Bangladesh sets 'conditions' for Rahman's visit to India

The Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sun-day that officials from New Delhi and Dhaka have been in talks for "several weeks" for a possible visit to India by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. It also said that the atmosphere of bilateral relations has been "vitiated" by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's August 5 press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club here.

MSC Elsa 3 sinking caused no significant impact on Lakshadweep islands: study

A comprehensive assessment carried out by the Chennai-based National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management on the potential environmental impact on the Lakshadweep islands following the sinking of the container vessel MSC Elsa 3 off the Kerala coast on May 25, 2025 has found that the shipwreck did not result in measurable ecological or socioeconomic damage to the archipelago.

India's democracy needs different electoral rhythms

The One Nation, One Election' proposal will erode State autonomy, distort electoral mandates, and weaken democratic accountability

India is losing West Asia, but it is not too late

In the last four months, the U.S.-Israel war with Iran has escalated into a catastrophic regional conflict with Iran attacking the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Saudis hitting Iraqi militias, Houthis attacking Saudi ships and Israel carrying out strikes in multiple countries. Now, the Gulf countries are rethinking the efficacy of the U.S. security umbrella. They see a threat from both Iran and Israel.

How Al can be optimised for better healthcare

A January 2026 McKinsey analysis estimated that applying Al across healthcare revenue-cycle operations could reduce the cost to collect by 30% to 60%

Girls conditioned from childhood to take up domestic burden

India's Time Use Survey (2025) highlights that the division of labour that emerges in adulthood begins much earlier, through childhood conditioning. What starts in childhood widens with age, reaching its peak in the prime working years.

The federal dilemma of delimitation

The Union government introduced the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill in April 2026 to increase the maximum number of Lok Sabha seats from the existing 550 to 850.

The Tamil Nadu Assembly recently passed a resolution urging the Centre to permanently freeze the number of Lok Sabha seats at 543 and maintain the present State-wise distribution of seats.

No private data sought for Census; ID details will be collected only if available'

The Registrar-General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI) on August 14 notified 40 questions for Population Enumeration, the second phase of the Census 2027, which will begin in Ladakh and snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand from Monday and continue till September 30, ahead of the rest of the country, where the exercise will be held in February 2027.

Hara mangrove forests

The Hara forests are a vital ecological treasure of the Persian Gulf. Spanning the Strait of Hormuz, these mangrove forests consist mainly of grey mangrove trees (Avicennia marina), which have a special filtration system in their roots that allows them to thrive in saline conditions. The same roots also protect the coast against erosion and are voluminous carbon sinks, sequestering significantly more carbon than terrestrial forests. The forests are a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and serve as an important nursery for marine life as they shelter shrimp, crabs, and numerous fish species that sustain the region's fisheries.