NB Blogs

This last month has witnessed new scandals. The likes of which occur, unfortunately, not rarely. Politicians involved in sleaze and scandals is not in itself news breaking. Neither is consumption of hooch. Howsoever sordid and unfortunate these are, nevertheless we need to recount them in passing, in some detail. To understand where they come from, in what spirit and with what intentions. The NEET-UG examinations exploded as a major scandal. Did one never suspect that papers get leaked? That there are cases of cheating rampant across colleges and universities, some were more notorious than others. But how organized these could be, how extensive an outreach these could have, assumed newer proportions. Imagine in a national level examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency, some 1500 plus candidates were given grace marks. These are on all India level, conducted in 13 languages; this year, over 24 lakh students took them. What was truly exceptional this year was that 67 studen

A new book and its launch: Ambasador Nalin Surie’s wife, Poonam has been for long an avid China watcher. She has travelled and mixed with the ‘people’ extensively. She has published her third book, China: Modernity and Tradition. On the occasion of the launch of her book, Ambassador Shyam Saran was joined by another diplomat, a former ambassador to China, Ashok Kantha, and foreign policy and global affairs strategic analyst, Dr. Raja Mohan. We bring you a brief on what was said. And, a glimpse from Poonam’s unfolding of what inspired her to write her book. The excerpts: Shyam Saran Many of us, in what may be called the China fraternity, our focus is so much on the foreign policy aspect or the security aspect of our relations with China and China’s place in the world that we perhaps miss out on something which is absolutely critical to understanding China, which is the overall historical context, the overall cultural context. Also, the main actors in the drama that is taking place in Ch

We have so much in common between us as South Asian neighbours. We must not let politics come in the way to building bridges between our people. Business wise, it is the lowest hanging fruit for all concerned, it is time to get started. So much is in the air on South Asia. Neighbours are precious family. We are talking about Bangladesh with their PM on a state visit; the South Asian heads of state attending the swearing-in ceremony of the current Lok Sabha; China in a recent book that has come out on understanding their people, the real people in China, a neighbour and friend of long standing. In our previous issue, we carried a story on how we need to shore up as good neighbours, among our South Asian fraternity. We ran a podcast and curated a discussion between professionals on the subject of bridging our nations together. All said and done, politics apart, there is no substitute to people to people connect. It is public opinion that will shape policies. It is public perception that

In a free wheeling conversation, we discuss with AKS Member, Hemant Bhasin, one of the few globally, among the Rotary fraternity, on why and how these clubs contribute to society. An interesting and informative read, that spells and shares the Rotary fundamentals. What inspired you to join Rotary? I joined Rotary about 12 years ago after hearing remarkable stories about the impactful work Rotary does globally and in India. I became a member of the Rotary Club of Delhi, South End, one of the most prestigious clubs in the NCR region, which is part of District 3011, comprising 137 clubs. Rotary’s commitment to various causes such as disease prevention and treatment, peacebuilding, environmental support, maternal and child health, water sanitation, and basic education and literacy truly inspired me to get involved and contribute to society. What has been your experience since joining Rotary? Did your involvement with the Arch Klumph Society (AKS) start your journey? My journey with Rotary

A Closely Fought Election, a Tribute to every Indian who Voted, a Vote for Indian Democracy, a Mature Mandate We close this article on the evening of 4 June, just in time for the deadline of this month’s issue. A new government is yet to be announced. But we do have some initial learning curves in our country’s march of democracy. This election will definitely add a few feathers to our cap as the world’s largest democracy, conducting our polls to the envy of many a nation. Here are some random pointers. End Result: A Vote for Modi! Let There be No Doubt There is no getting away from the fact that Narendra Modi is very much the single-most charismatic Indian leader. It was his fight, his mandate, his energy that resonated over the length and breadth of the country. He has been chastened but not beaten. It is during the last decade, under his leadership, that has brought about a new recognition of India as a potential power in the global play. Yes, we have not arrived there yet, but we w

IPL 2024 scored over its previous edition, just as every season it tends to outdo the last. There no losers in this game, only winners. 2024 was no exception. So, IPL 2024 came to its successful end. Yet another cricket festival, a bonanza for every player making a killing of a lifetime in terms of individual earnings. A rare feat where an Indian sport delivers so much money, steadily increasing over the years and making sure that there are no losers. Most of all, it is the viewer, the attendance at all the stadiums, each one getting their money’s worth, each one enjoying to the hilt, yet another good 60 days carnival. I have always pointed out that behind all the festive spirit, behind all the cheerleaders, there is that seriousness of intent with players competing against each other, vying for the international team, keeping up their commitment, for whatever works best for them, to each his own. It is a serious business at the beginning and at the end of the day. IPL 24? What was dif

Indian Aviation has been a Grave Yard for Numerous Brands, Big and Small, Will one More Make any difference? Indian aviation industry is well known for being a grave yard for the best of brands. Most notably, take the example of Indian Airlines, a name as good as any other, but it was shut down one fine day, in the name of a merger, which too did not work well, done with the best of intentions, notwithstanding. The fact is, that a brand well known, as the first Indian airline domestically, was given a go by, overnight. For no fault of its own. At one time, it was the only airline in the domestic skies. It had a legacy. It did get a dubious edge once we had the might of private airlines to compete with; it did find its feet slowly. Not for want of its staff or systems, but for government apathy. In those early days of privatisation, quite a few names had emerged. Short-lived but some had their day out in the sun – Damania was one. Others like Archana Airways and East-West are not in thi

The average reader, say the average Indian, is either most gullible or at a loss to understand what’s really going on! So many sides to every story, you are left only asking for more. Read between your favourite newspapers and see the difference. Hear your channels and note the different twists to the same story, or at best selective reporting on only what they consider is most important. I often switch on DD news for pure unfiltered reports on happenings of the day. In all the shifting sands of politics, casualty number one is the truth, and we never get to the bottom of it. Truth is a Truth, and Truth never Lies. And often when you bundle half a dozen lies together, you can hope the truth is somewhere in between. Sample some of the stories current in the last fortnight. Why Elon Musk decided to stay away? The more we think, the more uncertain it gets. For instance, why did Elon Musk cancel his much-hyped visit? It would have been some boost for the present government had he come, ann