Centre needs to act boldly on Telangana

A situation has arisen in Andhra Pradesh in which the government of the State has not been able to carry on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The remedy for the situation is for the President to assume the functions of the State government other than the legislature.

Forgive them not, for they know what they are doing

The Delhi gang rape case shook the conscience of the country and targeted the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, a progressive legislation with a reformatory regime, which enabled one of the culprits of the brutal crime to get away with just three years in a remand home. The Act was

Retrieve Katchatheevu from Sri Lanka

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was mistaken in thinking that a mere demarche served on Sri Lankan High Commissioner in New Delhi asking Colombo to release the 100-odd fishermen from southern Tamil Nadu taken captives by the island nation’s navy in the Palk Strait would ensure the release

The fatal attraction to 'Made in Russia

Our hearts go out to the families of the 18 gallant Indian Navy personnel who went down in the submarine Sindhurakshak in the Lions Gate naval dockyard in Mumbai following a series of deafening explosions on board. Its manual and automatic alarm systems did not work during the

Introduce paper receipts in EVMs for fair polls

The late lamented Soviet leader Joseph Stalin is credited with the saying: “He who casts a vote decides nothing. He who counts the votes decides everything.” For a vote to mean anything, those counting the ballot must have a greater respect for the integrity of democracy.

Towards a better system in judicial appointments

The collegium system of appointments in the higher judiciary leaves too much to the discretion of chief justices and in the process, legal competence, integrity, and dedication, have become casualty. The judge is the pillar of the entire justice system in a democracy. Judges a

Accused in Gujarat riots cannot lead India

Narendra Modi’s elevation in BJP and the attempt to showcase him as future face of the party and its prime ministerial candidate is bound to cause some political churning in the country. While the BJP can hope to consolidate its Hindutva votebank, it has to reconcile to

Nation totally unprepared to deal with disasters

Frequency of disasters, natural as well as manmade, due to increase in urbanisation and development of the avoidable kind, has been on the increase in the country, causing significant loss of life and damage to infrastructure and government facilities. In such a scenario, the import

Italy's snub, a consequence of India's soft image

Italy’s undiplomatic act of refusing to send back two of its marines facing trial in India on charges of killing two Kerala fishermen allegedly in Indian waters is a direct consequence of India’s image as a soft state. If India believes it is a regional superpower

Sri Lanka sliding to dictatorship

The removal of Sri Lanka’s 43rd Chief Justice, Shirani Bandarayanayaka, has shaken the very foundations of independence of the judiciary, rule of law and all basic norms of a functioning democracy. The Executive and the Legislature deliberately ignored the constitutional

Let death be the verdict

The brutalisation of a young girl in a private bus in Delhi, along with her male friend, has justifiably raised national outrage. There is widespread angst, anger and disgust at the horrific incident where the magnitude of violence, pain, humiliation and degradation inflicted on the girl canno

Drop the antagonistic stand against Jallikattu

The Supreme Court’s decision to allow the conduct of Jallikattu has brought cheer to followers of the sport in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Jallikattu is a traditional sport that involves both man and animal. In recent years its popularity has increased and the annual Jallikattu

Link the rivers and save agriculture

When Tamil Nadu approached the Supreme Court seeking justice as Karnataka refused to release Cauvery water in defiance of its order, all it got from a Bench comprising Justices DK Jain and Madan B Lokur was a homily on the importance of talks to arrive at an amicable solution to this sensitive

India betrays Lankan Tamils again

In a major departure from its foreign policy, India dropped its demand to implement the 13th amendment to the Constitution by Sri Lanka, demilitarise the Northern Province and holding of election to the Northern Provincial Council in the working report of Sri Lanka’s Universal Periodic R