Nalanda University in Rajgir

The Reconstituted Nalanda: Can it Leverage its Civilizational Memory to Become an Alternative Academic Hub for the Global South?

Nalanda serves as a counterweight to the historic monopoly of Western universities over social, political, and ecological theory. It invites Asian and African scholars to address regional dilemmas such as resource sovereignty, post-colonial statehood, and sustainable modernization using indigenous analytical categories.

'Girls going to schools would be the real revolution in Afghanistan'

The daughters and granddaughters of these warlords, like those of several key Taliban commanders, live and study abroad. Sabori’s school in Archi is half-closed, owing to the ban on education for girls over 12 years of age. Several underground schools have sprung up where even some Taliban foot-soldiers send their daughters. 

Where Happiness is a Measure of Governance: What Bhutan’s Democratic Consolidation Can Teach Global South Nations

As democracies around the world confront public dissatisfaction, Bhutan reminds us that the health of a democracy cannot be measured only through the ballot box.  It must also be evaluated through the well-being, dignity, security, and trust experienced by citizens.

India's Education Deficit: Real Reforms Lie in Making Coaching Redundant

India's digital infrastructure can certainly deliver free coaching to millions. But an even greater achievement would be to build an education and employment system in which families no longer feel compelled to buy coaching in the first place. Making bottled water cheaper is useful. Making the water from taps trustworthy is the real solution.    

More on Education and Gen Z Voices

Farmers’ protest: India’s farm sector needs bolder reforms, not the three contentious laws that leave room for distrust

As the country gets closer to state assembly elections next year, the farm agitation will be an important and emotive electoral issue

Questions over India’s PM CARES Fund signals failure of government-citizen collaboration

Looking forward, the aim must be to restore the citizens’ trust so that when future national problems arise the people get associated with the campaign out of their will and not compulsion

Achieving a Gandhian dream: Metamorphosing India’s backward villages into modern self-sufficient suburbia

The idea is to turn backward villages affected by floods annually - whether in Bihar, Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand or Odisha - into suburbia-like agglomerations with proper housing and urban-standard infrastructure

Competence over seniority: Indian government reforms bidding to give a new face to bureaucracy

Realizing the bureaucracy was a major hindrance to the implementation of reforms and there was no substantive progress in the performance of bureaucracy even after departmental training, the Indian government launched the National Program for Civil Service Capacity Building (NPCSCB), known as Mission Karmayogi, in November 2020

Kamla Bhasin (1946-2021): A freedom-loving feminist par excellence

South Asia was Kamla’s oyster and she travelled across the borders inspiring women in Bangladesh (where she was Kamla di) Nepal (where she was Kamla diju), Pakistan (where she was Kamla apa) , Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and other places

India’s new trade policy: An action plan for promoting exports from the states

Indian enterprises, financial institutions and government agencies must invest in the acquisition and analysis of knowledge and information on target markets 

Pan masala ad and the social responsibility of Indian film icon Amitabh Bachchan

The on-screen star can become a real-life hero if he withdraws from the tobacco ad, calls out paan masala as harmful to human health and triggers a movement within Bollywood to protect the health and rights of consumers

Japan's silence on Rohingya Issue is puzzling

It is Japan’s vital responsibility to join and influence other key players in the region to play a visible and effective role to address major regional issues like the Rohingya crisis for peace and stability

A tale of two Modis and political doublespeak

PM Modi is trying to ace a fine balance between his domestic credentials and his global image

Draupadi, Dalit writers and Delhi University: Inconvenient truths as politics rules

This is not the first time that political considerations will determine what universities in India should teach, or which books may be banned

Pakistan needs a vibrant people’s movement that can marginalise Islamic extremism

A forward-looking government can certainly achieve this task of Pakistan remaining an Islamic country while simultaneously emerging as a progressive and peaceful nation

India needs a People’s Charter - a referendum of the type of India people want

An apolitical mass movement is imperative, given that India’s secular democracy and constitutional freedoms are facing an existential threat 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance is on the right track

The central theme of Modi’s governance - both as Chief Minister of Gujarat and Prime Minister of India - is his undiluted focus on poverty alleviation, industrial and economic development and social progress

The taboos that are pulling India down

No society can progress if it does not muster the courage to question taboos, particularly those which trample on human rights, dignity, and liberal values

China must help in resolving the vexed Rohingya issue that has overburdened Bangladesh

China must become the region's new peacemaker, with its approach to resolving the Rohingya situation bringing out the hesitancy of the western powers to take a decisive stand on the vexed issue