Trump always chickens out

There’s a phrase quietly doing the rounds: TACO — Trump Always Chickens Out. It sounds unserious, but looking at the current US–Iran ceasefire, it starts to feel like a pattern rather than a punchline. Because after weeks of escalation, airstrikes, and threats of wider war, we are back to something very familiar, negotiations over the […]

The Transgender Amendment Bill 2026

On one hand, the government justifies it as a necessary step to protect the rights of individuals by ensuring that only “genuine” transgender persons can claim this identity. The argument is not entirely baseless—there have been instances where people falsely claim to be transgender, sometimes even using it as a cover to harass others or […]

How India began owning its reform agenda

This article has been published with:What made 2025 different was not one dramatic announcement, but the way a series of interconnected reforms reshaped everyday economic life. Taxation, labour, energy, investment, and digital governance were not treated as isolated silos but as part of one system that ultimately affected how Indians earn, save, spend, work and […]

Iran’s reckoning, world’s calculations

This article has been published with: Iran’s reckoning, world’s calculations Iran is in the middle of the most serious political unrest it has seen since 1979, and it is increasingly hard to pretend that this is just another wave of protest that the system can absorb. Across Tehran, Shiraz and dozens of other cities, crowds […]

Replacing MGNREGA: Was it necessary?

If reform was genuinely the objective, the government could have introduced a MGNREGA 2.0 or strengthened the existing framework. Choosing instead to discard Gandhi’s name altogether points less to administrative necessity and more to a deliberate political statement, one that alters the scheme’s identity. On December 18, barely three days after it was circulated, Parliament […]

The Chimerica challenge for India                                                                                                   

A few weeks ago at the APEC Summit, a familiar but confusing scene returned to global politics. US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, two leaders who are rewriting the rhythm of 21st century geopolitics, shared a moment that seemed to restore the idea of a “G-2” world. Both countries quietly acknowledged each […]

Act east, deliver east

This article has been published with: Act east, deliver east In the soft-lit hills of Kuala Lumpur, Southeast Asia’s leaders gathered this October to take stock of an unsettled world. The 47th ASEAN Summit hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, carried both promise and paradox of Asia’s regional diplomacy. Under the theme of “inclusivity and […]

Why Gen Z protests are shaking the world

This article has been published with: Why Gen Z protests are shaking the world Unlike their predecessors, Gen Z is not content with gradual change. They have grown up in a digital world where progress is instantaneous and transparency is expected. Their protests are organised online, powered by memes, videos and digital solidarity. The internet […]

India’s role in the new Gaza peace

The article has been published with: As the first phase of US president Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza gains traction, with both Hamas and Israel cautiously signing onto its initial framework, a new moment of reckoning arises not just for the region but for India, whose interests and ideals converge at the heart […]

Will Ladakh demands finally be met?

This article has been published with: Will Ladakh’s demands finally be met? Ladakh is simmering, and the latest violence has brought long-standing frustrations to a head. Four people have been killed, at least 50 injured and a community once known for it’s peaceful strikes now find itself in the eye of a storm. Well, the […]

The American dream crumbles

This article has been published with: The American dream crumbles In quintessential Trump fashion, the US president has yet again upended millions of Indian aspirations with a single stroke of the pen. His latest executive order, hiking the H-1B visa fee to a staggering $1,00,000 has sent shockwaves through India’s tech corridors and diaspora communities. […]

London’s identity in question, are Indians at risk?                                                                      

This article has been published with: London’s identity in question, are Indians at risk? On a September weekend, central London became a stage of tense spectacle. A tide of Union Jacks and St George’s crosses swept through the streets, led by far-right activist Tommy Robinson under the banner of “Unite the Kingdom.” More than 1,50,000 […]