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Forensic investigations by Amnesty International’s Security Lab have come out with surprising revelations about continued and increasing use of Pegasus, a type of highly invasive spyware, developed by Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group. It has come amid an unprecedented crackdown by the Indian authorities on freedom of peaceful expression and assembly, which has had a chilling impact on civil society organizations, journalists, and activists.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s “imminent arrest” has been on the cards for two-three days and the AAP convener has been milking every drop of sympathy from talk of his imminent “arrest”. That said, while half of Delhi is convinced Kejriwal is corrupt to the core, the other half is still making up its mind. Arvind Kejriwal on January 4 dramatically pronounced that the Narendra Modi government was hell bent on robbing him of his most precious wealth – the thick vein of irreversible honesty that runs through his veins.

The Supreme Court verdict in the keenly-awaited petitions against the adequacy of the SEBI probe into the charges against the Adani group is neither convincing nor conclusive. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has given the market regulator another three months to complete its investigations. The court has also in essence put the ball in the court of the government, which is largely perceived to be an interested party in the infamous cover-up. If SEBI cannot complete the probe in so many months it has apparently been engaged in the task, there is no way it can do it in three months. So, the extension of time fails to cut ice.

Narendra Modi government had successfully avoided any meaningful discussion on the three new criminal laws in the Lok Sabha by resorting to suspension of almost entire opposition members in the Lower House, but had to face a serious roadblock even before their implementation enforcing the Centre to give a second thought on making them operational before the Lok Sabha General Election 2024 fearing political backlash.

With their malicious design to engage Bihar chief minister, Nitish Kumar in a psychological war proving to be absolutely ineffective, the Narendra Modi and Amit Shah combine has tossed a new type of conceptual war against Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren. While the duo failed to muster courage to direct their parrot to swoop on Nitish and put him in jail, the ED is already gearing up to arrest Hemant Soren.

It sounds odd calling Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Nyay Yatra’, “nationwide east-to-west yatra”. The yatra is east-to-west, but not nationwide. Cutting through 14 states and 85 districts is not the entirety of India. It is another matter if it has a nationwide impact. Also, the claim that the Congress “hopes” to win 150 parliamentary constituencies because Rahul Gandhi travelled through 85 districts is tall.

Ahead of the general Budget on February one, International Monetary Fund has warned India to return to fiscal consolidation path and efficient spending implying mounting debt and rampant freebies culture are unsustainable. Finance Ministry might be dismissive of IMF observation saying any interpretation that the IMF article IV country report implies that general government debt would exceed 100 per cent of GDP in the medium term is misconstrued. The Indian government may also take solace in saying India has done relatively well when cross-country comparison is made of major economies, especially after Covid.

Kolkata is no stranger to quizzical posters. But of late, the two adorning city walls and lamp posts have foxed Kolkatans; one announcing the need for an alternative politics is sans any mention of the name of organisation or individual putting it up while the other merely states seven.

Padma Deskit, Ladakh's first female surgeon, wanted to be a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, but her hopes were dashed after his father was diagnosed with cancer. As the eldest child Deskit prioritised family and returned to Ladakh.

The grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya is all dressed up for the inauguration on January 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is fulfilling a longstanding dream of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar.