Mr. Vaiko being found guilty of sedition strengthens the case to scrap Section 124A The conviction of prominent pro-LTTE politician Vaiko on the charge of sedition, based on a typically impassioned speech he had made in Chennai a decade ago, is a worrying development. Even though Section 124A, the IPC …

India and the U.S. should aim to progressively eliminate trade and investment barriers Trade turmoil has been putting at risk the U.S.’s strategic partnership with India. In the last two months, the U.S. has withdrawn from India preferential tariff benefits under its Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme, and India …

India needs to anticipate the promising impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area The 12th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) which concluded on July 8 at Niamey, the capital of the Niger Republic, saw 54 of 55 of its member states signing the African Continental Free Trade …

The U.S. is using the Ranbaxy experience to create a bogey Allegations of widespread fraud concerning generic drugs manufactured overseas, especially in India, were recently highlighted in the U.S. Much focus was on the contamination found in one drug made by Ranbaxy. I do not wish to support Ranbaxy’s deplorable …

Without it, we will continue to allow unhealthy scepticism about democracy to grow A persistent concern exists about democracy’s failure to fulfil our expectations. While our votes are forceful ‘paper stones’, effective in getting rid of governments we dislike, they are powerless to give us effective, efficient, good governments. Why …

The Maratha quota is a case in point of what a progressive Indian polity should not be doing The description “backward” to define communities is yet another colonial relic which we, as a collective, embrace with such enthusiasm, that we almost forget what it is supposed to mean. Nowhere is …

Looted ancient artefacts from Iraq and Afghanistan seized in Britain will be returned to their country of origin after appraisal by the British Museum, the institution said on Monday. Among the artefacts to be sent back to Afghanistan are Gandharan sculptures illegally exported to Britain in 2002. Another important haul …

Asia, which accounts for 60% of the global population, recorded the lowest rate of homicide in 2017 with only 2.3 killings per 1,00,000 people while the Americas had the highest homicide rate, according to a UN report. The Global Study on Homicide 2019 published on Monday by the UN Office …

Researchers claim to have found Ziklag, where ‘David took refuge from king Saul’ Researchers in Israel said on Monday they have pinpointed the site of an ancient Philistine town mentioned in the biblical tale of David seeking refuge from the Israelite king Saul. Ziklag was then under the rule of …

Japan, S. Korea, Europe to be beneficiaries Caught in the crossfire of the U.S.-China trade war, Chinese students are looking for alternative study destinations — threatening to turn off an important source of revenue for American universities. China accounts for nearly a third of foreign students on U.S. campuses who …

Four films on Indian communities are showing at the ongoing International Indigenous Film Festival of Kuching, Malaysia Niranjan Kujur’s Dibi Durga is a unique short film about a day in the life of an indigenous woman. In its duration of a mere six minutes, it manages to encapsulate the sheer …

‘Operation Night Watch’ aims at preserving the painting for future generations Amsterdam’s famed Rijksmuseum will on Monday begin the biggest ever restoration of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch , erecting a huge glass cage around the painting so the public can see the work carried out live. The multi-million-euro overhaul of …

Exports to Iran may touch 30 mn kg Tea Board of India is planning to set a floor price for the sale of tea at auctions. It is also planning to take about 100 million kg of tea away from India’s output basket in a bid to prop up the …

Are taxed as per individual tax slabs The government may well have targeted high-income individuals while proposing a tax surcharge but that has taken a toll on foreign investors in the Indian capital market. According to experts, a large number of foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) in India operate through a …

‘Bulk of investment from govt. firms’ The government hopes to get investments from public sector companies as well as the private sector, according to Finance Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg. Mr. Garg said that the government’s own contribution to gross capital formation was small and so, in the unlikely event that …

Three-year road map to improve regulation, supervision The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) board, which met in New Delhi, finalised a three- year roadmap to improve regulation and supervision, among other functions of the central bank. This medium term strategy — named Utkarsh 2022 — is in line with the …

India is an important talent contributor to our global leadership in the U.S., says Ramadurai Minnesota-based 3M Company, that manufactures more than 60,000 products for homes, schools, enterprises, governments and hospitals, may be staring at a barrage of market challenges. These include flagging demand for cars and smartphones, growing end-market …

Repo transmission taking 2-3 months against the 6 months earlier, says Das The financial system is “hugely surplus” with liquidity, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das said on Monday, adding that this would facilitate better transmission of rate cuts implemented by the central bank. “You have to keep in …

It can fine up to Rs. 10 cr. if a person tampers with information to obstruct probe, destroy data The Finance Bill, 2019 has given the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) new powers to act against entities that tamper or destroy electronic databases or fail to furnish information …

Surcharge on high income group, strong U.S. jobs data lowering prospects of Fed rate cut dampeners The first trading session of the equity markets after the Union Budget saw stocks in a free-fall mode on Monday as a mix of global factors and domestic concerns emanating from some of the …