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Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt is consulting editor, NDTV, and founding member, Ideas Collective. She tweets as @BDUTT.

Articles by Barkha Dutt

Why Centre must rethink disability tax on soldiers

In the 1942 Battle of Sittang, while leading his company against Japanese forces, Sam Manekshaw took nine bullets in his stomach and intestines. He was so grievously wounded that the surgeon hesitated to operate on him. (HT Archive)

Published on Feb 13, 2026 08:52 pm IST

India must build its hard power in the age of Trump

Given the collusive threat from two nuclear-armed neighbours, coupled with, at the very best, a disengaged Trump administration, India must spend more on security. (Reuters)

Updated on Jan 16, 2026 09:53 pm IST

India must speak out against the fringe’s attack on Christmas

A majority of Indians recognise that our pluralism and our diversity are our strengths. We celebrate these just as we celebrate all our festivals. We also know that such incidents only diminish us. (PTI)

Published on Jan 02, 2026 09:01 pm IST

Bihar hijab incident: Crossing red lines on bodily autonomy

The debate has been diverted to a predictably shrill one about the veil. This is a red herring — it is actually irrelevant whether you support the hijab or you do not. (HT Archive)

Updated on Dec 19, 2025 08:49 pm IST

A twisted trail of terror networks from Delhi to Nowgam

Two decades ago, you could still have a convivial disagreement and a political debate in Kashmir. Over the years, not just did positions harden, but culture also changed. (PTI)

Published on Nov 21, 2025 08:54 pm IST

In Sivakumar’s story, the best and worst of India

The normalisation of bribery for basic services is the staggering and inconvenient truth of this horrible incident. Nearly everyone has been in a Sivakumar-like situation or knows someone who has. (HT Archive)

Published on Oct 31, 2025 09:25 pm IST

India must engage with the Taliban, but do it cautiously

We (India) will need to reopen our doors on visas, medical infrastructure, and education, as well as provide assistance in rebuilding Afghanistan. (AFP)

Published on Oct 17, 2025 09:09 pm IST

In poll-bound Bihar, signs of politician Prashant Kishor

Kishor has worked hard on the ground to transition from his earlier life into this new role. And the hard work shows. There’s no question that, at the level of sentiment and recall, he has more than struck a chord. (HT Photo)

Published on Oct 03, 2025 08:31 pm IST

Behind New Delhi’s cautious approach to Saudi-Pak pact

The Arab States are displaying their lack of belief in the US as a security stabiliser. The Saudi decision, like so many other geopolitical tremors, has been triggered by the fault lines and seismic shocks of US President Donald Trump’s inchoate foreign policy. (REUTERS)

Published on Sept 19, 2025 09:26 pm IST

Stand up to the US, but be careful about standing with China

The age of America as school captain is over. But if India is speaking of multi-polarity and strategic autonomy, then that’s what the coming months and years have to be steered by. (ANI)

Updated on Sept 05, 2025 08:33 pm IST

Saving India-US relationship from Trump & beyond

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent accused India of “profiteering” from the purchase of Russian oil. But he has also conceded that the Trump administration was taking a 10% mark up on all weapons sold to the Europeans who in turn are selling them to Ukraine. (AFP)

Published on Aug 22, 2025 09:04 pm IST

Trump tantrums complicate India’s strategic challenges

Trump’s attacks on India — the uncouth language and sneering style — seem to be personally motivated, well beyond the stated aim of rebalancing US trade numbers. (AFP)

Published on Aug 01, 2025 09:12 pm IST

In AI crash, western media spins stories to pin blame on pilot

in pointing fingers at captain Sabharwal, American media outlets do not even consider a plane malfunction or the multiple ignored advisories. (REUTERS)

Published on Jul 18, 2025 08:42 pm IST

Grief, grace, and gratitude – in a time of tragedy

While there may be questions about maintenance, surely there should be many sharp questions for Boeing, the manufacturer of the 787 Dreamliner that went down in Ahmedabad. (HT Photo)

Published on Jun 13, 2025 09:16 pm IST

How the Left and Congress misread Operation Sindoor

The level of disconnect between those still tapped in textbook ideas and how most of the country thinks and feels is astonighing. (ANI)

Updated on May 30, 2025 11:38 pm IST

After Operation Sindoor, tales of Western hypocrisy

India should become too powerful for anyone to even attempt to lecture it, and a better version of China because we are a democracy (lakshmi)

Published on May 16, 2025 08:08 pm IST

The West misunderstands, and misrepresents, nature of Pakistan’s terror policy

There’s an element of massive doublespeak in Vance hoping India’s response doesn’t lead to a “regional war” given that no American politician would have said this to Israel after the Hamas attacks (PTI)

Updated on May 02, 2025 09:13 pm IST

Kamra vs Kanal is about mob against citizen

Bullying is bullying, and mob violence is exactly that. (Hindustan Times)

Published on Apr 04, 2025 09:23 pm IST

Adolescence is a call for conversation, compassion

This series actually tells the story of men alongside women at a time when it has often felt impossible to do so. (Adolescence/Netflix)

Published on Mar 21, 2025 07:56 pm IST

The death knell for myth of American Exceptionalism

Trump’s upending of policy, both foreign and domestic, is, by turns, wildly entertaining and often unstable and dangerous (via REUTERS)

Published on Mar 01, 2025 07:39 am IST

Focus on Allahbadia instead of marital rape acquittal is telling

The Chhattisgarh high court has legitimised the idea that a wife is the private property of a husband, to do with as he pleases. (HT Photo)

Published on Feb 14, 2025 09:32 pm IST

Saif Ali Khan case shows the culture of misogyny thrives

Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan leaves the hospital after her husband Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was discharged after being treated for stab injuries during a scuffle last week with an intruder at his home in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) (AP)

Updated on Jan 31, 2025 08:06 pm IST

Congress needs to focus on politics, not polemics

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)

Updated on Jan 17, 2025 08:33 pm IST

Opposition must tell its story better, or tell a new one

New Delhi: LoP in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra take part in a protest of opposition MPs demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah's apology for his remarks which they claimed were an insult to B.R. Ambedkar, during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary) (PTI)

Updated on Dec 20, 2024 08:25 pm IST

A Pandora’s box that the Supreme Court has opened

The danger right now is a slew of copycat petitions across India in local courts pushing for a redetermination of the nature of a particular place of worship (PTI)

Updated on Nov 29, 2024 08:50 pm IST

On terrorism, the West is guilty of double standards

It has been galling to watch and read the commentary on the showdown between India and Canada and the rising friction between India and the United States (US) over the harbouring of pro-Khalistan terrorists and separatists within their jurisdictions. (Photo by Geoff Robins / AFP) (AFP)

Published on Oct 25, 2024 08:35 pm IST

Lessons from BJP’s hat-trick in Haryana

The RSS and the BJP are resetting their relationship and managing their frictions: Their common goals keep them on the same side of the fight. (ANI Photo/Amit Sharma) (Amit Sharma)

Published on Oct 11, 2024 09:14 pm IST

Why J&K polls feel nothing like those in the past

Ganderbal, Sept 25 (ANI): Voters wait in queues to cast their votes for the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, in Ganderbal on Wednesday. (ANI Photo) (Election Commission of India-X)

Updated on Sept 27, 2024 09:14 pm IST

Failure of political astuteness in West Bengal and Manipur

Demonstrators attend a protest march to demand an end to the latest spurt of ethnic violence, in Imphal, Manipur, India, September 10, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer (REUTERS)

Published on Sept 13, 2024 08:59 pm IST

Kolkata to Kerala, how not to respond to sexual abuse

Birbhum: People protest against the rape and murder of a Kolkata's trainee doctor, in Birbhum district, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Published on Aug 30, 2024 09:25 pm IST

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