By Devidas Tuljapurkar*  In recent years, there has been a concerning trend of increasing foreign control over Indian banks. It began with Laxmi Vilas Bank , which was acquired by Singapore-based DBS Group (Development Bank of Singapore). This was followed by the acquisition of Catholic Syrian Bank by the Canadian firm Fairfax . More recently, Yes Bank has seen a growing stake being taken over by Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), and now reports suggest that RBL Bank (formerly Ratnakar Bank Limited) is likely to be acquired by the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) public sector lender, Emirates NBD (Emirates National Bank of Dubai).

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The recent visit of Taliban-appointed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to India and the warm reception extended to him by the Modi government have raised questions about India’s foreign policy direction. The decision appears to lend legitimacy to the Taliban regime, which continues to suppress democratic aspirations in Afghanistan. 

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ*  The Mission (1986) is a British period drama that portrays the experiences of a Jesuit missionary in 18th-century South America . The film is complex, compelling, and spiritually resonant. It centres on the moral stand taken by Spanish Jesuits to protect the identity and autonomy of the Guarani , an Indigenous tribe facing exploitation under European colonial expansion . Set against the backdrop of imperial politics, the narrative explores the tensions between colonial power, the greed of pro-slavery settlers, and the pragmatic dilemmas confronting the Church and the Jesuits.

By Vijay Prashad   Slowly, a full picture of the devastation of Gaza by Israel is becoming clear. The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) released a report around the time of the ceasefire that began to lay out the numbers: Israel’s bombardment of Gaza resulted in the total destruction of 190,115 buildings and the almost total destruction of another 330,500 housing units. The constant artillery and aerial fire over the 734 days of the genocide resulted in the wrecking of eighty-five percent of Gaza’s water and sewage system. Only one medical facility remained open in Gaza City at the time of the ceasefire, with ninety-four percent of hospitals and clinics destroyed or badly damaged. In fact, according to the PCBS, Gaza is currently unlivable. It is impossible to know the full extent of the physical and mental damage inflicted upon the Palestinian people of Gaza: the Ministry of Health has inadequate numbers for the dead and injured, and the trauma will only be kno...

By Harsh Thakor*  Seventy five years ago a most devastating Korean War broke out, which lasted from 1950 to 1953. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) was established in 1948 under Kim Il Sung , following the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. After Japan’s surrender in World War II , Korea was divided along the 38th parallel into two zones of occupation — Soviet-controlled in the north and U.S.-controlled in the south. This division, initially intended to be temporary, became permanent with the creation of two separate governments: the Republic of Korea in the south and the DPRK in the north.

By Jaime Bravo, Jorge Coulon    Dina Boluarte 's removal from office is not a victory for the people, but an internal readjustment of power. Congress did not obey the clamor of the streets, but rather the need to preserve a system that is crumbling from within. The fuse was changed so that the same machinery could continue to run: the pact between plutocracy , corruption, and fear.

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  The Malayalam film "Haal" has come under scrutiny by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), not for vulgarity or violence, but for allegedly failing to align with the ideological framework of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

By Prof. Hemantkumar Shah*  The Right to Information Act (RTI), introduced by Manmohan Singh ’s government in 2005, was conceived to ensure that citizens in a democracy can access how the government functions at every level. The law aimed to bring transparency and accountability into governance. Each state was mandated to form its own Information Commission to hear citizen complaints and ensure information access. Unfortunately, the Gujarat Information Commission appears to have failed to perform this duty effectively or with due integrity. Several troubling aspects illustrate this decline.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*   Travel connects the traveler with the destination, giving meaning to both the journey and the path. When there is a disconnect between the traveler, the road, and the destination, the journey becomes directionless. In politics, the value of international travel lies in the tangible and intangible dividends it yields—economic partnerships, diplomatic alliances, cultural exchanges, and strategic cooperation. It is not the frequency of travel that matters, but the depth of engagement and the outcomes achieved. Meaningful travel contributes to national interests through collective memories, friendships, and shared values.