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Sunday, April 5, 2026
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Opinion

Breaking the Two-and-a-half-Front Siege

A powerful nation's Army must be able to fight on multiple fronts. The question to ask strategists and politicians is, must it be made to do so?

Osama bin Laden’s greatest strategic success wasn’t just 9/11, it was re-energising disparate Islamist groups in South Asia

In their second essay, Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark, authors of the new book “The Exile: The Flight of Osama bin Laden”, explain how...

Before being killed, here are 8 times Osama bin Laden came really close to getting caught

In the first of the two-part essay, Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark, authors of the new book “The Exile: The Flight of Osama bin Laden”, list the number of close shaves that the al-Qaeda emir had with the authorities.

TALK POINT: Should Indian military chiefs step out of their professional jurisdiction and talk about politics and diplomacy?

Eyebrows have been raised over Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat’s statements on Kashmir and Pakistan. While some are cheering him, others say that an Indian Army chief should not make provocative statements. Is the chatter of TV channels and digital India changing the culture of the military leadership? We ask experts about the pros and cons of having an outspoken military chief in a democratic India.

TALK POINT: Is it time to revisit the culture of farm loan waivers, minimum support prices and take on this “moral hazard”?

As UP and Maharashtra write off farmers’ loans and MP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab struggle to tackle fresh demands for debt relief, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says the Central government will not help foot the bill. And RBI Governor Urjit Patel calls loan waivers a “moral hazard”. Is it time to revisit this culture of farm loan waivers? We ask experts.

Theresa May’s weak victory could mean a softer Brexit

Theresa May had hoped to gain a thumping majority and a strong domestic mandate before Britain goes into Brexit negotiations in September.

TALK POINT: Is India less mindful of global censure of its hard military posture in Kashmir today than it was in the ’90s?

Is it easier for India to adopt a tough line in Kashmir today than it was in the 1990s? How is India’s position today different from the 1990s when New Delhi felt the impact of censure from groups like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, U.S. and European capitals? Is the world too distracted right now to lecture India on human rights? We ask experts Ajai Sahni, Aakar Patel.

Talk Point: Has India’s new disability rights law begun to fix chronic inaccessibility for the disabled?

A year-and-a-half ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ambitious programme ‘Accessible India’. But people with disabilities continue to struggle against inaccessible infrastructure and services. Can India afford to delay any longer? We ask experts.

TALK POINT: What is the future of Make in India in the new era of robots replacing humans in factories?

Maruti Suzuki has one robot for every four factory workers. Firms like Eicher and Bajaj also use robots in a quest for efficiency and cost-cutting. About 100 mln Indians enter the workforce every month. Has India entered the manufacturing race too late? We ask experts Manish Sabharwal, Amitabh Kant, R.C. Bhargava.

TALK POINT: Can professionals and municipal bonds save our cities?

Dozens of our municipal corporations are set to issue financial bonds in the coming months to raise funds for developing smart cities. Over 90 urban local bodies have also got themselves rated in order to increase their ability to attract investment. Is this the best way to turn around the sorry state of our cities and how they are governed? We ask experts.

On Camera

The influencer war that took rural creator Pujarini Pradhan global

As social media debated whether audiences were consuming Pujarini Pradhan as a symbol, The Juggernaut turned her into a story that could circulate globally, with or without her participation.

SEBI proposes return of open market share buybacks to support stocks

Regulator seeks feedback on allowing firms to repurchase shares via exchanges after tax changes, as markets reel from war-led selloff and foreign outflows.

South Korea’s Cheongung-II missile system makes its mark in West Asia war. Here’s why

UAE has been using this defence system, which is similar to America's Patriots, against Iranian missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

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.