This was perhaps one of the closely watched and contested elections in Bihar. With the pre-poll noise levels rising, the exit polls predicting a thumping victory for BJP, perhaps the final result was a rather strong jolt. But the final result, was it really that surprising? Did the BJP really expect anything better? Can we put the credit for this victory entirely to Shri Nitish Kumar’s developmental financial package? Well […]

Undoubtedly, the BJP’s massive defeat in Bihar will attract great attention outside India. Foreign governments, international investors, South Asia observers, the media and the NGO community will closely analyse the election results to assess its impact on Indian politics. In particular, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s responses to the defeat will be under continuous scrutiny. Uppermost will be the basic question: does the Bihar defeat mark the beginning of the end […]

Bollywood veteran actor, Anupam Kher who will lead his ‘March for India’ on Saturday in the national capital against the literary icons and artists returning their awards said the march was about believing in one’s own nation and that India did not need an ‘international stamp of approval’ on its tolerance levels. “Patriotism gives us a feeling of self worth. Join us on this historical day at National Museum, Janpath […]

It was the greatest ever voter turnout in Bihar as the state drew curtains on the mega 5 phased Legislative Assembly Polls. For three months now, hectic seat haggling, number crunching, breaking and making alliances was the order of the day and now all that has come to an end as the final phases of polling wrapped up yesterday. But hang on, ‘the drama ain’t over yet in this bitterly […]

As tension mounts in the South China Sea (SCS), where the US just sent a guided-missile destroyer to challenge China’s fanciful 9-dashed line claim, India is showing it is open to not only aggressively seeking freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the region but also ensuring disputes are resolved in keeping with international laws. Top government officials here said it was “on purpose” that India mentioned the South China Sea […]

As the elections in Bihar near their penultimate phase and all eyes are glued to the action next Sunday, it is going to be an action packed Sunday. On the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a rally at the Sheri-E-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar. Given the recent bouts of animosity and failed attempts to revive peace talks with Pakistan, this address at the venue that was […]

At a time when even corporators and local politicians have several SUVs and crores to their name, Banshidhar Bauddh is a tad different. Not only does this MLA not own a single car, but he lives in a thatched hut in an obscure village and is not even eligible to pay income tax. And on Saturday, his life took a sudden twist when he was inducted as a minister in […]

Bidhya Devi Bhandari, vice chairman of the ruling CPN-UML, was on Wednesday elected president of Nepal, making her the first woman to occupy the vaunted post. Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress nominee Kul Bahadur Gurung in the presidential poll to elect the second president of the Himalayan nation, The election result was announced in parliament by Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar. A former defence minister, Bhandari is a cancer survivor and widow […]

China today said ties with India and between the armies have improved as a result of bilateral mechanisms put in place by both sides to bring down tensions over the disputed border after a video emerged showing Indian and Chinese soldiers involved in a standoff in 2013. “I have seen the report. The video showed something that happened several years ago. We released information and clarified our position at that […]

HIGHLIGHTS •An atomic expert warned the authorities that three powerful bombs would cause ‘complete destruction’. •The letter claims three powerful bombs would have been dropped on London during the Cold War, causing destruction worse than at Nagasaki in Japan. •The Russian head of state from 1924 to 1953 was Joseph Stalin, and from 1954 to 1963 it was Nikita Khrushchev. A possible Russian plot to drop nuclear bombs on London […]