View Articles

India has many laws to check pollution, but pollution level in the country is among the worst in the world. The World Air Quality Report 2024 ranked India as the 5th most polluted country globally. Delhi remains the most polluted capital globally with a Particulate matter (PM) 2.5 concentration of 91.6 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre). Six of the world's 10 most polluted cities and 13 of the top 20 are in India. Another report finds 70 per cent of the surface water in the country not potable. Though there are many laws in the country, the data speaks volumes about the Government’s failure in their implementation.

26 days have passed since the temporary truce in the limited four day war between India and Pakistan taking effect on May 10 this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been talking of his three point doctrine since then, the most important of which is no dialogue with Pakistan unless the ruling regime of Islamabad shuns terrorism. Pakistan Prime Minister on the other hand is claiming as usual that his government had no role in the Pahalgam massacre of April 22, Pakistan strongly believes in fight against terrorism. Pakistan is ready for bilateral talks to discuss all the pending issues including terror.

‘NOT blood: But Sindoor Flows Through My Veins’ – these exact words by Prime Minister Modi defined his signature style in launching the post-Sindoor campaign blitzkrieg. What else could he or his government have done in response to the grave challenges the country was faced with. Transparency and introspection have never been the forte for this government.

Delhi these days is synonymous with demolitions, thanks to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who is a zealot when it comes to following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diktats hook, line and sinker! And Rekha Gupta, while bulldozing and razing ugly slums to the ground, is also taking 'Operation Sindoor' to lakhs and lakhs of women residents of the national capital, a 'pinch of sindoor' each.

Strong signs of undercurrents are emerging in the aviation space between India and the Gulf. There is renewed tussle over landing rights — the coveted permissions that determine which airlines get to fly where, how often, and with how many seats. For years, this battleground has been tilted in favour of Gulf-based giants, particularly Emirates and later Etihad, both of which have entrenched themselves so deeply in the India-Gulf sector that they dominate passenger volumes, especially among the vast Indian expatriate population in the Gulf. But recent movements suggest that the terrain may be shifting again, albeit not necessarily in India’s favour, raising concerns about whether past missteps are being repeated or even institutionalized.

WASHINGTON: India will be one of the earliest countries to clinch a mega trade deal with the United States under the watchful eye of the latter's president Donald Trump, who is happy and cautious, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his counterpart Piyush Goyal work out the nitty gritties of the “Art of the Deal.” That would make US goods more affordable in India and also grant greater market access to US companies in emerging fields in India.

India’s purchase of Russian arms and weaponry gets “under the skin of America”. This is an irritant in Indo-US relations, according to Howard Lutnik, US commerce secretary.

It is a myth-busting time. The myth that Muslims and Muslim countries always stood together and that the Muslim Brotherhood made sense. Let's also have a little Pakistan-bashing. For a reason, of course. Contrary to the thinking of some, not every Muslim country is a supporter of a Muslim country which doesn’t mind using terror as a weapon. This is a finding of the seven delegations India sent abroad to explain India’s stand on why Pakistan was 'bad' and India 'good'?

KOLKATA: Engaged that it is in intra-party squabbles, West Bengal unit of BJP leadership does not appear to be in a mood to pull up its socks for 2026 Assembly elections. Things came to a head during Union home minister Amit Shah's trip to the state on May 31 and June 1 after BJP leaders claimed closer proximity to him while organisational issues remained unattended.

The most vocal Hindutva face in the North-East India, the chief minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, having shown penchant for igniting communal fire in the past, now seems to have decided on playing with even more terrible fire of arms conflicts, if his new arms policy in the state is of any indication. The decision of the BJP-led Assam government under his leadership to put more arms into the hands of civilians would only accelerate insurgent and communal violence in the entire North-East, which has already been suffering from such menace for quite some time.