Opinion

In 2021, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube caused an uproar when he issued more than $15 million in guarantees for private loans made by the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe without seeking parliament's approval. It was a particularly flagrant example of an unfortunately common practice in...

The Himalayas have been sending warnings that governments ignore at their peril. The massive rock-and-ice collapse near Langtang Lirung in Tibet-Nepal in August 2026, at around 5,000 metres, demonstrated how a geological event high in the mountains can unleash devastating floods downstream. Thousands died or...

By Bula Devi Amid a volatile situation in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman arrived in Japan on October 26 with his wife, Zubaida, and a small delegation for a four-day official visit aimed at boosting trade and investment. Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s intelligence chief travelled to India...

By Malay Mishra Ever since India announced the standardisation of 28 places in Ladakh in accordance with the Survey of India’s demarcation, China’s behaviour towards India has changed markedly. The Centre’s revocation of Article 370 and declaration of Ladakh as a Union Territory on August...

By Santosh Kumar Mohapatra The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2026, released on October 14 under the theme “No Security Without Food Security”, highlights hunger amid economic advancement. Despite progress in science, agriculture and medicine, millions lack adequate food. Conflicts, climate shocks, poverty and inequality undermine...

Sayan Chatterjee The Indian Ocean is becoming an increasingly important arena of strategic competition. From protecting vital shipping lanes and securing energy supplies to tracking military movements and safeguarding maritime interests, India’s naval responsibilities are expanding. The reported in-principle clearance for Indian Navy’s next-generation destroyer...

Sami Mahroum Given current AI capabilities, does it matter who conducts scientific research? The intuitive response is that a fact is a fact, regardless of who finds it. But knowledge is never disseminated that way. We receive most scientific claims without any means of checking...

Rajdeep Sardesai The RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, weighs his words carefully. As sarsanghchalak of the Sangh Parivar, a political and ideological force that occupies a dominant position in Indian public life, every utterance carries weight. Which is why his latest warning deserves scrutiny. Delivering his...

Dhanada Kanta Mishra In 2017, I asked whether India could create a world-class university within a generation, when no Indian institution ranked among the world’s top 200. Nearly a decade later, India’s visibility has improved considerably, but its depth has not. The pressing question now...

Pratigyan Das In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court recently recognised access to internet as a fundamental right. The judgment, which came during the hearing of ‘Just Rights for Children Alliance vs S Harish’, declared that the right to access and use the internet is...