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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nothing seems to be going right for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Kerala. The party is set to suffer a twin setback with an open revolt in Palakkad municipality under its control, and the threat by its ally, the Bharat Dharma Jana Sen (BDJS) to quit the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Delhi election campaign entered the final week before it will end on February 3 for the polling scheduled for February 5. In the beginning of the election campaign BJP seemed to be aggressive and dominating over the AAP’s political narrative, but as the election campaign is reaching its peak now, BJP seems to have turned defensive, and unwittingly fallen into its own political trap.

As the Indo-Pacific emerges as the fulcrum of global geopolitical competition, naval exercises have become vital instruments for projecting power, fostering cooperation, and safeguarding maritime security. Within this dynamic landscape, the Indian Navy stands out as a model of strategic foresight and operational excellence, eclipsing the limited and China-dependent efforts of the Pakistan Navy.

Uttarakhand the other day announced the Uniform Civil Code and the impact was felt in an OIC country, with media outlets there flaying India for targeting its minorities, especially the Muslims, by resetting its “patchwork of different religious personal laws” into a common civil code. So, what is the grouse when the OIC nations answer to and adhere to a common set of laws within their jurisdictions?

India’s net economic growth minus inflation during the current financial year may be well below the projections made by the government, the Reserve Bank and external agencies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. The net economic growth is calculated after subtracting the current inflation rate from the GDP growth rate. Going by the latest estimates, it could be around 5.8 percent for the fiscal 2024-25. Based on the first advance estimates by the Ministry of Statistics, India’s GDP growth for this fiscal year would be 6.4 percent which is significantly lower than the 8.2 percent growth recorded in the previous fiscal year of 2023-24.

Despite financial constraints due to slowdown of the Indian economy in the current financial year 2024-25, Union Budget 2025-26 has to give special attention to education, health, and women’s welfare for two reasons –first, because these are essential elements for India’s long-term growth aspirations, such as Vikasit Bharat by 2047, and secondly due to political considerations involving youth and women, who have been lately emerged as vote bank, as we have seen in all the elections held in the country in last one year.

Trajectory of the right wing growth across the globe could not be accomplished unless it turns India into a heaven for these forces in South East Asia. Right from the days of Hitler many attempts were made to push India into the dirty dungeon of rightist philosophy. But it could not succeed while most of the countries, including socialist countries succumbed to their allure.

There is an upsurge of interest in the life and times of Sir Winston Churchill who died sixty-five years ago on January 24, 1960. On this 76th commemoration of the Republic Day of India, fresh perspectives emerge on the roles of historical personages of those times when India was transiting from a colony to a sovereign state.

US District Judge John C Coughenour has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's executive order ending the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship regardless of the parents' immigration status. The case was moved before the court by the states of Washington, Arizona, Illinois and Oregon, which argued that the 14th Amendment and Supreme Court case law have guaranteed birthright citizenship. The case is one of five lawsuits being brought by 22 states and a number of migrants rights groups across the country.

On January 13, 2025, the rupee recorded its sharpest single-day decline in nearly two years, finishing the session 58 paise lower at a historic low of Rs 86.62 against the US dollar. Numerous commentaries are now emerging in popular media, expressing concern that a weakened Rupee could pose challenges for the Indian economy, particularly for Indian industries, as larger companies tend to borrow in dollars. A weaker Rupee also implies higher import costs, which could lead to a widening current account deficit (CAD). Basic macroeconomic theory suggests that a widening CAD will fuel domestic inflation by raising the price of imported crude oil. This could have secondary effects, including a decline in foreign exchange reserves and foreign institutional investors pulling out of the Indian stock market.