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Thursday, April 25, 2024
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Talk Point

Talk Point: Can Doklam be contained? Will the tensions go beyond Doklam?

Indian and Chinese soldiers are locked in their longest border face-off in decades in the Doklam tri-junction area.

Talk Point: Is the space for Dalit identity politics and Dalit-first parties shrinking?

The UP election results earlier this year signaled a growing support among the Dalits for the BJP. This was followed by NDA fielding Ram Nath Kovind as its presidential candidate, forcing the opposition to field another Dalit, Meira Kumar, as his rival. Then last week, Mayawati resigned from the Rajya Sabha, protesting against what she said was the attitude of the ruling party to suppress her voice raising Dalit issues. As parties from across the spectrum aggressively target and woo the Dalit community, what is the future of exclusive appeals by smaller parties? We ask experts.

Talk Point: Is the proposed inter-agency review of American support to Pakistan different from such past exercises?

What will the implications of this move be on Pakistan and on the South Asian region? We ask experts

Talk Point: How did some pockets of West Bengal become so communally polarised?

A controversial Facebook post about Islam recently prompted angry Muslim mobs to go on a rampage setting buildings on fire and clash with the police in West Bengal, killing a 65-year-old Hindu man. Retaliatory Hindu mobs burnt down the dargah and shops owned by Muslims. Who is responsible for this communal tinderbox? We ask experts.

TALK POINT: Is PM Narendra Modi’s trip to Israel more about symbolism and less about real gains?

Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Israel – the first by an Indian prime minister – is being hyped as a key shift in the...

TALK POINT: Can official data be fudged? How can we ensure that the credibility of official data is not damaged?

In recent months, many allegations have been made about fudging of official data by government departments in both the centre and the states. How...

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.

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.

On Camera

BJP has a problem of plenty in Phase 2. It can only go down from that

BJP’s fate in the second phase of 2024 Lok Sabha election will be decided in Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, where it performed very well in 2019 but faces a stiff competition now.

Kotak Mahindra Bank shares drop 10% after RBI bans it from taking new customers via digital channels

The private lender's shares tumbled to be top Nifty 50 loser after India's central bank barred it from taking on new customers through online and mobile banking channels.

Rafale to Exercise Garuda, a look at Indo-French defence ties as Chief of Defence Staff visits France

Another addition to military cooperation has been the Strategic Space Dialogue, inaugurated in Paris in 2023. Last month, India participated as an observer to France’s AsterX.

These 6 states are key for Modi’s ‘400 paar’ target. They’re also where Opposition can stop him

While this contest looks so predictable in large swathes of our political landscape, it is also more keenly contested than 2019 in some states.