These are not predictions; it would be presumptuous to claim omniscience or even foresight. But here are five trends more in the realm of how the world might feel, rather than a prediction of actual events.

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on December 31, 1984.

Are historians meant to clear up questions of what lies beneath Mughal-era mosques? Historians don’t tell the nation what to think about a particular issue but how to begin to think about it.

A wave of global anti-incumbency, public discontent, and divisive rhetoric. 2024, the year of the elections, witnessed everything.

D Gukesh was crowned a world chess champion, Neeraj Chopra lost out on an Olympic gold medal, the men’s Indian cricket team hoisted up the World T20 trophy – 2024 was the year of epic shots and record-breaking feats, muddles and mishaps

The upcoming Union budget, subsequent meeting of the monetary policy committee, and a new Trump administration – India will have to wait to get clarity on how the government and RBI can support the economy for 2025

The reality of America's political economy appears to be bumping up against the rhetoric of the campaign trail with immigration being one of the most contentious issues in the presidential election.

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on December 30, 1984.

Cross-border strikes by Pakistan and Afghanistan's retaliation mark a deepening of volatility in a fragile region

Household consumption expenditure survey findings need to be correlated with other data, like those on wages.

The party meet in the Karnataka city in 1924 transformed not just the Congress, but also the country’s freedom struggle

All the greatest sages of the world have repeatedly said the key to navigating life’s challenges is to focus on the present moment. However, in our striving, goal oriented culture, we’re trained to constantly look ahead.

Commentators described the BJP-led government as a ‘minority’ government that will force Mr Modi to be more circumspect and restrained. I did not share that view. They thought that Mr Modi will be more deferent to Parliament, but that too was belied by the Winter session.

End of the year round-ups customarily sum up the winners and losers of the year. But in the political rat race of 2024, it was a snakes and ladders scenario, with many ups and downs for prominent players.

I can say that in 10 ten years that I held the portfolios of Science & Technology, Human Resource Development, IT and Telecom and Law & Justice, Manmohan Singh, or for that matter, Sonia Gandhi, never called me asking to do things in a certain manner

Governments including one headed by Manmohan Singh have missed second set of reforms – privatisation, rationalising of government spending

Singh will be remembered, most of all, for showing how less power can be more. How he worked within constraints to seize opportunities, steer breakthroughs that changed the course of the nation

At least eight persons lost their lives, and several others were injured in the Lok Sabha election-related violence in the country. The worst incidents of violence were reported from Andhra Pradesh, where six persons were killed and 25 people injured.

In the coming days, hundreds of eulogies will be written on MT. But his contributions cannot be limited to what he wrote, how he tantalised millions of readers with his craft. He also introduced world literature to Malayalis

Bureaucrats, like all Indian citizens, have the right to engage in partisan politics – but to do so, they should formally join political parties and relinquish their official posts.

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on December 27, 1984.

From the lush, rain-soaked hills of the Western Ghats to the sunlit shores of the backwaters, from the stultifying humidity of summer to the petrichor after monsoon rains, M T’s novels, stories and films brought to vivid life a region that is both traditional and modern, conservative and progressive

The familiar smell of fresh pages, the joy of gifting it to a loved one. We celebrate books because they open the door to multiple realms of knowledge. But, India Post’s decision to increase the Book Post service will undo thousands of cherished memories and taint our accessibility to stories yet to be read

In partisan times, his natural inclination for nuance wasn’t just an expression of humility — it was the hallmark of a leadership with depth and breadth.