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Stakes are high for India if Iran, US sign nuclear pact

opinion

Published on Aug 26, 2022 08:26 PM IST

Although its precise terms are yet to be unveiled, the revival of the nuclear deal would have profound implications — particularly on nuclear non-proliferation, gulf geopolitics and the global oil and gas market.

The JCPOA-2 could disrupt the recent evolution of West Asian geopolitics. (Reuters File Photo)

ByMahesh Sachdev

How confident are Indians in Modi’s India?

Our research dives into Indians’ attitudes on the state of the nation and how the PM and BJP fare

71% of respondents somewhat or strongly support PM Modi, suggesting that he continues to be among the most popular national leaders in the world. Such a high degree of nationalism and support for the PM plausibly grants the BJP greater flexibility in crafting its foreign policy. (PTI)

opinion

Updated on Aug 26, 2022 08:23 PM IST

ByChristopher Clary, Sameer Lalwani, Niloufer Siddiqui, Neelanjan Sircar

The chaos of gendered language and land: A lesson from cricket

When gendered language in legal discourse systemically excludes, devalues, and trivialises women, an encouraging example comes from an unexpected quarter — cricket

Land laws in India consistently use masculine pronouns and very often refer to men as the primary or exclusive legal subjects. (Getty Images)

opinion

Published on Aug 26, 2022 07:49 PM IST

ByShipra Deo, Robert Mitchell

Terms of Trade | India’s payment revolution is a statistical gold mine. Tap it

From average size of business enterprises to migration patterns and financial flows, tech revolution can help draw an intricate picture of the Indian economy

There is every reason to believe that using traditional data sources with the money trail generated by the payment revolution will make things better. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Updated on Jun 19, 2023 09:40 PM IST

ByRoshan Kishore

First Principles | Why IRCTC is selling passenger data

Conversations with people at the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology suggest much is going on in the background.

Hypothetically, if IRCTC’s database is used by an entity to refine its model, then the monies paid to IRCTC must be distributed among the people whose data it touched as well. (Twitter)

opinion

Published on Aug 26, 2022 10:25 AM IST

ByCharles Assisi

For effective fundraising, treat donors as partners

Preying on guilt or pity is one way to elicit funds. A better way is to make a donor feel a partner in the work.

I believe giving should be a purely voluntary gesture springing from compassion and a desire to see transformative change. It should not be the result of coercion. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Aug 26, 2022 10:21 AM IST

ByPushpa Sundar

The issues with maximum data and minimum privacy

Since the privacy judgment five years ago, two evident trends have compromised the promise of privacy in the context of data protection and surveillance reforms.

There is complete unaccountability on any data-related issues for Aarogya Setu. (AP File Photo)

opinion

Published on Aug 26, 2022 10:17 AM IST

ByApar Gupta

The silence in the Bilkis Bano case is deafening

From political leadership and the media to citizens, the release of the gang rapists and murderers in this case has not shaken our collective conscience

The contrasting responses to the 2012 tragedy and Bilkis’s quest for justice reveal just how much State and civil society have been transformed. (HT Photo)

opinion

Published on Aug 26, 2022 10:02 AM IST

ByRajdeep Sardesai

The art of a good unicorn | How ONDC will catapult D2C (Direct-To-Consumer)

The ONDC (Open Network For Digital Commerce) will provide a further impetus to the D2C (Direct-To-Consumer) business model, which has already been on the rise against the backdrop of COVID-19.

The biggest advantage of the ONDC is that anybody may join: Even the smallest retailers in the most remote area.

opinion

Published on Aug 25, 2022 07:03 PM IST

ByShrija Agrawal

Taiwan: Tracing the roots of the US-China standoff

The US and China have each accused the other of changing the status quo on Taiwan, leading to the standoff. They are both correct because each country has a different perspective on what the status quo is.

The recent visit of the US Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan — Pelosi was the highest-ranking US official to visit the island since the 1990s — brought relations to a new low. (AP)

opinion

Published on Aug 24, 2022 09:10 PM IST

ByManjari Chatterjee Miller

India’s key role in 21st century non-alignment

As Covid-19, the climate crisis, and Russia’s war in Ukraine exacerbate inequities in the world order, there is a strategic relevance for India to be a leader of developing nations in their quest for equity and autonomy

India’s stature and the call for renewed leadership emanates from the power of her example. It is the resilience of the Indian democratic project that distinguishes India as a non-western global leader like no other. (ANI)

opinion

Published on Aug 24, 2022 09:05 PM IST

ByYamini Aiyar, Angshuman Choudhury

The crucial interlinking of soil degradation and health

A recent global symposium by the Food and Agricultural Organisation highlighted the urgency to protect soil in order to build nutritious agri-food systems for enhanced human health

In India, the rapid degradation of topsoil is raising concerns about agricultural productivity and food security. (iStock)

opinion

Published on Aug 24, 2022 07:46 PM IST

ByPrerna Terway and Ranjana Roy

Keeping up with UP | Can caste census challenge Hindu nationalism?

The question is: Will the caste census have the same traction as Mandal? Can it actually break the Hindu bloc?

The BJP leadership is aware of the fact that caste census can throw a spanner in their ambitious political moves to wean away marginalised sections from the OBC bloc. (Sambit Saha/HT Archive/Representative Image)

opinion

Published on Aug 24, 2022 06:16 PM IST

BySunita Aron

Lessons from the past on the threat of a nuclear war

The Russia-Ukraine war is one symptom of a changing international system, with a public nonchalance toward nuclear weapons. That disregard is in contrast to 40 years ago.

A Russian serviceman patrols the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station in Energodar. (AFP)

opinion

Updated on Aug 23, 2022 08:47 PM IST

ByAdya Madhavan and Aditya Ramanathan

India at 100: Charting the future of Indian health care

For India’s journey ahead, we recommend interventions in four critical areas of public health: Health infrastructure, medical workforce, research and development (R&D), and medical tourism.

India has been critical in producing affordable vaccines. Today, 65% of children globally receive at least one vaccine manufactured in India. (File Photo)

opinion

Updated on Aug 23, 2022 08:44 PM IST

ByBalram Bhargava, Rajesh Bhushan

Managing the rise of a more assertive China

Nancy Pelosi’s decision to visit Taiwan sparked an aggressive response from Beijing. A more assertive China will only create further friction in the region. India, and the global community, will need to find ways to counter this change

What is driving this more assertive China and what does this mean for India? Xi Jinping’s assertiveness can be linked to rising Chinese nationalism and the sharpening of the country’s national ambitions. (AP)

opinion

Published on Aug 23, 2022 08:36 PM IST

ByKevin Rudd

Atmanirbhar Bharat needs high-end precision weapons

How can India build and deploy advanced weapons such as the R9X or the Spice? The answer is clear: By building a strong domestic edifice in semiconductors and microelectronics.

The ability to take out a critical portion of a building, with the entire structure still intact, is a spectacular feat of military precision. (AFP)

opinion

Published on Aug 22, 2022 10:24 PM IST

ByRaj Shukla

India must reassess its maritime strategy

China’s aggressive push in the Indian Ocean necessitates a response. But to bolster India’s maritime strength, Delhi will need to urgently effect a raft of changes

This would be a good juncture for India to undertake a reappraisal of its maritime capabilities as well as its maritime strategy. (ANI)

opinion

Published on Aug 22, 2022 09:57 PM IST

ByArun Prakash

Rohingya row shows why we need a national refugee law

India needs legislation, consistent with the international refugee law principles such as non-refoulement that governs refugees

The view that the principle of non-refoulement does not bind India because it is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention is patently wrong. (PTI)

opinion

Published on Aug 22, 2022 09:37 PM IST

ByPrabhash Ranjan

Hutong Cat | Stocktaking at the Communist party's secretive beach retreat

The secretive CPC conclave at Beidaihe is one such event in the CPC political calendar, details of which are a mystery, making it the perfect backdrop for conjecture and speculation

It was interesting to note the two leaders’ choice of places to reappear after their break in public appearances. (Reuters)

opinion

Published on Aug 22, 2022 02:40 PM IST

BySutirtho Patranobis

The Taste With Vir: Good news, the Mumbai Marathon is back

I was pleased to hear about the return of the Marathon for several reasons. First and most obviously, it is a sign that things are returning to normal. Secondly, I like the way the Marathon brings Mumbai together.

File Photo: Runners participate in the Mumbai Marathon 2020 Marine drive(Aalok Soni/HT)

opinion

Published on Aug 22, 2022 02:37 PM IST

ByVir Sanghvi, Delhi

Distantly Close | Inside the Congress: Rahul may not contest for party chief

While Rahul will be on Bharat-Jodo yatra during the Congress polls, Ashok Gehlot is under pressure to contest for party presidency

For the present, the chances of Rahul Gandhi consenting to contest for the party presidency in the upcoming organisational elections are remote. (PTI)

opinion

Updated on Aug 22, 2022 11:53 AM IST

By Vinod Sharma

Prepare now for the era of quantum computing

Quantum computing will solve complex scientific problems in a matter of seconds. However, if not regulated, it can be very dangerous. Our failings with AI hold key lessons

We must institute strategic controls that both correspond to the power of the technology and respect democratic values, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Aug 21, 2022 09:19 PM IST

ByVivek Wadhwa, Mauritz Kop

Navigating the rapid pace of urbanisation in India

While some pioneering and far-sighted programmes have been launched to improve urban areas, the pace of urbanisation is so rapid that merely fixing existing towns may not work.

From 2001 to 2011, the number of cities with a population of over one million went up from 35 to 53, and the share of the urban population in them from 37% to 42.6%. (HT Archives/Representative Image)

opinion

Published on Aug 21, 2022 08:49 PM IST

ByAnil Baijal, OP Agarwal

India’s tightrope walk in a hostile neighbourhood

Our neighbourhood is on fire on all sides. When a country’s liberal institutions begin to deteriorate, conservative elements take over.

The Yuan Wang-5 warship’s radar and cutting-edge equipment can track missiles and other security establishments for up to 750 km. As a result, it has the capability spy on all South Indian ports and plants. (AFP)

opinion

Published on Aug 21, 2022 08:45 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

What ails India’s sport governance structure

The national sports federation’s usual governance practices do not place either the sport or the athlete front and centre; that space is reserved for official egos, whims and political clout

The most fundamental shortage in Indian sport is of adequate competition opportunities or game-time at state and national level. The lack of athlete safety is only being exposed with a growing number of complaints these days. (HT PHOTO)

opinion

Updated on Aug 20, 2022 08:58 PM IST

BySharda Ugra

We have turned our back on Rushdie

Rushdie is possibly the greatest, certainly the most widely read and by far the best known, author of Indian origin. Yet we’ve turned our back on him

In 2000, in an interview for BBC’s Hardtalk India, I asked Rushdie: “Is this country still home?” This was his reply: “There’s a sense in which the country in which you were born and grew up as a child is always home. You never have that feeling about any other place. Anyone who reads my books knows the extent to which my imagination calls this country home.” (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

opinion

Updated on Aug 20, 2022 08:56 PM IST

ByKaran Thapar

Reimagine the State-citizen social contract

In India’s democracy, as in any other, the social contract between political leaders and the governed determines how long they govern and the focus of their governance

After 75 years, the question is whether the social contract with our political leaders is based on the issues we see as gaps and what are the mechanisms and platforms to reimagine and reconstruct such a contract between ruling regimes and citizens. (Hindustan Times)

opinion

Updated on Aug 20, 2022 08:58 PM IST

BySandhya Venkateswaran

Engaging business to advance gender equity

Gender bonds should resonate with investors since they reflect their commitment to pushing gender equality forward. The bonds can be used to get new sources of financing, which can tackle gender discrimination at multiple levels

“Empowering women is pivotal to accelerate economic growth. By bringing together large corporations under BSAC, we aim at positively impacting women, their families, and their communities on their terms...I am confident of further expanding a diversified representation by the private sector in the council to promote women’s economic empowerment.” (HT PHOTO)

opinion

Updated on Aug 20, 2022 08:57 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Across nations, the battle for the right to be forgotten

From the US to France and the rest of Europe, and even in India, the right to be forgotten or the right to erasure has been part of jurisprudence for several years.

The right of oblivion, or to be forgotten, addresses an urgent issue in our 21st century digital era: Can we really escape our past on the internet when our photographs, tweets, statuses, and stories are forever a part of the online public domain? (Shutterstock)

opinion

Published on Aug 19, 2022 09:03 PM IST

ByGeeta Luthra

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Opinion

Although its precise terms are yet to be unveiled, the revival of the nuclear deal would have profound implications — particularly on nuclear non-proliferation, gulf geopolitics and the global oil and gas market.

Our research dives into Indians’ attitudes on the state of the nation and how the PM and BJP fare

When gendered language in legal discourse systemically excludes, devalues, and trivialises women, an encouraging example comes from an unexpected quarter — cricket

From average size of business enterprises to migration patterns and financial flows, tech revolution can help draw an intricate picture of the Indian economy

Conversations with people at the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology suggest much is going on in the background.

Preying on guilt or pity is one way to elicit funds. A better way is to make a donor feel a partner in the work.

Since the privacy judgment five years ago, two evident trends have compromised the promise of privacy in the context of data protection and surveillance reforms.

From political leadership and the media to citizens, the release of the gang rapists and murderers in this case has not shaken our collective conscience

The ONDC (Open Network For Digital Commerce) will provide a further impetus to the D2C (Direct-To-Consumer) business model, which has already been on the rise against the backdrop of COVID-19.

The US and China have each accused the other of changing the status quo on Taiwan, leading to the standoff. They are both correct because each country has a different perspective on what the status quo is.

As Covid-19, the climate crisis, and Russia’s war in Ukraine exacerbate inequities in the world order, there is a strategic relevance for India to be a leader of developing nations in their quest for equity and autonomy

A recent global symposium by the Food and Agricultural Organisation highlighted the urgency to protect soil in order to build nutritious agri-food systems for enhanced human health

The question is: Will the caste census have the same traction as Mandal? Can it actually break the Hindu bloc?

The Russia-Ukraine war is one symptom of a changing international system, with a public nonchalance toward nuclear weapons. That disregard is in contrast to 40 years ago.

For India’s journey ahead, we recommend interventions in four critical areas of public health: Health infrastructure, medical workforce, research and development (R&D), and medical tourism.

Nancy Pelosi’s decision to visit Taiwan sparked an aggressive response from Beijing. A more assertive China will only create further friction in the region. India, and the global community, will need to find ways to counter this change

How can India build and deploy advanced weapons such as the R9X or the Spice? The answer is clear: By building a strong domestic edifice in semiconductors and microelectronics.

China’s aggressive push in the Indian Ocean necessitates a response. But to bolster India’s maritime strength, Delhi will need to urgently effect a raft of changes

India needs legislation, consistent with the international refugee law principles such as non-refoulement that governs refugees

The secretive CPC conclave at Beidaihe is one such event in the CPC political calendar, details of which are a mystery, making it the perfect backdrop for conjecture and speculation

I was pleased to hear about the return of the Marathon for several reasons. First and most obviously, it is a sign that things are returning to normal. Secondly, I like the way the Marathon brings Mumbai together.

While Rahul will be on Bharat-Jodo yatra during the Congress polls, Ashok Gehlot is under pressure to contest for party presidency

Quantum computing will solve complex scientific problems in a matter of seconds. However, if not regulated, it can be very dangerous. Our failings with AI hold key lessons

While some pioneering and far-sighted programmes have been launched to improve urban areas, the pace of urbanisation is so rapid that merely fixing existing towns may not work.

Our neighbourhood is on fire on all sides. When a country’s liberal institutions begin to deteriorate, conservative elements take over.

The national sports federation’s usual governance practices do not place either the sport or the athlete front and centre; that space is reserved for official egos, whims and political clout

Rushdie is possibly the greatest, certainly the most widely read and by far the best known, author of Indian origin. Yet we’ve turned our back on him

In India’s democracy, as in any other, the social contract between political leaders and the governed determines how long they govern and the focus of their governance

Gender bonds should resonate with investors since they reflect their commitment to pushing gender equality forward. The bonds can be used to get new sources of financing, which can tackle gender discrimination at multiple levels

From the US to France and the rest of Europe, and even in India, the right to be forgotten or the right to erasure has been part of jurisprudence for several years.

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