Editorials News, Articles and Analysis

Big Tech gets a reality check from Europe

Editorials

Published on Apr 24, 2025 08:16 PM IST

Like the 1990 Microsoft antitrust case that reshaped computing, the EU’s fines on Meta and Apple could begin transforming the digital marketplace

The Competition Commission of India (CCI), which has opened many investigations, forcing companies such as Google to commit to mending their ways, is on the right path (REUTERS)

ByHT Editorial

Closing the terror tap after Pahalgam

New Delhi’s moves suggest it intends to move incrementally up the escalatory ladder

The suspension of IWT— brokered by the World Bank to divide the six rivers of the Indus Basin between the two countries — may not have the spectacular element of a surgical strike across the Line of Control or International Border but its long-term implications for Pakistan could be far more serious (REUTERS)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 24, 2025 08:10 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

The good news for India in IMF’s outlook

India’s 6% plus growth prospects are a result of domestic tailwinds to growth

Conciliatory noises by the Trump administration — Trump saying he won’t fire the US federal reserve chairman, and the US treasury secretary saying current tariffs between US and China are unsustainable — in the aftermath of the WEO report suggest that all hope is not lost (Bloomberg)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 23, 2025 08:22 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

After Pahalgam, the just response

The political and security establishments must work closely to pin responsibility on the perpetrators of the attack and punish them

It is widely expected that India will react militarily to the terror strike — targeting, as it did after the Pulwama and Uri attacks, terror pods across the border (REUTERS)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 23, 2025 08:19 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Street to studio, verse as art commodity

In the absence of trust and transparency in the engagement, reproduction, renewal or reworking of existing material could be deemed unethical or dishonest

Aziz fears that his political art has been appropriated and commodified in a studio environment, which produces a sanitised aesthetics that is in sharp contrast to the language of protest

Editorials

Published on Apr 22, 2025 09:15 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Revival of terror spectre in J&K

The attack on tourists in Pahalgam is a devious attempt to disrupt Kashmir’s journey to peace and normalcy

The separatist narrative, enabled and sustained by Pakistan, that peace was impossible in Kashmir, was negated by the picture of a resurgent economy and a local population welcoming of tourists. Tuesday’s attackers want to puncture this scenario and push the region back into an abyss of fear and desperation (PTI)

Editorials

Published on Apr 22, 2025 09:09 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

A pope who spoke for the poor and marginalised

Pope Francis did enough to rile the conservatives.

Pope Francis’s election in 2013 was in extraordinary circumstances when Pope Benedict XVI decided to resign from the papal office, a first in 600 years (AP Photo)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 21, 2025 07:45 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Resetting Delhi, Dhaka ties

PM Modi's meeting with Bangladesh's Yunus hasn't improved ties, as trade measures reveal ongoing tensions.

Dhaka’s open welcome to Beijing, while ignoring Indian sensitivities, has not been lost on New Delhi (AFP)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 18, 2025 08:39 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

UK court ruling risks shrinking transgender rights

The limited reading of the law by the UK Supreme Court is certain to get politicised

There is a global pushback against transgender inclusion, evident in not just the roll-back of key protections for such persons in the US but also actively hostile laws enacted by other jurisdictions (AP)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 17, 2025 08:28 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Cost of Trump’s many trade wars

The bleak picture in WTO's global trade outlook holds important lessons for India

This disruption should be seen as a global shock rather than some new zero-sum game to India’s advantage (Bloomberg)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 17, 2025 08:27 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

New front in the federalism debate

Tamil Nadu’s panel to review Centre-state relations can enrich the ongoing conversation on the subject

The Justice Joseph committee could also enrich the ongoing conversation on federalism and even help reset the contours of the Centre-state relations, especially regarding the fraught matters of delimitation and revenues (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

Editorials

Published on Apr 16, 2025 07:49 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Need to hedge against variability of monsoon

IMD's above-normal monsoon prediction offers hope for farmers, but past inaccuracies and erratic rainfall highlight the need for better monsoon management.

Deluge and drought can affect crop yields, cause significant damage in terms of the infrastructure and human toll they extract, and result in serious economic pain, not just for the farming community but beyond

Editorials

Updated on Apr 16, 2025 07:39 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Polls in sight, churn in Bihar politics

Electoral politics is also a game of perceptions. With assembly elections due in Bihar, the exit of a high-profile leader can cause ripples

Paras has spoken fondly about Lalu Prasad suggesting that he may consider joining the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan

Editorials

Published on Apr 15, 2025 08:49 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Keep the cash for bad times

Any decision to pass on gains from falling crude prices to consumers must factor in the potential loss of revenues in a period of low growth

If there is a point to quibble over, it is that the Union government is reaping windfall gains by using a special duty. This is not part of the divisible pool, which means it is not shared with states (REUTERS)

Editorials

Published on Apr 15, 2025 08:45 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

The Waqf disquiet in West Bengal

The state’s political leadership should have communicated that its principled stance against the Act should not be read as licence to disrupt law and order

While the state’s political leadership can disagree with the Act, the CM and her team must ensure social peace (PTI)

Editorials

Published on Apr 14, 2025 08:26 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

The message from Bengaluru

Karnataka’s caste survey poses political and legal challenges — its impact will be felt beyond the state

The Congress’s Karnataka unit is more of a rainbow of castes, interest groups and communities, which can unravel if it pushes hard with the survey (Siddaramaih - X)

Editorials

Published on Apr 14, 2025 08:03 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

A reshaping of federalism

SC's timeline for assent to state bills gives new contours to federalism, but raises key questions

The court was aware of the historic nature of the judgment and carefully considered the question of judicial overreach (ANI)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 13, 2025 09:14 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Towards closure on 26/11 attacks

After Rana’s extradition, the focus must be on uncovering information on parties whose links to the attack remain shrouded

Justice must be served in Rana’s case, but equally the focus must be on exposing the role of those within Pakistan’s military and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) who facilitated the LeT in going ahead with the attacks (AFP)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 11, 2025 08:48 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

The road ahead for HEI accreditation

NAAC must go beyond the purge of errant assessors and roll out key Radhakrishnan committee reforms post haste

The assessment body must consider institutionalising sustained stakeholder feedback to make its system more responsive to the actual demand-base it needs to cater for — the country’s students

Editorials

Published on Apr 10, 2025 08:15 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Decoding Trump’s tariff pause

The US president’s flip-flop signals uncertainty that can’t be beneficial from any large economy’s perspective, including India

Trump 2.0 has managed to unleash a kind of uncertainty on the global economic order, which will have a crippling effect on long-term economic decisions not just in financial markets but also the real economy (Getty Images via AFP)

Editorials

Published on Apr 10, 2025 08:10 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

A diminished Iran talks to America

Iran has been greatly diminished by developments in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, where its proxy militias have suffered humiliating defeats

There is good reason for drawing Iran back into nuclear talks — experts believe Tehran could soon have enough weapons-grade uranium to make a nuclear warhead. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY (via REUTERS)

Editorials

Published on Apr 09, 2025 07:08 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Rate action with eye on trade war

US tariffs and other headwinds will need RBI to be nimble on liquidity and forex management

The only significant tailwind for India at the moment is the global bear market in commodity prices which will not just help control inflation but could also neutralise GDP headwinds to an extent in things such as energy imports as the import component goes down (ANI Grab)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 09, 2025 07:06 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Rethink safety regime for amusement park and fair rides

The existing framework places all responsibility for safety on owners/operators, and very little on the local administration and city police

Missing in all of this is a requirement for the corporation to periodically and scientifically assess the safety of technology, operations, and the skill-level of ride-operators (Hindustan Times)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 08, 2025 07:14 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Defining Raj Bhavans’ remit

Governors must heed the constitutional bounds of office, as underlined by the SC in TN governor case

The practice of indefinitely sitting on bills passed by the legislative assembly undermine electoral democracy and violate the spirit of the Constitution (ANI Pic Service)

Editorials

Published on Apr 08, 2025 07:10 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

The challenges before CPM’s new leadership

A global erosion of space in the political sphere for the Left, the party’s stunting in terms of membership -- the new leadership must work on many issues

For an ideology-driven political outfit, such transitions are also about ensuring continuity (PTI)

Editorials

Published on Apr 07, 2025 08:17 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

A barometer of Trump turmoil

Turmoil in Asian markets suggests US tariffs may cause a deeper disruption beyond global trade

Monday’s market mayhem reinforces the importance of two essential behaviour among retail investors : long-term thinking and balanced asset allocation (AFP)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 07, 2025 08:13 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

CSK must tackle its Dhoni problem

Thus far this year, though, CSK have adopted a Dhoni-first, instead of a team-first approach and that is hurting them

Dhoni looks like a player who has reached his limit but refuses to acknowledge it (PTI)

Editorials

Published on Apr 06, 2025 07:05 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Goodwill pays off in Colombo

PM Modi’s visit has helped counterbalance China’s expanding footprint in the region

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake repeated his assurance that he would not allow Sri Lankan soil to be used against Indian interests and made it clear that this would also apply to the waters around the island nation (AFP)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 06, 2025 07:00 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Dealing with the Waqf storm

Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill amid intense debate, facing opposition over concerns it violates rights and promotes state overreach.

Kolkata, India - April 4, 2025: Joint Forum For Waqf Protection stage a protest rally against Waqf Amendment Bill in Kolkata, India, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Photo by Samir Jana/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Editorials

Updated on Apr 04, 2025 09:43 PM IST

ByHT Editorials

A first move to reaffirm public trust in the judiciary

The decision of the 33 judges of the Supreme Court that they will make their assets and liabilities public will help in restoring public trust in the judiciary

As in any institution, the judiciary too has its black sheep. The challenge is to encourage transparency in the system (ANI)

Editorials

Published on Apr 03, 2025 08:19 PM IST

ByHT Editorial

Editorials

Like the 1990 Microsoft antitrust case that reshaped computing, the EU’s fines on Meta and Apple could begin transforming the digital marketplace

New Delhi’s moves suggest it intends to move incrementally up the escalatory ladder

India’s 6% plus growth prospects are a result of domestic tailwinds to growth

The political and security establishments must work closely to pin responsibility on the perpetrators of the attack and punish them

In the absence of trust and transparency in the engagement, reproduction, renewal or reworking of existing material could be deemed unethical or dishonest

The attack on tourists in Pahalgam is a devious attempt to disrupt Kashmir’s journey to peace and normalcy

Pope Francis did enough to rile the conservatives.

PM Modi's meeting with Bangladesh's Yunus hasn't improved ties, as trade measures reveal ongoing tensions.

The limited reading of the law by the UK Supreme Court is certain to get politicised

The bleak picture in WTO's global trade outlook holds important lessons for India

Tamil Nadu’s panel to review Centre-state relations can enrich the ongoing conversation on the subject

IMD's above-normal monsoon prediction offers hope for farmers, but past inaccuracies and erratic rainfall highlight the need for better monsoon management.

Electoral politics is also a game of perceptions. With assembly elections due in Bihar, the exit of a high-profile leader can cause ripples

Any decision to pass on gains from falling crude prices to consumers must factor in the potential loss of revenues in a period of low growth

The state’s political leadership should have communicated that its principled stance against the Act should not be read as licence to disrupt law and order

Karnataka’s caste survey poses political and legal challenges — its impact will be felt beyond the state

SC's timeline for assent to state bills gives new contours to federalism, but raises key questions

After Rana’s extradition, the focus must be on uncovering information on parties whose links to the attack remain shrouded

NAAC must go beyond the purge of errant assessors and roll out key Radhakrishnan committee reforms post haste

The US president’s flip-flop signals uncertainty that can’t be beneficial from any large economy’s perspective, including India

Iran has been greatly diminished by developments in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, where its proxy militias have suffered humiliating defeats

US tariffs and other headwinds will need RBI to be nimble on liquidity and forex management

The existing framework places all responsibility for safety on owners/operators, and very little on the local administration and city police

Governors must heed the constitutional bounds of office, as underlined by the SC in TN governor case

A global erosion of space in the political sphere for the Left, the party’s stunting in terms of membership -- the new leadership must work on many issues

Turmoil in Asian markets suggests US tariffs may cause a deeper disruption beyond global trade

Thus far this year, though, CSK have adopted a Dhoni-first, instead of a team-first approach and that is hurting them

PM Modi’s visit has helped counterbalance China’s expanding footprint in the region

Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill amid intense debate, facing opposition over concerns it violates rights and promotes state overreach.

The decision of the 33 judges of the Supreme Court that they will make their assets and liabilities public will help in restoring public trust in the judiciary

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