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Thursday, January 8, 2026
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Sharp Edge

India wasn’t always like this. Things have never been as bad as they are today

Was the system in India always so lax that politicians could watch citizens being poisoned, stranded, or burned alive and get away with it?

Indigo crisis is a management failure. Don’t blame the pilots

How did Indigo, long regarded as a triumph of Indian ingenuity and super management, get it so wrong? There are three components to the crisis.

Sanchar Saathi app U-turn is a rare victory for middle-class Indians against Modi govt

The Sanchar Saathi app saga's message to the critics of Modi government is: protest loudly because it is possible to get this administration to reverse its policy.

Dharmendra’s era judged deeds. Today, the Meat Police judges Ranbir Kapoor’s diet

When Ranbir Kapoor was cast in Ramayana, the PR team said he would give up meat during the filming — a silly thing to do because it put the Meat Police on high alert.

Delhi bomber’s video can’t radicalise anyone. Umar Un Nabi isn’t a martyr

The ravings of Umar un Nabi do not constitute a danger to public order. On the other hand, if we suppress the video, it might lead to public misapprehension.

How Nitish Kumar turned all rules of voter behaviour on their head

The conventional wisdom is that if a govt fails to improve the lot of the voters, it is punished. Kumar presided over an economic disaster for 20 years and was re-elected by a landslide.

India’s much-maligned intelligence agencies are our only hope against terror attacks

Delhi blast can be the start of a terror campaign. It’s not just an intelligence failure.

Zohran Mamdani is an authentic representation of modern India

Unlike many other Indian origin politicians, he has not converted to Christianity or played down his Indian roots. It would be hard for him to do that anyway because his mother Mira Nair is a well-known film director in India.

Indian middle class is fed up with being paunchy and plump. Ozempic and Mounjaro are big hits

The instant success of weight loss drugs in India tells us how quickly the country is changing. And for once, the change is for the better.

It doesn’t matter who rules Delhi — AAP or BJP. Diwali madness is now an annual ritual

There’s a definition of madness that seems well suited to today’s Delhi: doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.

On Camera

How artificial intelligence is reshaping terrorism and state security risks

Terrorist groups are increasingly using AI for propaganda, recruitment and attacks, forcing states to rethink security strategies.

2025 marked key point in India’s power sector: Clean energy surge pushed coal power into rare decline

Coal-based power generation fell 3% in 2025 while renewable capacity surged to 40% of India’s installed power mix, according to India Power Sector Review 2025 by CREA.

Bangladesh-Pakistan look to expand ties to defence procurement as Dhaka shows ‘interest’ in JF-17s

Pakistan military said it has assured Bangladesh of fast-tracked delivery of Super Mushshak trainer aircraft during high level defence meet held Tuesday.

A year-end Mea Culpa in National Interest—The Army-Islam combo doesn’t kill democracy

Many of you might think I got something so wrong in National Interest pieces written this year. I might disagree! But some deserve a Mea Culpa. I’d deal with the most recent this week.