Sanjukta Parashar’s rise from Assam’s insurgency-hit districts to the frontline of India’s counter-insurgency apparatus marks a milestone in the long march of women into combat leadership. Earlier this month, Sanjukta Parashar became the first woman to command the CRPF’s elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA). Her elevation to Inspector General of this specialized jungle-warfare force marks a watershed moment in the history of India’s internal security apparatus

The Northeast is not just a destination—it is an emotion, an adventure and a reminder that India's greatest treasures often lie beyond the familiar tourist trails. India’s Northeast is a land of extraordinary beauty, ancient cultures, mist-covered mountains and warm-hearted people. Among its many treasures are the three states fondly known as the “Three Sisters”—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Nagaland. Situated in India’s northeastern corner and sharing international borders wi

The flash floods tearing through Arunachal Pradesh and adjoining Assam were an unsettling demonstration of how climate change, ecological degradation and unwise development are converging to create disasters of startling speed and scale. The Arunachal Pradesh floods are a glimpse of a broader environmental future in which extreme weather collides with weakened ecosystems to magnify human and economic losses. Strangely, much of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have experienced a ra

The Japanese Prime Minister’s decision to skip Assam is a setback for the Northeast, but not for the larger India-Japan partnership. India and Japan share one of Asia’s most understated yet enduring partnerships. Long before the relationship acquired strategic significance, it rested on the quiet foundations of culture and civilisation. Buddhism travelled from the Indian subcontinent to Japan over many centuries, leaving an imprint that still shapes Japanese society. In the m

Assam and West Bengal signalled a broader political shift: traditional regional loyalties no longer guarantee voter allegiance. The political landscape of eastern India has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade, culminating in significant electoral victories for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in states like Assam and, to a more complex extent, its rise as a dominant challenger in West Bengal. These developments are not isolated electoral outcomes but refl

While exit polls sketch a dramatic map of India’s electoral mood, the line between projection and verdict remains perilously thin. With the ballots across five politically pivotal arenas of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry falling silent until the results are announced on May 4, poll surveyors have filled the vacuum with exit poll numbers that excite, alarm and often mislead. These projections have already begun shaping narratives well before D-Day on May