Once upon a time, the Union Budget had significance in the everyday life of Indians. Not any more. Yet, out of sheer stubborn habit, we spot the brass band and start swaying senselessly every Budget day.
The kerfuffle over UGC's equity rules has settled down. But, the caste debate once again risks sliding into high-minded discourse and slippery-slope arguments that deliver little real change.
India is done with the "instant" insanity. Blinkit and Zomato cannot Swiggy by in 10 minutes any longer. Even if they do, they cannot make a virtue out of it. India is not known for doing pretty much anything fast. But now that the government has spoken, we must learn to fill time into a handful of "instant" activities we developed the dangerous habit for.
Now and then, there are calls to replace India's parliamentary system with a US-style presidency. But Donald Trump's tenure shows how fragile American checks and balances can be.
Dhurandhar humanises Lyari gangsters so thoroughly that you catch yourself rooting for the rogues. Much like Satya did for Mumbai's underworld.
To remain profitable, IndiGo went where no budget airline in India dared to go. But regular off days for pilots will chip into the airline's profits. Here are some bright ideas to make 6E stay profitable. Read till the end.
Chaos broke out at airports because the government tried to implement global rules in the Indian scheme of things. Not just aviation, any sector will collapse in India if laws are implemented to the tee. The sacred rule is that rules are to be circumvented in India's well-greased machinery.
The government and its Sanchar Saathi app were meant to work 24x7 for phone users. Snooping fears made people protest, and communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia made the app optional. People fail to realise the benefits of moves until they are shoved down their throats, like Nitin Gadkari did with ethanol-mixed petrol.
PM Modi might use the Ganga metaphor to talk about an electoral victory in Bengal after Bihar, but geography itself throws up a Hooghly googly. On the demographic back foot in West Bengal, the BJP's problem is how does it dislodge Mamata Banerjee, who hasn't lodged herself as the CM even after 14 years, playing the eternal opposition to a "scheming Dilli"?
Though Nitish Kumar has ruled Bihar for most of the last 20 years, it seems it is Mahagathbandhan's CM candidate, Tejashwi Yadav, who is actually fighting anti-incumbency from Lalu's era. Though Modi magic is intact, in this neck-on-neck fight, it will ultimately boil down to candidate selection. But whoever wins, will Bihar really win?
