By N.S. Venkataraman*  ​The decades-long enmity between Iran and Israel is well-documented, but historically, their direct confrontations have been brief, constrained by the logistical and economic limitations of sustained warfare. The current conflict in the Middle East, however, marks a radical and dangerous departure from this pattern. 

By Ram Puniyani    ​Violence against the Muslim minority has become a common occurrence in our country. While its form and intensity vary, the process of intimidating Muslims never truly halts. However, the second-largest minority community, Christians , is also not spared, though reports of violence against them emerge only sporadically. The primary reason for this is that the violence often occurs at such a localized level that it remains under the radar. Yet, around Christmas, this hostility becomes unmistakably visible.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Despite growing trade between India and China, a persistent trust deficit continues to shape their bilateral relationship. Expanding economic engagement has not fully resolved political differences, many of which stem from historical legacies as well as contemporary geopolitical concerns. Border disputes—often traced to colonial-era arrangements—remain a significant obstacle to deeper cooperation, while differing strategic alignments in global affairs add further complexity.

By Vikas Meshram*  India’s democracy, the world’s largest, has undergone many transformations since independence. The period after 2014 marked a decisive turning point, with political, social, religious, and institutional changes that challenged the fundamental concept of democracy. The BJP’s historic majority under Narendra Modi reshaped Indian politics, bringing Hindutva ideology into the mainstream, weakening opposition parties, consolidating control over institutions, and using social media for image management.

​ By Nava Thakuria*  ​It is a strange thing to be a professional journalist. We are trained to be observers—sometimes even "emotionless creatures"—reporting on the triumphs and tragedies of the world with clinical precision. Writing an obituary is usually just another task. ​But recently, the news has been too close to home. ​Within a span of just a few days, our AECian 1985-90 batch WhatsApp group became a digital hall of mourning. We lost three dear friends to sudden ailments. As the messages of grief flashed on my screen, I found myself clueless. How does one address such an immense emotional weight? It is one thing to write for the public; it is quite another to pen the final words for those who shared your youth. ​Echoes from the Hills of Jalukbari ​Our journey began at Assam Engineering College (AEC), nestled in the serene campus of Jalukbari behind the hills of Gauhati University. We arrived with pockets full of dreams and left with commitments to our families and the ...

By A Representative   PepsiCo India , the Indian arm of PepsiCo, has claimed that it replenished 1.48 billion litres of water in 2025, marking World Water Day with a renewed emphasis on what it describes as “ water stewardship ” initiatives.

By Rajiv Shah   I was a little amused by the abrupt March 17, 2026 resignation of Atanu Chakraborty —a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1985 batch who retired from the government in 2020—as chairman of HDFC Bank . Much of what may have led to his decision to quit this ostensibly high post—actually a non-executive, part-time role—is by now well known. I followed most of it online with considerable interest, partly because I had interacted with him umpteen times during my stint as The Times of India correspondent in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

By A Representative   In a significant development just days after its introduction in Parliament, over 100 members of two national alliances—the All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) and the National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR)—have issued an open appeal to all Members of Parliament (MPs) to immediately withdraw the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026.

By Jag Jivan*   India's official GDP figures have misrepresented the trajectory of the world's fifth-largest economy for the better part of two decades, according to a major new working paper published by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE). It finds that India overstated annual growth by up to two percentage points after 2011 — and understated it during the boom years of the 2000s.