Editorials

The move to merge banks is understandable, but shareholders should have been consulted Asking healthy banks to take over weak banks appears to be the strategy to handle the bad loans crisis. On Monday the Union government proposed the merger of three public sector banks — Bank of Baroda, Dena …

Twitter wars over the label ‘urban Naxal’ do nothing to address the deprivation of marginalised groups One of the main things that the 21st century will be known for is the formation of what Bruns and Burgess call “ad hoc issue publics” or the formation of selective channels centred on …

The Apollo Hospitals chairman on the growth of private health care, Jayalalithaa’s illness, and expectations from the Modi government As Apollo Hospitals celebrates the 35th anniversary of its founding, the group’s chairman, Prathap C. Reddy, is looking ahead to make the most of the global advances in medical technology rather …

The crises in emerging economies show how vulnerable they remain to the vagaries of U.S. economic policy Economists thrive on crises. The East Asian crisis of 1997 caused a rethink on full capital account convertibility and fixed exchange rates. The Internet bubble and bust of the early 2000s led many …

The Secretary of the Bengal Branch of the Anglo-Indian Empire League, in a letter [from Calcutta] to the Governor, says that on the whole his Council are of opinion that the reform scheme is suited to the present needs of India. After thanking H.E. the Viceroy and the Secretary of …

With a view to popularise the Y.M.I.A. and bring the members into closer bonds of friendship with each other, the Executive Committee have arranged for a series of social gatherings and lectures. The first of these was held yesterday evening [September 17] in the Gokhale Hall [in Madras]. In response …

Beer-brewing practices existed earlier than assumed How important was alcohol to early humans? Since when did human beings think it worth investing time and energy in preparing it? Was humanity genetically primed to enjoy alcohol? A 2014 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences argued that a …

The politicians conducting Brexit negotiations are as ill-informed and ignorant as the rest of the population British attitudes to international affairs have changed greatly in the past half century and the current plans to leave the European Union represent a crucial element of that change. Those plans also reflect British …

India must fix its lines of communicationwith Nepal and arrest the drift in ties Despite several attempts at a reset, ties between India and Nepal continue to be a cause for concern. The disconnect between the two governments was most visible at the seven-nation Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral …

As a first step, the capacity of treatment plants along all rivers must be urgently expanded The finding of the Central Pollution Control Board that the number of critically polluted segments of India’s rivers has risen to 351 from 302 two years ago is a strong indictment of the departments …