Once the go-ahead was received, the challenging assignment was undertaken in all earnest. Two task forces were constituted, one for each shaft site. Task Force ‘Blue Fox’ consisted of 418 Field Company, supplemented by a platoon of 109 Engineer ..

Despite the explicit promises made by President Bush to Gorbachev in the early 1990s that NATO would not expand eastward to the Russian borders, the US did just the opposite. The Clinton administration made expansion of NATO to be a key foreign ..

Questioning the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. By terming the project as ‘Modi Mahal’, the critics have revealed their despicable character and debased mentality. Prime Minister’s new residence may not be ready by the time new elections take ..

Three Myths of Modern Indian History..

For governance, we delegate our sovereign power to the elected government and to no other institution. Any entity, even if it is higher judiciary, cannot usurp that power. Members of the higher judiciary are not elected by us and hence do not represent ..

From the lofty days of being the steel frame of India, bureaucracy has degenerated into being the misfortune of India. ..

Unprecedented Bihar floods of the year 2008 reminded me of my own experience. The year was 1971. I was a young Captain in an Engineer regiment. ..

Siachen is always in the news. Loss of ten precious Indian lives in the most unfortunate tragedy of February 2016 reignited the debate about the rationale of our military presence on the glacier. Pakistan High Commissioner was quick to recall the ..

September 20 will always be remembered as the Black Sunday in the annals of Indian democracy. The country was mortified to see members of the Rajya Sabha storming the well of the house, charging the presiding officer to tear papers in his face, ..

Modi became Prime Minister in May 2014. During his tenure in office, he has earned the displeasure of many segments of the society. Here are ten reasons why he is disliked. ..

Choosing a career for one’s children is always a challenging responsibility. Medical, engineering and business management are generally the most favoured vocations. ..

Elections in Bihar are due in Oct 20; and election time is parochialism time in India. All politicians flourish by keeping the electorate embroiled in internal dissentions based on region, religion, caste and language considerations. ..

“Minimum Government and Maximum Governance” was the promise Modi repeatedly made during the electioneering in 2014. Fed up with decades of bureaucratic stranglehold, licence/inspector raj and official apathy, people saw a ray of hope for deliverance ..

If India has been ruled by foreign powers for centuries, our penchant for according primacy to personal interests over national concerns has been a key contributory factor. India has been adept at spawning throngs of people who can stoop down to ..

A few years ago, the nation was shocked to hear a retired senior Army officer recommending the constitution of all women battalions in the Indian Army. There cannot be a more preposterous and perilous proposition. It is equally common to hear the ..

While studying Indian history in school days, one always wondered as to why Indian rulers always suffered defeat at the hands of the foreign invaders. It was only at a much later stage that one learnt the true reason for India’s perennial humiliation ..

Nostalgia is an inalienable facet of every retired soldier’s psyche. In fact, post-retirement life gets enlivened only when the past events appear in a flashback. ..

Pokhran II finally, took place under Operation Shakti in 1998. A total of five tests with weapon grade plutonium were conducted – three on 11 May and two on 13 May. The tests included a 45-kiloton fusion bomb (also called hydrogen or thermonuclear ..

For, they are obnoxious, shocking and detestable. These rude, ill-mannered, ill-bred and uncivilized brats have shown their true character through their uncouth behaviour. They were unhappy with the arrangements made by the government to evacuate ..

Write up concerns four points- Indian TV channels, health infrastructure, pictures of burning pyres and the leadership. Must read article written by Mrinal Suman ..

India is flooded with political leaders who are ready to tear the country apart to retain their relevance. To remain in the news, they revel in resorting to grossly anti-national acts. Siddaramaiah adopts a separate flag for Karnataka and tries ..

This happened in 1996. The erstwhile Soviet Union had disintegrated and the economy of Russia was in dire financial straits. Under Boris Yeltsin, Russia was headed for elections and the Sukhoi factory, located in his constituency was on the verge ..

As a young student one accepted that the 'British resorted to ‘divide and rule’ policy to gain control over India' without any questions and grew up in the belief that we Indians are a highly united lot and our subjugation was due to devious tricks ..

The Reserve Bank of India informed the Supreme Court on Sunday that it has advised banks and financial companies to fully comply with a government scheme to pay back borrowers compound interest or interest on interest, charged on their loans during ..

Intolerance is the flavour of the season (pun intended). If feeling ignored and craving for attention, issue a public statement against intolerance or announce returning of award as a mark of protest. ..

Like nationalism, secularism is also an article of faith for every Indian soldier. The army has proved its secular credentials repeatedly during the last seven decades of Independence...

What makes the nations great? Why is the US an undisputed world power? Why has Britain remained undefeated for centuries? Why has India succumbed to foreign rule so often? Why is India still struggling with internal dissensions and fissiparous forces?..

A cartoon making the rounds in the social media showed a father watching WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) channel and his young son querying him, “Dad, why watch WWE when Rajya Sabha is in session? ..

Tibet continues to be an enigma to all visitors. My two visits have been no different. One sees massive Chinese investment in road and railway infrastructure. Modern skyscrapers are coming up at a frenetic pace to house migrants from the mainland...

National conventions, institutions and honours represent national identity and pride. They signify sovereignty of the state and act as catalysts in the development of national cohesion, especially in the case of newly-independent countries that ..

The profession of arms is all about management of violence, destruction and death. As it is not easy to muster courage and nerve to kill other human beings, soldiers are trained to acquire a streak of raw ruthlessness and brutality. ..

Before the Lok Sabha polls in 2014, Father Frazer Mascarenhas, principal of St Xavier's College, published a letter on the college website in which he criticised the Gujarat model of development and cautioned the students, “The prospect of an alliance ..

Beating Retreat is undoubtedly a military ceremony and owes its origin to the English practice of calling back all soldiers and citizens to the safety of the citadels/forts/fortifications before the night set in. ..

For an Indian, a visit to Indonesia can be an eye-opener. It is fervently proud of its heritage. Although it is the largest Muslim country in the world, it has inscribed the picture of Lord Ganesh on its 20,000 rupiah currency notes...