Year: 2025

Robert Vadra and the ED: Legal Scrutiny or Political Vendetta?

Manish Kumar

A Familiar Face in a Familiar Fight Robert Vadra, businessman and husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, once again found himself in the spotlight on Tuesday as he appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a land deal case in Haryana. The case—linked to alleged money laundering—has resurfaced ahead of election season, prompting Vadra to claim that the probe is part of a larger campaign of political targeting by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This is far from Vadra’s first brush with investigative agencies. Over the years,…

Trump vs The Ivy League: How America’s Elite Universities Became the New Political Battlefield

Manish Kumar

Trump’s New Front in the Culture War A new cultural clash is unfolding in the United States, and this time, the battleground isn’t Capitol Hill — it’s the nation’s elite universities. Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump has trained his political firepower on Ivy League institutions, launching an unprecedented crackdown that includes freezing billions in federal aid. The latest target is Harvard University, which now faces a halt in $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million in federal contracts after refusing to comply with Trump’s sweeping policy…

Delhi Airport Terminal 2 Temporarily Shuts for Maintenance: All Flights Shift to Upgraded Terminal 1

Manish Kumar

A Powerhouse of Air Travel in India The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi stands as a beacon of India’s aviation prowess. As the largest and busiest airport in the country, it handles an enormous volume of passengers and air traffic daily. Terminal 2 (T2) alone manages over 46,000 passengers and 270–280 air traffic movements each day, highlighting its significance in the airport’s operational framework. Now, in a move to enhance passenger experience and infrastructure, Delhi Airport has announced the temporary closure of T2 for critical maintenance, rerouting all…

Sri Lanka Skips India’s Tejas MK1: A Strategic Decision Amid Deep Ties

Manish Kumar

Historic Ties, Strategic Collaboration India and Sri Lanka have enjoyed a longstanding relationship marked by cultural affinity, historical bonds, and strategic cooperation. Since gaining independence in the mid-20th century, the two nations have built strong diplomatic ties. India has played a significant role in supporting Sri Lanka through numerous crises — including the recent economic meltdown and political unrest — by extending critical aid, debt restructuring support, and maritime collaboration. However, despite the visible goodwill, Sri Lanka has, on several occasions, made decisions that appeared to diverge from India’s strategic interests…

Indian Shrimp Industry in Choppy Waters: Trump Tariffs Stir Global Trade Currents

Manish Kumar

India’s Shrimp Boom: A Global Export Powerhouse India has long been a global leader in shrimp exports, with a thriving aquaculture industry that fuels livelihoods, particularly in coastal states like Andhra Pradesh, where over 300,000 farmers grow shrimp in saline ponds. With seafood exports reaching $7.3 billion in 2024, shrimp accounts for the lion’s share—$2.5 billion to the U.S. alone, making America India’s largest market for this aquatic delicacy. For years, Indian exporters supplied premium frozen shrimp to U.S. supermarket giants like Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, and Costco. These exports not only strengthened India’s seafood…

AI and the 2025 Layoff Wave: Over 40,000 Jobs Lost Amid Corporate Restructuring

Manish Kumar

An Era of Uncertainty for the Global Workforce The year 2025 has already seen a surge in corporate layoffs across industries, with over 40,000 jobs lost globally, signaling a continuation of a troubling trend that began during the pandemic and accelerated in its aftermath. Major corporations—particularly in tech, pharma, and biotech—are shedding employees at an alarming rate, citing reasons ranging from restructuring and cost-cutting to an aggressive pivot toward artificial intelligence (AI). What began as periodic downsizing has now become a systemic shift. According to Layoffs.fyi, over 23,500 tech workers have already been…

Language or Imposition? NCERT’s Hindi Titles for English Textbooks Spark National Debate

Manish Kumar

A New Naming Strategy Raises Old Questions The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), India’s apex body for curriculum development, has recently stirred a national conversation by assigning Hindi titles to English-language textbooks, including those meant to teach English. Titles like Poorvi, Mridang, and Santoor now adorn English textbooks for Classes 1 through 7, a move that has raised eyebrows and ignited a linguistic and cultural debate. This naming convention marks a break from the NCERT’s long-standing practice of matching a book’s title with its medium of instruction.…

Zuckerberg in the Hot Seat: Could Meta Be Forced to Break Up Instagram and WhatsApp?

Manish Kumar

A Landmark Antitrust Trial with Far-Reaching Consequences A high-stakes antitrust trial against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, began in Washington this week. At the center of the case is the possibility that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg may be forced to divest two of the world’s most influential social media platforms—Instagram and WhatsApp—should the court find that their acquisitions were intended to eliminate competition and cement a monopoly. The lawsuit, filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), accuses Meta of engaging in anti-competitive behavior…

India’s ‘Star Wars’ Leap: DRDO Tests Laser Weapon That Vaporizes Aerial Threats

Manish Kumar

A Major Milestone in India’s Defence R&D Capabilities In a move that marks a giant leap in futuristic warfare, India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested a Laser-Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) system on April 13, 2025. Conducted at the National Open-Air Range (NOAR) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, the trial showcased India’s growing prowess in cutting-edge defence technologies—often likened to the sci-fi arsenal of Star Wars. The tested Mk-II (A) Laser-DEW system is designed to disable or destroy aerial threats like drones, missiles, and other small projectiles with focused…

A Shifting Axis: India Faces Strategic Crossroads Amid Rising Bangladesh-China-Pakistan Nexus

Manish Kumar

A New Era in South Asian Geopolitics The sudden political upheaval in Bangladesh following the departure of long-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has created seismic ripples across South Asia. India, once a close strategic partner of Hasina’s government, now finds itself on uncertain footing as Dhaka tilts closer to Beijing and Islamabad. This emerging trilateral alignment—Bangladesh, China, and Pakistan—is raising alarms in New Delhi, with implications not only for regional security but also for India’s internal stability, particularly in its sensitive northeastern region. The Indo-Bangladesh relationship, once a model of…