For years, there have been item songs galore with double entendre lyrics and cameras capturing actresses curves. But National Award winning actress Vidya Balan says the scenario has changed, and actresses, at least in India, are in a position to avoid being objectified on screen anymore. “Time has absolutely changed,” Vidya told IANS over the […]
After every few months, Punjab’s ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance undergoes a self-imposed test to check whether or not its political bond is strong. In recent weeks, the ties between the allies have again undergone a reaffirming test from top leaders after actions and utterances of state leaders of both sides […]
There seems to be no end to the politics of sleaze and corruption in Himachal Pradesh. At least two chief ministers, a senior BJP leader who is now a Lok Sabha member, a former union minister, a top police officer and now a senior cabinet minister in the Congress government here claim they have been […]
Tax experts are hoping that there are no googlies in the Justice A.P.Shah panel report on the levy of minimum alternate tax (MAT) on foreign institutional investors (FII) and foreign portfolio investors (FPI) and expect the recommendations to be taxpayer- friendly. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in New Delhi on Thursday that the Shah panel […]
A key part of the “Digital India” initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the free government scheme that provides a virtual vault in cyberspace for the safe-keep of documents like birth certificates and property papers has attracted 830,075 people. As easy as opening an e-mail account, the free Digital Locker facility on a cloud, or […]
The contentious nuclear deal struck on Tuesday between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) in the Austrian capital city of Vienna has been described as a win-win for everybody. But an analysis of the 100-page agreement reveals certain cold facts that may dampen celebrations. In a long-running […]
Encouraging medal-winning international sports stars from Haryana is seeing other sportspersons in the state losing out. The revelation has come from Haryana’s sports department itself before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Haryana government, which has been showering largesse on medal winners of international sporting winners, has admitted that all funds have been exhausted […]
The Maharashtra government’s decision to tag students of traditional madrasas as ‘out-of-school’ has put madrasa reforms back on the national discourse. The issue is important not just for the Muslim community but for the nation. Someone must push it through in national interest. And nobody seems more primed for the role than Prime Minister Narendra […]
On July 16, a group of around a dozen persons kidnapped 36-year-old school teacher and RTI activist, Babu Ram Chauhan, beat him brutally, shaved his head and forced him to drink urine before attempting to throw him in the Indira Gandhi canal. Chauhan is currently recuperating at a hospital in Gujarat. A report by Commonwealth […]
Of more than 110 million rural households without toilets across India in 2012, the government has been able to assist 11 million households in building toilets. That means, nearly 99 million households need toilets over the next four years, if the government is to meet the target set by the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India […]