Opinion

RISE OF ABBAS SIDDIQUI WILL POLARISE BENGAL FURTHER

02 Mar 2021 09:02 AM IST

On Sunday, a show of strength was organised in Kolkata’s Brigade Parade Ground by the CPM and the Congress, along with the newly formed Indian Secular Front (ISF) of cleric Abbas Siddiqui. Reports suggest that the huge crowd was not mobilized by either CPM or Congress, but primarily by Abbas

Same-sex marriage: Undermining the bedrock of Indian society

02 Mar 2021 08:58 AM IST

The social unit of the family is the foundation of Indian society. Since ‘the Indian family system presupposes a biological man as a husband and a biological woman as a wife and the children born out of the union between the two’—as the Union government has argued—legalising same-sex marriages might

AMOD KANTH RELIVES THE TROUBLED DECADE IN THE CAPITAL

01 Mar 2021 01:48 AM IST

Amod Kanth has without any doubt been one of the most outstanding IPS officers, who served in the capital. Although, he could not become the Commissioner of Police, yet his professional achievements have been exemplary. In Khaki in Dust Storm, his maiden book on his tenure in Delhi, he has

Long-standing issues and imperatives in higher education

01 Mar 2021 01:46 AM IST

Indian higher education provided in its majority of institutions needs a boost in its quality. Some of the important factors influencing quality are infrastructure, teachers and the teaching-learning process.

AVOIDABLE CONTROVERSY OVER THE MOTERA STADIUM RENAMING

27 Feb 2021 03:21 AM IST

By renaming the newly-built Motera stadium after Narendra Modi, the Gujarat Cricket Association and the state administration have created a totally avoidable controversy which could cause acute embarrassment to the Prime Minister. Many of the BJP’s opponents have been most critical of the fact that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose name

Women and the case of Sabarimala pilgrimage

27 Feb 2021 03:18 AM IST

The Sabarimala temple in Kerala has often found itself in the eye of a storm because of the ‘ban’ on women of reproductive age from entering the temple. The tradition needs to be scrutinised in detail to address certain misconceptions about it.

THE ‘CONGRESSISATION’ OF BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY

26 Feb 2021 03:32 AM IST

With the renaming of a cricket stadium (of course it had to be the world’s largest) after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has completed its final step towards its ‘Congressisation’. Of course, various BJP spokespersons are arguing that the Congress has no right to criticise considering the number of

Chabahar Port, North-South Transport Corridor & Uzbek deal: A game-changing trio

26 Feb 2021 03:29 AM IST

India’s operations in Chabahar Port, development of the International North-South Transport Corridor and partnership with Uzbekistan will not only strengthen New Delhi’s influence over the region and improve connectivity with the larger Eurasian space, but will also counter China’s attempts at gaining ground in the region.

Transforming agriculture through village-level infrastructure

25 Feb 2021 08:30 AM IST

With agricultural reforms under the spotlight currently, the government needs to consider a massive village-level infrastructure project with measures like enhancing the storage of produce and establishing gram mandis or haats. Not only would this add value to the agricultural supply chain, it would also empower rural units and the

THE SUCCESS STORY OF DADRA & NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN & DIU

25 Feb 2021 08:28 AM IST

The administrative services are said to be the permanent government in a democracy, while the elected ones are only for a certain period. In our country, region, religion, caste and many other social and cultural factors determine the outcome of election results. In such a scenario, sometimes non-qualified, undeserving and

Government needs to be an active participant in disaster research

25 Feb 2021 08:23 AM IST

In the wake of the recent Uttarakhand floods, the government needs to hold the hands of researchers and local communities, and encourage open and honest fieldwork and research.

ASSEMBLY POLL BUGLE DROWNS OUT FARMERS’ PROTESTS, CHINA AND COVID-19

24 Feb 2021 03:23 AM IST

Although the dates are still to be announced, preparations for the next round of Assembly polls are well and truly underway. The Prime Minister is getting into campaign mode and is expected to hit West Bengal with a blitzkrieg of rallies from next month. Since Mamata Banerjee’s stronghold is the