That an individual can source divinity within herself was unimaginable for religious institutions. But for the institution of the nation state, the individual remains as suspect.

The blockbuster IPL media rights deal will rearrange the field

India is of the opinion that a stage has not yet been reached where the two countries could exchange such missions because China is averse to even discussing the vacation of the Indian territory it occupies.

On the Rohingya, India is failing to live up to its own record of compassion and hospitality for the persecuted

Economy is ‘cattle class’ anyway; having to fly bolt upright can’t add to the pain

Over-stressed landfills are no solution. Cities should work out ways to segregate waste at source

For weeks before the summit, the world was transfixed by the spectacle of troops of two nuclear-weapons states facing off on the Doklam plateau.

Falling growth, lack of jobs, erratic rains are grim portents

Getting a bomb is insurance, it is North Korea’s strategy. The world will have to live with it

Trump administration has upped the ante with Pakistan. For South Asia’s sake, the two need to start a conversation

Bollywood today has more nepotism than it did 30 years ago

Sanctions and threats cannot always stop states from seeking nuclear weapons. There needs to be a genuine global compact

Creators of films and TV shows may be shooting themselves in the foot by taking their fans for granted

Despite the best intentions, NEET has failed to level the playing field across the nation

RTI Act needs to be protected against attempts to dilute it. RTI activists must be made less vulnerable

His plain-speaking with Pakistan may not have the desired results in Islamabad. His own unreliability makes matters worse

RJD-led rally in Patna showcased a political ideal in need of rescue and rehabilitation

Nirmala Sitharaman’s elevation is dramatic. But PM Modi’s third ministerial reshuffle sends out other interesting messages too

Two things are particularly important if you are meeting people: You should have sufficient time, and you should know local people... It can be extremely interesting to visit places and countries not usually frequented by people.

The Dera Sacha Sauda is a bigger problem for the BJP than it would be for other parties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is wary of journalists. The moment he took over as PM, he stopped the media, other than Doordarshan, from accompanying him on his aircraft within India and abroad. Now that BJP nominee Ram Nath Kovind is President of India, the same rules apply.

So if Narendra Modi’s dream of a ‘New India’ is to ever materialise, he will need to first acknowledge that his chief ministers and his own ministers have not understood that a new kind of governance is the most essential ingredient of all.

Since demonetisation, quarterly growth (and hence annual growth) has settled at between 6 and 7%. The CSO numbers for Q1 of 2017-18 are worse: GDP 5.7%, GVA 5.6% and manufacturing GDP 1.2%. Is that not a catastrophic blow to the economy?

West Indies and Bangladesh give a glimpse of the magnificent possibilities of cricket