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Just as tension between India and China started escalating again at the Ladakh border, India announced it had gatecrashed into yet another exclusive club, that of countries possessing hypersonic weapons. So long it had three members – the United States, Russia and China. What India has achieved now is not the making of a hypersonic cruise missile but the technological ability to do so in a short time.

The upcoming Bihar elections are unique in many ways. In fact this will be the first digital poll held amidst Covid. This time, the elections will be fought through virtual rallies and door-to-door campaigns as well of the social media. The BJP is far ahead of the others because of its experience in virtual mode. It will indeed be a big achievement if the digital experiment succeeds in a backward state like Bihar.

The disparity between newspaper headlines and what the 24X7 TV news broadcasts daily couldn't be any wider. If newspapers are frontpaging the unprecedented GDP growth rate contraction by - 23.9 per cent, or the four-decade-high unemployment figures, with 21 million jobs lost in the wake of the Covid-19 induced lockdown, our TV channels are focused on hounding Rhea Chakraborty. Despite little evidence against the young actress, former girlfriend of the late Sushant Singh Rajput, Chakraborty is subjected to a daily witch-hunt, and if the BARC ratings are an indication, that's exactly what the Indian news viewers want to see on their TV screens.

David Graeber was an exemplary scholar-activist. We all know plenty of professors who will occasionally participate in demonstrations and sign petitions; and activists who conduct research and teach. David, however, was so deeply engaged in both realms that it would be impossible to assign one a primary role. Clearly, for him, scholarship and activism enriched and informed one another in a constant exchange.

Right to Education (RTE) has had an interesting history. It was initially a directive principle of state policy and so was non-enforceable in nature. Subsequently, through judicial pronouncements, it was held that education is an integral part of a dignified life under Article 21 of the Constitution. It thus became enforceable in nature.

New Delhi: Indian preparations for the Thomas and Uber Cup received a huge boost with World champion PV Sindhu, making herself avaiable for the tournament.

New Delhi: Midfielder Neha Goyal says that ultimate goal of the Women's Hockey Team is to have a podium finish at the Olympics.

New Delhi: Swashbuckling opener Shikhar Dhawan has exuded confidence that Shreyas Iyer led Delhi Capitals will be a title contender in the 13th edition of the IPL commencing in UAE from 19th September.

New Delhi: Former world chess champion Vishwanathan Anand rivalry with Vladimir Kramnik is one of the most revered rivalries in the history of modern-day sports.

The New York Times’ Michelle Goldberg has a new piece on Ed Markey’s surprising and unorthodox primary victory and the lessons it might offer to other Democrats. Among other things, Goldberg’s op-ed gives useful insights into the pivotal role played by the Sunrise Movement, which accomplished nothing short of a stunning feat by transforming the seventy-four-year-old Markey into an unlikely champion for young progressive voters.