Sunetra Choudhury is the National Political Editor of the Hindustan Times. With over two decades of experience in print and television, she has authored Black Warrant (Roli,2019), Behind Bars: Prison Tales of India’s Most Famous (Roli,2017) and Braking News (Hachette, 2010). Sunetra is the recipient of the Red Ink award in journalism in 2016 and Mary Morgan Hewett award in 2018.
Articles by Sunetra Choudhury
BJP reinforces embrace of ‘outside’ political talent
BJP acknowledges that it’s a new trend to keep up with the demand for leaders at a time when expansion has been at a frenetic pace.
Updated on Aug 02, 2021 08:07 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, New Delhi
Buzz over Prashant Kishor’s Congress entry grows
Whispers to the effect have grown louder in Congress circles although neither the party nor Kishor have said anything on the record.
Updated on Jul 29, 2021 02:00 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, New Delhi
Why I went to the SC on Pegasus: MP John Brittas
The first time MP, who served as Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s media advisor, spoke to HT about the Pegasus row and why he turned to the apex court for a probe into the controversy
Updated on Jul 28, 2021 05:39 PM IST
Centre must give a categorical response to Pegasus row: Justice B N Srikrishna
Justice Srikrishna, who was appointed by this government to identify and address issues in data protection in India in 2017, described the response of the government, which has thus far denied its involvement in any illegal surveillance as “unsatisfactory”.
Updated on Jul 22, 2021 01:12 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, New Delhi
It was a difficult decision to stop kanwar yatra: Uttarakhand CM Dhami
I think people understand where we are coming from. If you believe in God as I do, you know that human life is more precious. God will not approve of this, said the Uttarakhand CM
Updated on Jul 16, 2021 03:11 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Congress revival plans focus of Kishor’s meet with Gandhis
According to the Congress leaders cited above, Rahul Gandhi has told Kishor that if he was interested in helping Congress win elections, he should join the party and do so from within the organisation.
Updated on Mar 04, 2023 08:09 PM IST
Nishank resigned as education minister just ahead of NEP completing a year
Popularly known as Nishank, a pseudonym he used as a poet, he took charge of the crucial education ministry in the second term of the Modi government in 2019
Updated on Jul 08, 2021 09:39 AM IST
New Cabinet portfolios overlap to boost work efficiency
The distribution of portfolios was announced hours after 43 ministers were sworn in and the new council of ministers was a mix of fresh faces and experienced hands with a focus on harnessing effectiveness.
Published on Jul 08, 2021 01:49 AM IST
New Cabinet portfolios overlap to boost work efficiency
New Delhi: Thirty Cabinet ministers and two ministers of state with independent charge will handle all Union ministries as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government moved on Wednesday to create synergies between departments with similar or overlapping domains and break silos to boost work efficiency
Published on Jul 08, 2021 12:53 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury and Smriti Kak Ramachandran
Stan Swamy’s death exposes the state of the elderly in India’s prisons
Just as Swamy foretold his death during his medical bail hearing in May to the Bombay high court, suffering as he was from a progressive neurological disorder like Parkinson’s, there is a growing elderly population in prisons that struggles to get basic health care needs
Updated on Jul 07, 2021 12:42 PM IST
Will follow any decision by Sonia Gandhi, says Punjab CM Amarinder Singh
Captain Amarinder Singh also avoided commenting on Navjot Sidhu, the cricketer and TV personality who is his biggest detractor with the party, and who seemingly enjoys the patronage of Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, both of whom separately met Gandhi ahead of her meeting with Singh.
Published on Jul 07, 2021 03:30 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, New Delhi
Will follow any decision by Sonia, says Punjab CM
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi met with Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday to resolve the crisis facing the party in the state ahead of next year’s assembly elections
Published on Jul 06, 2021 11:56 PM IST
Congress may have new leader in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi top contender
Among the larger changes in the organisation, the Congress Party is expected to have a new leader in the Lok Sabha and at least two senior Congress leaders confirmed to HT that Rahul Gandhi is a top contender for the job.
Updated on Jul 05, 2021 05:17 AM IST
Amid power tussle in Punjab, CM Amarinder meets leaders
In attendance were current lawmakers, former MLAs, present and former chairpersons of boards and other government bodies, and four MPs. Current state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar was not present.
Updated on Jul 02, 2021 07:27 AM IST
‘CM, Sidhu will have a working arrangement’: Harish Rawat
Sunetra Choudhury spoke to Harish Rawat, general secretary in charge of the state and one of the members of the panel appointed to sort out the crisis, on the way forward
Updated on Jul 02, 2021 08:57 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
If a film is given a certificate, it does not mean that it is forever: Benegal
Syam Benegal , who in 2016 headed a committee that looked at the process of film certification and recommended a limited purview for the certification board has a different view.
Updated on Jul 01, 2021 05:42 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
India jumps to 10th place in cybersecurity index
“It is great news and an acknowledgement of multiple initiatives that we have taken along with CERT (Cyber Emergency Response Team),’’ said India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) Rajesh Pant.
Published on Jun 30, 2021 06:18 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Kishor again meets Pawar amid talks of a new front
"Prashant Kishor is a personal friend. He knows my husband and he knows me also for a long time and so he came to see me today (Wednesday). He didn’t meet Pawar Sahab today," NCP’s Supriya Sule said.
Updated on Jun 24, 2021 01:59 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Rashtra Manch meets at Pawar’s home, calls for ‘alternative vision’
But the discussions at the two-hour meeting didn’t mention the formation of a third front to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) because no Congress leaders attended the meeting, said leaders present at the event.
Updated on Jun 23, 2021 01:38 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Chirag and Tejashwi: A tale of two Bihar GenNext leaders
The idea of Paswan joining the Mahagathbandhan, the grand alliance against the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, would bring together two young leaders who share strikingly similar circumstances in their political careers but have ended up in very different places
Updated on Jun 22, 2021 02:17 PM IST
Pawar to host meeting of civil society, Opposition leaders today
The announcement of the meeting -- under the banner of Rashtra Manch, an anti-BJP platform set up in 2018 -- came hours after Pawar met political strategist Prashant Kishor in Delhi over tea, the second meeting of the two in 10 days
Updated on Jun 22, 2021 07:14 AM IST
‘May 2021 is as horrific as November 1918, during the influenza pandemic’
The Age of Pandemics author Chinmay Tumbe, who studied death registrations in five states, found they exceed by at least 10 times the official toll from the second wave of Covid-19
Updated on Jun 16, 2021 07:43 PM IST
Ajit Singh: Face of Jat politics in UP and champion of farmers’ rights
Son of north India’s tallest farm leader Charan Singh, Ajit was pushed into abruptly swapping a 15-year-long career as a computer scientist in Silicon Valley to the dusty fields of Western Uttar Pradesh in 1987.
_1623793401027_1623793410788.jpg "Image courtesy: HT")
Updated on Jun 16, 2021 04:14 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Amarinder in charge, key role for Sidhu: Cong panel
The committee made five major recommendations, said a panel member on condition of anonymity.
Updated on Jun 11, 2021 02:15 AM IST
‘I wasn’t being able to fulfil the aspirations of people’: Jitin Prasada
Jitin Prasada said, "Defeats and wins are part of politics. I am talking about the distancing at large from the people of a political party, especially in my state."
Updated on Jun 10, 2021 02:48 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Cong panel failed to resolve issues: Pilot
NEW DELHI: Last year’s crisis in Rajasthan that the Congress papered over by setting up a committee to address the issues raised by then deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot against chief minister Ashok Gehlot have resurfaced, with the former expressing his displeasure at the lack of action
Published on Jun 08, 2021 12:18 AM IST
Panel has failed to resolve issues: Sachin Pilot
Sachin Pilot told Hindustan Times that the Congress high command has failed to deliver on the promises that were made to him when he along with 18 legislators returned to the party after a month-long drama.
Updated on Jun 09, 2021 07:54 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Managing intra-party dissent—the contrasting tale of the BJP and the Congress
Hindustan Times speaks to leaders in both parties and dissident camps to understand how the tools may be different in both camps, but the fallout could often end up being the same
Updated on Jun 07, 2021 03:11 PM IST
Cong grapples with Punjab infighting
Congress spokespersons did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment, but the fact that calls were being made was confirmed by one of Gandhi’s aides who insisted it is part of a feedback gathering mechanism.
Updated on Jun 04, 2021 03:23 AM IST
Sunetra Choudhury, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
The politics of Twitter: Why did Rahul Gandhi stop following his aides?
Hindustan Times has learnt that this action was in response to certain party members complaining that Gandhi was following people selectively, and not all party leaders
Updated on Jun 02, 2021 03:15 PM IST