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Thursday, August 28, 2025
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Sasikala learnt from Jayalalithaa the art of making comebacks. In retreat lies her politics

Sasikala is no stranger to highs and lows, just when you thought she would fade away into oblivion, she makes a comeback.

Why Narendra Modi’s India is ‘partly free’, and where it is headed

The social media rules released last week are the latest manifestation of Modi government’s desire for steadily greater control of so far autonomous centres of influence and activity.

Why America is losing the global PR war over Covid vaccines

The world had hoped 'America First' would end when Joe Biden replaced former US President Donald Trump. It hasn’t.

Why India has slipped to ‘partly free’ category on freedom index & how countries are scored

In episode 696 of 'Cut The Clutter', Shekhar Gupta analyses Freedom House's report card on democracy, political rights and civil liberties in India.

The idea of ‘one nation one exam’ double-crosses teenagers, shoots up their stress levels

A common test for all central universities may lead to blooming of new coaching factories and allow institutions to ride over their inherent deficiencies.

Don’t rush to give clean chit to China. Mumbai power grid failure is a strong warning

Future wars will be fought on cyber domain. Delay in response will allow Chinese cyber soldiers to infiltrate Indian systems so deeply that de-coupling would become impossible.

Chinese spies in Afghanistan tells a lot about Beijing’s counterterrorism approach

A car bomb attack in October 2013 at Tiananmen Square arguably laid the groundwork for Beijing’s decision to ethnically re-engineer the Xinjiang province.

From West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, political competition is heating up. But no gain for voters

Political competition should ideally be an index of democracy impacting development positively but evidence suggests otherwise.

The future of money is digital, but it will be more than just Bitcoin

An efficient future will be one in which all central banks’ digital currencies will interact with one another & also with private-sector alternatives including Bitcoin, say experts.

Why Haryana’s new law reserving 75% private jobs for domiciles is self destructive politics

In episode 695 of 'Cut The Clutter', Shekhar Gupta explains the provisions, politics and pitfalls of a new employment law in Haryana, and how it is suicidal for the state's growth story.

On Camera

How economic planning stifled India’s growth and talent

The Indian planning system did not encourage individuals based on ‘what they knew’, but on ‘whom they knew’. Many left for countries that recognised their talent.

All bets off as online gaming bill shakes industry & key players suspend ‘gambling’ on their platforms

The new law, which the government has framed as a moral duty, forced major platforms like Dream11 & Zupee to shut operations, wiping out hundreds of crores in market capitalisation. 

Post-Sindoor, joint doctrine tasks Special Forces with fighting info warfare & countering propaganda

Joint Doctrine for Special Forces Operations, released Wednesday, also outlines plans for the future expansion of AFSOD and the creation of Joint Service Training Institutes.

That Oval Office picture for ages deserves closer Indian reading, with a geopolitical lens

Putin sees this as a victory. Europeans have decided to deal with Trump on his terms for the sake of the larger Western alliance. We look at the lessons for us in India.