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Opinion

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Beijing in President Trump’s policy shop

Opinion

Published on Jan 22, 2025 08:07 PM IST

It is no secret that Trump loves strong men and the manner in which China is handling the US is obviously garnering his attention

FILE - Traditional Russian wooden dolls called Matryoshka depicting China's President Xi Jinping, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are displayed for sale at a souvenir shop in St. Petersburg, Russia on Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File) (AP)

ByManoj Joshi

Depending on an undependable US

India should deepen strategic and economic ties with Trump’s DC, but be aware of its nationalist and revisionist avatar

FILE- President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, share a laugh together during a bilateral meeting at the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, Aug. 26, 2019. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) (AP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 22, 2025 08:07 PM IST

ByPrashant Jha

Policy prescriptions for sustainable living in UP

Lakhimpur Kheri’s journey toward sustainability is a testament to the collective efforts of its residents

Recognising the impact of global warming, efforts have been focused on projects like rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge to address water scarcity. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 22, 2025 08:07 PM IST

ByDurga Shakti Nagpal

The sleep monitor on your wrist might just save your life

Consumer devices like fitness trackers are great at tracking how long you sleep and identifying patterns in different sleep stages, like REM and light sleep

These everyday devices from smartphones to fitness trackers to smart rings have turned our bodies into streams of medical data.

Opinion

Published on Jan 22, 2025 07:00 PM IST

ByAnirban Mahapatra

For America, why India is not China

As Trump starts his second term, experts advise excluding India from tariffs, citing strong, mutually beneficial trade ties unlike those with China.

FILE PHOTO: A worker arranges sugar bags in a net to load them onto a cargo ship at the Deendayal Port in Kandla, in the western state of Gujarat, India, September 25, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo (REUTERS)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 22, 2025 08:27 AM IST

ByAshish Dhawan, Piyush Doshi

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao dividend for Viksit Bharat

From women’s development to women-led development, the daughters of India are emerging as changemakers, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

The transformative impact of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) programme is a testament to how far we have come in our transition from a focus on women’s development to women-led development. (Photo by Sakib Ali /Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on Jan 22, 2025 08:27 AM IST

ByAnnapurna Devi

Hiding in labour data, a tale of economic distress

More than half the workforce engaged in low-productivity activities, combined with no significant rise in earnings from livelihood does not bode well for growth

A labourer cleans a high rise window at a hotel in Amritsar on December 24, 2024. (Photo by Narinder NANU / AFP) (AFP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 22, 2025 08:27 AM IST

ByMaitreesh Ghatak, Mrinalini Jha, Jitendra Singh

Taste by Vir Sanghvi: Breaking myths and embracing India's cannabis tradition

Cannabis is a plant that grows wild in many parts of India. In much of the rest of the world, it is cultivated by farmers.

Our ignorance about cannabis allows motivated campaigns to be launched against individuals who consume it. (Shutterstock)

Opinion

Published on Jan 21, 2025 12:25 PM IST

ByVir Sanghvi

International best practices shed light on congestion pricing in Delhi

Currently, pricing in Singapore and Milan’s Area C varies by vehicle size and heavier, more polluting vehicles pay higher charges than lighter ones.

Traffic congestion at Delhi-Meerut Expressway(Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on Jan 21, 2025 08:00 AM IST

ByMoorthy Nair

The lingering pain of the Kashmiri Pandit exodus

Kashmiri Pandits are a part of the tumultuous history of Kashmir which was an important centre of Hinduism in the first millennium

A Kashmiri Pandit sings a traditional song during the annual Hindu festival at the Khirbhawani temple in the village of Tullamulla, some 30kms east of Srinagar on June 2, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / TAUSEEF MUSTAFA (AFP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 20, 2025 08:34 PM IST

ByUpendra Kaul

Donald Trump 2.0 and the limits of CEO as president

Do Trump and his team have the wisdom to know the difference between a country? Time will tell.

President-elect Donald Trump gestures as he walks with his wife Melania after a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church across from the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, on Donald Trump's inauguration day. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (AP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 20, 2025 08:33 PM IST

ByKiertisak Toh, Prahlad Kasturi

Truce to peace, the challenge in Gaza

Sustained international engagement and goodwill from all parties will be essential to build on the Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal

A man fixes a Palestinian flag atop the antenna of a destroyed building that was a clinic for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) at the Jabalia camp for Palestinian refugees in the northern Gaza Strip on January 19, 2025. (Photo by Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) (AFP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 20, 2025 08:33 PM IST

ByAusaf Sayeed

Policing personal freedoms, courtesy social sensibilities

The controversy created by the OYO “proof of relationship” policy for booking a room speaks to the broader societal hypocrisy about morality in India

Consensual adult relationships are personal and private, and no one — neither society, the State, nor corporations — has the right to question them

Opinion

Published on Jan 19, 2025 07:51 PM IST

BySrinath Sridharan, Lloyd Mathias

The balancing China question before India

India’s China problem is not going away anytime soon; China will continue to be a profound grand strategic issue for us.

The external balancing of China must carefully engage in finding the right kind of partners, ensuring partnerships don’t lead to undesirable expectations (Photo by Indian Army/AFP)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 19, 2025 07:49 PM IST

ByHappymon Jacob

Trump 2.0: Prospects of global disruption

Donald Trump begins his second term as POTUS amid global uncertainty, facing criticism for his policies and controversial actions impacting the world.

Even his trenchant critics agree that Trump’s over-the-top behaviour is meant to hog the limelight and secure a better deal for himself from his opponents (Getty Images via AFP)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 19, 2025 07:46 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Just Like That | Decolonising the Indian mind: Beyond political freedom

While India's independence was a monumental achievement, the remnants of colonial influence endure in language, education, and cultural preferences

Decades of political struggle and the most remarkable acts of courage and sacrifice of countless Indians preceded the proud unfurling of the Tiranga and the descent of the Union Jack on August 15, 1947.(Getty Images)

Opinion

Published on Jan 19, 2025 08:00 AM IST

ByPavan K Varma

Mind the Gap: Why American companies are wrong to roll back DEI policies.

In Donald Trump’s USA, companies that have promoted DEI are rolling back their programmesIn India, corporates have, fortunately not lost their appetite for DEI

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at a conference at Menlo Park in September 2023(Associated Press)

Opinion

Published on Jan 19, 2025 07:30 AM IST

ByNamita Bhandare

Absent in the “work 90 hours a week” debate

We don’t have meaningful work that requires 90 hours a week. Most work is repetitive or dependent on others.

The Factories Act, and various Shops and Establishment Acts, limit weekly hours to 48. An ILO study says Indians work 47.7 hours on average every week (Shutterstock)

Opinion

Published on Jan 18, 2025 08:15 PM IST

ByAbhishek Asthana

Budget as instrument for women’s empowerment

The lack of gender-segregated data must be rectified especially for the marginalised sections of society

Women-voters-wait-to-cast-their-votes-during-Municipal-Corporation-polls-at-a-polling-booth-in-Ajmer-Rajasthan-India-on-Monday-August-17-2015-Deepak-Sharma-HT-Photo

Opinion

Published on Jan 18, 2025 08:15 PM IST

ByLalita Panicker

Annihilating caste in universities and colleges

Tweak the 2012 Promotion of Equity Regulation to expand its jurisdiction, and ensure better enforcement of its existing provisions

The fact that suicides in higher education institutes continue despite the 2012 Regulations indicates there is a need to treat caste discrimination as a criminal act. Only then can it be brought under check. (Photo by Ravi Choudhary/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on Jan 18, 2025 08:07 PM IST

BySukhadeo Thorat

Issues that will come under Trump 2.0 fire

What sort of relationship is Trump likely to pursue with China and Xi Jinping? And what will be the implications for India?

FILE - President-elect Donald Trump speaks at a meeting with Republican governors at Mar-a-Lago, on Jan. 9, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) (AP)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 18, 2025 08:07 PM IST

ByKaran Thapar

Trump’s tariff talk will target the farm sector

Washington is likely to ask Delhi to reduce tariffs on US farm products. India needs to protect its farm sector to ensure food security and protect livelihoods

FILE PHOTO: A farm labourer holds rice sapling as he prepares to plant them in a field on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, July 22, 2024. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File Photo (REUTERS)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 17, 2025 08:33 PM IST

ByBiswajit Dhar

Why we need to talk to boys about rape

The malaise of violence, including sexual violence against women and girls, cuts across geographic borders, age of victim, educational level, and income

Activists from different non-government organisations walk in a rally with posters to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, in Kolkata, India, Monday, Nov. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) (AP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 17, 2025 08:33 PM IST

ByNamita Bhandare

Congress needs to focus on politics, not polemics

Bewilderingly, the Congress leadership is pulling the party into ideological squabbles that have little to no resonance with regular voters.

New Delhi, India - Jan. 16, 2025: Congress supporters seen as Sandeep Dikshit, Candidate of Congress Party from New Delhi Constituency for upcoming Vidhan Sabha Elections goes for filing his Nomination Papers in New Delhi in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, January 16, 2025. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 17, 2025 08:33 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Terms of Trade | Can capital be inherently socially progressive?

To go to war with capitalism from a class perspective, you need to have a solid class alliance behind you.

Supporters of President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)(AP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 17, 2025 06:12 PM IST

ByRoshan Kishore

Why defence industry needs an urgent rehaul

A ministry of defence tech and production, that will subsume the departments of defence production and R&D and implement a strategy for production, is needed

Kolkata: Army personnel along with a robotic mule perform during 'Military Tattoo' on the occasion of 'Vijay Diwas 2024', marking India's victory in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, at RCTC ground in Kolkata, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra (PTI)

Opinion

Published on Jan 16, 2025 09:18 PM IST

ByArun Prakash

Chasing the monsoon, IMD in mission mode

The launch of Mission Mausam aims to make us even bigger and better in the coming two years

Chennai, Jan 08 (ANI): School students sit in the formation displaying 'IMD 150' as part of a celebration marking the 150th anniversary of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), at Everwin School in Chennai on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) (Lakshmi)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 16, 2025 09:18 PM IST

ByPS Goel

What EC data on women participation in polls says

Women voters’ turnout has risen from 49.1% in 1971 to 65.8% in 2024. The last two general elections even saw female turnout surpass male participation

Women voters wait in queues to cast their votes at a polling station during assembly polls at Kangpokpi in Senapati district. PTI Photo

Opinion

Updated on Jan 16, 2025 09:17 PM IST

ByKhushboo Srivastava, Pulkit Buttan

Cleaner construction is better pollution control

There is an urgent need for a balanced approach — one that ensures economic growth without compromising on livelihoods or quality of life

Buildings beyond a construction site in the suburbs of Mumbai, India, on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025.. Photographer: Abeer Khan/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

Opinion

Updated on Jan 15, 2025 08:07 PM IST

BySree Kumar Kumaraswamy

Bill to take charge of India’s digital destiny

India’s draft DPDP Rules are a declaration of intent — that power must rest with its people, not corporations. Some structural challenges need to be ironed out

A child’s safety, wrapped in fine print, is no safety at all. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (AFP)

Opinion

Published on Jan 15, 2025 08:06 PM IST

ByCharles Assisi

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News / Opinion

Opinion

It is no secret that Trump loves strong men and the manner in which China is handling the US is obviously garnering his attention

India should deepen strategic and economic ties with Trump’s DC, but be aware of its nationalist and revisionist avatar

Lakhimpur Kheri’s journey toward sustainability is a testament to the collective efforts of its residents

Consumer devices like fitness trackers are great at tracking how long you sleep and identifying patterns in different sleep stages, like REM and light sleep

As Trump starts his second term, experts advise excluding India from tariffs, citing strong, mutually beneficial trade ties unlike those with China.

From women’s development to women-led development, the daughters of India are emerging as changemakers, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

More than half the workforce engaged in low-productivity activities, combined with no significant rise in earnings from livelihood does not bode well for growth

Cannabis is a plant that grows wild in many parts of India. In much of the rest of the world, it is cultivated by farmers.

Currently, pricing in Singapore and Milan’s Area C varies by vehicle size and heavier, more polluting vehicles pay higher charges than lighter ones.

Kashmiri Pandits are a part of the tumultuous history of Kashmir which was an important centre of Hinduism in the first millennium

Do Trump and his team have the wisdom to know the difference between a country? Time will tell.

Sustained international engagement and goodwill from all parties will be essential to build on the Hamas-Israel ceasefire deal

The controversy created by the OYO “proof of relationship” policy for booking a room speaks to the broader societal hypocrisy about morality in India

India’s China problem is not going away anytime soon; China will continue to be a profound grand strategic issue for us.

Donald Trump begins his second term as POTUS amid global uncertainty, facing criticism for his policies and controversial actions impacting the world.

While India's independence was a monumental achievement, the remnants of colonial influence endure in language, education, and cultural preferences

In Donald Trump’s USA, companies that have promoted DEI are rolling back their programmesIn India, corporates have, fortunately not lost their appetite for DEI

We don’t have meaningful work that requires 90 hours a week. Most work is repetitive or dependent on others.

The lack of gender-segregated data must be rectified especially for the marginalised sections of society

Tweak the 2012 Promotion of Equity Regulation to expand its jurisdiction, and ensure better enforcement of its existing provisions

What sort of relationship is Trump likely to pursue with China and Xi Jinping? And what will be the implications for India?

Washington is likely to ask Delhi to reduce tariffs on US farm products. India needs to protect its farm sector to ensure food security and protect livelihoods

The malaise of violence, including sexual violence against women and girls, cuts across geographic borders, age of victim, educational level, and income

Bewilderingly, the Congress leadership is pulling the party into ideological squabbles that have little to no resonance with regular voters.

To go to war with capitalism from a class perspective, you need to have a solid class alliance behind you.

A ministry of defence tech and production, that will subsume the departments of defence production and R&D and implement a strategy for production, is needed

The launch of Mission Mausam aims to make us even bigger and better in the coming two years

Women voters’ turnout has risen from 49.1% in 1971 to 65.8% in 2024. The last two general elections even saw female turnout surpass male participation

There is an urgent need for a balanced approach — one that ensures economic growth without compromising on livelihoods or quality of life

India’s draft DPDP Rules are a declaration of intent — that power must rest with its people, not corporations. Some structural challenges need to be ironed out

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