Tavleen Singh is a distinguished Indian journalist, political reporter, and author, currently serving as a leading columnist for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over four decades, she is widely recognized for her incisive commentary on Indian politics, public policy, and governance.
Professional Experience & Journey: Singh began her journalistic career in the United Kingdom with the Evening Mail in Slough, where she trained under the Westminster Press training scheme. She returned to India in 1974, joining The Statesman as a reporter. Her extensive fieldwork includes tenure as a Special Correspondent for The Telegraph in 1982 and as the South Asia Correspondent for the Sunday Times, London. Over the years, she has contributed to major publications including India Today and has played a pioneering role in Indian television journalism, heading the Delhi bureau for Plus Channel.
Expertise & Focus Areas: Renowned for her deep understanding of India's political landscape, Singh has covered some of the most critical events in the nation's history, including the Punjab insurgency and the conflict in Kashmir. Her writing often bridges the gap between the "Durbar" of Delhi’s political elite and the ground realities of rural India. She currently writes the popular weekly column "Fifth Column" for The Indian Express, appearing every Sunday, where she offers critical analysis of government policies and political shifts.
Authoritativeness & Recognition Singh is a celebrated author of several best-selling books that serve as important records of contemporary Indian history. Her notable works include:
Kashmir: A Tragedy of Errors (1995)
Lollipop Street: Why India Will Survive Her Politicians (1999)
Durbar (2012)
India's Broken Tryst (2016)
Messiah Modi: A Tale of Great Expectations (2020)
Her fearless reporting has earned her significant accolades, including the Chameli Devi Jain Award for Outstanding Woman Mediaperson (1988) and the Sanskriti Award (1985) for her comprehensive coverage of the Punjab crisis.
Trust & Credibility As a veteran voice in Indian media, Singh is known for her unyielding candor and independent perspective. Her long-standing association with The Indian Express, a publication known for its "Journalism of Courage," reinforces her standing as a...

October 05, 2014 00:00 IST
Most children who die in India before they get to their fifth birthday die of preventable diseases like diarrhoea and malaria.
Sun, Oct 05, 2014
October 02, 2014 00:37 IST
In the US, Modi changed India’s image, and his own.
Thu, Oct 02, 2014
September 30, 2014 00:09 IST
For the diaspora, Modi can make miracles happen.
Tue, Sep 30, 2014
September 28, 2014 00:12 IST
Could the honourable judges not have paid attention to the inextinguishable fires that burn underground.
Sun, Sep 28, 2014
September 21, 2014 00:06 IST
While the Prime Minister talks about “minimum government”, his ministers seem not to have understood what this means.
Sun, Sep 21, 2014
September 14, 2014 00:36 IST
Social welfare system created by Nehruvian socialist India is supposed to help our weakest citizens. It does the opposite.
Sun, Sep 14, 2014
September 07, 2014 00:13 IST
It is time to stop being politically correct, and draw some red lines before it is too late.
Sun, Sep 07, 2014
August 31, 2014 00:00 IST
Unless the licence raj goes, India will never build the institutions of higher learning that we so desperately need.
Sun, Aug 31, 2014August 24, 2014 00:52 IST
The Prime Minister had to select his team from the ranks of his own party but he is now making a serious effort to change the way his party thinks.
Sun, Aug 24, 2014
August 17, 2014 00:49 IST
So it came as music to my jaded ears to hear the Prime Minister remind us of all the things we like to disregard.
Sun, Aug 17, 2014
August 10, 2014 00:57 IST
Continuity is the last thing the average Indian wants because continuity means his children have no hope.
Sun, Aug 10, 2014
August 03, 2014 00:01 IST
Please dear Finance Minister file your wealth tax returns online as an exercise to see how devious are the ways of Indian officialdom.
Sun, Aug 03, 2014
July 27, 2014 00:27 IST
In 2014, of the 1,122 new recruits for the civil service, only 53 came from those who wrote papers in Indian languages
Sun, Jul 27, 2014
July 20, 2014 00:57 IST
The mindset of India has remained mired in economic and political ideas that should have died with the fall of Berlin wall.
Sun, Jul 20, 2014
July 13, 2014 00:48 IST
The last government left behind a legacy of bad laws that should be immediately torn up and thrown away.
Sun, Jul 13, 2014
July 06, 2014 00:14 IST
It was this licence raj that prevented Kapil Sibal from allowing 1,500 new universities to be built.
Sun, Jul 06, 2014
June 29, 2014 00:25 IST
Most political pundits ike to think they are guardians of India’s ‘pluralism’ and cannot believe that voters rejected this fine ideal.
Sun, Jun 29, 2014
June 22, 2014 00:23 IST
If the Prime Minister wants to deliver on his promise of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’ he will have to implement drastic changes.
Sun, Jun 22, 2014
June 15, 2014 00:32 IST
Modi does not see poverty as romantic or alluring. Having lived in poverty, he knows the indignities it imposes if you are not a tourist.
Sun, Jun 15, 2014
June 08, 2014 00:21 IST
So utterly forgotten are the doomsday predictions that many of these pundits have now started to behave as if they were members of the new PM’s team.
Sun, Jun 08, 2014
June 01, 2014 00:29 IST
India needs a strong, vigilant opposition party as much as it needs an effective government.
Sun, Jun 01, 2014
May 25, 2014 00:28 IST
To deliver on his promises of change and development, Modi will to have to first deliver on his assurance that there will be 'maximum governance and minimum government'.
Sun, May 25, 2014
May 18, 2014 00:00 IST
At the risk of blowing my own horn I have to say that it was more than a year ago that I saw the first signs of a Modi wave.
Sun, May 18, 2014
May 11, 2014 00:09 IST
It is an election about “vikas” and “parivartan” and Modi is seen as the magician who can make these things happen.
Sun, May 11, 2014
May 04, 2014 00:31 IST
Incidentally, one of the most dangerous things he has done is to lie about the Adani Group having been given farmers’ land at throwaway prices.
Sun, May 04, 2014



