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Opinion

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Marital rape can’t remain an exception to rape law

Opinion

Published on Feb 14, 2025 09:32 PM IST

Why does the government have any interest in preserving an abusive marriage; one where the wife is the property of her husband and her consent is irrelevant?

A trial court sentences the man to 10 years in jail. He appeals and the Chhattisgarh high court acquits him of all charges, rape, unnatural sex and even culpable homicide. Off he goes, free as a bird to live the remainder of his life as he chooses. (HT Photo)

ByNamita Bhandare

Focus on Allahbadia instead of marital rape acquittal is telling

The news is obsessed with one and refuses to give any airtime to the other. What does this say about our priorities?

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)

Opinion

Published on Feb 14, 2025 09:32 PM IST

ByBarkha Dutt

Strategic flexibility is the lodestar for India’s US policy

New Delhi went into the bargaining game with an eye on mutual benefits and expanding the pie rather than dividing a fixed pie — and it has worked

**EDS: THIRD PARTY IMAGE** In this image released by PMO on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Donald Trump during a joint press conference at the White House, in Washington, DC, USA. (PMO via PTI Photo) (PTI02_14_2025_000065A) (PMO)

Opinion

Published on Feb 14, 2025 09:31 PM IST

BySreeram Chaulia

Why Trump wants to gain control of Panama Canal

Panama may be the first subject of Trump’s geopolitical sabre-rattling with China, but it will certainly not be the last.

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows a cargo ship transiting through the Panama Canal as U.S. President Donald Trump plans to regain control of the Canal, in Panama City, Panama, February 1, 2025. REUTERS/Enea Lebrun/File Photo (REUTERS)

Opinion

Updated on Feb 13, 2025 08:06 PM IST

ByHari Seshasayee

Cyclone secrets beneath the surface of the ocean

Tropical cyclone predictions are getting better but there is always room for further improvement considering the havoc cyclones wreak on lives, socioeconomics

FILE PHOTO: A boy carries a roofing sheet on the beach in the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, in Passamainty, Mayotte, France December 20, 2024. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Feb 13, 2025 08:05 PM IST

ByRaghu Murtugudde

Deregulation can give the boost growth needs

The biggest gift the government could give the economy is to unleash the entrepreneurial dynamism and skills of the country’s biggest resource — its people

Greater Noida, India- January 19, 2025: Construction machinery, building material equipment, mining machinery, and construction vehicles were showcased at the Bharat Construction Equipment Expo and Urban Mobility Infrastructure Show under Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, held at the India Expo Centre, in Greater Noida, India, on Sunday, January 19, 2025. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on Feb 13, 2025 08:05 PM IST

ByAmartya Lahiri

AI can reinstate India at the intellectual summit

By combining the wisdom of ancient texts with cutting-edge AI, India could unlock breakthroughs in philosophy, science, and medicine

Police walk by a sign outside of the Grand Palais, which will be the venue for an upcoming AI Action Summit, in Paris, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Michel Euler) (AP)

Opinion

Published on Feb 12, 2025 08:00 PM IST

ByVivek Wadhwa

For gig workers, e-Shram registration is just the start

The key issue will be to enforce aggregator accountability and make sure that all aggregators share data on the portal

FILE PHOTO: Swiggy gig workers talk to each other during a promotional event in Mumbai, India, October 14, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Feb 12, 2025 08:00 PM IST

ByVidhya Soundararajan

India-US partnership in a post-liberal world

Focusing on cultural revival, economic nationalism and strategic autonomy, India is charting a path deeply rooted in its ancient ethos.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi embrace after giving a joint statement in New Delhi, India, Feb. 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File) (AP)

Opinion

Updated on Feb 12, 2025 08:00 PM IST

BySwati Ramanathan, Ramesh Ramanathan

Lessons from Delhi victory for Uttar Pradesh and the country

The BJP devised a campaign plan without any divisive slogans like ‘batoge to katoge’ for Delhi where all castes and communities reside.

New Delhi, India - Feb. 9, 2025: Empty AAP HQ after Delhi Assembly election result in New Delhi, India, on Sunday, February 9, 2025. (Photo by Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times)(Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on Feb 11, 2025 08:13 PM IST

BySunita Aron

Resolving farmers’ concerns, bridging State-market divide

While MSP and timely procurement have long been pillars of India’s agricultural policy, the agrarian crisis and farmer suicides demand a proactive response.

Vegetable vendors wait for customers at a local market in New Delhi on February 1, 2025. India's finance minister unveiled broad income tax cuts on February 1, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government looks to bolster consumption and perk up a slowing economy. Consumers have been burdened by high food inflation and weak wage growth, two factors impacting urban consumption. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (AFP)

Opinion

Updated on Feb 11, 2025 08:00 PM IST

ByTN Prakash Kammardi

Why Delhi’s water sector needs structural reforms

Over the past few months, water became a dominant theme in Delhi’s poll discourse of maligning the rival.

New Delhi, India - Jan. 17, 2025: People buying water from market in Kapashera Village, Bijwasan Assembly in New Delhi, India, on Friday, January 17, 2025. (Photo by Ajay Aggarwal/ Hindustan Times) To go with Karan’s story (Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Updated on Feb 11, 2025 08:00 PM IST

ByVandana Bhatnagar

Ignore trade irritants, focus on strategic ties

The Trump team recognises that India’s emergence as a global power has the potential to transform the Indo-Pacific region and the world

Gantry cranes and shipping containers at the Yangshan Deepwater Port in Shanghai, China, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025. President Donald Trump plans to impose 25% tariffs on all imports of steel and aluminum into the US, broadening his trade salvo and threatening ties with some of the country's top trading partners. Source: Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

Opinion

Updated on Feb 11, 2025 07:59 PM IST

ByLisa Curtis

Scientifically Speaking | DNA studies reveal how Indian languages evolved

For Indians, these findings offer a new perspective on our linguistic and cultural connections to the wider world.

By analysing DNA from 435 ancient individuals, a team led by Harvard geneticist David Reich has solved one of humanity's enduring mysteries. (Pixabay)

Opinion

Published on Feb 11, 2025 08:00 AM IST

ByAnirban Mahapatra

Parties must beware lure of cash transfers

The AAP government had many welfare schemes, and the new government will find it difficult to change strategy drastically and withdraw these totally

New Delhi, Feb 08 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters attend the celebration of the party's win in the Delhi Assembly Election, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI Photo) (Narendra Modi Website)

Opinion

Published on Feb 10, 2025 09:02 PM IST

ByShabana Mitra

Lessons from India’s fintech revolution

Unlike consumers in the West, many Indian consumers have leapt straight to mobile banking and wallets without any experience with card payments or e-banking.

A QR code for the Paytm digital payment system at a general store in Mumbai, India, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. Paytm’s earnings are expected to get a boost from the sale of its stake in Japan’s PayPay Corp., and improvement in operating performance as business stabilized after a central bank crackdown last year. Photographer: Abeer Khan/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

Opinion

Updated on Feb 10, 2025 09:02 PM IST

ByPramit Bhattacharya

French-India tango over the future of AI

Paris AI Action Summit aims to establish sustainable AI solutions, co-chaired by France and India, addressing ethics, accessibility, and environmental impact.

Opinion

Updated on Feb 10, 2025 09:01 PM IST

ByMohan Kumar

Making examinations a less stressful affair for students

Our role as parents, teachers, and policymakers is to listen, to let go, and to trust that our children are resilient and stronger than we often believe

Let’s celebrate the diverse paths our children take towards success and build the perspective of education as an enriching, empowering, and liberating journey (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Opinion

Published on Feb 09, 2025 08:08 PM IST

ByJayant Chaudhary

Delhi results are likely to weaken INDIA bloc

The bloc’s internal configuration has a serious problem. It does not have any set of ideas that can pave the way for a common minimum programme

The region-specific consideration is another of the INDIA bloc’s problems. The regional partners would like to preserve their political hegemony at the state level while seeking a formidable national coalition against the BJP at the Centre (PTI)

Opinion

Published on Feb 09, 2025 08:05 PM IST

ByHilal Ahmed

Delhi debacle tells a tale of Kejriwal’s fall

The wide chasm between the AAP leader’s promises and his record in government cost the party the elections

Before making the attempt to come to power for fourth time in Delhi, Kejriwal should have put his rusty party apparatus and administration in order. (Photo by Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on Feb 09, 2025 08:02 PM IST

ByShashi Shekhar

Just Like That | From struggle to success: The quiet triumph of Bimla’s family

In urban chaos, success stories often remain untold. Bimla and Rakesh, a couple who faced adversity, prioritized education for their children.

In the crevices of our sprawling metropolises, teeming with ambition and municipal chaos, some success stories quietly unfold—stories that don’t make headlines but keep alive the vibrancy of the human spirit(Pixabay)

Opinion

Published on Feb 09, 2025 08:00 AM IST

ByPavan K Varma

Mind the Gap: The red carpet’s “naked dress” is a tired and tried trope

Kanye West’s wife, Bianca Censori grabbed headlines all over the world. But the nude female body has in the past been used for protest and change.

Opinion

Published on Feb 09, 2025 08:00 AM IST

ByNamita Bhandare

How the AAP lost its plot and office in Delhi

This time multiple factors seem to have added in small measures to deliver a clinching win for the BJP

New Delhi, India - Feb. 8, 2025: BJP Supporters during the celebration at BJP HQ as the party leads in the Delhi Assembly elections at BJP headquarters in New Delhi, India, on Saturday, February 8, 2025. (Photo by RAJ K RAJ / Hindustan Times) (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Opinion

Updated on Feb 08, 2025 09:00 PM IST

ByRahul Verma

What explains the big BJP win in the Capital

Today, the desertion of middle- and upper-class voters is the primary reason for the AAP’s defeat. Even the once unassailable Kejriwal lost his seat.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters celebrate outside the BJP state headquarters, as BJP is projected leading in the election results in the Delhi state, in New Delhi, India, February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi (REUTERS)

Opinion

Published on Feb 08, 2025 08:59 PM IST

ByNeelanjan Sircar

The revolution will not be subsidised

AAP's rise in Delhi politics has been marked by welfare schemes, but its lack of ideological challenge to BJP may cost it support amid shifting voter bases.

New Delhi: Empty chairs are seen at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) office amid the counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly polls, in New Delhi, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav) (PTI02_08_2025_000156B) (PTI)

Opinion

Published on Feb 08, 2025 08:59 PM IST

ByRoshan Kishore

Constitutional, not personal, morality must guide courts

There is an increasing trend of moral censure by courts, which has a chilling effect on people with alternative life experiences, orientations and preferences

Supreme-Court-of-India-Mohd-Zakir-HT-file-photo

Opinion

Published on Feb 07, 2025 08:13 PM IST

BySeema Sindhu

State of nation offers reasons to rejoice, worry

Lessening of inequalities in Indian society is the big takeaway from journey so far though the marginalisation of minorities in public affairs is disconcerting

Greater Noida, India- January 26, 2025: People from civil society takes part in Taranga Yatra was part of the 76th Republic Day, in Greater Noida, India, on Sunday, January 26, 2025. (Photo by Sunil Ghosh / Hindustan Times)

Opinion

Published on Feb 07, 2025 08:12 PM IST

ByRajmohan Gandhi

Elevated levels of pollution will hit long-term growth

What gets less attention is the connection between elevated levels of pollution and long-run economic growth

Skyscrapers are seen amidst moderate levels of air pollution in Bangkok on February 7, 2025. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP) (AFP)

Opinion

Published on Feb 07, 2025 08:12 PM IST

ByKaushik Basu

A molecular tweak that could make farming environmentally friendly

Modern agriculture’s critical challenge is to feed a growing global population while reducing the environmental footprint of fertilizer use.

The key lies in enhancing the natural partnerships of crop plants with beneficial soil microbes. (Reuters)

Opinion

Published on Feb 06, 2025 08:32 PM IST

ByAnirban Mahapatra

In US deportations, an opportunity, a warning

States must reorient policies and priorities to disincentivise illegal immigration by creating educational and employment options at home

**EDS: TO GO WITH STORY** Washington: Members of Shivam Dhol Tasha Pathak, a Texas-based Indian traditional drum and snare ensemble, are seen during a rehearsal, in Washington. (PTI Photo) (PTI01_07_2025_000012B) (PTI)

Opinion

Published on Feb 06, 2025 08:23 PM IST

BySuresh Kumar

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News / Opinion

Opinion

Why does the government have any interest in preserving an abusive marriage; one where the wife is the property of her husband and her consent is irrelevant?

The news is obsessed with one and refuses to give any airtime to the other. What does this say about our priorities?

New Delhi went into the bargaining game with an eye on mutual benefits and expanding the pie rather than dividing a fixed pie — and it has worked

Panama may be the first subject of Trump’s geopolitical sabre-rattling with China, but it will certainly not be the last.

Tropical cyclone predictions are getting better but there is always room for further improvement considering the havoc cyclones wreak on lives, socioeconomics

The biggest gift the government could give the economy is to unleash the entrepreneurial dynamism and skills of the country’s biggest resource — its people

By combining the wisdom of ancient texts with cutting-edge AI, India could unlock breakthroughs in philosophy, science, and medicine

The key issue will be to enforce aggregator accountability and make sure that all aggregators share data on the portal

Focusing on cultural revival, economic nationalism and strategic autonomy, India is charting a path deeply rooted in its ancient ethos.

The BJP devised a campaign plan without any divisive slogans like ‘batoge to katoge’ for Delhi where all castes and communities reside.

While MSP and timely procurement have long been pillars of India’s agricultural policy, the agrarian crisis and farmer suicides demand a proactive response.

Over the past few months, water became a dominant theme in Delhi’s poll discourse of maligning the rival.

The Trump team recognises that India’s emergence as a global power has the potential to transform the Indo-Pacific region and the world

For Indians, these findings offer a new perspective on our linguistic and cultural connections to the wider world.

The AAP government had many welfare schemes, and the new government will find it difficult to change strategy drastically and withdraw these totally

Unlike consumers in the West, many Indian consumers have leapt straight to mobile banking and wallets without any experience with card payments or e-banking.

Paris AI Action Summit aims to establish sustainable AI solutions, co-chaired by France and India, addressing ethics, accessibility, and environmental impact.

Our role as parents, teachers, and policymakers is to listen, to let go, and to trust that our children are resilient and stronger than we often believe

The bloc’s internal configuration has a serious problem. It does not have any set of ideas that can pave the way for a common minimum programme

The wide chasm between the AAP leader’s promises and his record in government cost the party the elections

In urban chaos, success stories often remain untold. Bimla and Rakesh, a couple who faced adversity, prioritized education for their children.

Kanye West’s wife, Bianca Censori grabbed headlines all over the world. But the nude female body has in the past been used for protest and change.

This time multiple factors seem to have added in small measures to deliver a clinching win for the BJP

Today, the desertion of middle- and upper-class voters is the primary reason for the AAP’s defeat. Even the once unassailable Kejriwal lost his seat.

AAP's rise in Delhi politics has been marked by welfare schemes, but its lack of ideological challenge to BJP may cost it support amid shifting voter bases.

There is an increasing trend of moral censure by courts, which has a chilling effect on people with alternative life experiences, orientations and preferences

Lessening of inequalities in Indian society is the big takeaway from journey so far though the marginalisation of minorities in public affairs is disconcerting

What gets less attention is the connection between elevated levels of pollution and long-run economic growth

Modern agriculture’s critical challenge is to feed a growing global population while reducing the environmental footprint of fertilizer use.

States must reorient policies and priorities to disincentivise illegal immigration by creating educational and employment options at home

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