Edit

The opening of high-level positions in the bureaucracy to so-called talent from the private sector is a move fraught with grave dangers that may not meet the eye immediately. It cannot be a question of borrowing brains or ideas, since experience earned in private sector...

The accommodation that any government provides representatives of the people or officers and employees is impermanent. It is a perk that must be enjoyed only until the person’s term in office comes to an end. But in many cases, official bungalows or quarters are retained...

Another World Environment Day passes off with the usual blah-blah, with little of seriousness in thinking about the way humanity, the governments and institutions should alter their behaviour to arrest climate change and thwart the impending ills. While every year the day comes with a...

A smallholder who has known pain, suffering and hunger, and is compassionate towards his milch and draught animals, will not show his anger by discarding produce of any kind on the streets. Yet the farmers participating in the ongoing 10-day strike are doing just that....

With a series of by-election wins giving a booster dose to the Opposition parties, the way forward for the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi is paved with thorns. With nothing much to show by way of achievement in governance, the party is...

Monsoon rains have arrived three days ahead of schedule in Kerala. This is good news not only for agriculture but also for all spheres of the economy. Rains are expected to be normal for the third year in a row. If agriculture does well, it...

The vast majority of the world’s population believes in the existence of God. It is true that people are becoming increasingly sceptical of the dogmatic aspects of religion; however, it does not affect their faith in God. According to Pew Research centre, 8 per cent...

The decision by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to grant banks the option to spread provisioning equally over up to four quarters for mark-to-market (MTM) losses on investments is one that merits discussion. These investments are those held in Available for Sale (AFS) and...

The human costs of child marriage are well known; around the world, child brides are, on average, less educated, poorer, and more prone to sexual violence than women who marry later in life. But when the economic impact of child marriage is added to this...

Banking services took a huge hit following a two-day nationwide strike called by over 10 lakh bank employees. There are about 85,000 branches of 21 public sector banks across the country having business share of about 70 per cent that remained shut. The shutdown has...