Politics

The Hindu Manifesto: Rethinking caste and Hindu identity

RSSFACTS: Swami Vigyananand’s ‘The Hindu Manifesto’ outlines eight civilisational pillars for a Hindu renaissance, challenges colonial and Western misconceptions about caste, and promotes a non-discriminatory, culturally rooted vision of Hindu society and national identity

SC districts have done better on poverty reduction than non-SC districts: Census data

While the average poverty reduction across districts was 29.6 percent across the country, districts with more SC population saw multidimensional poverty decline by 39 percent between 2015-16 and 2019-21.

Nothing is cast in stone

Ascribing caste to an individual is a tricky exercise which will inevitably be mired in controversy. The decision to enumerate caste in the decennial Census for the first time after Independence is politically expedient for BJP and pushes Congress into a trap it laid for itself. Also, political consensus on caste enumeration reflects polity’s failure, not progress

Dredge Wular Lake to maximise the positive spinoff of holding IWT in abeyance

The size of this massive freshwater lake needs to be increased from 29 to 100 square kilometres. Dredging’s in line with the even the treaty provisions and something Pakistan has tried to prevent through a terror strike. Dredging will allow to India to reduce the flow of Jhelum into Pakistan

China's thorium reactor is a wake-up call for India 

India should pursue direct thorium utilisation in parallel to the three-stage nuclear power programme as it’s only the first stage which has been mastered so far. Also, there’s a need to diversify reactor designs to complement the current set of pressurised heavy water reactors

Murshidabad Unrest and SSC Scandal: Mamata battles twin crises ahead of 2026 Bengal polls

Murshidabad’s violent protests and annullment of over 25,000 teacher appointments linked to the SSC scam intensified scrutiny of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's governance, with the BJP accusing her administration of corruption and appeasement politics. Despite challenges, Mamata maintains strong support among Muslim and women voters

Indus Waters Treaty: No immediate impact, but Pakistan will hurt later from data paucity

Keeping the Treaty in abeyance will not stop any water from flowing to lower riparian Pakistan. Leave aside the waters from the Western Rivers, even the water from Ravi which goes into Pakistan, and which is India’s share under the Treaty, will continue to flow unhindered. What can happen is a breakdown in data sharing mechanism, which will hurt Pakistan during monsoon and winter 

India justice report calls for reforms in judiciary through honest assessment

The India Justice Report 2025 highlights major challenges in India’s judiciary, including judge shortages, high caseloads, poor infrastructure, and inadequate legal aid, urging urgent reforms to improve access to justice and system efficiency

As Maoists make their last stand, what lies ahead for tribals?

Karegutta Hills in Chhattisgarh is where thousands of security personnel have converged to finish off the Maoist leadership. The ongoing battle is likely to close the chapter on a movement that waged war on the State for over 50 years. That will be a good development but questions on the nature of engagement in future between tribals and others are still up in the air

America’s messy Afghan withdrawal has left the region awash with arms

When the US hastily withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021, it left behind an arsenal estimated to be worth $7 billion in military hardware. The spillover effects are visible in Pakistan and, to a certain extent, in Jammu and Kashmir. Between 2022 and 2024, a series of recoveries, particularly across Jammu’s Doda-Kishtwar-Kathua-Udhampur belt, some featuring night-vision devices, suggests a potential cross-border influx of advanced gear

Flood threat looms in PoK after India suspends Indus Waters Treaty

India opened floodgates of the Uri dam on April 26, after it suspended routine water data sharing with Pakistan, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam massacre.

War Economics: The Kargil cess template and market’s irrationality

The Kargil War led to increased defence spending, tax reform, and military modernisation in India. It also exemplified the 'war puzzle', where anticipated conflict boosts markets, while surprise wars trigger negative investor reactions

With Bangladesh, India needs to go the extra mile

China and Pakistan are aiming to move closer with Bangladesh with diplomatic and economic efforts. What India needs to do to protect its own interests

The Eastern Window | How can India keep China away from supporting Pakistan in a conflict?

The government is looking for ways to give a tough response to Pakistan and end cross-border terrorism while trying to avoid an all-out war. But if there is an escalation, it is imperative to ensure that China stays away from supporting Pakistan

Baisaran meadow massacre fits a pattern; China factor squeezes India’s options

Underlying pattern of terror strikes in J&K have been visible for a while; target based on religion to widen sectarian fault lines. India’s military options this time are constrained by the China factor. Not only is the Indian army required to safeguard the Ladakh frontier, stretching its resources, it also has to account for active Chinese support to Pakistan through intelligence sharing

India’s embassy in Pakistan was one of the largest until 2020

A Moneycontrol analysis shows that India’s mission to Pakistan had one of the highest sanctioned strengths among all embassies at 111.

National Security: Time to unite against terror and strengthen border security

RSSFACTS: The Pahalgam terror attack reignites national focus on radical Islamism, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, and the crucial role of border communities and civil society, with RSS advocating unity, vigilance, and proactive national defence measures

India’s neighbour from hell

Indian understanding of Pakistan and Pakistanis has no rigour. It is mostly anecdotal, flaky, superficial and pedestrian. The distinction that is often made between the Pakistani state and society is entirely and completely fallacious. There is no difference between the two. It is a country whose existence is based on anti-Indiaism and anti-Hinduism

Why Modi’s water war could hurt Pakistan more than military action

India’s Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty is a diplomatic dagger aimed at Pak after Pahalgam’s tragedy

Suspending the Indus Water Treaty stops flow of information, gives India a window to accelerate hydropower projects  

Due to the treaty, India's plan to build dams to regulate waters from the western rivers to Pakistan have remained constrained but the latest developments offer a window of opportunity to fast-track projects.

Suspension of Indus Treaty shouldn’t shock Pakistan; it was warned

During Modi’s tenure between 2014 and 2019, Indus Treaty was referred to twice, indirectly and then directly. During his second tenure, Modi referred to the IWT, directly, once in January 25, 2023. In his current third tenure, the Modi government sent Pakistan a notice in August 2024 for treaty modification. Finally, in April 2025, it’s been suspended. Proxy wars have consequences

Indus Treaty suspension is a wakeup call for Bangladesh

Yunus government in Dhaka has been cosying up to Pakistan and China, unmindful of India’s security concerns. Posters of the banned Hizb-ut Tahrir are widespread in Bangladesh. Al-Qaeda flags are a common sight in Dhaka. The India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty comes up for renewal next year. It’s still not too late for Bangladesh to reassess its approach to India

India’s military options are subject to the larger political message being sent

Terror will not get a free pass and India has used it first card, suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. Military options remain on the table but require careful consideration. They can’t be viewed through the prism of emotion. Moreover, the nature of military response will be influenced by the larger political message that India wants to convey

Bluff and Bloodshed: Unmasking General Munir's Kashmir gamble

The Pahalgam massacre bears a chilling resemblance to the Hamas attack on unarmed civilians. It’s a desperate attempt to lure India into a trap. Pakistan anticipates an Indian retaliatory strike. Such a response would be a strategic trap, playing directly into Munir’s hands. India must project strength without succumbing to full-scale war