It will be remembered that during the debate on the Press Act resolution in the Imperial Legislative Council the Hon’ble Mr. J.P. Thompson is reported to have said in the course of his speech that the Editor and Proprietor of the ‘Observer’ were interviewed and the Editor had the amazing …

A good measure of progress in a household is inter-generational mobility — an improvement in social status from the previous generation. How has this varied across social groups and geographies across India since liberalisation? A recent paper, “Intergenerational Mobility in India: Estimates from New Methods and Administrative Data” by Sam …

The new climate reality is raising the bar on disaster resilience It is time to stop thinking of the extreme weather events hitting us with increasing frequency as bolts from the blue. Kerala bravely endured the monsoon storms, but it would be a mistake to think that disasters of this …

Budgetary support must be strengthenedto make Ayushman Bharat a success Ayushman Bharat has been rolled out as a health protection scheme that will provide guaranteed access to treatment that is free at the point of delivery to about 40% of the population selected on the basis of censused socio-economic indicators. …

With her Brexit proposal rejected by the EU, the British PM’s position stands weakened The rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May’s post-Brexit blueprint at the Salzburg summit rules out nothing as yet in Britain’s rocky negotiations on withdrawing from the European Union. All the same, the development is a blow …

Including behavioural insights in policymaking is helpful According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, 202 institutions around the world are applying behavioural insights to public policy. While most of them are found in the U.S., the U.K., Europe and Australia, some are found in developing countries in West …

The acrimony over the proposed Foreign Ministers’ meeting has set back India-Pakistan ties That was quick. A quick cool breeze turning into a scorching slap of hot wind of the desert. We had a rocky start when the routine congratulatory letter by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan’s Prime …

The decision to commemorate the ‘surgical strike’ of 2016 goes against the grain of Indian tradition Observing the politics of his day many years ago a wit in Britain is said to have remarked “Patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel!” The wag in India would be forgiven if …

The triple talaq ordinance is likely to fail the test of judicial scrutiny on several grounds An ordinance is a constitutionally sanctioned ad hoc mechanism by which critically urgent situations are met when Parliament or a State Assembly (as the case may be) is not in session and the government …

A clean-shaven face may not be necessary for pilots to ensure safety during in-flight emergencies, according to scientists who found that those who sport a full beard can also properly seal on an oxygen mask. Several airlines require pilots to have a clean-shaven face as it is believed to be …