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India’s recent trade agreement with the United States is being celebrated by the government at the Centre as a significant milestone in its economic diplomacy. Beyond the headlines, a closer scrutiny makes the deal appear rather dicey right from the very outset. Four days after...

The people of Bangladesh have spoken decisively that they still believe in democracy and would not be swayed by polarising politics or chaotic movements for supposedly righting wrongs by an earlier regime. Nearly 60 per cent of the country’s population took part in the election....

By Aakar Patel There is always a shortage of nationalism in our country, because there seems to be so much demand for it. In all of my decades I had not known of a demand for Vande Mataram to be tagged on to the national...

By Dilip Cherian For years, the civil services examination had a convenient loophole. Crack the exam, get into the IAS or IFS, and still return for another attempt, aiming for a better rank, a preferred cadre, or simply a more strategic posting. That option is...

Influential people and high dignitaries often willingly get into honey-traps or sex rackets to seek pleasure using their positions. The Dutch dancer Mata Hari used her charm and sexuality during World War I as part of her spying weapon to ferret out secrets from her...

An unseemly controversy has been created over an unpublished book penned by former Army Chief General MM Naravane. It has already rocked the Parliament with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh objecting to Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi’s attempt...

After punishing Indian exporters with a steep 50 per cent tariff on their goods sold in America for more than five months, US President Donald Trump last week announced that Washington and New Delhi have reached a trade deal. The POTUS also declared that his...

By Aakar Patel Violation of sovereignty is defined as an infringement on a nation’s territorial integrity or an interference with governmental functions. Arm-twisting is pressurising someone into doing something they are unwilling to do. Surrender comes when one stops resisting and submits to the other...

By Dilip Cherian Scratch the surface of sarkari rules, and they quickly become about power, career pathways, and the familiar tug-of-war between the Centre and the states. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ latest directive fits that pattern neatly. IPS officers from the 2011 batch onwards...

The fresh Indo-US trade deal announced by US President Donald Trump 2 February will see American tariffs on Indian goods go from 25 per cent to 18 per cent. An additional 25 per cent ‘penalty’ imposed on India for its purchase of Russian oil has...