For long, the Naxalite in news was recognisable by the gun. But the more insidious version of Naxalism has never needed a rifle. It has thrived in varsity classrooms and newspaper and magazine columns, fostered by men and women sympathetic to it. These academics and other members of the so-called intelligentsia have long enjoyed their status as ‘respectable dissenters’ even when their politics offered intellectual alibis for Naxals carrying guns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’

In an India-US relationship increasingly tested by geopolitics, a direct line between leaders may do more than a round of public diplomacy. While diplomacy is often imagined in the grand settings of summit tables and choreographed handshakes, some of its most consequential work happens without any of them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent conversation with US Vice-President JD Vance is in this less glamorous sense. Amid the chill pervading India-US relations, the signifi

Asks, ‘who are you reassuring’ Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party, questioning the political ‘message’ behind Modi’s reported assurance to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his MPs: “Do not fear, I am standing by you.” Thackeray asked whether the Prime Minister’s remark was meant merely to assuage the Shinde camp - or whether i

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has moved beyond tax reform to become the economic engine of India’s ambition to become a developed nation. AI generated image Nine years ago, the GST replaced a maze of taxes, cesses and state-level barriers with a single national framework. Since then, it has altered how goods move across the country, how businesses enter the formal economy, how governments track economic activity and how the Centre and states share fiscal responsibilities.

Meta’s apology to the Government of India revives the uncomfortable question of who really controls the flow of political information in today’s turbulent times, the voter or the platform? When the world’s largest social media company admits that it wrongly restricted Prime Minister Modi’s post during a volatile moment in Indian democracy, the issue extends far beyond a single moderation error. Meta’s chief global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, apologised to Union IT Minister

The NEET paper leak protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar should have remained a legitimate expression of student anger over the collapse of examination integrity. Instead, as the agitation escalated into clashes with the police, abusive sloganeering and an increasingly radical political campaign, Meta’s algorithms emerged as an invisible force multiplying the unrest. The controversy surrounding the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to the youth in the after

The shocking violence that occurred during the protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which left 118 policemen injured in Delhi, raises an uncomfortable question: why does the national capital repeatedly become the stage for protest movements that cross the line from dissent into disorder? When a demonstration against educational reforms results in scores of injured policemen, the issue becomes a serious question of public order and accountability. The geography of

India and Indonesia are forging a partnership designed for an era defined by resilient manufacturing, critical minerals and digital connectivity. The age when bilateral ties were judged by trade volumes and ceremonial diplomacy is fading. Today, the strength of a partnership is increasingly determined by who controls critical minerals, builds trusted digital networks and secures resilient supply chains. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Indonesia captured this n

The restoration of Indonesia’s Prambanan temple signals a new phase in India’s Act East policy, with heritage conservation as an instrument of diplomacy. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto announced the collaborative project of conservation and restoration of Indonesia’s 9th century Prambanan temple complex during the former’s three-day state visit to Indonesia. The said project is about putting back into shape around two hundred

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day assertion last year that "Haq ka pani" will serve Indian farmers marks a decisive shift in India's approach to the Indus Waters. Far from being a departure, it is a long-overdue correction of historical restraint that has disproportionately disadvantaged India while enabling persistent misuse downstream. It signals that India will no longer allow its rightful share of water to go underutilised and wasted while its own farmers fa

As Asia’s strategic map shifts, India and Japan are discovering that their partnership is about far more than balancing China. There was a time when India and Japan viewed one another primarily through the prism of economics. Where Japan supplied capital, technology and development assistance, India offered a vast market and an expanding pool of skilled labour. But that largely transactional relationship now appears to be changing. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s vis

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

Though often grouped together as ‘nationalist strongmen,’ Narendra Modi and Donald Trump reveal strikingly different approaches to power, diplomacy and governance. Politics in the 21st century has become increasingly personalised. Institutions still matter, but voters often view governments through the prism of individual leaders rather than parties or policies. Few contemporary politicians illustrate this trend better than Donald Trump and Narendra Modi. Both have cultivated

A decade ago, India was one of the world's largest arms importers; today, it exports defence equipment to more than 100 countries. India now exports defence equipment to more than 100 countries, including the United States, France, and Armenia. A decade ago, however, the sector presented a very different picture. The country remained heavily dependent on imports to meet domestic requirements and support economic needs. Before this shift, India’s economy relied heavily on impo

Donald Trump’s lavish praise of Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit offered a familiar lesson that in international affairs, there is often a vast gulf between atmospherics and reality. Whether it translates into warmer U.S. policy towards India after a period of pretty intense frostiness is another matter. Trump, who only months ago was disparaging India with the sort of rhetorical abandon usually reserved for political opponents, suddenly rediscovered his affect

The story of India’s rise in the last decade has been marked by economic reform, infrastructure expansion and renewed national confidence When a public journey completes twelve years, it is often seen as a significant milestone marked by perseverance, dedication and an unwavering commitment to a larger goal. Therefore, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi completes twelve years of leadership, this period must be assessed through the lens of sustained effort, transformative governa

In the first of a two-part series, we examine why India’s space programme must evolve for an age of wars and global instability, where old civilian-military binaries no longer suffice. In the lead-up to the multi-state assembly elections scheduled for April 2026, and subsequently during his international visit in May 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi consistently emphasised the substantial challenges the global community is currently facing, including ongoing conflicts, supp

As conflict in West Asia continues unabated, India finds itself confronting the rising cost of economic patriotism AI generated image On 10 May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stood before a crowd in Hyderabad and asked Indians to change how they live. Avoid foreign travel for at least a year. Work from home where possible. Stop buying gold. He called it economic patriotism. A war involving the United States and Iran had disrupted oil supply routes, driven up the price of every

Mumbai: As fuel prices shot up by nearly Rs 5/litre in barely 10 days, the common citizens are feeling the pinch of a fresh wave of inflation and rates of all essentials gradually rising. From the humble favourite street corner vada-pav and pav-bhaji to milk, vegetables, fruits, groceries and ice-creams, besides online food deliveries, malls, showrooms and other retailers, the impact is starkly visible all around. Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five nation tour in May has shifted traditional diplomatic relations to a strategic approach, during major global developments such as the West Asia energy crisis, post Operation Sindoor geopolitical tensions and changing global trade dynamics. The UAE visit focused on protecting India’s energy security over possible disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz which is the main global oil route. The ADNOC & ISPRL agreement of storing up to 30 million ba