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Distantly Close | Satinder Lambah: The giant Indian diplomacy always had

opinion

Published on Jul 06, 2022 07:31 PM IST

Lambah was a quintessential backchannel interlocutor and a ready-reckoner on Pakistan. He completed his memoirs spanning six PMs while fighting cancer.

Of the many ambassadorial and other duties he performed, Lambah, who was Satti to friends, was most comfortable engaging with the Pakistanis. (AFP)

By Vinod Sharma

Scientifically Speaking | Young “brain juice” helps to rejuvenate old brains

In the study, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, tested whether an infusion of young mouse cerebrospinal fluid improved memory in old mice. It did.

Researchers found that genes associated with the production of a substance called myelin were very active in certain cells of the brain in old mice that received young cerebrospinal fluid. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

opinion

Published on Jul 06, 2022 07:15 PM IST

ByAnirban Mahapatra

Boris Johnson and the longest goodbye

Johnson’s political assassination has been as slow and incompetent as that of Rasputin: Disgruntled aristocrats tried arsenic, bullets from a revolver and drowning in the frozen river Neva before they finally despatched“the mad monk” who was the favorite of the tsar.

From left, British Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrive at No 9 Downing Street for a media briefing on May 7, 2021. (AP)

opinion

Updated on Jul 06, 2022 07:52 PM IST

Bloomberg |

The art of a good unicorn | Startups and the temptation of greenwashing

Startups must learn how to wield the power of sustainability, instead of simply showing off green credentials as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria become more critical due to the climate crisis

In just the fourth quarter of 2021, $143 billion in new capital flowed into ESG funds. That shows there's a lot of ESG capital floating around, so the temptation to greenwash is high. (Representative Image)

opinion

Published on Jul 06, 2022 12:02 PM IST

ByShrija Agrawal

A regulatory framework for digital assets in India

India would do well to study legislation enacted across global innovation hubs and create a progressive crypto regulatory framework that fosters domestic entrepreneurship

India’s regulatory framework remains ambiguous, with the country not having an assigned regulatory agency. Digital assets have not been defined or classified. (Bloomberg)

opinion

Updated on Jul 05, 2022 08:35 PM IST

ByAnil K Antony

Act against the virus of religious polarisation

While the Udaipur incident is investigated by the National Investigation Agency, reform is needed in several other areas: In Muslim communities, political discourse, and State machinery

The sad reality is that no single individual can be blamed for the social crisis that has engulfed our Republic. Sharma’s remarks were merely a trigger. (HT/Representative Image)

opinion

Published on Jul 05, 2022 08:26 PM IST

ByZakia Soman

Why America today is a politically broken land

Democrats control the White House but the Right wields real institutional power. There is a fundamental clash in values. And there is no consensus on the rules of the game

A demonstrator holds up an abortion flag outside of the US Supreme Court on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Reuters)

opinion

Published on Jul 05, 2022 08:22 PM IST

ByPrashant Jha

Climate and Us | A new — and weakened —environmental regime is in the offing

The environment ministry's forest conservation rules 2022 could have grave effects on forest dwellers and endangered species, and may see more room for exploitation. Here is why it may not set a good example

For several years now, compensatory afforestation has been a challenge for both project developers and the environment ministry. (File Photo)

opinion

Updated on Jul 05, 2022 08:02 PM IST

ByJayashree Nandi

Decoding the role of the Speaker and judicial review in legislative defections

The Maharashtra crisis may be leading India towards a constitutional anomaly. Exercising judicial review prior to the decision of the Speaker of the House virtually nullifies “Schedule X” of the Indian Constitution.

If appropriate corrective measures are not taken by the court in the future, there will be a disjuncture between the constitutional law and practice in the sense of repudiation. (PTI)

opinion

Published on Jul 05, 2022 12:55 PM IST

ByPrakhar Raghuvanshi

What explains the rise in women’s workforce participation during Covid-19?

We found an unusual rise in Workforce Participation Rates among rural women during the pandemic years, which is explained by increases in self-employment. However, we shouldn't be jubilant about this just yet

A shift of the labour force from urban to rural areas was also seen — but only for women. (File Photo)

opinion

Published on Jul 05, 2022 12:10 PM IST

ByMitali Nikore, Shiney Chakraborty

What will India’s G20 presidency focus on?

India takes over the presidency of the group in December. To live up to the potential of this opportunity, it must choose a policy direction to focus on continuity, incorporate green and digital transitions, and recognise the realities of a post-pandemic world

ndia’s presidency must leave the grouping with the agility and energy to respond to new realities, and it must create a future-ready multilateralism through a novel and robust institutional architecture (Shutterstock)

opinion

Updated on Jul 04, 2022 09:28 PM IST

BySamir Saran and Jhanvi Tripathi

The military’s apolitical ethos is key. Preserve it

The need for an objective review and transformation of the Indian military is imperative of course, but the drivers must be those of abiding national security interests at all times

Indian army soldiers stand guarding at Chakan-da-Bagh outpost of India-Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) Line of Control of Poonch district about 250 KM from Jammu, the winter capital of Kashmir on 14 January 2013. (EPA)

opinion

Updated on Jul 04, 2022 09:26 PM IST

ByC Uday Bhaskar

Keeping up with UP | In action-filled 100 days, Yogi attempts an image makeover

As communal temperatures run high across the country after the Udaipur beheading, CM Yogi Adityanath has preferred restraint to rhetoric. This has not gone unnoticed.

Make no mistake. The CM’s past remains a key feature of his politics. (PTI)

opinion

Published on Jul 04, 2022 09:08 PM IST

BySunita Aron

Islamic radicalisation has hurt the moderates

There are Barelvis who say that the DEI is aping Tablighi Jamat and radicalising Sufis, which is bad. The challenge for the security agencies is figuring out how far the DEI preachers may have penetrated the original Barelvis in India

An accused in the Kanhaiya Lal killing case being taken away by the public after he was produced at an NIA court, Jaipur, July 2, 2022. (PTI)

opinion

Updated on Jul 04, 2022 09:16 PM IST

ByUday Mahurkar

AB-PMJAY: Accelerating the growth of health care

With PMJAY becoming the world’s largest successful health care scheme, many countries have learned from the model and adapted it (with suitable tweaks) for their demographics.

AB-PMJAY aligns with the government’s idea of working together, instead of thinking in isolation. (HT Photo)

opinion

Published on Jul 04, 2022 07:15 PM IST

ByVinod K Paul

Are you confused by dumplings, dim sum, momo and more? Let's debunk it all

It is tempting to say that the Chinese invented dumplings and sent them around the world. But the truth is that most societies, once they got their hands on flour, created dumplings of some sort.

opinion

Published on Jul 04, 2022 11:18 AM IST

ByVir Sanghvi, Delhi

Is today’s Opposition strong enough to take on the BJP?

The electoral muddle will start next year. How efficacious would it be to hope for a miracle so soon? The question itself contains the answer.

In recent times, one effort to come together was the exercise for consensus on a presidential candidate. The entire non-NDA spectrum was expected to rally behind Yashwant Sinha. This did not happen. (PTI)

opinion

Published on Jul 03, 2022 08:50 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Forget Web3. India is miles ahead with its UPI

As the crypto craze is dying down, Web 3 is the West’s new obsession. However, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) stands out as a stable and critical technological invention for the future

The best indication of its usefulness is that UPI has grown wildly popular. In six years, transactions running on UPI have skyrocketed, now exceeding $100 billion per month. India is leaping ahead of the world. (Mint File Photo)

opinion

Published on Jul 03, 2022 08:49 PM IST

ByVivek Wadhwa, Ismail Amla, Alex Salkever

The Simla Agreement: An imperfect peace

The accord completes 50 years today. There was and remains a sense that India had squandered a great military victory. But the evidence suggests that a better deal was not possible, given the fractious nature of Pakistani politics

Indira Gandhi was restrained in Simla (which is now called Shimla) based on Zulfikar Bhutto’s pleas — as well as discreet backchannel messages from Bhutto’s large negotiating party — that he would be ousted from office if he made serious concessions on Kashmir (Virendra Prabhakar/HT Archive)

opinion

Updated on Jul 02, 2022 08:45 PM IST

ByChristopher Clary

India can lead the democratic world

In his forthcoming book, Towards Decentralized Democratic Global Governance, economist Ramgopal Agarwala argues that the leadership India can provide would lead to the end of hegemony

To me, the size of India’s population and the potential of its economy make the country potentially hegemonic. Ramgopal calls his governance: “Happiness of all and hegemony of none: A neo-Swadeshi Indian Dream”, and he believes the dream can be fulfilled (Hindustan Times)

opinion

Updated on Jul 02, 2022 08:46 PM IST

ByMark Tully

This column’s 25! And there’s much to cherish

I’ve often been asked what is “the true story” of Sunday Sentiments. This morning I’ve decided to give you a potted version. It’s an interesting tale

This is my 1,300th column. I have written one every single week. There wasn’t a Sunday I missed out. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Updated on Jul 02, 2022 08:47 PM IST

ByKaran Thapar

Maha politics has entered a new phase

Uddhav Thackeray’s ideological options are limited — he cannot move to the Right because hardliner Shinde will have him outflanked. His only option appears to be to stick to his moderate Hindutva message, hark back to his father’s legacy, and position himself as a servant of the Marathi manoos

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray addresses the media during a press conference, Mumbai, July 1, 2022 (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

opinion

Updated on Jul 02, 2022 08:44 PM IST

ByHarish Wankhede

Keeping up with UP | What unites and divides the politics of UP and Maharashtra

To draw political analogies in a complex setup like India's is tough, but there are lessons and precedents from up north (UP) for the west (Maharashtra) during this political turmoil.

The coming days will unfold many more twists and turns in the sordid tale of Maharashtra. As of now, the BJP looks like it's making gains, while the Shiv Sena is in the doldrums, facing its worst existential crisis. (File Photo)

opinion

Published on Jul 01, 2022 09:08 PM IST

BySunita Aron

GST: A structural reform towards a unified market

Five years since its roll-out, GST has created a united nationwide market. The next five years should be focused on deeper formalisation, removing credit extension asymmetries, and becoming a model for constructive cooperation

The states never had the power to charge service tax and GST gave them that. (PTI)

opinion

Published on Jul 01, 2022 08:07 PM IST

ByHarsh Gupta Madhusudhan, Rajeev Mantri

The inadequacies in law that let ‘mob justice’ persist

Jharkhand has one of the worst records of mob lynching, which prompted the government to pass an anti-mob lynching law. But the law alone cannot prevent such incidents unless social conditions are also addressed.

The Jharkhand law provides no provision for punishing officers who fail to prevent lynching (like in Simdega, where police officers were present, but chose not to act).(Reuters)

opinion

Published on Jul 01, 2022 07:51 PM IST

ByShailesh Poddar

Can the increase in MSP for paddy help boost its yield?

The announcement came against the backdrop of a crisis in wheat production and should be weighed against three considerations.

The announced rates for paddy, recommended by the CACP in March, reflect a larger absolute increase in MSP over what has typically been observed over the last decades. (Gurpreet Singh/HT Photo)

opinion

Published on Jul 01, 2022 07:51 PM IST

BySrishti Yadav

Terms of Trade | Missing: India’s Opposition

Maharashtra churn, presidential elections, and by-poll results highlight the poverty of opposition’s politics in India

The fact that hubris of Mandal’s initial electoral prowess blindsided the social justice camp to waging an ideological counter campaign against Hindutva has only made matters difficult for the it in dealing with the BJP’s challenge. (Nitin Kanotra/Hindustan Times)

opinion

Published on Jul 01, 2022 07:30 PM IST

ByRoshan Kishore

Pride Matters | My life as a young queer person in small-town India

The time is different now than it was a decade ago because we’re rethinking gender. But as a young queer person in my small hometown of Jabalpur, things were a lot harder. Here is my story:

A queer India — where there are different voices, and every voice is unique. (AFP)

opinion

Published on Jun 30, 2022 08:59 PM IST

ByAditya Tiwari

BJP looks to capture Sena’s political space

Maharashtra’s 2022 coup is a retaliation for the betrayal of 2019. Eknath Shinde may be the new CM but the real power will be with the BJP

Uddhav Thackeray submits his resignation to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Mumbai, June 30, 2022 (/NI)

opinion

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 08:28 PM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai

If GST compensation has to continue, change the design

A uniform compensation rule is unfair to states that managed Covid-19 better and recovered faster

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman chairs the 47th meeting of the GST Council, Chandigarh, June 29, 2022 (PTI)

opinion

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 08:29 PM IST

ByPinaki Chakraborty

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Opinion

Lambah was a quintessential backchannel interlocutor and a ready-reckoner on Pakistan. He completed his memoirs spanning six PMs while fighting cancer.

In the study, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, tested whether an infusion of young mouse cerebrospinal fluid improved memory in old mice. It did.

Johnson’s political assassination has been as slow and incompetent as that of Rasputin: Disgruntled aristocrats tried arsenic, bullets from a revolver and drowning in the frozen river Neva before they finally despatched“the mad monk” who was the favorite of the tsar.

Startups must learn how to wield the power of sustainability, instead of simply showing off green credentials as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria become more critical due to the climate crisis

India would do well to study legislation enacted across global innovation hubs and create a progressive crypto regulatory framework that fosters domestic entrepreneurship

While the Udaipur incident is investigated by the National Investigation Agency, reform is needed in several other areas: In Muslim communities, political discourse, and State machinery

Democrats control the White House but the Right wields real institutional power. There is a fundamental clash in values. And there is no consensus on the rules of the game

The environment ministry's forest conservation rules 2022 could have grave effects on forest dwellers and endangered species, and may see more room for exploitation. Here is why it may not set a good example

The Maharashtra crisis may be leading India towards a constitutional anomaly. Exercising judicial review prior to the decision of the Speaker of the House virtually nullifies “Schedule X” of the Indian Constitution.

We found an unusual rise in Workforce Participation Rates among rural women during the pandemic years, which is explained by increases in self-employment. However, we shouldn't be jubilant about this just yet

India takes over the presidency of the group in December. To live up to the potential of this opportunity, it must choose a policy direction to focus on continuity, incorporate green and digital transitions, and recognise the realities of a post-pandemic world

The need for an objective review and transformation of the Indian military is imperative of course, but the drivers must be those of abiding national security interests at all times

As communal temperatures run high across the country after the Udaipur beheading, CM Yogi Adityanath has preferred restraint to rhetoric. This has not gone unnoticed.

There are Barelvis who say that the DEI is aping Tablighi Jamat and radicalising Sufis, which is bad. The challenge for the security agencies is figuring out how far the DEI preachers may have penetrated the original Barelvis in India

With PMJAY becoming the world’s largest successful health care scheme, many countries have learned from the model and adapted it (with suitable tweaks) for their demographics.

It is tempting to say that the Chinese invented dumplings and sent them around the world. But the truth is that most societies, once they got their hands on flour, created dumplings of some sort.

The electoral muddle will start next year. How efficacious would it be to hope for a miracle so soon? The question itself contains the answer.

As the crypto craze is dying down, Web 3 is the West’s new obsession. However, India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) stands out as a stable and critical technological invention for the future

The accord completes 50 years today. There was and remains a sense that India had squandered a great military victory. But the evidence suggests that a better deal was not possible, given the fractious nature of Pakistani politics

In his forthcoming book, Towards Decentralized Democratic Global Governance, economist Ramgopal Agarwala argues that the leadership India can provide would lead to the end of hegemony

I’ve often been asked what is “the true story” of Sunday Sentiments. This morning I’ve decided to give you a potted version. It’s an interesting tale

To draw political analogies in a complex setup like India's is tough, but there are lessons and precedents from up north (UP) for the west (Maharashtra) during this political turmoil.

Five years since its roll-out, GST has created a united nationwide market. The next five years should be focused on deeper formalisation, removing credit extension asymmetries, and becoming a model for constructive cooperation

Jharkhand has one of the worst records of mob lynching, which prompted the government to pass an anti-mob lynching law. But the law alone cannot prevent such incidents unless social conditions are also addressed.

The announcement came against the backdrop of a crisis in wheat production and should be weighed against three considerations.

Maharashtra churn, presidential elections, and by-poll results highlight the poverty of opposition’s politics in India

The time is different now than it was a decade ago because we’re rethinking gender. But as a young queer person in my small hometown of Jabalpur, things were a lot harder. Here is my story:

Maharashtra’s 2022 coup is a retaliation for the betrayal of 2019. Eknath Shinde may be the new CM but the real power will be with the BJP

A uniform compensation rule is unfair to states that managed Covid-19 better and recovered faster

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