a charismatic leader in 20 years. However, as she renews her vows with the BJP and embarks on a new phase of her career, Mehbooba’s journey is unlikely to be smooth Some of the key challenges for her are: Her image
Urur Olcott Kuppam is the name of a 150-year-old fishing village near Chennai’s Elliot’s beach where the Urur Olcott Kuppam Vizha – a unique festival of dance and music – is being held for the past two years. ‘Vizha’ means festival in Tamil. This year the Vizha was scheduled for mid-January, but due to the floods that hit Chennai in December 2015, we postpone
The Indian agriculture is at the verge of a revolution that will modernise the entire food chain in the country. We would not only double the farmer’s income but also increase the country’s food production by many folds and that too in a decade if the much required reforms are carried out. Today there are excellent business prospects and competitive pricing for the agricultur
Aadhaar has faced a volley of criticism for limiting a citizen’s right to privacy. But Aadhaar is not alone in intruding into your life. You can stake a claim to genuine privacy and escape state surveillance only if you opt out of all kinds of identification systems – birth certificate, driving licence, passport, election card and PAN card. And stop using your cell phone. And of cou
In March this year, the Indian government banned Phensedyl (a cough syrup) along with over 300 other drugs. Though the move came as a major setback for a number of pharmaceuticals, it happened to be a long-pending welcome step towards strengthening India-Bangladesh relations. Phensedyl was already banned in Bangladesh but continued to be sold in India. The medicine contains an op
The government brought in the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Bill, 2016, to give statutory backing to the Aadhaar scheme launched in 2009. While the scheme was already under the supreme court scanner for invading privacy, the legislative move led to another controversy. The government’s decision to classify the bill as a money bill to b
As Tamil Nadu gears up for the May 16 assembly polls, it’s raining freebies in the state, yet again. Before the model code of conduct came into effect early this month, politicians ensured to pamper the citizens with goodies. Minister for information and special programme implementation KT Rajendra Balaji distributed free gold in Sivakasi assembly constituency of Virudhunagar district.
On the afternoon of February 25, outside the Allahabad district court, a mob of more than 200 people including men wearing black robes of the lawyer’s uniform attacked a peaceful dharna by the leftist organisations to demand the release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. They had rods in their hands and were shouting slogans such as “Vande Mataram”, “Go back to Pakistan&
On March 2, the Delhi high court granted bail to Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar in a sedition case registered against him in connection with a function organised to protest against the hanging of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. Though Kanhaiya is free now, his personal liberty and freedom of thought may be hostage to the vague conditions for bai
I assume that you already have an Aadhaar number. After all, 98 crore Indians have it. Why won’t you? And if you haven’t, it is time. The Aadhaar bill cleared by parliament on March 16 provides for any agency, government or private, to use Aadhaar as proof of identity. Don’t be surprised tomorrow if you book a flight, railway or bus ticket, or buy a SIM card or apply for marri
The recent spate of violence in Haryana was terrifying. The uncontainable rage led to a virtual collapse of law and order in vast swaths of the state. Large-scale violence was witnessed including loss of human lives and that of public and private property. The sudden spread of mob violence marked by loot and arson recalled the memory of what had happened in Delhi in 1984 and in Ahmedabad in 200
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has always been a bastion of the left. Decades ago, people in power saw to it that JNU moved on the left beat. Recently, JNU students (and possibly some unidentified outsiders) chanted few slogans in favor of Afzal Guru who was hanged by the state. A furor ensued. Police arrested Kanhaiya Kumar, head of JNU students’ union and slapped sedition case agains
The recent statement from the liquor baron Vijay Mallya indicating he may not return to India at all has another bad news for banks which are putting efforts to
For over two and half years now, I have tried very hard to convince the Indian government to do something about the widespread prevalence of substandard drugs in the country. A recent report puts the number of substandard drugs as 1 in 7; an audit of the Armed Forces Medical Stores Depot by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) shows that 1 in 4 locally procured drugs are substandard. Thi
We live in an ultraconnected world today, where a multitude of media – including the internet – and a host of channels crisscross, complement and supplement each other. If one of the streams is cut, the flow of communication seeps through parallel channels and reaches the audience it is intended for. Nevertheless, governments seem to think otherwise. As we have
Here is an anecdote of 2007 vintage. A well researched book on the history of Gujarat’s maritime trade with central Asia was being released. The small audience in the hall was largely made up of academics and some business leaders behind the trust that funded the research. Thus, the chief guest could put pressures of politics aside and speak from heart. “We, BJP and Congress, will k
Dear daughter, You asked me about the JNU episode the other day. For a nine-year-old, you seem quite concerned about the controversy, probably because it involves my alma mater. I thought it would be best to respond in a letter, which you can also read later when it wi
Students, faculty and staff drawn from all classes, castes, regions and religions make JNU a microcosm of the country. The institution reflects a rich diversity of cultures, languages and lifestyles prevailing in the country. JNU is a great leveller: Differences never translate into hierarchies. Students from Africa, Palestine, Middle East and other parts of the world add to the multicult
