Maha clever move: BJP making Shinde CM is win-win for both & more ominous for Uddhav than his loss of office

By making Eknath Shinde Maharashtra CM BJP demonstrated its tactical nous. It also corrected the 2019 tactical error when BJP lost Shiv Sena as a partner by playing the role of big brother too hard....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/vwZoCcq

Plastic challenge: Ban on single-use items will be difficult to enforce, GoI should work with industry on alternatives

There’s no denying that plastics are a menace. But whether the nationwide single-use plastic ban beginning from today will be an effective counteraction is in doubt. Tonnes of plastic waste are dumped at landfills or...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ykxdg0c

How good, simple tax was born. How it can be better, simpler: On GST’s 5th anniversary, a look back and look ahead from an ex-official who worked on the big change

Implementation of GST exactly five years ago was considered as the largest post-Independence tax reform. It became a reality after preparation of more than a decade. How did this most difficult reform come about? Political...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/N5gIj6C

Heritage homecoming: India has welcomed back many of its antiquities, but many still remain in foreign lands and hands

The great Indian diaspora is famous the world over precisely because it is all over the planet. However, what is not so famous – or, more aptly, infamous – is that other enforced diaspora of...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/KdmB9Mx

Respect all, as the whole world is one family

By Sudhamahi Regunathan We keep drawing boundaries around ourselves … our imaginary limitations, our equally imaginary sense of belonging to one ‘category’ of people. Some differences exist, like that of gender. Some differences are created...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/7qQMp2n

Act of terrorism: Horrific Udaipur incident must lead to thorough investigation to see if there’s a bigger pattern

Following the gruesome murder of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur – which was plainly an act of terrorism – the course of investigation suggests that governments think this was not an isolated local incident. GoI yesterday...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/IwQgNb1

MVA crashes: Uddhav quits. Shinde-BJP wins this round. But expect more political flux

The MVA government had rushed to the Supreme Court yesterday after Maharashtra governor BS Koshyari directed it to prove its majority. SC has followed precedent and upheld the sanctity of the floor test, offering no...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/1sNUeQg

Semiconductors: Heroes of the new digital world – Covid showed the indispensability of chips, India must secure a manufacturing ecosystem for them

By Sagar Sharma and Urmi Tat In today’s digitally interconnected world, semiconductors are our constant companions. Semiconductors store our smiles (memory chips), help us connect to our loved ones (communication chips), wake us up in...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/4dofVAs

Lena Dena Sena: Just one letter added or changed can create the opposite meaning 😊

It began with ‘laughter’. Adding an ‘s’ at the beginning of the word, turned it into distinctly unfunny ‘slaughter’. So, I started making a list of these single-letter metamorphoses – saving it for a rainy...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/52HI4fX

What makes trees the greatest Karma Yogis?

By Swami Tejomayananda Once, Shri Krishn was roaming in Vrindavan with his friends. It was a hot sunny day, and they took refuge under tall, shady trees. On seeing them do so, he said: “See...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/EGBygO6

ACT v/s SAT: How to choose the right standardised test for your college application abroad

Students and college admission processes have always had a love-hate relationship. On one side, students are occupied with myriad questions, from recommendation letters to essays. On the other, educational institutions are seeking students with the...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/HlCFU6a

Data and technology are reforming mobility modes in metropolitan cities

Technology has become an indispensable part of our lives. We cannot even imagine a day without technological assistance. Every single thing that we do in our daily lives somehow requires the help of technology. Rapid...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/iFKwLB2

Communicating sexual needs: Challenges faced by couples

Communication on sexual issues, needs and expectations is one of the toughest challenges faced by many couples. In Indian families, it is not common to openly discuss sexual issues with parents or other family members....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/NjR0fnH

How will the Maha drama end? Legislative & legal precedents will majorly influence Uddhav vs Eknath fight. Here’s how

On the Maharashtra political crisis, media reports are speculating that the scale is tilting in favour of the Shiv Sena rebel faction. Let’s, though, look at possibilities in the context of legislative procedures and various...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/T1p5NeG

Price caps don’t fit: G7’s idea of limiting price of Russian oil is bad. Much better is French idea to increase oil supplies

In a radical move to choke off energy revenues for Russia, G7 nations will now try to manipulate and limit the price of Russian oil. Behind the risky proposition is the acknowledgement that sanctions and...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/1yQrTZ0

Learning by numbers: Granular education data can be very useful for policy. But not if it comes out with big lags

The Performance Grading Index is GoI’s big effort to publish a multidimensional tracker of outcomes and inputs in school education at the state-level since 2017. However, since primary education hasn’t received the high-priority attention many...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/HzyiRcB

The adventures of Emperor Jahangir’s great golden coin: Or were there two of these? Historians and CBI officers go chasing from Hyderabad to Persia

Two special coins minted during the Mughal period are back in the limelight with the Centre renewing its efforts to trace them. One of them weighing about 12 kg is the biggest and heaviest gold...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/OHeb8mr

Tea brake: Pakistani minister asks people to stop drinking tea to save country from bankruptcy

Pakistan planning minister Ahsan Iqbal has urged people to cut down on tea because the country imports tea and for that it has to borrow money –News report                                                                                  The minister’s exhortation to his...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Wfg1LT3

Mysticism can link finite with infinite

By Shri Shri Anandamurti Since the dawn of civilisation, one often-asked question is about salvation of human beings. The supra-psychic existence that remains in close proximity to a corporeal framework, and uses that very corporeal...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/DITXjZd

5 reasons pinpointing how online games of skill cannot be taxed like casinos and lotteries

With the GST Council believed to initiate measures to tax online gaming at the same rate as gambling, here’s a listicle that breaks down the concrete differences between the two, explaining why they should not...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Ju02Bl8

Why BJP’s winning Muslim seats: OBC focus & Hindu counter-mobilisation are handing Modi’s party unlikely victories

BJP’s stunning victories in Lok Sabha byelections in Rampur, with over 50% Muslim population, and Azamgarh, with over 40% Muslim-Yadav population, signify deeper shifts. If pollsters were to bet on the most unlikely seats for...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/0l1QX5B

Shooting messengers: Criminal defamation must go from IPC. Effective civil libel law is enough for protecting reputations

Bombay high court’s Nagpur bench has struck a powerful blow against misuse of IPC’s criminal defamation provision. It ruled that a newspaper fairly reporting information in the public domain without insinuation or innuendo cannot attract...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/nNYF5z7

Mannsplaining: SS Mann’s win in Punjab is worrying, and not just explained by AAP losing some of its sheen

The outcome of a single Lok Sabha bypoll isn’t usually enough for generalised conclusions. But the victory of SAD (Amritsar) president SS Mann in Punjab’s Sangrur is unusual enough to be the exception. Mann, widely...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/2HKjlqV

America is flashing red: Guns & abortion are just the start – A deeper nativist insurgency against liberal values is underway through the Senate & Supreme Court

The United States of America was so sketchily knit at birth that its founders thought it necessary to include the word “united” in its name. As more territories were added to the original 13 colonies...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/mGMQeiT

An honest diagnosis: Charity begins in a hospital: A doctor writes about the problems with this proposition

I am fed up to my teeth with the word ‘charity’. It feels like doctors are expected to be the sole dispensers of charity in this uncharitable world. What about roti, kapda, aur makaan? These...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/CnGxp8a

Patanjali’s God is not the same as in Upanishads

By Ashok Vohra The only difference between the Sankhya school and the Yog school is that the former comprises theoretical knowledge and the latter is a spiritual practice. However, the two differ in their conception...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/owPjRL8

Electric message: Kerala’s tariff hike is a symptom of the power sector’s main problem. States must subsidise consumers directly

Kerala’s electricity regulator on Saturday raised the average tariff across consumer categories by 6.6%, the first hike in almost three years. The increase was modest as the state government’s electricity distribution company (discom) sought an...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/6nXmwuA

Connect or suffer: The wider political lesson for all parties from the Sena crisis

There’s perhaps an even larger leadership failure in Shiv Sena than the alleged aloofness of Thackerays. The high number of rural MLAs who have deserted Sena is indicative of how Matoshree’s preoccupation with Mumbai and...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/bsi8JUK

Why India should become a rare earths powerhouse: But this requires private participation and modern mining norms

It is unlikely that many people, other than students of chemistry, have heard of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium and lutetium. Together, this group...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/7cOXCHq

Remixing food: If there is anything worse than the alteration of comfort food, it’s the eradication of it

What the hell is a baked rosogolla? You mean to say that Bengal fought over the rights over the original rosogolla with a neighbouring state and then changed it to this abomination – the Badshah...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/sQ9X8dl

The seed of divinity is present in all of us

By Anup Taneja Inscribed on the forefront of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi is the famous Greek maxim by Socrates, ‘Gnothi Seauton’, meaning ‘know thyself’. Today, some of us are blissfully unaware of the...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/9Z2xbXr

Staying digitally secure in a digital world

If you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, you’ve probably heard about the recently attempted cyber-attack on SpiceJet, that led to delays and cancellations in flight schedules. This incident makes for an excellent example...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/9kKArh1

Hyperlocal marketing strategies you need to know, to grow

In this day and age, the consumer is becoming highly dependent on digital medium to access information and buy – discovering new places to shop offline or online l. As they embark on this journey...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/IiPsgqF

Real heroes of Make in India, MSMEs should be at heart of policy interventions for economic course correction

India’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are true backroom boys who power the show without ever taking the limelight. The past few years have been especially challenging for Indian MSMEs who have had to...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/F3Av5IK

Re-engaging with Taliban

Dastardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul on May 25 virtually sounded death knell for multi-cultural character of Afghanistan. Another historic shrine, Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib was targeted in an even more ghastly attack,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/dWnx42E

Murmu is much more than the ‘First Santhal Woman President’

Amul was quick on the draw with the nomination of Droupadi Murmu for the next President of India. Its cartoon comes with the caption “Setting a President? Put MurMaska on bread.” It’s the kind of...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Cbqyvxo

Maharashtra: Time to bust the magic number and anti-defection myths

The Shiv Sena’s dissidence conundrum is not nearing any solution. The ranks of the dissidents are swelling day by day creating great excitement for opposition politicians in the state as well as TV anchors parked...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/yDuH7Il

American tragedy: Scary lesson: Women’s rights can disappear suddenly

Women’s rights that are decades in the making can disappear overnight, was the sinking feeling across the world yesterday when the US Supreme Court overruled the 1973 Roe vs Wade decision and eliminated the constitutional...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ZiBD0Gc

Dig more, ASI: India’s rich past demands more excavations

A recent find of copper weapons in rural UP experts trace back to an age contemporaneous with the Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) has sent ripples of excitement among those who follow the material evidence of...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/s1Ol0eZ

It’s not bad being sad, it makes us better: Wellbeing is not perfect happiness

Why is ‘loser’ one of the most contemptuous things we can say to each other, even though loss is universal and inevitable? Melancholy is seen as ‘negativity’, it is suppressed and pushed away. Vigour, cheer...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/p6DOwhf

PS: EPS vs OPS is not just an AIADMK fight: Why BJP will be closely watching the midlife crisis of MGR & Jaya’s party

At 50, AIADMK, the principal opposition party in Tamil Nadu, is facing a midlife crisis. At the core is the majority demand within the party to do away with the dual leadership of O Panneerselvam...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/NukSP9M

Are you not growing fast enough?

By Hansaji Yogendra Growth and expansion are buzzwords of this day and age. Everybody wants to grow at lightning speed, a three-year-old child wants to get rid of his tricycle and ride a bicycle, a...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/cOU01z8

Return to Afghanistan: India must fully reactivate its embassy in Kabul

In a welcome move, the government has announced the deployment of a technical team to the Indian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, to ensure effective delivery of humanitarian assistance. This marks the return of Indian diplomats...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/yW1N2FU

How innovation in mobile marketing helps brands to reach and engage with rural audience?

The advent of 4G, introduction of smartphones and an increased internet penetration heralded the early signs of transition in the Indian retail ecosystem. With the technology driving change in consumers’ buying behavior, the need for...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/jHkhmwA

How has the transition from digital to cloud ERP affected the SME ecosystem?

The Covid-19 outbreak left the world reeling. Businesses have had to adapt to online communications and collaborative solutions to handle business requirements and also to manage the apprehensions of their employees. According to a survey,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/gpu4b37

Two lost in Mumbai: In Maharashtra’s drama, Thackerays’ Sena & Gandhis’ Congress may take big hits

There are two elements in the Maharashtra political drama. The first, which is playing out, is who will form the government? As of now it seems, a split in Shiv Sena is on the cards....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/RpVnwgT

Fisc can fix it: Fiscal policy can limit the fallout on growth that comes with rising interest rates

Minutes of the June meeting of RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) provide an inkling of the probable impact on GDP following the 0.90 percentage points increase in repo rate since May. Currently, RBI estimates GDP...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/G1knzOr

Help Afghans: India should be generous in sending aid. But security concerns prevent deeper involvement

Already in the midst of a humanitarian crisis since Taliban’s takeover last year, Wednesday’s earthquake, which killed 1,000-plus people in initial estimates, has put Afghanistan on the brink of an even bigger disaster. Rescue efforts...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/uczX8b7

Can data surveillance prevent the next pandemic? Bill Gates thinks so. But it can only work in India if our health data collection is seriously upgraded

“Outbreaks are inevitable but pandemics are optional,” advocates Bill Gates, quoting epidemiologist Larry Brilliant. Two years into a pandemic, we have toned down our fight against the virus and have become used to living with...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ZJ9OMbr

Colossus of roads: The NHAI sets a Guinness record by building a highway in the fastest time and inspires another entrepreneur

After Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari congratulated the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Twitter for having set a Guinness World Record by building a 75-km stretch of highway in Maharashtra between Amravati and...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/TVgQqpN

Yog of universal form as basis for a good life

By Jayant B Dave Gita Jnana is described as both Brahmn Vidya and yog shastra, meaning knowledge of the highest reality and means to its attainment. While the Truth is expounded in the entire Bhagwad...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/GFymnUx

Muslim women show the way, through art

I was recently in the state of Uttar Pradesh to attend an art show for which I had been invited as advisor and judge for selecting about 100 women artists from across the country. It’s...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/4t8wz1m

The hymen: A marker of virginity?

There are several myths, misconceptions and misapprehensions around the ‘hymen’ we still see in our society. Some ill-informed people tend to attach undue significance to the presence or absence of a hymen in women. According...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/eM1vk9z

Murmu & BJP’s subalterns: It’s not the Adivasi vote, which BJP already gets, but the party’s larger political narrative around the marginalised that explains its choice of presidential candidate

The nomination of Droupadi Murmu, an Adivasi leader from Odisha and the former Governor of Jharkhand, as NDA’s candidate for the forthcoming presidential election is seen as a calculated move by BJP to expand its social base,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/UBoJKfl

Father, Son, Sena: However the Maharashtra drama plays out, Uddhav’s version of Balasaheb’s party will take a big hit

While political drama still unfolds in Maharashtra, two things did become clear after CM Uddhav Thackeray’s address yesterday evening. First, that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government is most likely headed towards a fall and, second,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/rIvb9Wc

Good jobs first: Justice Chandrachud argues private sector needs anti-discrimination law. First formalise the economy

Over two lectures in the UK this week, Supreme Court judge DY Chandrachud foregrounded key points about the overarching goal of the Indian Constitution and its relevance when the state is no longer the primary...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/vBF29Lj

Do we need geoengineering & what are the risks?: New disasters can happen if countries decide to unilaterally try technological fixes to global warming

With record-breaking heatwaves hitting many parts of the world over the last few months, scientific circles have been hotly debating whether countries should prepare to deploy geoengineering technologies to deal with such climate emergencies. Should...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/4WzuMBJ

Sharon stoned: Judges can’t get cross over sitting cross-legged in courtrooms

It’s official. There’s no bar on crossing legs before the bench. Replying to an RTI query raised by a Bengaluru resident, the Karnataka high court’s public information officer wrote “No court orders, guidelines, notifications or...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/0lCzibu

Jnana Yog helps transcend mind’s limited vision

By Satish K Kapoor ‘Verily, there is no purifier in this world like knowledge,’ says the Bhagwad Gita, 4:38. While Hath Yog strengthens the body through systematic physical activity and breathing exercises, Bhakti Yog purifies...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/luMmRzy

How a weak rupee impacts your portfolio and how to deal with it

The debate over Rupee vs Dollar has been here for ages! Some two decades ago, a dollar was worth Rs 40, which would fall over and over again to 65 rupees a dollar by 2018....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/LZ3zhPV

Know the difference and benefits of web apps vs cloud apps

To contend in the fast-paced world, businesses are focusing on developing their apps. As the technology is experiencing an incremental demand, more and more features are being available in the market to add on to...

from Times of India Opinion https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/know-the-difference-and-benefits-of-web-apps-vs-cloud-apps/

How the market place is disrupting the private equity segment

Private equity (PE) which is one of the most favorable investments among all, allows individuals to be a part of something big and be a part of change in the making. It is the ownership...

from Times of India Opinion https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/how-the-market-place-is-disrupting-the-private-equity-segment/

Candidate Yashwant Sinha but cohesion within opposition bloc remains elusive

Opposition parties have finally decided on Yashwant Sinha as their candidate for the upcoming presidential polls. This, after NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, NC chief Farooq Abdullah and former diplomat and Bengal governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi turned...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/wbEsAX1

Equitable opportunities and DE&I policies to foster a better organizational culture

Fostering an inclusive workplace is essential to driving innovation and productivity in an organization. The last two years, driven by the pandemic, have been a turning point for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. Forging...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ok3mpEA

The Rs 34,500 crore argument: Rough calculations on Agnipath’s pension-saving potential show why the change is crucial

GoI’s official arguments for Agnipath don’t emphasise public finance implications of the policy. Although the media has discussed the unsustainability of the military pension status quo, the official press release said that the only motivation...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/w7ljgaK

Flaming question: Why is it so easy to burn trains? Because effective RPF, local police coordination is missing

Over 500 trains were cancelled yesterday following protests against Agnipath. The cancellation follows instances of arson and wilful destruction of railway property last week. Yet again, Indian Railways (IR) has been made collateral damage. In...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/RpOYtJL

Person over party: JD(U) & BJP are unhappy with each other in Bihar. But is Nitish putting himself first?

Bihar’s Agnipath protests have put the focus on the state’s massive youth unemployment. They’re also showcasing a political drama – centred around CM Nitish Kumar’s dilemmas. State BJP leaders have sharpened their attacks on Nitish,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/DVAyn1R

Why north is rain-starved & Northeast is flooded: Climate change means monsoon is now no rain for long periods & heavy rains for short periods

After a season-long heatwave from March to May, the north-northwest and central India are undergoing a rainfall deficit, while Northeast India and Bangladesh are hit with devastating floods. Meghalaya’s Mawsynram – the world’s wettest place...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/wfpbi45

Change of plans: If the boss is bored on Sunday, it won’t be funday for you either

Far too many big bosses find Sundays distressing. Not only do they lose their power base but their unquestioning authority in the office is bruised at home. Actually, they are bored. Bereft of those accoutrements...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/lI02ofh

10 yogic steps to become ruler of the self

By Brahma Kumari Shivani Our quest to control every aspect of life has made us good at mastering several things in the world around us, but the same cannot be said about our mastery of...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Nv4VinL

Liberalise Visas for Afghans

GOI has done well to help Afghan minorities, but all Afghans need help  In a welcome move, government has granted emergency e-visas to 111 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus after the Islamic State terror attack on...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/DiFKHIh

Follow the clouds: Slow progress of monsoon shouldn’t cause alarm. But it’s a reminder of bad cropping patterns

The southwest monsoon in the first half of June was deficient by 32%. The shortfall was acute in the agriculturally critical northwest India where rainfall deficiency was 77%. The monsoon’s slow progress, however, shouldn’t be...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/8AWXfQ2

Fly them out: Latest Kabul attack adds to desperation of those who want to leave Afghanistan. GoI must help

Last Saturday’s terror attack on Kabul’s Karte Parwan Gurdwara that killed three people – including an Afghan Sikh – shows again Taliban is not in full control. IS claimed credit for the attack. Ten months...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/P1LXTQC

Where BJP went wrong in the Nupur-Naveen case: Why did GoI speak for party, why bow to Gulf rulers & why try to convince liberals

Now that some time has passed after BJP penalised Nupur Sharma and Naveen Jindal, we can do a calm-headed analysis. * First, BJP’s actions didn’t convince agitators who protested, in some cases aggressively, the duo’s...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/LMbde9r

Let’s get physical: All you hear is ‘ouch’ as everyone maniacally works out

Gyms are packed once again. We have realised blinking rapidly or scratching head is not exercise enough; with Covid allegedly over, couch potatoes must get off the couch. Do your clothes feel doll-size? Is going...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/M5f7XuH

Shining a light on women’s empowerment

By Daisaku Ikeda Amidst mounting global challenges such as increasingly severe climate change and the Covid pandemic since 2020, it is urgent to restart and accelerate the progress towards a society that leaves no one...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/qxy48cP

Why do we need more women entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry?

The increasing number of women in the Indian entertainment industry is enhancing the quality and visibility of creative and fresh content. Women across the world are shaping industries by stepping up, speaking up, and taking...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/L9YOHQX

India needs Agnipath, not pensionpath

The defence of India is not a job creation scheme, as many rioters seem to believe. India urgently needs to modernise its military capability, focusing on high-tech areas such as cyberwarfare, drones, missiles, and even...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/m6vfEqy

Beware of the ‘bad’ social media influencer who polarizes to rise

Social media has given rise to a class of people that didn’t exist before — influencers. It’s not easy to become one. It requires years of relentless hard work in terms of making content, whether...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/o7MbnYG

A case for sologamy: Tying the knot with oneself has its perks

Earlier this month, a 24-year-oldwoman from Vadodara married herself, notching up a first for India. Kshama Bindu, a sociology studentand blogger who identifies as bisexual, told reporters that her decision to go solo in themarriage...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/wG8A0C3

Marry yourself first

Its commonplace nowadays to hear of self-love, self-help, self-care, self-respect being crucial in our interpersonal journeys. However, many of us, especially in India are and were brought up to first think of others. The entire...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/6CQWmtw

Agnipath: It’s a case of robbing Sepoy Patel to pay Col Paul

Even as I write this, the country is witnessing protests over the Agnipath (Tour of Duty) scheme which opens the gates of armed forces to volunteers for a period of four years, including onboarding, training,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/gpideTn

Selling change: Reform’s tough, govt must back promise with delivery

Violent protests against Agnipath not only continued for the third day but also spread to more states. Nothing justifies the arson and other acts of violence. Protests that result in wilful destruction of property cannot...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/D8e3u7x

Punish the predator: Women coaches aren’t the answer to harassment

Allegations of sexual harassment levelled by two top cyclists against a senior coach, as well as complaints by a woman sailor, should be treated with utmost seriousness – but the Sports Authority of India is...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/0XidmxO

Crack a joke and make work better: Why offices need a lot more humour

Whether or not you’ve heard of the humour cliff, you’ve probably experienced it: The frequency with which we laugh or smile plummets around age 23. Children laugh all the time, but being an adult involves...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/1LsDchG

World Trade Organisation must get back to trade: WTO achieves little because too many non-trade issues are on the agenda

At the World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations, the key issues have included reduction in fishery subsidies, patent waivers for making a vaccine for the pandemic, food security and e-commerce. Now why does it sound like...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/i4Ooxfk

Eco-yog: The art of nature-human integration

By Vir Singh Yog is not just about human health and wellbeing; it pertains to the whole living planet. Life in our contemporary world is shrinking as non-human species are under utter stress. Many species...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/LWFxXtd

Experience the sentient landscape everywhere

By Narayani Ganesh The Washington Post recently reported of a Google engineer, Blake Lemoine, saying that the artificially intelligent chatbot generator programme, LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), was sentient. Engineers in other tech organisations...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/mWw7Dvc

Bring Them Back: More flights between India and Afghanistan will help Indians and Afghans stuck there and preserve New Delhi’s strategic interests

In early signs that things might be moving on India’s post-Taliban-takeover Afghanistan policy, a special flight operated by Afghan carrier Kam Air flew in nine people from Kabul to Delhi yesterday (June 15), and flew...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/pE6vhM7

Rethinking financial inclusion with digital assets

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity not as a threat” a well-known quote which means that the driving force in nature is innovation which we all need for the betterment of...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Ld1mAZE

Co-retailing – an innovative model set to transform the Indian retail landscape

Over the decades, the Indian retail industry has witnessed significant growth before the pandemic disrupted the country’s business and consumption cycle. Battling the huge setback posed by the pandemic, the retail industry bounced back quickly...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/wtUdVcN

The value of trust in a digital world

Trust is pivotal for success in the digital world. If there is no trust of an identity (such as when your browser warns you that the site you have just tried to access is an...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/xDupvnY

The youth must tread the Agnipath

The newly launched ‘Agnipath’ scheme to induct youth in the age bracket of 17-21 into army for a period of four years, even if new, is commendable. It reflects out-of-the-box thinking that keeps in mind...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ckWfhT7

India-UK FTA negotiations: Only a comprehensive deal will enable businesses

When the fifth and sixth largest economies in the world enter trade negotiations, it matters to business and consumers in both countries, and it matters to the wider international community. As India and the UK...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/UlqoB6b

Mitigate malware attacks with these five effective prevention techniques

The pages of history are filled with malware attacks, with every other case being more frightening than the previous one. For example, a tech company’s maze ransomware cost $50-$70 million in revenue; Utah University had...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/fGZTD2U

Green tea: Not only helps in losing belly fat but also boosts your metabolism

Green tea is one of the best drinks on earth and that too for all the good reasons. Green tea is loaded with anti-oxidants and numerous helpful plant compounds that have tons of health benefits...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/RA4npqf

Starter homes for young couples

One of the biggest concerns for people starting out their personal or professional journeys, especially when moving to a new metropolis, is finding a safe, convenient and comfortable place to stay. According to a 2021...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/OHIZoYN

Presidential election: Opposition’s challenge is not just unity but also coming up with a riveting name

At the press conference today after a meeting in the national capital attended by at least 17 opposition parties, West Bengal’s Trinamool chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that they had all decided to choose one...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/t4PGFOD

There is no such thing as hate speech

The controversy surrounding the remarks made by Nupur Sharma, who was till recently a spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), did not arise because she recklessly tested the limits of free speech. Yet, many...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ry8x01w

Jawans, josh & jobs: Short-term soldiers will reduce army pension bill. But they may strain anaemic job markets further

GoI’s new army recruitment policy – a 75:25 ratio determining how many new soldiers are let go and how many retained after 4 years – makes fiscal sense. Defence salary and pension bills account for...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/LjqgHvE

Patently false: WTO debate on waiving vax IPR misses the point. Equitable access needs quick tech transfer

The ongoing WTO ministerial conference in Geneva is discussing, among other things, a temporary waiver of intellectual property rights (IPR) on Covid vaccines. The genesis was an earlier India-South Africa proposal in October 2020. Since...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/a2kBsRv

Marching down Agnipath isn’t a folly: Officers must manage the transition & maintain morale, GoI has to strengthen after-service prospects

The new Agnipath recruitment scheme for the armed services that GoI unveiled yesterday has already been debated intensely amongst veteran groups and in media. What has surprised me is that most of the commentary has...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/sp2Ej7a

North vs South: Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee celebrations add a new line of dissent to an old debate

Kipling’s assertion that “East is East, and West is West/ And never the twain shall meet,” might today be more aptly amended to “North is North, and South is South/ And no way they’ll meet.”...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/h6zQqaM

Why change scares us and why it shouldn’t

By Marguerite Theophil Haven’t most of us at some point in our lives tried to make a change; one that is positive, constructive and enriching – and yet have come up against our own resistance...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/fvPynhH

Gold as an asset – A solid hedge against volatility and inflation

India is the world’s second-biggest gold consumer after China with more than 75% of Indian households owning gold in some form or another, across the country. It has grown at a CAGR of 14.5% over...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/QU8acXn

Criminalisation of politics and denial of permission to an imprisoned minister to vote

Denial of permission to vote to an imprisoned Maharashtra minister accused of offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, by a Special PMLA court has brought to fore criminalization of politics. The...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/UQhoNF5

Poor NRI relative: Once she was a star, now her tales of fortune and opulence are constantly called into doubt

One of the wonders of an 80s child was the NRI relative. Like the exotic migratory birds that alighted at Alipore Zoo, they flew in from lands of milk and honey and carried with them...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/6gnpMjJ

Reality presented by Vasisht and Ashtavakra

By Narayani Ganesh Many commentaries have been written on the two wisdom works, one by Sage Vasisht containing the essence of his interaction with Prince Ram, and the other, by Sage Ashtavakra, answering questions posed...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/U9GgTKS

Company culture and the great resignation: things to know when to hire and retain top talent

The great resignation has been disrupting the current hiring climate, and a major factor that is now attracting top talent is company culture. From lockdowns to layoffs, the pandemic weakened havoc on the everyday aspects...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/X5Ua4u9

How to simplify big data movement to Cloud

We are experiencing a data deluge as we move towards hyper digitization quite rapidly. Remote working, increased connectivity, increase in application of IoT with over 30 billion IoT devices interacting everyday, about 10.5% growth in...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Ewov4MP

5 beauty industry trends to look forward to in next 5 years

Like every other industry, the global beauty industry is evolving with constant change and growth. The industry also had to go with enormous changes due to the ongoing pandemic. People became aware of hygiene and...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/cm2nXtE

Want to strengthen heart health? Take help from modernistic fitness trackers

Over the past few years, people worldwide have started taking health, immunity and overall wellbeing seriously. Especially after coming out of the unprecedented pandemic, taking care of physical and mental health has become most people’s...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/DRdrnUO

Surviving just got better: What the ‘astonishing’ Sloan Kettering cancer trial means for patients in India

Headlines that for the “first time in history” cancer has been vanquished in every patient enrolled in a clinical trial suggest a dream come true: Dreaded cancer has finally met its match. This is not...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/9hiJQ1S

Fewer prodigies please: Pragg is lovely but my hosts’ child despoiling a beloved song less so

In many pictures, Praggnanandhaa is seen covering his 16-year-old, beardless face as if to make the grown men in front of him feel less bad when their knights hobble arthritically on the board. The chess...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/7hUavVl

Without diversity, life cannot have full play

By Sri Aurobindo Language is the sign of the cultural life of a people, the index of its soul in thought and mind that stands behind and enriches its soul in action. Therefore, it is...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/TGblYnr

Why wholesale businesses should focus on digitalisation?

In this age of experiences, technology has revolutionized the way end-to-end business operations are carried out. Digitizing business processes and functions in the wholesale industry is a great amount of work for the wholesalers. Most...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/FuVItwy

How ‘Make-in-India’ cybersecurity startups are emerging in the global space

Catalyzed by the Covid-19 pandemic, digital transformation has picked up unprecedented pace across the globe. The pandemic has transformed the way people communicate and work, raising our reliance on mobiles, computers and other electronic devices....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/4i7TBY8

Is the travel industry geared up to handle influx of millennial corporate travelers?

Recent travel trends and stats suggest that business travel has evolved post Covid-19. There are no surprises in terms of the average travel spend and average travel frequency. However, it’s quite interesting to see that...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/4ptfKad

Sustainable diamonds: Rewriting the standards of beauty

The beauty standards and their gauging parameters have seen paradigm shifts in recent years. The antediluvian approach to associating beauty with physical comeliness, white skin, and gaudy, meretricious jewellery is an impasse. Sustainability is the...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/MOLsxvI

How Metaverse will help HR engage and retain talent

The metaverse, productive conversations around which started amidst the pandemic, has become an expansive subject field. The adoption of metaverse has been super smooth and fast. Had it not been for the pandemic and the...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/1RTNpGM

What Nupur row tells us about the line between religion and politics

It is now painfully apparent that the controversy over remarks made in a TV debate by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma has spiralled into something much bigger than warranted. The diplomatic protests that began in...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/9B1zN5I

Hyderabad rape: Don’t let moral police kill the party but make night outs safer

Pubs are in the news for the wrong reasons. A minor girl in Hyderabad was allegedly gangraped in a car while returning from a pub. Some of the six accused — five of them minors...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/48fMm5h

Child marriage: Why we should not point fingers

The BJP has expelled its media chief Naveen Kumar Jindal and suspended a prominent spokesperson, Nupur Sharma, for making insulting remarks about the marriage of the Prophet Mohammed. This followed protests from all major Islamic...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/xQPlU8t

Goodbye negative programming

We are all reflections of our environment and experiences and the most influencing factors are the family values, DNA and attributes that we inherit. It’s strange how we resent what happens to us while we...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/7XwAsSG

How to gamify the journey to an eco-friendly lifestyle

This has been an incredibly hot summer with many parts of India recording the highest temperatures in 122 years. Meanwhile, floods have devastated Assam and Bangladesh causing millions to be marooned or flee their homes....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/576jLuU

Environmentalists should focus on water and not just emissions

‘Flood and famine,’ said the National Planning Committee on India’s independence, ‘are two aspects of one problem, development of water resources of the country.’ In the 75 years that passed since then, India made a...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/536xONt

Dive into an inner sea of relaxation anytime

By Sant Rajinder Singh In our quest for peace and happiness, we often meet obstacles. Some of the challenges that prevent us from leading a life of tranquillity relate to our physical body. Undergoing pain...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Sf2lHRL

How sustainable EV fleets can improve efficiency of the last-mile delivery-logistics space in India

Today, not just India but the entire world is largely at the cusp of a novel mobility transformation — one in which vehicles will be more advanced, connected, cost-effective and would have no tailpipe emissions....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/IEmciz5

Is the rise of the Gig economy the making of the Indian dream?

After wading through the troubled waters of a global pandemic, we find ourselves at yet another defining moment: The rise of the gig economy – that will determine the course of future Indian generations’ lives...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/da67zvR

How India can be ready for the next health crisis

We cannot really predict what form the next global health emergency will take. The world is watching the spread of monkeypox, a hitherto unheard-of infection, which is now travelling into the developed economies. It may...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/DAWnKEa

Why should you pay attention to orthopedic concerns in summers

In India, summer is an inescapable season. Whether you spend your time eating mangoes and ice-cream or taking the yearly trip to your hometown, summer is deeply connected with childhood memories and nostalgia for many...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/9HxU7ap

Electing a president: Politics around picking BJP, Opposition nominees will be kind of a dress rehearsal for 2024

Rajya Sabha polls and results are today. But yesterday, with EC announcing the schedule for electing the republic’s next president, the stage is set for interesting politics. BJP-led NDA is just short of the 50%...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/LG5yKRJ

Himalayan challenge: To build better along LAC is necessary, but against China, so are strategic friends

Ahead of the second anniversary of the Galwan clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh, visiting US Army’s Pacific Commanding General Charles A Flynn has once again drawn attention to China’s rapid build-up...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/zLSRHgP

China uses talks as a ruse to add military infra: IAF held the upper hand in 2020. Now, there’s a 6-month window to prepare

Satellite pictures the past fortnight have shown a heavy-duty bridge being built by the Chinese on Pangong Tso, the lake where the 2020 face-off between the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Indian Army took place....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/XvZUnEh

Lesson from Lanka: How triumphal pride has been the downfall of an island paradise

Folklore has it that the Biblical Garden of Eden flowered in the tropical island now called Sri Lanka. And, indeed, when Bunny and I first visited it in 1984, we did feel we’d chanced upon...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/uVJDeZc

End misunderstandings through sound arguments

By Farida Khanam In Islam, blasphemy is a subject of intellectual discussion rather than condemnation, protest and retaliation. Several verses in the Quran show that ‘abuse of the Prophet’ is not a subject of punishment....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/q2nhH6B

Employee upskilling: Single solution for seamless cloud adoption

In this age, every business, organization, or company is participating in the cloud marathon. The destination is to become a digital-first enterprise. Businesses are geared up to ride on the cloud bandwagon. There is a...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/KnPVE3H

Know all about ‘fox eye lift’ trend which has exploded all over the internet

With age, our skin goes through a lot of changes; the elasticity of our skin decreases and this results in sagging brows – especially resulting in a flat, droopy, and ‘unattractive’ brow. To fix this...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/YZOVGtR

E-learning platforms are helping game designers upgrade from dream to reality

1.4 billion: That’s the size of India’s population and also the number of gamers across Asia. The gaming industry is growing rapidly across the world, adding millions of new players every year. India alone is...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/P6uEJCY

Recycling waste can generate crores in revenue in India

The definition of waste has changed over time. Waste is no longer considered as trash or abandoned material, but as an asset or resource that can generate revenues in crores. It is not only related...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/yAfMH1p

GoI, support growth: Monetary policy will tighten even more. Investment, consumption need fiscal help

RBI’s monetary policy committee (MPC) yesterday increased its key policy interest rate, repo, by 0.5 percentage points to 4.9%. It’s the second increase in about five weeks, taking the cumulative rise in the repo to...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/CavyfFl

‘Way too early to say world has found easy cure for cancer’: US clinical trial result is great, but no doctor should change course of treatment right away

Everyone is, not surprisingly, excited about the “astonishing” results of a small clinical trial in which all signs of colorectal cancer vanished from the participants. Dr Kumar Prabhash, head of medical oncology at Tata Memorial...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/znWfhlI

Planet dearth: Let’s walk on the wild side of my urban jungle

World Environment Day unleashed a tsunami of promises. How many trees went into the reams  reporting the platitudes of politicians?  And, surely, their verbal hot air worsened global warming? So not wanting to add my...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/INy8uD1

Self-Marriage as a means to self-actualisation

By Jug Suraiya A young Gujarati woman has created a storm in a cyberspace teacup thanks to the wedding she plans for herself, which is singular, in more ways than one, in that she is...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/J4fxMXs

Rafael Nadal: The modern-day warrior-sage of tennis

We have seen it so many times that perhaps it has attained a mundane quality. Rafael Nadal winning the French Open is likely the safest of bets in sports. On Sunday, he yet again proved...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/PZY6qkg

Growing role of media as a driving force in international relations: From ‘CNN effect’ to influencing operations

The recent events that include the sudden outrage shown by the Islamic nations against the BJP spokesperson, the narrative developed by Pakistan on Kashmir attracting US Secretary of State Blinken’s statement that the United States...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/1UQNcO7

Be the fool that travels alone!

“Let’s go for our vacation…who is in?” The excitement of planning a vacation with your friends is only high octane until the plan fizzles out, what follows after that is your disappointment. Because you needed...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/9MOZKq4

An 8% national growth agenda: India’s guiding light should be becoming a $10 trillion economy by 2035, with states also setting high goals

Raghuram Rajan and Rohit Lamba This is the fifth article in an occasional series by the two authors We live in an increasingly dangerous world. Old power structures are waning and new ones emerging. Countries...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/9EkvoTP

Look at per capita: Environment reports don’t do justice to better measure of India’s carbon footprint

The biennial 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) recently released its cross-country ranking of 180 countries using 40 performance indicators. India ranks last. However, the report’s methodology hasn’t found complete acceptance in India as it uses...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/Mf7exqk

Indigenise smart: Heavy investment in R&D is needed to take Indian defence production to next level

In another step towards indigenisation of military platforms, the defence ministry has given the initial approval to projects worth Rs 76,390 crore. This includes the construction of eight next-generation corvettes for the navy, procurement of...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/VR6Cw5n

Why calmer politics can strengthen Modi’s image: Polarising rhetoric will be under watch after Nupur-Naveen, and BJP may even benefit

Now that the first act of the Nupur Sharma-Naveen Jindal controversy has played out, interesting political questions emerge, both on how the controversy broke and what impact it may have. What does the Nupur-Naveen episode...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/GpUQBX9

Question of India: It’s an elephantine debate in which all views can claim to be equally true

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first, India as a nation, or India as a Constitution, India as an ageless civilisation or India as a political invention? That was the crux...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/CeI3X2v

Listen to the meaning, not to the words

By Amrit Sadhana The Buddha used to ask his disciples to do a certain meditation: “Go to the street and watch everybody passing by, coming and going on the street. See exactly what is happening....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/HSCZcvE

Nupur, Naveen & us – Please note: Aggressive right-wing politics can also cost those who benefit from it most

That it took diplomatic censure from strategically and economically important Gulf countries for BJP to take action against two spokespersons, whose appalling comments on TV and Twitter have been known for days, says everything about...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/1S9tX6k

How to make friends: Durable political coalitions are hard to create as clashing ambitions often sink them

Recent political developments in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu offer insights on the complexities of coalition politics. In TN, C Ponnaiyan, organisation secretary of AIADMK, said that political ally BJP is trying to grow at the...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/LosbWQB

Very important point: VIP security needs cops with spine – All parties politicise protection. Moose Wala’s murder shows why it’s crucial police stand up to netas

The system of providing security to select public figures and VIPs is widely misunderstood and public scrutiny of it has been reignited by the tragic killing of the talented young singer Sidhu Moose Wala. Earlier,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/NjYcVGg

Don’t eat the yolk: There is nothing left that is good for us, rice also sucks, potatoes are just bad news

We have stopped eating white bread. So much for the staff of life and breaking it with loved ones and friends not to mention the daily portion allotted to us. The Russians once said, “With...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/zo0GLx5

Mahanaam: Insurance policy for self-realisation

By Somnath Sarkar The spiritual legacy that Amiya Roy Chowdhury, also known as Dadaji, had embodied through his discourses and writings continues to resonate with legions across India and abroad. His philosophy provides the householder...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/BMf2wzQ

Eat’s not right: The restaurant service charge issue is about an important consumer rights principle

Some may wonder whether restaurants’ billing practices should merit central government attention. Perhaps, more than the scale of consumer harm, it’s the principle that’s important – businesses should not be able to get away with...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/sgCEtuQ

7% growth is India’s best foreign policy strategy: An averagely-performing economy won’t give New Delhi freedom of policy action

India’s being wooed by all sides – senior ministers from both Israel and Iran are visiting India barely a few days apart; India’s prominent engagement with the West via platforms like the Quad keeps growing,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/O5NoxJd

Killjoy calories: Why restaurants tempt you to try their food by telling you how bad it is for you

Bunny and I are again in London, which is all abuzz preparing to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, for which a brand-new Underground line, the Elizabeth, has been designed. Samuel Johnson said that when you...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/801StyL

The illusion of time we all live with

By Bansi Mahajan There are three kinds of illusions of time. One is claimed by physicists, second, that happens at the mind level, and third, at the spiritual level. After finding the theory of relativity,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/STJ1KUY

Indo-China relations amidst a volatile geopolitical situation

The Indo-China border standoff, which started in May 2020, continues to date at numerous friction points in the rugged mountains of the Ladhak region in the Himalayan ranges. A fatal skirmish took place between Indian...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/PXrcQyV

How ‘uncle’ turned abuser: Kubbra Sait’s startling confession

I was just seventeen when I was embroiled in the greatest tragedy known to me. It started a year earlier when my parents, my brother and I went to a popular restaurant in Bangalore. During...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/3zhsZOR

Searching for ‘historical truth’? Don’t be selective

India celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence in 1997 by showing that a billion people could overcome multiple barriers of language, religion, caste, ethnicity, and cultural traditions to form a glorious whole upholding democratic values...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/aJuTLh8

Beti padhao but cooking karao? A serving of sexism

I am dying to meet the missus of Shri Chandrakant Patil, Maharashtra BJP president. She must be a particularly tolerant and accommodating lady. I wonder what she said to her husband when he came home...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/fnbW3kZ

Should we let negative people wallow

There are those of us who seek positivity and those of us who are sickened by the constant “be positive” mantra thrown at us on a regular basis. We are surrounded by those who talk...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ipUy3js

Why Kashmiri Pandits should be investing in life beyond Kashmir

There is no blueprint. There never was. At least this much should be clear to the Kashmiri Pandits who are now fleeing the Valley after the recent minority killings. Forget smart townships, the government has...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ZJ5EkYe

Time to reimagine architecture for our overheated cities

While growing up in Delhi in the 1960s, I remember summer was a season we looked forward to. Cycling home from school at mid-day, you rode into a compound with a low rectangular thick-walled bungalow,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/N5CgUM4

You are a cultist, everybody is: A podcast about knowing when it’s time to break free

Group affiliations make up the scaffolding upon which we build our lives, writes linguist Amanda Montell in her 2021 book Cultish. She also co-hosts the Sounds Like A Cult podcast with Isabela Medina, a stand-up...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/iCprjcX

Terrorists have changed tack in J&K, so must GoI: Relocate Pandits, reach out to the young, empower local police, co-opt local leaders

On June 2, a lone gunman rushed into the Ellaquai Dehati Bank in Kulgam and shot dead the bank manager, Vijay Beniwal, who was from Rajasthan. A few hours later, two Hindu brick kiln workers...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/526UZoD

Why not bring God into our schools & colleges?

By Dada JP Vaswani Turning away from God, we only wander from distraction to distraction. Therefore, this must be the first step in any value-based system of education: Turn back to God! Love God and...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ISlWVs8

Why is wedding pheras singing emerging as the best career option?

Marriage is the most auspicious lifetime event because it brings two hearts together to live a life together by uniting their hearts. Friends, family, and kith and kin gather to celebrate the occasion. It is...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/QXtaHeG

Integration of artificial intelligence and data analytics in banking services: Understanding biases, explainability and its impact

The financial and banking sectors, owing to legacy and massive data dependence, are one of the early adopters of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Needless to say, new age technologies have played a pivotal role...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/mauJAe2

Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s playing the role of a lifetime

It’s been a few months since the Russia-Ukraine war started. With President Joe Biden describing the invasion as a “genocide,” the U.S. and its European allies deploying sanctions to inflict economic pain on Russia, and...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/acGzElJ

Maha Covid mistake: Maharashtra is paying the price of no mask mandate and lax vaccination. Others pay heed

The sudden surge of Covid infections in Maharashtra (Kerala, too, is seeing a jump) in the past few days – over 1,000 cases being logged and positivity rate in Mumbai touching 8% on Wednesday –...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/ivQl3Dx

How India got its new wings: Writing on eight years of Modi govt, aviation minister argues air travel is more democratic & a better business

When India’s first commercial flight took off in 1911 within Allahabad, little had the world hoped for any remarkable uptake of this sector in a price-sensitive, nascent market like India. However, over time, the rising...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/hef3pxR

Trans dance: ‘Lost in Translation’? Nah! There’s much to gain

The lit-fit have been exulting over the 2022 International Booker Prize being won by Geetanjali Shree and her translator Daisy Rockwell for Ret Samadhi/Tomb of Sand. That should bury all doubts on a) the robustness...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/qmbdYjV

Why is temple a special place of worship?

By Swami Chidanand Saraswati  People may ask, “If God is everywhere, if every living being is a manifestation of Brahmn, then why do we need to go to the temple?” There are many reasons. The...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/uEG0pHW

What is web hosting and domain?

Friends, whenever you think about creating a website or want to know that how to make a Website, then two words must have come to you, first is Domain Name and second is Web Hosting....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/H2VoYX6

Indian Economy – waging a valiant war against downside risks

Looking to the multiple challenges arising from geopolitical and interconnected risks and actions of central banks of major economies, the macroeconomic data released by National Statistical office (NSO) on May 31 reflects relative stability in...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/D4jfJVU

Let it fly: With normalcy back, there’s no case for regulating airline tariffs through price bands

India’s aviation industry has had it tough since the outbreak of Covid. Operations were suspended for a couple of months in 2020 and resumption came with conditions attached. Given the nature of the health emergency,...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/7DR14zs

Who will investigate the drug investigator? Ex-NCB hotshot Wankhede’s role needs scrutiny not just in the Aryan case but several earlier Mumbai cases

The Narcotics Control Bureau’s unexpected clean chit to megastar Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan is of special political interest at a time when central agencies are being criticised for gross abuse of power in Maharashtra....

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/BXzulqn

Elementary education: Challenges

Every day about 67 000 children are born in India; that is about one sixth of world’s child births.  The Indian constitution envisages universal elementary education as a public good that contributes to the building...

from Times of India Opinion https://ift.tt/TPjIe0v