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The UGC controversy has raised troubling questions on multiple fronts. At one level lies the obvious question distressing many minds: how could something so deeply discriminatory and divisive find its way into an institutional framework meant to unify and uplift? But at a deeper level, there is an even more disturbing question: what if it was not an accident at all?If deliberate, such an episode is tragic for a country reawakening to its civilisational self after centuries of setbacks — and it’s politically suicidal for a party that claims to oppose divisive, casteist politics while advancing a broader politico-cultural unity…

Kadhambari S. Viswanathan, assistant vice-president, Vellore Institute of Technology, in conversation with L.V. Navaneeth, Chief Executive Officer, The Hindu Group, at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026 on Friday (February 13, 2026). | Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ Online education is one of the biggest finds of the last decade, Kadhambari S. Viswanathan, assistant vice-president, Vellore Institute of Technology, said on Friday (February 13, 2026) at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026.She was speaking at a session, titled ‘From Campus to Corporation: Building Industry-Ready Talent for an AI First World’, in conversation with L.V. Navaneeth, Chief Executive Officer, The Hindu Group, at the event hosted…

State Transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury. File. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Tripura’s connectivity project with Bangladesh – the Agartala-Akhaura rail link and Maitree bridge – may be delayed due to the political turmoil and change in government in the neighbouring country, state Transport minister Sushanta Chowdhury said.An interim government under Muhammad Yunus was formed in the neighbouring country after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5 following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.Mr. Chowdhury said most of the connectivity projects with Bangladesh were almost complete but now not sure…

Inflation, one of the most closely watched macroeconomic indicators, is something that most people feel in daily life in their routine household expenses. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) captures this reality by tracking the prices of goods and services that households regularly consume, turning everyday experiences into an official measure of inflation. For the common man, the CPI is like a quiet mirror of daily life capturing, inter alia, the changing cost of basic needs such as food on the plate, rent for the roof over the head, and fuel for the journey to work.More than a simple numberThough it…

Will Jacks delivered a fiery all-round performance as England overcame a spirited Italian fightback to beat them by 24 runs and seal their Super Eights berth, in their T20 World Cup Group C clash at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata on Monday (February 16, 2026).Opting to bat, England rode on Jacks’ scintillating unbeaten 53 off just 22 balls (4×6, 3×4) to pile up 202 for 7 — their first 200-plus total of this edition.In reply, debutants Italy put up a spirited display and threatened twice in the chase through Ben Manenti’s breathtaking assault (60; 25b) and a late flourish from Grant…

The origins of Yaanam, Kerala’s first travel literary festival, organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, date back to 2017, when the festival curator and author, Sabin Iqbal, pitched a festival, Books on the Beach, in Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, to promote the coastal town. Unfortunately, for some unforeseen reasons, the idea was shelved. The Department has revived the concept, calling it Yaanam (meaning travel in Sanskrit). It is curated by Sabin and themed Of tales, trails and travel. The festival will focus on various aspects of travel, including writing, technology, opportunities, challenges, and more. It will be held at…

The poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar wrote,“क्षमा शोभती उस भुजंग को, जिसके पास गरल हो।उसको क्या जो दन्तहीन, विषरहित, विनीत, सरल हो।।”It is only the strong who can truly be forgiving; the forgiveness of the weak is meaningless.This is a lesson that India has learnt in fits and starts through its nearly eight-decade independent history. This is a lesson that echoes through the significant increase in defence expenditure proposed by the budget this year.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADIndia’s Union Budget 2026 significantly boosts defence outlay to ₹7.85 lakh crore, a 15 per cent increase from ₹6.81 lakh crore last year, addressing…

Data and AI experts take part at a session, titled ‘Data Privacy as a Pillar of Resilience: Building Trust in a Digital Age’, at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026 in Chennai on Friday | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj In a world where data are extracted from individuals with or without informed consent, data and AI experts have called for building awareness and underscored the importance of extracting only relevant data at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026, hosted by The Hindu, presented by VIT, and co-presented Sify Technologies, in Chennai on Friday.The session, ‘Data Privacy as a Pillar of Resilience: Building…

Representational image. File. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee | Photo Credit: PTI West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday (August 11, 2024) called up her Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi and requested him to look into alleged incidents of assault on labourers from the state there, a senior official said on Sunday (August 11, 2024).Ms. Banerjee also told him about such incidents, he said.”Several people have gone from West Bengal to Odisha to work. There are reports that they are being beaten up and tortured by locals suspecting them to be Bangladeshis.”The Bengal CM spoke to her Odisha…

Retail inflation as per the new series of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 2.75% in January 2026. As this is the first data release from the new series, a historical comparison is not yet possible.The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Thursday 9February 12, 2026) released CPI data for January 2026 based on the new series of the index in the presence of MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg, Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran, and other officials of MoSPI. This new series incorporates an updated base year of 2024 from the earlier 2012, wider coverage of goods and…