There is also a subtle but perceptible fatigue with the continued reliance on polarisation as a political tool. Identity-based mobilisation, while effective in the short term, risks diminishing returns when overused. If these undercurrents - internal dissent, governance gaps, and narrative fatigue - begin to converge, they may not immediately overturn electoral outcomes, but they could signal the early stages of a more substantive political challenge to the BJP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be cognizant of the fact that the crash occurred in Ahmedabad, in his home state. People will come to their own conclusions as to whether they saw Modi standing up to American pressure or give in. India has not forgotten the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, that Warren Anderson and Union Carbide Chemicals went scot-free, that India settled for a meagre $470 million compensation – 25 years later – for the families of the thousands who died and the millions who were adversely affected.
The social media takes advantage of the reward systems in the brain, especially the dopamine circuits within the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. Using signals of micro-engagement, including the duration of time a user hovers over a video or the number of times a user rewatches a clip, algorithms develop a feedback loop that over time redirects the feed of a user to more intense or provocative content.
To step into the role of mediator in a conflict of this nature would inevitably test that balance. It would invite scrutiny, of intent, of tilt, of perceived bias. Even the most well-intentioned effort could be interpreted through the prism of existing relationships. In such a situation, neutrality is not merely a matter of policy; it becomes a matter of perception, and perceptions are notoriously difficult to manage.
The combined effects of teacher shortages, contractualisation, and parallel schooling are devastating for India’s long-term competitiveness. It leads to poor learning outcomes, misaligned workforce skills where employers consistently complaining of skill shortages, because curricula lag hopelessly behind. No wonder that of the college educated youth in the age group 24 to 29, the unemployment rate is more than 30 percent.
Several Indian export firms have begun approaching Bangladeshi manufacturers to produce apparel jointly, underscoring Dhaka’s emerging advantage after US tariff hikes on India and China. Chinese investors, too, are showing interest in building garment factories in Bangladesh, drawn by its new trade advantage. Bangladesh, by capitalizing on India and China’s relative “disadvantage now has the opportunity to expand its export footprint.
In that, the failing health and education sectors in India are a symptom of a larger disease, of an imagined growth story and a fantasised giant economy that sees numbers but not the purpose, that has ignored those at the lower rungs of the ladder in the quest to shine in its fancy airports and bullet trains
However, execution will determine whether Modi’s second GST gamble succeeds. Missteps could mean fiscal slippage, strained centre–state relations and political blowback in a crucial election cycle. What is being promoted as a festive bonanza risks being remembered as another midnight reform whose lofty promise faltered in practice.
Clinging to the narrative of “strategic autonomy” while doubling down on a partner facing escalating global condemnation will not safeguard India’s sovereignty. Instead, it risks compromising India’s diplomatic standing and economic resilience.
The Amika assures non-adversarial ways to dispute resolution, informs clients that they save time, money, and, most importantly, the relationships, and ensures complete confidentiality of the material exchanged during mediation sessions.
The grassroots movements taking shape, like the one in Jaipur, tell us that the issues of the environment are increasingly resonating with ordinary people. Ordinary citizens, particularly the youth, are tending to stand up for the rights of nature, for their right to breathe clean air and live with nature around them, even in crowded urban landscapes.
The government in Colombo finds itself in a difficult position, refraining from disclosing its official stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—a well-established policy of the Sri Lankan government for years. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa vociferously campaigned for Palestinian statehood while discreetly seeking military support from Israel to crush LTTE terrorism in Sri Lanka. The current Sri Lankan government maintains the same ambiguity.
India chose to draw the line on three things. Firstly, no liberal access to agriculture and dairy market in the country. This is especially for maize, corn, soyabean and dairy produced from cattle fed with animal protein. Secondly, no access for genetically modified crops or agriculture products. Thirdly no import of ethanol for fuel purposes.
If the government is indeed going in for F-35 squadrons to meet IAF’s interim requirements, it is without doubt a political decision to appease President Donald Trump who wants India to increase defence imports from the US and reduce/stop defence imports from Russia on the threat of additional penalties and sanctions under (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
India showed the world that: (a) it does not require anyone’s permission to defend its people, (b) terrorists and their masterminds cannot hide anywhere, and (c) if Pakistan retaliates, India is prepared for a decisive counterstrike.
The larger picture that emerges is of a failing administration that is rapidly sliding down a very slippery slope in the absence of robust internal and external scrutiny, blind support in the name of fighting terrorism while the real terrorists go scot-free and a refusal to accept and correct mistakes.
Despite various programs—green hydrogen, EVs, biofuels—India’s fossil fuel consumption and import dependency are still growing. The current strategies appear insufficient to reverse this trend. There is a critical need for out-of-the-box thinking
One has to bear in mind that the two pilots, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, 56, and First Officer Clive Kunder, 32, were very familiar with the aircraft. Captain Sabharwal had logged approximately 15,600 flight hours, including nearly 8,600 hours on the Boeing 787 and Kunder had around 3,400 flight hours, with over 1,100 hours on the 787. It is impossible to imagine that either of them was not fully knowledgeable that turning off and turning on fuel switches is a function that requires deliberate physical action.
While it is true that “socialist” and “secular” were inserted in the preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act during the Emergency, which remains a dark chapter in the history of free India, it is not true that the values go against the grain or the spirit of the constitution. These are effectively the only parts of the amendment that sit today 50 years down the line.
