Opinions and Editorials

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal's enthusiasm for rolling out reforms in education shows no sign of ebbing.

The decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Monday, to move ahead on disinvestment of the National Thermal Power Corporation or NTPC, is the first such move by the second avatar of the United Progressive Alliance and, if only as such, deserves closer scrutiny.

Cabinet approvals for monthly release of wholesale price index data and a new weekly index of primary commodities look like a big step in remodelling an old statistical product.

The latest joust rousing Wall Street features a South Asia-born vs South Asia-born. Arrested in a case of insider trading, billionaire manager of the Galleon hedge fund Raj Rajaratnam holds both US and Sri Lankan citizenships.

Imagine you are from a state with a bitter history of secessionist violence, a state in which many terrorist outfits operate.

As the public spat between Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi and Commonwealth Games Federation CEO Mike Hooper has commandeered attention, one should not forget that the matter at hand is graver than mere public disagreements.

What is it about Botswana? It has just concluded a parliamentary election and thereby asserted its unique record of uninterrupted democracy in a politically turbulent continent.

The Dow Jones industrial average crossed the 10,000 mark on Wednesday last week for the first time since October 2008—at that time, in contrast to this time around, it was on its way down from a peak of over 14,000. Now, the Dow has gained over 50% of its value since a terrible low in March 2009—that was when the decline after the Lehman crash bottomed out.

Some early corporate results for the quarter ended September show that India Inc is on a rebound as sales, and therefore toplines, are picking up on the back of a softer interest rate regime, adequate liquidity and buoyant consumer sentiments.

Allegations and counter-allegations, disputes and resignations have paved the way towards the uncertain political climate in Afghanistan.

Even before asking whether an IIM-Singapore, IIM-Dubai or IIM-Frankfurt makes sense, the question to ask is one about autonomy.

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, speaking in New York, has injected what sounds like some solid good sense into how India's connection with Africa is talked about.

The Prime Minister's speech at Scope's excellence awards, a function to recognise performers in and among government-run enterprises, gave an interesting insight into how the UPA government views the role of PSUs.

Last week, Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit said the 2010 Commonwealth Games delegation had "gone back happy" after having its "doubts cleared".

On October 12, Daily Times traced the source of the brazen attack on the army GHQ in an editorial: "Again, it was South Punjab which was in focus and, against all assertions to the contrary, this time counter-intelligence was clearly effective against the terrorists.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) wants the Commonwealth Games Federation's (CGF) Chief Executive Mike Hooper to be sent back from India because of, among other things, his alleged indiscipline.

Everyone enjoys the goodies, the glitter and glamour and the endless zest for living that grips people around Diwali.

Sport often yields nationalism, but the Indian Olympic Association has gone one better. For a body with a despairing record of nurturing medal-winning squads for international competition, it has found itself another battle to fight on India's behalf.

If there is a reason common to why Tirupati laddoos, Darjeeling tea, and Goa feni are epicurean delights, many would argue that it is because the air, soil and local peculiarities of their place of origin are key to the quality of the final product.

Lalgarh and the arrest of Kobad Ghandy brought to light two things that we have, always, either known as facts or suspected as possibilities — that militant Maoists are every bit as keen on publicity as everybody else; and that there are intriguing, though not altogether inexplicable, pockets of urban elite sympathy for their ideology.