Editorials

The death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the founder-leader of the Islamic State, is a major setback to the dreaded terrorist organisation. Baghdadi, who rose to international notoriety in July 2014 when he appeared in the pulpit of Mosul’s grand al-Nuri mosque as the leader of the new ‘Caliphate’ announced by …

While retaining power via a post-poll tie-up, BJP will have to recognise the mandate’s nature By winning the support of the JJP to form a government in Haryana, the BJP has surmounted its failure in the recent Assembly election to win a clear majority from the people directly for a …

Measures being taken against e-cigarette companies in the U.S. could result in a dip in sales The absence of vaping-related illnesses in the last 10 years that have seen increased use has often been cited to silence the critics of electronic cigarettes. But that is changing today. As of October …

While the 2017 reports released last week by the National Crime Records Bureau present numbers on different aspects of the criminal justice system, there are crucial gaps in the data collected. Further, the opacity surrounding the methodology for collection and compilation makes the data obscure and renders them ineffective for …

For the Indian National Congress that was anticipating a wipe-out in Maharashtra and Haryana, the Assembly elections that just concluded in these two States have revived hope in an organisation that has been in a comatose state since the general election earlier this year. In Maharashtra, the party, in partnership …

When Gandhi went to England in 1931 to attend the Second Round Table Conference, one of his close aides suggested that he retreat for the weekend to Oxford in order to reflect on the “big questions of principle involved in negotiations”. It would also afford an opportunity to have informal, …

The Ayodhya issue is tantalisingly poised and there are only guesses about how the case could pan out — the Supreme Court of India had allowed arguments before the court and mediation talks to proceed simultaneously. It has been an unusual step. The dichotomy of this approach could perhaps be …

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, …

For several years now, the problem of introducing powerlooms to the large number of weavers in Tamil Nadu has been postponed, but the present Government has announced its determination to see the scheme through. It has been pushed in this direction by the yarn industry which now depends on distant …

There is evidence of the overall benefits that accrue from investing in women’s education If the evidence is clear and present, then not acting on it would be a chilling demonstration of inability and inefficiency, and the lack of will to bring about change. There should be no doubt that …

There is a compelling case for Justice Mishra to withdraw from the land acquisition case Should Justice Arun Mishra recuse from a five-judge Supreme Court Bench formed to give an authoritative interpretation of a provision in the 2013 land acquisition law? There is quite a compelling case that he must. …

India and China must aspire to ensure that Asia’s seas are not arenas of contestation The bonds of commerce and cosmopolitanism that had illuminated the First Asian Millennium were on ample display at the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Mamallapuram. At …

Technological solutions cannot combat ecological challenges From producing artificial meat to using renewable energy, businesses seem to be driven by concern for our planet. But are they really? Or is this all an attempt to gain a sense of credibility for a project otherwise driven by the mundane, old profit …