Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan to-day [October 17] called upon Indian Muslims not to entertain a false feeling that Pakistan was formed for them as it was created by the British for those who “served” them. He was addressing a gathering of about 7,000 people at Jumma Masjid here [Ahmedabad] after …

Every reporter’s dream is breaking news. We grab opportunities to do this with excitement and a tinge of nervousness. But there are occasions when bosses tell us that what we did was good, but not enough, and that we need to go behind the scenes to find something more. It …

On the Ayodhya dispute, mediation is the only way to deal with faith-related arguments It has taken 70 years for the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi litigation to come close to finality. The appeals against the Allahabad High Court’s judgment on the title-suits filed by both Hindu and Muslim parties have been …

There is little understanding of the behaviour of the Indian Ocean and monsoon impact India’s most torrential monsoon in a quarter century officially ended on Wednesday. This has been the most delayed withdrawal of the monsoon since 1961 but both the quantity and the timing have had no effect on …

Climate change is still not integral to the planning of Indian cities and towns, despite the risks it poses Can cities, which generate over 80% of the world’s GDP, be the driving force for mitigation of climate change as national governments fail to provide leadership? At a recent summit of …

The Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana appear to be of limited interest elsewhere, and commentaries focus on personalities. The advantageous position the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) finds itself in is credited to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis; the decline of …

Despite limitations, the use of randomised control trials has led to a paradigm shift in development policy evaluation If Rip Van Winkle was an academic economist and woke up from a two-decade long sleep this week, he would be baffled by the news of the Nobel Prize in Economics this …

Strengthening the manufacturing industry and increasing domestic demand are key imperatives The IMF expects global economic growth to be just 3% this year, the lowest since the 2008 global financial crisis. Unlike in 2008, when India was insulated from a global economic meltdown, the economy now is on the ebb, …

Even short-term use of e-cigarettes may cause cellular inflammation — a driver of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases — in non-smokers, according to a study. Researchers at the Ohio State University in the U.S. found the first evidence of biological changes linked to e-cigarette use.PTI Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/even-short-term-vaping-may-cause-inflammation-in-non-smokers-study/article29730605.ece

It’s official: the Saharan silver ant is the fastest of the world’s 12,000 known ant species, clocking a blistering 855 millimetres — nearly a metre — per second, researchers said on Thursday. Measured another way, the six-legged sprinter covers 108 times its own body length per second, a feat topped …

Domestic aviation traffic grew at a measly rate of 1.18% in September as compared to the year ago period, according to the monthly data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Airlines altogether flew 1.15 crore passengers last month as compared to 1.13 crore during the same period …

Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), has completed its first asset sale plan, selling 51% stake in its wind energy arm to Orix Corporation. “The IL&FS Group has completed the sale process of its 51% stake, held through IL&FS Wind Energy Limited (IWEL) in seven operating wind power SPVs (with …

Investors can find no better place in the world than India that has a democracy- loving and a capitalist-respecting environment, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said. She also assured international investors during an interaction session at the IMF’s headquarters that the government was continuously working towards bringing reforms. “It …

For the first time in seven years, rural growth has fallen below that of urban for the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, whose sales are often looked upon as a barometer of overall economic growth and consumption due to the range and reach of products across price points. According to …

Pro-democracy lawmakers were dragged out of Hong Kong’s legislature by security guards on Thursday after they heckled the ci ty’s pro-Beijing leader for a second day running, the latest outburst of political rancour in the strife-torn city. Chief Executive Carrie Lam has faced an outpouring of anger from her opponents …

Damascus on Thursday said Syrians are unified against a cross-border Turkish assault, in its first statement since deploying troops in Kurdish-controlled areas to contain Ankara’s offensive. “The Syrian government renews its absolute rejection and strong condemnation of Turkey’s blatant aggression,” said a Foreign Ministry statement carried by state news agency …

Prime Minister Boris Johnson Johnson on Thursday urged MPs “to come together” and support his “excellent” Brexit deal without any more delay. But he is facing a desperate scramble for votes to pass the deal in Parliament, as his Conservative government is well short of a majority. MPs will debate …

Pakistan said on Thursday that it had “exclusive rights” over three western rivers and any attempt by India to divert the flow of these rivers would be considered an “act of aggression”. Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal made the remarks during his weekly media briefing here in response to a …

After the Balakot air strikes in February, the Army fast-tracked procurement of 155-mm Excalibur precision-guided ammunition from the U.S., and it has recently been inducted. The ammunition gives the artillery guns extended range and the ability to hit targets with very high accuracy, sources said. “The need for precision-guided munitions …

In response to the State government’s proposal in February 2014 and March 2016 to release the convicts, the order said the move would “set a very dangerous precedent and lead to international ramifications”. Before making its recommendation in September last year, the government received opinion from Advocate-General Vijay Narayan too. …