The expression “blackened lips and reddened eyes” referring to addicted young persons -- men and women -- in the last edition of ‘Footloose in Bhopal’ became a subject of discussion in many groups through-out the week. Many responded to the subject positively, and joined the loosefooter to express a serious concern about the decline of the standard of young conduct (in whatever percentage). This evidence of the social concern of large numbers of people about young people falling prey to addiction ..

The refusal to accept its defeat is the consequence of a false sense of entitlement that drives the Congress thinking. So, whenever the truth offends, the party leadership lies, and lies, and lies. Every lie the Grand Old Party tells incurs a debt to the truth. Racking up of this debt is set to prove ruinous in the future run for the Congress. Already, there are piling gripes over mismanagement by the Congress top brass among its I.N.D.I bloc partners. ..

The HC has pointed out that it is well accepted principle in law that right to free speech is not an absolute right and one cannot assert existence of this right by levelling reckless utterances, which tantamount to defame another person, as the said person equally has a right of his dignity, which is a part of his fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. ..

The expression “blackened lips and reddened eyes” referring to addicted young persons -- men and women -- in the last edition of ‘Footloose in Nagpur’ became a subject of discussion in many groups through-out the week. Many responded to the subject positively, and joined the loosefooter to express a serious concern about the decline of the standard of young conduct (in whatever percentage). This evidence of the social concern of large numbers of people about young people falling prey to addiction ..

The expectation from the Licencing Authority or the Authority granting authorisation is to act fairly and to adopt a procedure, which can be said to be ‘fairplay in action’. In one of the judgements, the Supreme Court has held that due observance of the statutory obligations as a part of good administration raises a reasonable or legitimate expectation fair treatment. ..

EVERY morning, at an unearthly hour of 4.30 am, the alarm rings - twice in succession. One signals,‘Rise & Shine’, and the other is a reminder of popping a pill - first of the many that I ingest throughout the day. Even before I brush my teeth, I gulp the tiny pill - to keep my thyroid in check. It’s supposed to be taken on an empty stomach for it to have an effect on the non-functional gland in my body. As the day goes by, the medicinal buffet comes into play - a colourful array of pills are arranged ..

There is a difference between freedom and licentiousness. While freedom comes with responsibilities, licentiousness treats all kinds of responsibilities as a burden -- or even coercion. Those trying to create an atmosphere wherein a boy or a girl feels ‘unsure’ about own gender, and wherein a male or a female is made to feel insecure about identifying as a male or a female as per the natural biological arrangement, are practising licentiousness. Preaching of ‘genderfluidity’ and ‘genderflux’ is aimed ..

China’s footprint is striking in the regime-change in Bangladesh. The ouster of Sheikh Hasina Wajed in a sudden uprising in August and subsequent tumult in the country targeting Indian interests and Hindu minorities are byproducts of a well-cultivated strategy by China. All the developments bear a reflection of China’s “String of Pearls” policy focusing encirclement of India’s neighbourhood. It is a multiple-front battle for India with China, but in the shadows...

On going through the entire material, it reveals that messages only show feelings expressed as to Caste Reservation System. Such messages nowhere show that there was any attempt to promote any enmity, hatred or ill-will against members of the SCs and the STs. At the most it can be said that her target was just the complainant only...

AS USUAL, the cafe in a posh area was crowded around 4 in the afternoon. Individuals, groups, couples sat at tables, engaged in following their respective culinary pursuits -- and also in discussions, some in quiet whispers and some in loud assertions. There was laughter in the air and a general sense of merriment prevailed in the large room with several tables. Waiters and bearers moved around effortlessly serving the customers, many of whom appeared to be regulars in the place. Two groups -- sitting ..

THE Maharashtra Assembly elections are done and dusted. The MahaYuti, led by a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party, has demolished the Maha Vikas Aghadi and also the perceptions around its slump with a scintillating show. The focus now shifts on Government formation with new equations and also on ushering in of new freebies promised to the voters. The spotlight, once again, thus comes back on the doles which the MahaYuti has pledged to hike for women. In fact, the entire spectacle of election in Maharashtra ..

IN THE judgement of the Special Leave Petition (Civil) – Rajneesh Kumar & Another v. Ved Prakash, delivered on November 21, 2024, Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan have quoted an observation from its judgment of the case- Bharat Barrel & Drum Mfg. Co. v. The Employees State Insurance Corporation- (1971) 2 SCC 860, wherein the Supreme Court has declared that “the necessity for enacting periods of limitation is to ensure that actions are commenced within a particular period, firstly to ..

A N INTRIGUING part of democracy has played out in M a h a r a s h t r a Assembly elections where strange political alliances fought with each other with their own equations but with a dark cloak of insecurity surrounding their future. Never had the elections in the State been so unpredictable that even seasoned pollsters are afraid of making a prediction. A hung Assembly looks a possible outcome after November 23 and with it the existence of some outfits and alliances, too, looks hanging by a thread. ..

I N T HE decision of a Single Judge Bench criminal case – Achal Singh and 3 others, Justice Birendra Kumar has held at the Rajasthan High Court, Jodhpur, on November 12, 2024, that in the judgment of the case – Kola Ram & Another v. State of Rajasthan-(1999) Cr.L.R. (Raj.) 401 that framing of charge after giving opportunity of hearing is an independent judicial act, hence mere taking of cognizance does not make it obligatory to frame charge. In other words, correctness of order of charge can be looked ..

Associating the dividing line of ‘caste’ with the unifying process of Parliamentary democracy tantamounts to subverting the spirit of unity and fraternity enshrined in the Constitution of India. Politicians have been using ‘caste’ as a tool to extract emotional ransom from gullible voters. Sadly, a segment of voters has been blindly falling prey to this divisive emotional tactic of certain parties...

J J UST like the Big Fat Weddings in India generate global interest for its lavishness and massive spread, the Presidential elections in the United States are also seen as some sort of festival, with no direct connection. Political pundits choose to describe the Indian people’s interest in the US elections as a case of “begani shaadi me Abdullah deewana” and yet the result is latched upon by all and sundry as a possible gamechanger in the Indo-American relations. The landslide victory by Donald Trump ..

   CENTRAL Government bringing a counter-terrorism policy soon, is a timely step in right direction. Since the statement in this regard has come from none other than Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah, it has the seal of credibility too. Giv..

Sewell Setzer, a 14-year-old ninth standard student from Orlando, had developed an obsession for a chatbot. He had named the Artificial Intelligence-generated chatbot after a character from the ‘Game of Thrones’. For hours together, Sewell would keep chatting with the AI assistant. At the back of his mind he also knew that there was no human on the other side of the screen and the response he was getting was just AI-generated language. But he had formed an emotional attachment with the bot, texting ..

The lure of fast bucks is the basic driving force behind the economic surrender. In the process, a lot of values get demolished, systems get subverted, rules get tweaked, risks are presented in attractive packaging, loans are glorified, and savings are disincentivised. Risky trading, hefty profits, little caution make a recipe for disaster. In contrast, Indian wisdom advocated a blend of savings and thoughtful spending so that everyone including the State exchequer had enough in store for rainy days...

“Oh My God!” I had started hyperventilating. I wasn’t able to locate my phone. Five minutes had gone by and I hadn’t checked the phone. I could hear faint ‘ping, ping’, which meant that notifications were being received, and now the state of affairs is such that if I don’t check the phone every two minutes, it seems that something major is amiss. I searched frantically for it, like a sniffer dog looking for drugs, I concentrated on the direction from where the pings were emanating, and I was finally ..

A COLLECTION of good individual practices forms societal norms that aim at larger collective interest. However, a growing collection of undesirable individual practices forms a trend that eventually takes the shape of social surrender. Just as cultural surrender has far-reaching consequences, the social surrender has ugly potential to lead the society towards anarchist behaviour that threatens the interests of everyone in the country. Social and technological surrender poses the risk of destabilising ..

“What makes the digital revolution in India so interesting is that it’s been used by the government to actually provide benefits to all members of society. It hasn’t just created benefits for the lucky few. And this, I think, is very different from most other countries around the world,” said Nobel Laureate Professor Paul Michael Romer praising the country’s digital revolution. THIS encomium, coming from a luminary with straightforward and no-nonsense attitude, underscores a proud moment for India ..

ONLY an Emily Dickinson can handle such paradoxes ! And what a connect she attains in these simple words -- spiritually ! Human soul ! -- Atman, Brahman, the emotional core, being carried forward in a frugal chariot, so to say ! So fine this ‘soul’ is that it also can move on on the strength of what a book wants to say, or even what a poem has to suggest in a fine nuance ! But the poem is about ‘A Book’ -- and, naturally, its power as a spiritual thruster. It also treats a poem as a courser -- that ..

NOT all surrenders are made in the battlefield. Some surrenders are made to make peace with the trends, and such surrenders have the potential to seriously compromise the social, cultural, political, and economic interests of a society. Gradually, such surrenders pave the way to destruction of rich fabric of a nation. Among all these surrenders, cultural surrender is the most damaging one. For, it has far-reaching consequences. Unfortunately, a big chunk of the Indian population has been making these ..

IN THE last two years, in his Vijayadashami speech, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat has raised red-flag for ‘wokeism’ pervading into the country with its only aim of a systematic attack on cultural traditions. The insistence on ‘wokeism’ this year is another reminder to the country to raise guard against an obnoxious culture that is slowly but definitely being injected in the society whose large part is feeding off social media and its half-truths. The phrase ‘woke’ had its ..