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Wednesday, April 8, 2026
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National Interest

156-inch heart

By giving himself an opportunity to feature on an international stage, Modi can relaunch himself as a big-hearted moderate, switching from electoral campaign to governance mode.

Allah and aam aadmi

Pakistani politics is so important for India that we Indians can't be faulted for being obsessed with it. But must we continue to be ignorant and self-servingly patronising about it?

Help us imagine, Rahulji

Shekhar Gupta argues that for a rapidly declining and self-destructive Congress to rejuvenate, change should first come from the top, i,.e., the Gandhi family.

BJP’s troubled house

It is a touchingly funny spectacle, where every senior leader wants to be loved like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but is beginning to speak the language of Modi of 2007, if not 2002.

Atal Modi vs Rajiv Rahul

Only two leaders have the strength, appeal & political wherewithal to break the two-decade stalemate in Indian politics with a big new idea: Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi.

Coal vs coalition

BJP believes the CAG report on coal gives them their 2012 Bofors moment. But they also believe that a parliamentary discussion will dilute their case against Congress.

Blunder Janata Party

In its UP campaign, BJP has displayed all the weaknesses usually chronic to Congress: lack of a clear CM candidate, infighting, absence of a grassroots organisation & agenda.

The Ordinance Factory

The ordinance-mania is back in fashion. The recourse to amending the law or writing fresh legislation is a tempting escape for politicians from constitutional checks and balances.

One year on, BJP and Congress still can’t figure out the election result

Opposition is out of Parliament almost permanently, as was the case in the last months of Rajiv Gandhi's government. The two leading parties are not even on talking terms any more.

It’s Manmohanomics, Manmohan

An ironical aspect of our reform's history has been opposition from within, stemming from unevolved intellect, inter-corporate lobbying or a clash of political ambitions.

On Camera

Mamata Banerjee vs the Election Commission—Why India needs an annual voter list revision

We cannot absolve the Election Commission of all the blame, but we must emphasise that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must shoulder the lion’s share of the responsibility for these exclusions.

Stocks fall, oil prices climb as Trump issues fresh threat to Iran ahead of his deadline

Fears that an escalation of the conflict could heighten a fuel squeeze & endanger the economy unnerved traders, with NYT reporting Iran stopped negotiating a truce with the US.

Western theatre against Pakistan to be headed by IAF, Northern theatre under Army to focus on China

India's military to get Vice Chief of Defence Staff along with one Theatre Commander from each of three services, it is learnt.

China insulated itself against energy shocks. India is ‘all talk, no walk’

China patiently invested capital, skill and technology in coal gasification. Unlike it, we won’t move from words to action. As crude prices decline, we lose interest.