GRACE was his style, his signature -- in the sense it was deeply embedded in his being, ingrained in his psyche, glowing from within! When he stopped playing, sporting arena became bereft of one real master of class, only rarely replaceable by some other personage of equal or greater elan. Now that he has slipped behind the curtain of death, Mr. Nandu Natekar, the legendary badminton superstar of yesteryears, will be missed forever. When he played for India, he left his indelible imprint on the world ..

SINCE last seven years a subtle but powerful change is being witnessed in leadership model in India. The change has been effected by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi in such a simple manner that political community in the country could hardly believe what simplicity can offer in form of mass leadership...

A RECENT study by an Australia-based non-profit organisation has found that physical activities in children have decreased worldwide and this is a serious cause of concern. It is thus not just an India-specific problem where lack of adequate public spaces curtails opportunities for outdoor activities but a globally declining habit among children to go out and engage in physical activities. A sedentary lifestyle, overdependence on technology and lack of space for outdoor recreation like sports are ..

HE WAS all geared up to pick up his father’s medical practice, and as a medical student looked forward to a settled life. But Mahatma Gandhi interfered -- in a good sense, influencing the thought process of the young fellow who felt emotionally tortured by the terrible scenes from the Great Bengal Famine. So, Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan gave up his medical studies and joined an agriculture college -- to earn two Bachelor’s Degrees, one in Zoology and the other in Agriculture Sciences. And from ..

  ANOTHER alarm bell has been sounded on the digital front with the latest finding that India witnessed a relatively high rate of tech support scams in the last one year. The survey by Microsoft’s 2021 Global Tech Support Scam Research has revealed that seven in ten consumers in India encountered tech support scams through unsolicited calls, emails, text messages promising financial returns. That the number has seen an eight-point increase in the last 12 months points to the vulnerability ..

DESPITE the V-shaped recovery Indian economy is witnessing in the post-coronavirus world, some sectors are still in distress and need urgent intervention. Hospitality, tourism and aviation sectors were among the worst-hit by the pandemic and as the third wave triggered by the Delta variant threatens to rock the country, a dark future awaits these bleeding sectors. In wake of the their financial problems the Civil Aviation Ministry has taken a correct step by forming advisory..

THE ambitious West Bengal Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee has launched her campaign for the Lok Sabha elections. And her appeal is straight -- all parties must form a united national front against Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, and ensure that he is not able to return to the podium in 2024. Obviously, she is trying to revive an outdated political script that was proved useless in 2014 and 2019, buoyed by her landslide victory in her State’s legislative elections two-and-a-half months ago. ..

THE arrest of businessman Mr. Raj Kundra in a case related to alleged creation of pornographic films and publishing them through mobile apps blows the lid off a racket involving top names in the film industry for a few quick bucks. For industry insiders, Mr. Kundra’s arrest has not come as a surprise, for, the man is known for his penchant for illegal activities. It won’t be an exaggeration to call Mr. Kundra, the husband of Bollywood actress Ms. Shilpa Shetty, a serial offender. His immediate past ..

THE fact that a few Opposition parties such as Congress and Akali Dal did not join the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi to discuss the COVID-19 situation, does not go well with the seriousness of the overall challenge the nation is facing in its combat against the ugly virus. It was only natural for the Prime Minister, therefore, to express his disappointment over this move. This is the time to rise above politics and for all to work as a team to combat the pandemic, he ..

DEVELOPMENTS in Afghanistan marking a steady rise of Taliban’s hold on that country -- this resulted in the evacuation of staff from the Indian Consulate at Kandahar -- confirms many readings on how the Pakistan-Afghan belt would shape up in the aftermath of the withdrawal of American troops from the messy theatre, the scene of an unending ‘war on terror’ launched by the US in Afghanistan way back in the wake of 9/11. The date of withdrawal finally announced by President Biden had taken into account ..

THE political kaleidoscope has turned again in Nepal, throwing up yet another Government. The Nepal Supreme Court on Monday restored Parliament which was dissolved by President Bidya Devi Bhandari on May 21, after Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli lost majority in the House. The President announced that elections to the House of Representatives would be held on November 12 and 19. Oli continued to be the Prime Minister because no other party or an alliance of parties could form an alternative Government. ..

The minimum age of 50 years prescribed under the Tribunals Reforms for appointment as Members is “arbitrary and discriminatory. In the majority view-point it has been pointed out that this minimum age limit violates the earlier direction given by the court and that advocates with minimum experience of 10 years should be made eligible for appointment as members of tribunals...

THE assertion of the High Court-appointed investigating committee of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that the situation in West Bengal showed the ‘law of the ruler’ rather than rule of law, only endorses a damning truth that should make any political leader with moral scruples intact feel a sense of shame or even guilt. But Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee has chosen to dub that report as one full of political vendetta. That is very unfortunate. ..

EDUCATION for millions of children is still disrupted. As of today, almost about 18 months after the closures of educational institutions, primary and secondary schools are shuttered in 19 countries affecting over 156 million students. The losses children and young people incur from missing out on school may never be recouped. That is why reopening of schools can’t wait, but how to do it is also not less important. “This should not go on. Schools should be the last to close and first to reopen,” ..

T HE long speech of President Xi Jinping at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on the occasion of the CPC’s centenary celebration on July 1 and the address of US President Joe Biden to the joint session of the Congress earlier on April 29 provide significant inputs on the contemporary global scene that was marked by a developing bipolarity between US-led West and the residual of the world of Communism of the Cold War era now led by China. In that equation the present profile of Pakistan is important for ..

CHIEF Economic Adviser Arvind Subramaniam has said that India’s domestic market is small hence it is necessary to focus on increase in exports to jumpstart the economy. There is no gainsaying that provision of national resources for consumption by our own people is “domestic consumption” while providing the same resources for consumption by foreigners is “export.” International bank J P Morgan has agreed with this prognosis and added Government expenditures, especially investments, can help. Our record ..

THE demise of acting legend Dilip Kumar has also sounded the end of a golden era of Hindi and Indian cinema. Dilip Kumar was one of the three members of the famed troika of cinema’s most celebrated faces that included the evergreen Dev Anand and showman Raj Kapoor. For reference, all three have won the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest honour in Indian cinema, which cinematic stalwarts like Ashok Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Satyajit Ray, Pankaj Mallik, Mrinal Sen, Soumitra Chatterjee, Tapan ..

  ON THE eve of the Tokyo Olympics, India has witnessed a change in the Sports Ministry with Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur replacing Mr. Kiran Rijiju at the helm of the ministry. During his tenure, Mr. Rijiju was instrumental in bringing many changes in the working style of national sports bodies and the significant was the transformation of atmosphere in the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres. The SAI is the nursery and honing ground for India’s medal hopefuls. That it remained ..

AFGHANISTAN President Mr. Ashraf Ghani has put up a brave face amid serious onslaught by Taliban militants on the national forces. In the given situation, where Taliban are running amok in the country on the eve of withdrawal of US and NATO forces, it was expected of Mr. Ghani to send an assuring message to the anxious population. Yet, the truth behind those words is known to the larger Afghan society as also the world community which is fearing a total collapse of governance in the war-torn country ..

THE reshuffle of the Union Council of Ministers effected by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is slated to be a game-changer not just for the Government but also for the nation as a whole. Every change seems to have come after much thought and focus on what the Government wishes to achieve only partly in politics but mostly for larger national good. Confident that the nation will emerge from the pandemic with right lessons learnt, the Prime Minister has introduced changes in his team as an exercise ..

IN A major restructuring like reorganising the Indian Military into Theatre Commands, there will be variation of views between stakeholders and many rounds of discussions on merits and demerits of the existing Force Structure vis-a-vis the proposed one; hence it may not be appropriate to call it a ‘Turf War’ as has been referred in some media reports. Is the timing Right? Today India is facing a ‘Two Front Threat’ in real terms, in a manner that it is already in stand-off with the largest military ..

THROUGH the judgment in the case - Sribachahh Kumar Bhoi & Others v.Sindhu Akhil Kolta & Others, delivered on June 28, 2021, Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal, at the Chhattisgarh High Court in Bilaspur, has held that the effect of remarriage would be , widow loses her right in the property inherited from her husband and unless the fact of remarriage is strictly proved after observing the ceremonies required as per section 6 of the Hindu Widows’ remarriage Act,1856, the fact of remarriage cannot be said to ..

INDIA has scored one more victory in what is generally described as ‘vaccine diplomacy’ (though rather derisively by political opponents of the Modi-Government). As many as nine European countries have accepted to treat India’s vaccines as requisites for ‘Green Pass’ for travel to their lands. More countries are likely to join the ever-lengthening list, thus expanding the influence of India’s diplomacy. This is welcome news, to say the least. ..

PROGRESSIVE organisations, led by the Poor People’s Campaign, the Institute for Policy Studies, and the Economic Policy Institute, are gathering organisational—and later individual—support for a $6 trillion-plus budget bill that “would meet all of our needs” in domestic spending in United States. “Budgets are moral statements,” the groups declared in opening their drive, with other organisations signing on June 29. And the $1.2 trillion infrastructure framework Democratic President Joe Biden reached ..

The lane in Sitabuldi is too narrow and too crowded even to imagine anything out-of-the-ordinary. Take a walk down its crooked path lined by non-descript houses, and you will not realise that this little place -- the like of which can be found anywhere -- once hosted quite a few personalities that later made not just headlines but also history. One such personality was Mr. P.V. Narasimha Rao who later became India’s Prime Minister (and whose birth anniversary the nation just celebrated). As a young ..

It is necessary to improve our competitiveness ranking in the community of nations if we have to stand global competition. That, in turn, requires that we repair our education, environment and health policies that are pulling our competitiveness rank down. We are slipping and continue to slip as the GDP growth rate will continue to fall. ..

IN THE order passed on June 25, 2021, in the case- Aysha Sultana v. Union Territory of Lakshadweep, while granting anticipatory bail to the applicant, who is a film director, actor and model in Lakshadweep, Justice Ashok Menon, at the Kerala High Court, Ernakulam, has held that the statement made by her in discussion will have to be taken in its entirety and words cannot be taken in isolation to suggest motive. After considering the submissions made on both sides, and also the transcript of the discussion, ..

 SIGNALLING a welcome shift in calling out Pakistan’s blatant support to terrorist groups operating out of its soil at regional and international platforms, National Security Advisor Mr. Ajit Doval sent out a tough message at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) by singling out Pak-based terror outfits Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for punitive action. Mr. Doval’s address in Dushanbe was instrumental in breaking the usual subtlety practiced while dealing ..

THE more the deadline (September 11) for complete withdrawal of US troops from the Afghan soil draws, the more dreadful is the spectre of Taliban haunting rural areas in eastern, southern, northern, and western Afghanistan. A stark increase in deadly suicide bombings striking urban areas goes hand in hand with the nightmarish Taliban threat. During the last seven weeks and a half, Taliban fighters have seized three districts in Uruzgan including their once strongholds in the south along with Sar-e-Puln ..

Vat Pournima is very sacred day for married women in India in general and for married women in Maharashtra in particular. In India, women observe Vat Savitri Vrat for 15 days from no moon day to full moon day in the month of Jyeshtha. Vat Pournima Vrat is similar to Vat Savitri Vrat. Married women observe Vat Pournima Vrat for well-being and long life of their husband. According to ‘Drik Panchanga’, “Most of the festivals in Amanta and Pournimanta lunar calendar fall on the same day. Pournimanta calendar ..

BY IMPLICATION through a recent judgement of the case- Krishna Kishore Singh V. Sarla A. Saraogi & Others, delivered on June 10, 2021, at the Delhi High Court, Justice Sanjeev Narula has held that both, the right to privacy and or publicity are not available to a person after his death. These rights are not inheritable and cannot be claimed by his/her parent or other kin post-death. Through this application, the plaintiff, who is the father of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) had sought ad-interim ..

Home is where hearth is! So goes an ancient saying -- defining most accurately what actually constitutes home. Home is where we get our succour for life -- through food, through fun, through fine thought, through fair dealing, through togetherness, through a sense of security, through an awareness that it is home where one can return after facing life in its victories or vagaries ...! Hearth represents all this in one go. It does not provide just the food, but also the warmth that the cinders -- now ..

MINISTER of Defence Mr. Rajnath Singh has used very appropriate words to describe India’s role in the world -- Priest of Peace! As he dedicated to the nation the all-weather Kimin-Potin road in Assam’s Lakhimpur district to mark the country’s renewed push to infrastructure in forward areas, Mr. Rajnath Singh asserted that all effort is directed to improve the strategic standards so that any enemy can be repulsed if he tries a misadventure against India. But what is important is the role India has ..

A DIRTY plan is in play against India through proxy NGOs having links with Pakistan-based terror groups. The NGOs are mopping up huge funds being collected illegitimately in the name of helping India deal with the second wave of the coronavirus. The money is being routed to fund terror groups operating out of Pakistan to foment protests and attacks in India. The dangers have been exposed by Disinfo Lab which found out that some US-based Pakistan-linked NGOs are exploiting India’s goodwill among the ..

THE honourable recall of the martyrdom of 20 Indian bravehearts during the Galwan Valley encounter with Chinese troops one year after the happening, is not just a patriotic symbolism of the nation, but also embodies a wonderful paradigm shift in leadership thought and action. If in military terms, the Galwan Valley encounter is a moment to be proud of, it also offers a point of national pride that India’s national leadership has shed all its earlier inhibitions and initiated a concerted action to ..

THINK of 100 computer professionals sitting in separate cubicles in a hall. They are solving a Sudoku puzzle with 50 rows and 50 columns. One who solves the puzzle first shouts that he has solved it and shares his solution will all the participants. The others checked his solution and, if found correct, confirm his “win” and gave him a Bitcoin as a prize. Then all the 100 participants gave their suggestions for the next stage of the Sudoku which would now be made with, say, 70 rows and 70 columns. ..

As investors search for multi-baggers in the stock market, there is one area they frequent the most - mid-caps. In a growing economy, mid-caps often tend to outperform. So, it is no coincidence that over a ten year period, there is one clear winner among Indian equity funds: mid-cap funds. Mid-cap funds with a 16.35 per cent CAGR have beaten all others categories such as large-cap, flexi-cap, multi-cap and even small-cap schemes. As a result, mid-caps have emerged as a must-have for any superlative ..

A NEW study has found that India may lose anywhere between 3 and 10 per cent of its GDP annually by 2100 and its poverty rate may rise by 3.5 per cent in 2040 due to climate change. The report was released recently by the London-based global think tank Overseas Development Institute. Titled ‘The Costs of Climate Change in India,’ the report looks at the economic costs of climate-related risks in the country and points to the possibility of increased inequality and poverty as a result of cascading ..

  “Modi’s bulldozing of Parliament shows him as the architect of a Hindu Taliban” - Headline of an article by a writer with name Anish Kapoor, appearing in ‘The Guardian’WHAT a nauseating way to distort things! And to make it look terrible, an Indian has written the article, and a British newspaper has found pleasure in publishing it -- along with a picture of India’s Parliament building -- suggesting that Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is representing ..

  CYBER security agencies are on their toes in India to ward off a relentless campaign by China-based hackers through various modes. The latest attack has come through a malicious free gift campaign using the name of Tata Motors. The campaign has gone viral as even highly-educated people are falling to the lure of free gifts offered through a fake website ‘Tata Motor Cars’. Many have lost their browser and system information as well as cookie data to the hackers through this ..

AFTER the setback in Ecuador Presidential elections in April this year, the Leftist coalitions recorded clear victories against the right-wing combinations in Mexico and Peru imparting a big boost to the left forces in the other countries of Latin America who are bracing for elections in 2021 end and 2022. In Mexico, the coalition of Left led by Morena, the party of the Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, popularly known as AMLO won between 265 and 292 of the total of 500 seats in the lower ..

PRIME Minister Mr. Narendra Modi delivered a master-stroke when he announced to the nation that the Central Government would take over the entire handling of vaccination and ensure that free dosage would be available to all Indians above the age of 18 years. Of course, Mr. Narendra Modi also declared continuation of foodgrain supply to 80 crore poor Indians under the special Prime Minister’s Programme, as was done for eight months previously when first lockdown was announced more than a year ago. ..

IN THE judgement of the case–Sunil Kumar alias Sudhir Kumar & Another v. The State of Uttar Pradesh delivered on May 25, 2021, Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Aniruddha Bose, at the Supreme Court have made it abundantly clear once again, that it is legally obligatory for the Court of first instance (Trial Court), while awarding multiple punishments of imprisonment, to specify in clear terms as to whether the sentences would run concurrently or consecutively. The omission to State whether the ..

Years ago, the siblings played around a tree and spent some time almost daily on the branches of a big banyan tree close to their house. Other groups of children too derived the same joy. While one group called the tree ‘adda’ (meeting place) as ‘air-conditioner’, another called it ‘hill station’, and still another group called it ‘Aajoba’ due to age of the tree. For, everyone found a ‘cool’ childhood companion in the tree. Years later, all of them have told their children about these fond childhood ..

THE coronavirus-hit year has brought some good news for India with a significant improvement in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index. India’s score has improved by six points -- from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020. It includes a fantastic growth in healthcare parameters which bears testimony to India’s resolute response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, there is a hidden message in the NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2020-21 where Kerala has retained the top rank. A lot of ..

THERE is a great anomaly in China’s modern history, but it isn’t the late, unlamented one-child policy. That is endlessly discussed and debated as if it really mattered, while China’s three lost decades of economic growth and their unintended consequences for the climate crisis go almost unmentioned. There was great excitement among journalists last week when China announced its new three-child policy. Some even dared to ask why, if changing the one-child policy to a two-child policy in 2016 did nothing ..

AS THE United States prepares to pull out entirely of its remaining 2,500 troops from Afghanistan– a move fast being followed by NATO allies in the war-tattered nation– the onus for security and stability will fall on the regional neighbours. However, this is a window of opportunity in which India can lead the way. It will not be an easy or simple process. As the Taliban became increasingly assertive in the ongoing peace talks and potentially set to govern the country again someday, it is vital that ..

THE legendary vocalist described in these words what he saw as a purpose of music. He was only highlighting what most music masters have often felt and lived for -- to attain through their music -- and to reach a sublime level beyond the normal definition of life and living. The fine-ness of the swar, its mystique, its magnificence, its magnitude, its majesty, its magnetism, its magic have often mesmerised all pursuers of classical music in particular. Pursuers of other forms of music, too, feel equally ..

EVEN as the nation celebrated the birth anniversary of Swatantryaveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar two days ago, people indulged in the formality of garlanding of statues and picture-frames of the visionary patriot -- as usual. Then everything went quiet -- until the next time when people will get to the point of birth or death anniversary of the man whose multifarious contribution to the idea of India has been immense. And by any standard, that cannot be the way the nation should only feign to remember ..

FIRST cyclone Tauktae and then cyclone Yaas, both have delivered an important message to the country -- Be ready for intense cyclones in the future...