As the nation gathers to pay homage to the Father of the Nation on his hundredth birthday, it is natural for those who have grown up in the post-Gandhi era to ask what his unique contribution was. There were other great national leaders who campaigned for independence and there were …

Supreme Court’s order on anti-atrocities law is a caution against entering legislative domain After last year’s amendments aimed at nullifying the effect of a Supreme Court judgment that was seen as diluting the law against atrocities on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the apex court’s decision recalling the earlier verdict …

Better infrastructure for water managementto break the droughts, floods cycle is needed If Bihar is struggling to stay afloat in the ongoing monsoon, its distress can be traced to poor infrastructure and a lack of administrative preparedness. Even large parts of the capital, Patna, have been paralysed without power and …

Tanzania, which has long enjoyed a reputation for democratic stability, is taking an authoritarian turn As Tanzania nears the 2020 election, its anti-corruption crusade seems headed to a one-man dictatorship. President John Magufuli, leader of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), or Party of the Revolution, made waves when he …

India needs to have a non-coercive sanitation policy forthose who continue to use the outdoors October 2 was not only Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary, but also the fifth, and perhaps final, anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Speaking in Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared India “open defecation-free”. But …

There is scope for India-Bangladesh ties to move to the next level, based on cooperation, coordination and consolidation Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will make her first official visit to India from October 3-6, post the general elections in Bangladesh (December 2018) and India (May 2019). She will address the …

It is time to rethink the power of arrest and the concept of cognisable offences Let us say we were creating the law on criminal process from scratch, for a just utopia. The law would need to empower police to arrest persons who are probable, not merely possible, suspects. Inbuilt …

It spells double danger — threatening India’s secular and democratic standing and miring the economy deeper in crisis Hindutva “nationalism” unlike anti-colonial nationalism does not comprehend economics. The reason is simple. Central to anti-colonial nationalism was an understanding of colonial exploitation. This is why it distinguished between all previous rulers …

The Finance Ministry on Wednesday said companies opting for the lower corporate tax rate of 22% will not be allowed to reduce their tax liability by claiming deductions towards additional depreciation and Minimum Alternative Tax (MAT) credits. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), in a clarification, said companies will …

Bosch’s devices prevent car occupants, rescuers from suffering electric shock With a rising number of electric vehicles (EVs) expected to hit the road in the coming years, drivers are increasingly becoming uncertain about safety measures, especially as to what they should do in the event of a collision. Damaged cables …

‘Due to time constraints, auditors checked only incremental advances’ The suspended managing director of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank, Joy Thomas, has blamed the auditors for the mess at the bank, accusing them of only “superficially auditing” the books of the now crippled lender due to “time constraints.” In …

All faiths and sastras in one voice hail ahimsa as the sole pride of humanitarian society and hence advice people to uphold it in their individual and social contexts, pointed out Swami Omkarananda in a discourse. It fosters all good virtues in people and inspires them towards righteous living. The …

Pompeo slams it as an intimidation bid U.S. President Donald Trump has denounced the impeachment inquiry threatening his presidency as a “coup,” as his administration pushed back against the investigation. Mr. Trump’s comments came after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed to prevent or delay five State Department officials from …

‘Zalmay Khalilzad’s visit is not to resume Afghan peace plan’ The Taliban announced on Wednesday they are sending a high-level delegation to Pakistan’s capital as part of a tour that has included Russia, China and Iran in a push to resurrect an Afghanistan peace deal with Washington that seemed imminent …

Meet aimed to discredit claims of Trump-Russia link: report Italy’s Prime Minister gave permission for a top U.S. official to meet Rome’s intelligence services as part of Trump-lead efforts to discredit claims he has ties with Russia, media reported on Wednesday. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte approved two meetings U.S. Attorney …

Prime Minister says U.K. will leave the grouping by October 31; promises that there won’t be checks at the Irish border The U.K. offered the European Union a proposed Brexit deal on Wednesday that it said represents a compromise for both sides, as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the …

Says international news agencies are looking to stoke controversies India’s public news broadcaster, Prasar Bharati, criticised Reuters India for its report on Wednesday that the government had “shelved” a plan to ban six single-use plastic items across the country. The report was a follow-up to a story on August 28, …

‘Maps have been there for 70 years’ Elaborating on his comments from over two weeks ago that one day India expects to have physical jurisdiction over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reiterated India’s claim over the region. “The point I was making was a very simple one. …

An inter-State portability for ration cards has been launched for Rajasthan and Haryana to facilitate the distribution of foodgrains to beneficiaries of the National Food Security scheme. Labourers in the unorganised sector, migrating from one State to the other in search of work, will mainly benefit from the scheme. While …

Modi calls for ideas to promote Gandhian ideals in anNYTop-ed piece Observing that Mahatma Gandhi envisioned Indian nationalism as one that was never narrow or exclusive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday proposed what he called the ‘Einstein Challenge’ to ensure that Gandhiji’s ideals are remembered by future generations. Mr. …