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Standing tall and unflinching on the shoulders of giants
Indian women entertainers are sometimes speaking out against feminism. This behavior aids patriarchal systems. Such actions can be a survival tactic or due to social conditioning. It is important to highlight women who support other women. The Indian cricket team's gesture honoring past female athletes shows the right way forward. This approach recognizes the struggles of previous generations.
Ready, steady, dead, that urge to be first to show
Many perfectly decent people jumped the gun last week upon hearing the 'devastating' news about Dharmendra. Again, as horrible as it must have been for the great actor's family members, wanting to be first off the blocks has been simplified by our trigger-happy times. It merely amplifies that primal desire to tell the world that you know something that they don't know (yet).
India's star athlete: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium
Built in the early-80s for the 1982 Asian Games, JLN is a sprawling complex with over a hundred small offices tucked within its capacious interior. Aside from usual suspects like Sports Authority of India and National Dope Testing Laboratory, there was even a Bridge Association that operated out of there. A sports book library run by SAI was sadly in a state of serious neglect.
A lost-and-found dog, cracker-bursting psychopaths, & joys of being misanthropic
'Finding Pandey' could well have been a box office smash action flick, with caricatured villains and happy ending, much like another 'real' film that provides catharsis after a harrowing ordeal
What does BJP's victory in Bihar reveal about India's political landscape?
The NDA government's Bihar re-election victory highlights Nitish Kumar's appeal and BJP's organizational might. BJP emerged as the leading party, a contrast to its 2010 role. This marks BJP's rise in Bihar and a broadening of its voter base. The party strategically targets regional parties' vote share. Economic factors like outmigration and remittances also play a role.
Centre-state Patnaship: What powered the NDA tsunami & sank the MGB in Bihar
Bihar's electorate has spoken decisively, favoring the NDA and bestowing an incredible tenth term upon Nitish Kumar. With an impressive vote share and new seats won, the outcomes stand in stark contrast to the Mahagathbandhan's narrowly focused caste-based tactics, revealing their inadequacies in policy discourse.
Theres no free digital lunch: Why India must rethink UPIs zero-fee model
Small merchants are facing unexplained fees on UPI transactions, linked to RuPay credit card MDR. While UPI was promoted as free, these charges are eroding that perception. Regulators are urged to ensure transparency, allow merchants to choose payment instruments, and consider surcharging to address these opaque practices.
In crafting its Constitution, India chose not to abolish caste but to leverage it as a framework for social equity through policies like reservations. This move inadvertently deepened castes integration into politics and administration, diverting attention from Ambedkar's vision of a society free from caste distinctions.
India's UPI faces systemic risk due to PhonePe and Google Pay's over 80% transaction dominance. Aggressive discounting and zero MDR create barriers for smaller players, hindering innovation and financial inclusion. Urgent reforms like incentive caps and data portability are needed to ensure UPI's resilience and national financial security.
COP30: Where have India's climate goals gone?
As the world converges at COP30, India's climate targets for 2035 remain unsubmitted, igniting concerns over its genuine commitment to global sustainability efforts. Known for advocating multilateral solutions, this delay could tarnish India's global reputation. To solidify its aspirations of hosting the 2028 climate summit, timely submission of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is imperative.
Keralas end of extreme poverty: How a lower-middle-income state achieved what few others have
It should also be noted that it is extreme destitution that is being considered. It would be a different story if the threshold for poverty were much higher. NITI Aayog uses National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which considers the share of the population with extreme deprivation in health, education and living standards.
Tough times to navigate: Two hegemons are setting terms on which they'll cooperate with countries
Global economic cooperation has always been shaped by powerful nations. It's history is from colonial empires to the Cold War blocs. The recent US policies signal the end of a 30-year era of global cooperation. Now, the world sees two potential hegemons, the US and China, setting new terms for engagement with other countries.
Can India and the EU forge a successful green partnership amidst global challenges?
At this point, EU-India cooperation on climate is hampered by conflicts about the EU's CBAM and limited engagement in COPs. FTA is not the right forum to change the dynamics of discussion on trade-related climate measures.
From climate and tech, to alienation and singlehood, some coming macro trends
In this era of transformation, we are confronted with a myriad of challenges and opportunities. From the far-reaching consequences of climate change to the reconfiguration of global power dynamics, the world is in a constant state of flux. Technological advancements, especially in AI, are accelerating at an unprecedented pace, while issues of loneliness and misinformation loom larger than ever.
Fairly compensating founders with low ownerships is as important as being transparent about it
The size, scope and scale of the two recent stock compensation packages of Elon Musk and Lenskarts Peyush Bansal may not be comparable, but what binds the two founders is their attempt to seek out more skin in the game. It triggered a tumultuous and polarising chain of events.
