Opinion

Brands vs influencers ruling goes beyond free speech

Opinion

Published on May 05, 2025 09:20 PM IST

That a high court would balance reputational harm, economic interest, and speech freedoms shows an admirable constitutional sensibility

For far too long, corporations have used the spectre of defamation, disparagement, and trademark infringement to intimidate critics and sidestep public scrutiny (AFP)

BySrinath Sridharan

Rich Kerala, poor Bengal, and the role of the party

West Bengal's economy has sharply declined since the 1980s, while Kerala has prospered due to demographic changes and a pro-business CPI(M) stance.

The dominant social groups in Bengal haven’t tasted success in business for a very long time (LightRocket via Getty Images)

Opinion

Updated on May 05, 2025 09:16 PM IST

ByPramit Bhattacharya

In Indus treaty pause, a reality check for Pakistan

The absence of convergence in the narratives emerging from India and Pakistan underscores the seriousness of the post Pahalgam situation

Water security has been a vital priority of Pakistan’s strategic mindset for as long as the country has been in existence (AFP)

Opinion

Updated on May 05, 2025 09:11 PM IST

ByTCA Raghavan

The weighty business of words (and why they matter)

The Centre for Law and Policy Research has a draft bill called The Freedom of Marriage and Association and Prohibition of Honour Crimes bill.

Opinion

Published on May 05, 2025 06:00 AM IST

ByNamita Bhandare

China question facing India after Pahalgam

Nations act solely in supreme national interest. China’s response to the Pahalgam terror strike is in steady contrast with its own stand on many issues

China would be hoping that relations between India and Pakistan further deteriorate, since any conflagration may leave New Delhi’s military firepower depleted (Mohammed Amin War/ANI Photo)

Opinion

Published on May 04, 2025 09:57 PM IST

ByHarsh V Pant

Time for trust and unity, not division and hatred

Unaware of complexities tying the government’s hands and limiting its options, innumerable voices are babbling incessantly on social media

This is the time to stand with the government and work towards social unity and not fan hatred and provocation (Naeem Ansari)

Opinion

Published on May 04, 2025 09:53 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Towards fixing India’s flailing justice system

Old deficits — shortage of infrastructure, funds, manpower — plague the courts, police, and prisons. But there are a few bright spots in the bleak picture

The knowledge of what must change exists in every report, CAG assessment, expert committee and Law Commission paper. Further delay just institutionalises injustice (Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on May 04, 2025 09:35 PM IST

ByMaja Daruwala

Weather Bee: Why north-west India didn’t see a pleasant April like rest of India

Most of this trend in temperatures has to do with rainfall, which was rare in north-west, west, and central regions but usual or more than usual elsewhere

India’s average maximum temperature in April was 35.11°C. (Representational image)

Opinion

Updated on May 04, 2025 04:13 PM IST

ByAbhishek Jha

Short Stream | Artificial judgements

What happens when an AI robot develops a moral compass? ‘Vision’ engages with one of the most relevant themes of our age

'Vision' was completed in 24 hours for a Paramount filmmaking challenge.

Opinion

Updated on May 04, 2025 02:28 PM IST

BySanjukta Sharma

Book Box: Reading China - Part 2

China feels vibrant and welcoming; exploring Shanghai's bookstores reveals a mix of modernity and hidden complexities in literature and society.

Opinion

Updated on May 04, 2025 01:47 PM IST

BySonya Dutta Choudhury

America will have a price to pay for targeting campuses

Under Trump's immigration policies, Indian students face detention and deportation, threatening US education's legacy and economic contributions.

Much like the administration’s tariff policies, the crackdown on F-1 visa holders could have long-term negative consequences (REUTERS)

Opinion

Updated on May 03, 2025 07:12 PM IST

ByFrank F Islam

Justifying caste killings in the name of family honour

Even when cases are reported, conviction is a problem with witnesses turning hostile.

Controlling the autonomy of adult daughters in the name of protecting them remains a concern of recent state laws that make it virtually impossible for interfaith couples to marry by conversion (AFP)

Opinion

Updated on May 03, 2025 07:09 PM IST

ByNamita Bhandare

Portrait of Pope Francis: His life, message, legacy

Pope Francis cared about people. The position he took on the issue of immigrants and refugees proves this

He was a very liberal Catholic Pope but he was still a Catholic Pope (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on May 03, 2025 07:04 PM IST

ByKaran Thapar

Terror crosses borders, so must consequences

The need is to consolidate an economic, strategic, and geopolitical offensive against Pakistan and break the back of its sponsorship of terror

India must not only play defence but also script an audacious offensive across land, sea, and air

Opinion

Updated on May 03, 2025 06:59 PM IST

ByAbhishek Manu Singhvi

A poet with camera, and his cinema of humanism

Shaji N Karun's cinematography was a weave of aesthetic as warp and ethos as weft

Opinion

Updated on May 02, 2025 09:31 PM IST

ByAmrit Gangar

The West misunderstands, and misrepresents, nature of Pakistan’s terror policy

The US response to the Pahalgam terror attack shows how little the West understands Pakistan’s weaponisation of terrorism as State policy

There’s an element of massive doublespeak in Vance hoping India’s response doesn’t lead to a “regional war” given that no American politician would have said this to Israel after the Hamas attacks (PTI)

Opinion

Updated on May 02, 2025 09:13 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

How caste census is set to change narratives in Indian politics

In the long-run, this will lead to a diminishing of the electoral base of influential parties such as the RJD and Samajwadi Party (SP)

A potent combination of Hindutva, an aggressive anti-Pakistan centric nationalism, the promise of Viksit Bharat is likely to help the party overcome the caste fault line in Hindu society that anti-BJP social justice groups have historically used for electoral mobilisation (HT Photo)

Opinion

Published on May 01, 2025 08:27 PM IST

ByBadri Narayan

Airlines must avoid getting grounded by pilot burnout

The situation in India, airline executives say, is already at alarming levels with many pilots being declared unfit

The director general of civil aviation (DGCA) came up with new duty guidelines in October 2023 aimed at making the life of crew easier, with adequate and enhanced rest periods. For the airlines, this meant a spike in costs as they would need additional crew, and the matter expectedly landed up in court (HT Photo)

Opinion

Published on May 01, 2025 08:23 PM IST

ByAnjuli Bhargava

Calm before AI storm: A moment to prepare

India would benefit from launching a national initiative dedicated to building domestic capability in agentic AI

If this transition is managed wisely, India could leapfrog into global leadership in applied AI (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on May 01, 2025 08:19 PM IST

ByVivek Wadhwa

Regulators must make India’s financial system climate-proof

Regulators, including RBI, recognize climate risks to financial stability but lack unified frameworks, hindering capital mobilization for climate action.

RBI must use its forward guidance instrument to make the direction clear

Opinion

Updated on Apr 30, 2025 10:24 PM IST

ByLabanya Prakash Jena

Remembering women as the agents of history

In a country where women’s history remains subterranean, commemoration must become an act of intention

Even in the popular imagination, woman as a historical figure remains trapped in the trifecta of tropes -- mother, martyr, or muse

Opinion

Published on Apr 30, 2025 07:53 PM IST

ByShubhrastha

Carney’s burden: Trump, trade & a new world order

With a mandate for economist Mark Carney in Canadian elections, it is time to reset the damaged ties between Ottawa and New Delhi

The G7 Summit in Canada this June offers a unique and timely opportunity which must be seized. Inviting India for outreach sessions, as part of an expanded Indo-Pacific agenda, would signal Canada’s willingness to engage with India in the even wider context of consulting with emerging economies (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Apr 30, 2025 07:50 PM IST

ByAjay Bisaria, Nadir Patel

The Art of a Good Unicorn| Hard lessons from the Gensol - BluSmart case

The debacle has brought to light that the independent directors are not given any real powers or heard by the promoters

BluSmart - deemed to have been the golden child of India’s electric vehicle revolution - was a startup with which no one could have imagined such crises. (REUTERS)

Opinion

Updated on Apr 30, 2025 01:19 PM IST

ByShrija Agrawal

India needs a lawfare strategy to enforce stand on Indus treaty

Instead of merely reacting after a major terrorist attack, New Delhi needs to proactively utilise international law to consistently advance national interests

India has cited other reasons for suspending IWT, including changing population dynamics, climate crisis imperatives, and shifts in the water-sharing assumptions when the treaty was signed. Although such changes could potentially qualify as ‘fundamental changes of circumstances,’ they are unrelated to the terror attack. They could have been cited at any time, including before the attack, to suspend the IWT (AFP)

Opinion

Updated on Apr 29, 2025 07:38 PM IST

ByPrabhash Ranjan, Pushkar Anand

After Pahalgam, time to end Pakistan’s duplicity on terrorism

Across India, the response is resolute: No more patience with Pakistan, no more neighbourly gestures

If there’s any shred of strategic wisdom left, Pakistan must dismantle the terror camps, and end the jihad factories (PTI)

Opinion

Published on Apr 29, 2025 07:35 PM IST

BySyed Zafar Islam

Coming to terms with Pakistan’s J&K policy

Terrorism is a battle of the narratives where every attack is aimed at instilling fear and creating a perception of insecurity. Pahalgam is no different

Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail has run its course, but Rawalpindi still feels it has some stamina to persist. Therefore, Pakistani generals think that they can continue using terrorism as a State policy, behind the shield of nuclear weapons hold a peaceful demonstration in memory of the Pahalgam terror attack victims, in Washington, DC on Monday. (ANI Photo) (ANI)

Opinion

Published on Apr 29, 2025 07:31 PM IST

ByDeependra Singh Hooda

Scientifically Speaking: Why morning heart attacks are more dangerous

Using mice, the researchers showed that heart attacks inflicted at around 3 am. are much more injurious than those at 3 pm

Your heart has its own internal security system that’s strongest during daylight hours but weakens overnight, leaving you more vulnerable when trouble strikes before dawn. (Representational image)

Opinion

Published on Apr 29, 2025 07:08 PM IST

ByAnirban Mahapatra

Positioning India to lead media and entertainment

WAVES 2025 is a leap toward realising India’s vision of Viksit Bharat, a developed nation leading the world in creativity and innovation

By promoting diversity, advancing technology, and empowering youth, it positions India as a talent hub capable of sustainable development in the creative economy (Bloomberg)

Opinion

Updated on Apr 28, 2025 08:20 PM IST

ht_print | ByL Murugan

What Pahalgam says about counter terrorism realities

Indian counter-terror thinking needs strengthening from the ground up without care of international levers, FATF, and other multilateral security mechanisms

Intelligence as the the first line of defence needs further fortification (PTI)

Opinion

Published on Apr 28, 2025 08:05 PM IST

ByKabir Taneja

Fractured world unites for a pandemic treaty

Perhaps the absence of Trump-governed US in the talks created an accommodative atmosphere, but this will affect tech-sharing and pathogen surveillance

It is reassuring that 193 countries waded through conflicting viewpoints to achieve convergence on several key provisions (AP)

Opinion

Published on Apr 28, 2025 08:01 PM IST

ByK Srinath Reddy

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News / Opinion

Opinion

That a high court would balance reputational harm, economic interest, and speech freedoms shows an admirable constitutional sensibility

West Bengal's economy has sharply declined since the 1980s, while Kerala has prospered due to demographic changes and a pro-business CPI(M) stance.

The absence of convergence in the narratives emerging from India and Pakistan underscores the seriousness of the post Pahalgam situation

The Centre for Law and Policy Research has a draft bill called The Freedom of Marriage and Association and Prohibition of Honour Crimes bill.

Nations act solely in supreme national interest. China’s response to the Pahalgam terror strike is in steady contrast with its own stand on many issues

Unaware of complexities tying the government’s hands and limiting its options, innumerable voices are babbling incessantly on social media

Old deficits — shortage of infrastructure, funds, manpower — plague the courts, police, and prisons. But there are a few bright spots in the bleak picture

Most of this trend in temperatures has to do with rainfall, which was rare in north-west, west, and central regions but usual or more than usual elsewhere

What happens when an AI robot develops a moral compass? ‘Vision’ engages with one of the most relevant themes of our age

China feels vibrant and welcoming; exploring Shanghai's bookstores reveals a mix of modernity and hidden complexities in literature and society.

Under Trump's immigration policies, Indian students face detention and deportation, threatening US education's legacy and economic contributions.

Even when cases are reported, conviction is a problem with witnesses turning hostile.

Pope Francis cared about people. The position he took on the issue of immigrants and refugees proves this

The need is to consolidate an economic, strategic, and geopolitical offensive against Pakistan and break the back of its sponsorship of terror

Shaji N Karun's cinematography was a weave of aesthetic as warp and ethos as weft

The US response to the Pahalgam terror attack shows how little the West understands Pakistan’s weaponisation of terrorism as State policy

In the long-run, this will lead to a diminishing of the electoral base of influential parties such as the RJD and Samajwadi Party (SP)

The situation in India, airline executives say, is already at alarming levels with many pilots being declared unfit

India would benefit from launching a national initiative dedicated to building domestic capability in agentic AI

Regulators, including RBI, recognize climate risks to financial stability but lack unified frameworks, hindering capital mobilization for climate action.

In a country where women’s history remains subterranean, commemoration must become an act of intention

With a mandate for economist Mark Carney in Canadian elections, it is time to reset the damaged ties between Ottawa and New Delhi

The debacle has brought to light that the independent directors are not given any real powers or heard by the promoters

Instead of merely reacting after a major terrorist attack, New Delhi needs to proactively utilise international law to consistently advance national interests

Across India, the response is resolute: No more patience with Pakistan, no more neighbourly gestures

Terrorism is a battle of the narratives where every attack is aimed at instilling fear and creating a perception of insecurity. Pahalgam is no different

Using mice, the researchers showed that heart attacks inflicted at around 3 am. are much more injurious than those at 3 pm

WAVES 2025 is a leap toward realising India’s vision of Viksit Bharat, a developed nation leading the world in creativity and innovation

Indian counter-terror thinking needs strengthening from the ground up without care of international levers, FATF, and other multilateral security mechanisms

Perhaps the absence of Trump-governed US in the talks created an accommodative atmosphere, but this will affect tech-sharing and pathogen surveillance

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