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Wednesday, March 18, 2026
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The FinePrint

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala lead the way in ending the orderly system. Will North follow?

Madras High Court has ordered strict compliance with Tamil Nadu's abolition of the 'orderly system'. In ending this colonial-era practice, southern states are torchbearers of social reform.

Badshah’s men say India doesn’t get the hip-hop game. Truth is, misogyny is their normal

That Badshah is misogynistic is not a particularly illuminating observation. The misogyny is a creative condition of his music, as fundamental to it as the buzzy beat drop.

10 months, 5 hearings: Official Secrets Act case against YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra still stuck at pre-trial

Malhotra was arrested in May last year over a series of alleged communications with Pakistani intelligence operatives, including sharing photographs and videos of a sensitive location.

Amit Shah won’t lose sleep over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam. Bengal is different

The scenarios in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry should explain why the BJP is so focused on West Bengal.

India must allow citizens to invest beyond its borders. It’s risk management, not luxury

The financialisation of Indian household savings is one of the most important economic shifts of the past decade. But financialisation without international diversification creates fragile balance sheets.

Punjab gangsters are shooting village sarpanches now. Moving on from NRIs and pop stars

Two out of four sarpanches killed since January were associated with AAP—a detail that has drawn quiet attention in Punjab’s political circles.

Caste, freebies, Dravidian ideology & a new player—Tamil Nadu election no longer a DMK, AIADMK duopoly

The 2026 polls are being defined by a mix of governance issues, social fragmentation & ideological clashes. What adds to the buzz is the emergence of a new player in TVK.

‘Krishna played cricket first’— Sanatan Premier League gives the game a Hindu makeover

In its first edition, SPL is valued at Rs 140 crore, with matches being televised on Sony, hefty prize money on offer, and rewards ranging from cars to motorcycles.

1978 toy gun hijack to 2026 AI summit protest: Evolution of Youth Congress, from Sanjay’s era to Rahul’s

During Indira’s time, Youth Congress was a ‘safety valve’ against growing popular dissent. Sanjay then turned it into feeder cadre for Congress. It’s now struggling to rebrand itself.

Brotherly love to border toll: Why Punjab & Himachal keep squabbling over roads, rivers and revenue

An entry fee hike for vehicles from other states has sparked fresh bickering between Punjab & Himachal. But the quarrel runs deeper—hydro project dues, tourism traffic and even cultural flashpoints.

On Camera

Hyderabadis deserve better than what Salar Jung Museum’s 75th anniversary offers

The proposed museum’s conference is not featuring some of the best historians in country. Hyderabad, a city with rich history, is never as intellectually active as it should be.

Covid, sanctions, war. Life’s rough for Surat’s small diamond units, salaries ‘not guaranteed anymore’

West Asia war threatens to push already fragile industry deeper into crisis. Latest disruption is playing out differently for bigger and small-scale players in Surat’s diamond industry.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba, the man Iran must keep alive & the secret force ‘tasked with it’—all about NOPO

The Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, or NOPO, was the only force Ali Khamenei trusted.It was founded in 1991 and is more feared than the Revolutionary Guards.

Peaceful power transfers followed uprisings in India’s neighbourhood. It’s a sign of mature democracies

Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.