Opinion
N. Raghuraman's Column: What do you need to do today to be part of the 2030 workforce?
Your colleague on the assembly line of GE Appliances' 1.1 million square foot cooking-appliance plant in the US could be a form of physical AI. Don't mistake it for a two-legged human-like robot. I'm talking about industrial automation and physical AI, where machines are getting better at feeling, reacting, and completing complex physical tasks. Six-axis robotic arms flip giant stoves, glue glass cooktops to metal frames, and program control boards. Humans and machines are in a race to build a unit every 15 seconds, working together. The entire operation is monitored and data is constantly tra
Virag Gupta's column: AI is not free, expensive deal of data centers is also included in it
In the upcoming mid-term elections in the US, the issue of damage to water, energy and the environment from data centers has started gaining momentum. After heavy opposition, work on projects worth $ 130 billion in about 75 data centers has stopped in just 3 months. Since large data centers are necessary to earn huge profits from the AI revolution, they are now being tried to be installed in India. That is, there is an atmosphere of enthusiasm in India about those that are being banned in America. There is a lot of garbage in cities, but no one wants to build a garbage dump near their home. Am
Dr. Naresh Trehan's column: Heart disease can remain hidden for a long time without warning
A heart attack is considered to be a sudden unexpected event. But there is always a background behind it, which can often remain hidden for a long time without warning. Coronary artery disease is a slow and silent process, which is developing many years or several decades before the symptoms appear. Nowhere in the world is this condition more evident than in India. 20% of the deaths due to cardiovascular diseases worldwide occur in India alone. Coronary artery disease in Indians develops about a decade earlier than people in western countries. If the cases of heart attack are increasing at a y
N. Raghuraman's column: Miracles happen when you impress someone with identity without shaming them
Remember the toilet-cleaner advertisements of 2018, in which Bollywood star Akshay Kumar used to come on our TV screens and tell us how to keep his toilet clean? After going to a fan's house and convincing him to buy the product he is promoting, he promises, 'This is your next house.' Many of us must have quietly wished that Akshay would come to our house on this pretext. But they never came. Well, the joke is in its place, but the work of toilet cleaning advertisements in India has always been strange. They have to sell a functional product, show proof of it and also make sure that the whole
Minhaj Merchant's column: Professionals and technocrats should be given bigger responsibilities
The recent changes in ISRO and DRDO indicate a change in the government's approach. ISRO is sharing its technology and responsibilities with private sector companies – including startups. It will now focus on missions such as landing Indian astronauts on the moon, exploring Mars and setting up India's own space station by 2035. There are more than 440 startups associated with the space sector in India. At the same time, India's premier defense research organization DRDO is also moving forward on the model of ISRO. It will collaborate with private companies like L&T, Tata Advanced Systems, Ma
Independence Day 2026: Crores Spent on Spectacle While a Nation Still Waits for “Achhe Din”
15 August 2026: As the last echoes of the national anthem faded and the sky over the Red Fort lit up with fireworks and laser displays, the Government of India and various state governments had once again spent staggering sums to commemorate the 79th anniversary of India’s Independence. Official estimates put the combined expenditure by the Centre and states on parades, cultural programmes, lighting, security, advertisements, and associated events at well over ₹450 crore. In Delhi alone, the grand show is believed to have cost more than ₹180 crore. Yet behind the choreographed grand
The Cockroach Janta Party Protest: A New Political Movement or the Same Old Playbook?
When Every Anti-Corruption Crusade Becomes the Very System, It Swore to Dismantle, India Must Ask Harder Questions About Power, Money, and Accountability In a familiar tableau that has played out repeatedly across India's democratic landscape, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has launched a high-profile public protest, complete with demands directed at the ruling dispensation, media-friendly optics, and the unmistakable ambition of political relevance. The party has put forward three demands and entered into public discussions with the ruling party — moves that, on the surface, suggest
“Our Children Deserve Better”- Education Reformer Sonam Wangchuk's Day 21 Ignites Soul-Searching Over Education Crisis, Police Action, and the Erosion of Democratic Trust
Heart of a Nation Fasting: As the scorching sun set over Jantar Mantar on Saturday, July 18, 2026, the air was thick with a palpable mix of hope and anxiety. Climate crusader, innovator, and beloved educator Sonam Wangchuk entered the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike, his frail body bearing the weight of a moral crusade that has sparked a national debate far beyond the improvement of India's education system. The examination paper leaks—affecting multiple competitive exams including NEET and state-level tests—have impacted an estimated 4.5 million students across India this
Development, Democracy and the Citizen Who Feels Forgotten
For years, Indians have been told that the nation is progressing at an unprecedented pace. New highways are built, airports are inaugurated, skylines are transformed, and record-breaking economic achievements dominate political speeches. Development has become the most celebrated word in public life. Yet, beyond the advertisements, slogans, and televised celebrations, there is another India quietly asking a simple question: Development for whom? The ordinary citizen does not measure progress through government campaigns or corporate presentations. Progress is measured by the quality o
India’s antiquated law on contempt of court restricts personal liberty and must be overhauled
After having raised the issue of whether the clubby and secretive collegiums system actually preserves the independence of the judiciary former Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju, has now trained his guns on India’s antiquated contempt of court law. He has made the valid point, in this newspaper, that judicial supremacy cannot be based on the law of kings in a democracy.
RECENT NEWS
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- N. Raghuraman's Column: What do you need to do today to be part of the 2030 workforce?
- Virag Gupta's column: AI is not free, expensive deal of data centers is also included in it
- Kalpana Iyer asks for work at the age of 70, says people don't even think it's necessary to respond
- ICC announces historic Champions Trophy to be played in India
