Counting chickens

Sunday 28 December '08

Buoyed by the assembly results, the Congress is convinced that it will emerge victorious in the coming general elections.

Who’s the mastermind?

Sunday 21 December '08

Few in India have taken note of a lengthy article in the prestigious Foreign Policy Review by Jeremy R Hammond.

Tower of Babble

Sunday 14 December '08

With various government agencies, including RAW, IB, NSG, Coast Guards, NSC, naval commandos and even the naval chief...

Assembly lessons

Tuesday 9 December '08

The mainstream parties cannot take people for granted. Party preferences need not necessarily translate into votes

The status of security

Sunday 7 December '08

It can happen only in India. The National Security Guard, our anti-terrorist contingency force, was formed in 1986 for commando response...

Driving home a point

Sunday 30 November '08

At a lunch hosted in his honour at Race Course Road, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair held forth on climate change and pollution control.

Also moonstruck

Sunday 23 November '08

In a departure from convention, President Pratibha Patil gave a late night telephone interview to a TV channel on India’s moon-landing without the knowledge of most of her staff.

Alvida Alva, hello Digvijay

Sunday 16 November '08

The fall of Margaret Alva coincides with the remarkable rise of Digvijay Singh.

Neighbourliness

Friday 14 November '08

Raj Thackeray’s goons may have made the most noise, but crass regionalism has raised its ugly head of late in many parts of the country.

Ticket to ride

Sunday 9 November '08

Despite the militants’ call to boycott the assembly polls, many in Kashmir are queuing up for tickets from recognised political parties.

The succession question

Sunday 2 November '08

The appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner is traditionally made on the basis of seniority...

Parliament’s smokescreen

Sunday 26 October '08

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss may have decreed a smoking ban in public places but one place his writ doesn’t run is Parliament House.

Feeling the pinch

Sunday 19 October '08

A circular from the Secretary, asks government officials to cut down their travel expenses.

Reaping what you sow

Sunday 12 October '08

As evidence of Gujarat’s welcoming attitude towards economic development, Modi points out proudly that 52 per cent of all land for SEZs in India is located in Gujarat.

Half notes in a symphony

Sunday 12 October '08

An engrossing account of Zubin Mehta’s journey from Bombay to the concert halls of Europe, the autobiography is tantalisingly brief about his personal life

Bush fervour or fever?

Sunday 5 October '08

When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met US President George Bush at the White House for dinner...

The honeymoon’s over

Sunday 28 September '08

The honeymoon between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress has ended and fresh differences keep surfacing between the two allies.

Perceptions, deceptions

Thursday 25 September '08

It is a reflection of the deep divisions in Indian society that, increasingly, we perceive the truth from our own political...

Not so comradely

Sunday 21 September '08

Nepal’s Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda appears to be closer to Janata Dal (U) President Sharad Yadav than to his fellow Communists in India.

Digging his own grave

Sunday 7 September '08

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda regrets his efforts to bail out the UPA Government during the confidence vote in Parliament...

Lucky eight

Sunday 31 August '08

Actor Chiranjeevi is convinced that eight is his lucky number.

Segregating guests

Sunday 24 August '08

The practice of a separate enclosure for the President and a few VVIPs was introduced in the last few years...

Food in mouth problem

Monday 18 August '08

Something is clearly very wrong with our government’s strategy for tackling child malnutrition.

Ghost tales

Sunday 17 August '08

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi has an unusual problem.

Relying on behenji

Sunday 10 August '08

Most parliamentarians felt that the figure of Rs 25 crore quoted by the CPI general secretary...