BUSINESS
The gross underbelly of Kerala’s love for gold
Kerala’s obsession with gold is deeply-rooted in its culture. Jewellery purchases are driven by tradition, festivals and other important family and societal occasions. A large part of purchases are for weddings
POLITICS
COVID-19 | Is CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s Left government a victim of its own success?
When there is much talk about the ‘Kerala model’ on how to contain novel coronavirus, the state government has tied itself into knots over privacy of COVID-19 patients and data sharing with a US company
POLITICS
Policy | Corruption cannot be fought with standards of a bygone era
The inability of the current laws and systems to make the corrupt accountable only serves as encouragement to indulge in more and more violations.
POLITICS
Politics | Why criminalising black flag protests is outlandish in a democracy
The British never liked the idea of being shown black flags in India when they were ruling the subcontinent. Their bias against black flags in India was passed on to the new rulers, who lapped up some of these unreasonable rules without giving them a thought.
POLITICS
Legal Matters | Why anti-Centre petitions in SC won’t hold water
The petitions by the governments of Chhattisgarh and Kerala in the Supreme Court against the central government may serve the purpose as a means of political posturing, but the challenge to the competence of Parliament to frame laws does not seem to be destined to achieve any success.
INDIA
Policy | Kerala’s model worth emulating to curb exploitation on campuses
The scrapping of internal assessment will not ensure complete elimination of discrimination and sexual harassment on the campuses, but it will surely address a major part of the vulnerability of girls and members of depressed classes to those with an evil mind.
POLITICS
Policy | More than CAA, focus must be on economy and unemployment
The real threat for India may not be from stepped up flow of refugees from across the borders, but from the spiking levels of youth unemployment.
POLITICS
Policy | Electoral bonds promote what they are supposed to prevent
Electoral bonds have given detractors a great tool to sharpen their campaign against the Union government, which has been accused of keeping the form and trappings of democracy, but killing the spirit of democratic institutions.
POLITICS
Liquor Ban | Lessons Jaganmohan Reddy can learn from neighbouring states
The plan sounds perfect on paper, but when it comes to implementation, it is a different ball game.
INDIA
Policy | Is it time to regulate gambling in India?
It is widely recognised that a total ban on gambling is neither feasible nor desirable as it creates a vicious circle, which causes substantial monetary loss to the economy.
BUSINESS
Ayodhya Verdict | Supreme Court judgment looks at ‘mind, heart and healing’ of the case
The verdict provides a template for the future on how to use the present to set right the wrongs of the past — perceived or real
INDIA
Legal Matters | Ayodhya verdict could provide a template for future
The broadening perspective of the Supreme Court about the contextual aspect in the Ayodhya case has implications for other cases as well. This implies that issues cannot be considered in isolation and brings into play factors that may have hitherto been considered extraneous.
TECHNOLOGY
Privacy | The Supreme Court stands between Indians and a surveillance state
The government argues that the surveillance it proposes is required to fight the use of social media for terrorism, anti-national activities, pornography, spreading of fake news and other negative tendencies. However, should this be at the cost of individual privacy of every Indian?
POLITICS
Legal Matters | The complex layers in the sedition case against intellectuals and its closure
The quality of the judicial decision that accepted the petition against the 49 intellectuals for their letter to the PM is in the spotlight. At the same time the Bihar police’s actions against the petitioner should be scrutinised.
POLITICS
Legal Matters | Will Justice Gogoi make history in the Ayodhya case?
There’s a clear sense of urgency shown by the Chief Justice of India in resolving a 70-year-old case. However, can a verdict be arrived at over the next 30 days?
INDIA
Plastic Ban | Biggest challenge will be to counter the convenience factor
A single-stroke ban on plastic will not be effective. It needs the inculcation of a new culture and a change to our practices and routines. Awareness and commitment are the key.
INDIA
Policy | Banking ombudsman is a powerless third umpire
While the RBI has got its cricket players to present a rosy picture about dispute resolution, truth is it is in a position to influence the outcome of a dispute.
POLITICS
Social | The dark underbelly of Kerala’s social progress
Over the decades, the bias against Kerala’s Dalits and backward classes in the subterranean levels of social structure has continued without any weakening; it has rather gained strength in recent times.
INDIA
Floods | We have to change not for posterity, but for our own survival
Environmentalists from Madhav Gadgil to the latest IPCC report remind us the importance of nature and the dangers of disregarding it.
POLITICS
Politics | Revoking Article 370 is the Modi government’s biggest surgical strike yet
At a time when sub-nationalism is assuming dangerous proportions not only within the country but in different parts of the world, a state within a state, as is the case with Jammu & Kashmir, cuts at the very concept of nationhood.
POLITICS
Karnataka Crisis | No law can catch up with the decline in moral standards
More than the deficiency in the law, it is the degeneration in moral values of the current crop of politicians that is to blame for the trouble.
BUSINESS
Policy | With new labour laws is it curtains for trade union militancy?
Any talk of reform in labour laws is invariably met with resistance from trade unions as they fear that changes could curtail some of the current privileges their members enjoy. They would rather have a running business down its shutters than allow tampering with the benefits of its workers.
POLITICS
Politics | The fears surrounding simultaneous elections are exaggerated
The political stars have aligned in favour of ‘one nation, one poll’ and this opportunity must not be missed.
POLITICS
Policy | We need a paradigm shift in our approach towards justice delivery
India has one of the world’s lowest spending on the judiciary, with just about 0.01 per cent of its GDP being expended to ensure delivery of justice. India also has one of the poorest judges per population ratios. This must change.
