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As the Russia-Ukraine conflict marches toward the one-year mark, there seem to be hardly any signs of de-escalation. Western powers have started providing powerful offensive weapons to Ukraine, and Russia has threatened grave consequences in response. Moreover, as Western sanctions on Russia progressively tighten, the country is increasingly becoming reliant …

The United States does not intend to sanction India over its continued purchase of Russian oil, senior American officials have said, calling New Delhi one of their most “consequential” partners. Ahead of a week-long visit to India by U.S. Assistant Secretary for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt, when the response to …

The celebration by India and France of 25 years of their strategic partnership (January 26) presents an important opportunity for both to introspect on their relations. Signed in 1998, the time-tested strategic partnership has continued to gain momentum over shared values and aspirations of peace, stability and, most importantly, their …

The Budget that was presented recently, has received almost universal praise in the English language media. Clearly, those who praise it are happy with their own economic situation or at least view their economic future as bright. How representative this cohort is is moot. Anyhow, they see the Budget as …

The Reserve Bank of India’s decision to raise its benchmark policy rate yet again, albeit by a smaller quarter percentage point, reflects a welcome resolve in staying committed to ensuring durable price stability. Given that the Monetary Policy Committee’s primary mandate is to steer retail inflation towards a 4% target, …

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will undertake the second development flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) on Friday from Sriharikota. The SSLV-D2 will lift off at 9.18 a.m. from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre-SHAR, Sriharikota. The vehicle is intended to inject the …

In a study of more than 1,000 pregnant women, doctors of Madras Medical College (MMC) found that three of five women had come to know of their heart disease for the first time during pregnancy. While rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was the most common, followed by congenital heart disease (CHD), …

It was ISRO’s first launch of 2023. In its second development flight , the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2) was launched successfully from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It will place the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) earth observation satellite EOS-07 …

Article 356 allows the Centre to dismiss an elected state government and impose “President’s Rule”. Its rampant misuse by almost all central governments has been largely curbed after the Supreme Court’s landmark Bommai judgment of 1994. ARTICLE 356 OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION The Article contains provisions for the imposition of …

Crackdown on child marriage doesn’t address real causes: girls’ education & women’s jobs Thousands are being arrested in Assam as part of a crackdown on child marriage even though studies from across the world and in India have shown that educational attainment and socio-economic status of a household are the …

India’s first indigenous advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for strategic reconnaissance and surveillance will make its public debut next week, while another home-grown Weaponised drone is also slated to undertake its first flight test by June-July. The Tapas-BH (tactical aerial platform for advanced surveillance-beyond horizon) drone, developed by DRDO with …

At a time when clean and conscious living is the mantra, the fashion industry is going green with PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles now being recycled into comfortable, everyday wear. This way, the industry says, it is not just reducing the amount of plastics in the environment, but the process utilises …

After months of political debate, the German government announced on January 25 that it would send Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) to Ukraine. The decision marks Germany’s shift from its policy of Ostpolitik — an approach followed in an effort to bridge Berlin’s divisions and “bring change through trade”. …

In the Union Budget for 2023-24, the government has set a disinvestment target of ₹51,000 crore, down nearly 21% from the budget estimate for the current year and just ₹1,000 crore more than the revised estimate. It is also the lowest target in seven years. Moreover, the Centre has not …

A committee to consider blocking requests under the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information for Public) Rules, 2009, met 53 times in 2022, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology told Parliament on Wednesday. The government issued orders directing the “blocking [of] a total of …

There have been many reports of lay-offs in the last few months, especially in emerging sectors. Lay-offs have been taking place not only in India, but in major economies like the U.S. too. Large, medium and small enterprises as well as start-ups have let go of dozens or even thousands …

Over the last decades, Nordic countries have been pioneering green technologies. Together, the Nordics and India can power the green transition the world needs. The thought of the Nordic countries might evoke different things to an Indian. Snow, fjords, lakes, and northern lights are definitely things we have plenty of. …

The questionable elevation of advocate L. Victoria Gowri as a judge of the Madras High Court epitomises the problematic nature of the system of judicial appointment. It also portends a government-driven project to take over the Bench through its favourites Earlier, the Union Law Ministry had processed the recommendation concerning …

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), along with the Indian Navy, has conducted an important trial for the Gaganyaan, human space flight mission. On Tuesday, they carried out initial recovery trials of the Crew Module in the Navy’s Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) in Kochi. “The trials were part of …

Keeladi continues to redefine Tamil history. In the latest development, the Sangam age has been pushed to 800 BCE based on the archaeological findings from the first two phases of excavation carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in this sleepy hamlet along the Vaigai river, about 13 …