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The tension between freedom of expression and protection of reputation is both inevitable and delicate. Speech rights lie at the core of democratic governance, enabling citizens to critique, dissent, and challenge power. But reputation, dignity, and the risk of false or malicious harm also matter, and the law seeks to mediate between these competing values. What is troubling, however, is the growing trend of using defamation – especially criminal defamation – not as a last-resort remedy for real injury, but as a tool of suppression. And when this become a tool in the hands of the government, it is all the more dangerous. In that sense, it becomes a gag rather than a guardrail. The observation by the Supreme Court the other day that the time may have come to decriminalise defamation is not merely timely; it is essential if freedom of expression is to retain its meaning in a technologically connected, hypercritical age.

CHANDIGARH: Stubble burning cases are on increase in Punjab and in the past eight days up to 23 September, media reports reveal that 70 cases have been reported and FIRs against 20 farmers under Section 223 of the Indian Penal Code have been lodged. The state government is in active mode after the Supreme Court stated on Wednesday, (September 17), that farmers can't claim immunity, amid rising pollution concerns. The Bench consisting of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K.V. Chandran was hearing contempt petitions concerning unfilled vacancies in the Pollution Control Board.

Climate, culture and public health can sometimes collide in unexpected ways. Kerala's interaction with a deadly brain infection is a pointer to it. Naegleria fowleri, a microscopic organism thrives in warm, untreated freshwater. It can invade the human brain through the nose. A near fatal condition called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis follows. It destroys brain tissue within days.

India's maritime history predates the birth of Western civilization. It is believed that the world's first tidal port was built around 2300 BCE during the Harappan civilization at Lothal, near the present-day port of Mangrol on the Gujarat coast.

Ban order on caste based political rallies issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on September 21, 2025 has significantly raised the political heat in the state, since it is likely to impact all political parties and political alliances. Nevertheless, the BJP led government under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has opted for defining caste based political rallies as a threat to “public order” and “national unity”, which has a special connotation more serious than the simple violation of “law and order”.

Amid world deepening in geopolitical tensions and global trade turmoil, Russia-India-China troika paves the way for India-China thaw, geared by Russia and poses a challenge to Trump’s unilateral tariff imposition policy, even with political considerations.

Prime minister, Narendra Modi’s address to the nation on Sunday on the eve of the cut in GST was a purely political play. The GST has been reformed and reset by the GST Council, which is the competent body to finally amend the GST regime. Its date of coming into effect was decided by the Council.

The Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress wants a bigger share of everything from the DMK alliance in the 2026 assembly elections which isn't far away, a few months more and all things polling will be on the state's head. And Tamil Nadu is a political island in itself, a Dravidian stronghold, where two Dravidian parties swing in and out of power, switching power, one alliance after another every five years.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The habitual critics of Kerala’s Left Democratic Front Government (LDF) are running for cover; the incorrigible detractors have ended up with egg on their faces. The reason for their acute embarrassment: the success of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam held by the Travancore Devaswom Board.

Few will disagree that India should keep investing substantially in both onshore and offshore oil search as the country is becoming increasingly dependent on the import of petroleum crude to meet its energy needs. Currently, almost 86 percent of India’s annual crude petroleum needs are being met through imports. During his recent visit to Assam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern over the fact that the country, one of the world’s fastest growing economies, is heavily dependent on foreign nations for crude oil and gas. He said the country is making strong efforts to discover new reserves of crude oil and gas while enhancing its green energy capabilities. Unfortunately, the government’s latest action to raise the goods and services tax (GST) by 50 percent on oil and gas exploration gives a totally contradictory message. The higher GST is bound to slow down the country’s search for fossil fuel.