On his 76th birthday, PM Narendra Modi’s political journey can be viewed alongside Tagore’s call to awaken Atma Shakti through self-reliance, service and national self-confidence In his famous treatise “Swadeshi Samaj”, written in the heyday of the Swadeshi era, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore spoke of awakening our “Atmashakti”, or “Self-Power”, for …

From Buddhist heritage and Ayurveda to shared epics, PM Modi’s Central Asia engagement places civilisational diplomacy alongside strategic cooperation Soft power forms a crucial stream in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seven-streamed — Saptadhara — roadmap for civilisational India’s rise. His just-concluded Central Asia visit to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and his …

Across 12 Independence Day addresses, PM Narendra Modi’s changing vocabulary traces India’s journey from fixing basic deficits to pursuing technological, economic and strategic ambition There is a simple way to measure the distance India has travelled in the last decade: listen to the Prime Minister’s Independence Day speeches. In the …

Political independence remains incomplete without the confidence to protect India’s cultural inheritance, intellectual freedom and civilisational sense of self Launching the 150th anniversary commemoration of Vande Mataram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken of the ode as the anthem of freedom, which also inspires us on how to protect that …

The idea of India as Viswaguru demands discipline, constitutionalism and national purpose—not rhetoric, disruption or the politics of anarchy A glimpse of what it takes to transform India into Viswaguru was seen during the dark days of the pandemic, when Covid inundated the world and India stood out, radiating hope …

India cannot become a Viswaguru through abuse, threats and constitutional defiance. Its rise must rest on duty, discipline and nation-building Sonam Wangchuk is on his way to Ladakh, and by the time this column appears, he will be back in his familiar surroundings, recuperating and working on his future projects. …

25 years ago, political scientist and public intellectual Rajni Kothari spoke of the decline of the “Congress system.” Kothari spoke of the Congress becoming a “caricature of the Congress system”, in many ways a negation of it. He had famously coined the term “Congress System.” Kothari referred to the Congress’s …

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Prabowo Subianto inaugurate the UNESCO World Heritage Prambanan Temple Compound Restoration and Conservation Project in Indonesia on Wednesday. Image Courtesy: @narendramodi The Indo-Pacific is an Indian civilisational construct. For over a millennium, civilisational India’s maritime, commercial, cultural and philosophical exchanges and contacts with the …

Beyond politics, Dr Mookerjee emerged as independent India’s foremost ambassador of Buddhism, reconnecting ancient civilisational bonds across Asia through culture As we commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee and discuss and celebrate his multifaceted life and contributions there is one dimension of his life which makes …

From the struggle over Jammu & Kashmir to the creation of West Bengal, the life and sacrifice of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee continue to shape India’s political discourse “…I am not writing to you to seek any consolation. But what I do demand of you is justice. My son died …

The Great Nicobar Project, once completed, will strengthen India’s national defence and long-term supply-chain security in the Indo-Pacific and see the country emerging as a major maritime power One is curious to know why when the Great Nicobar Project, officially known as the project for the holistic development of Great …

Narendra Modi’s 12 years in power mark a decisive shift from inherited hesitation to confident governance, strategic clarity and a wider effort to re-root India in its civilisational self When he won a third consecutive term as Prime Minister in June 2024, it was already clear that Narendra Modi would …

As India marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the timeless novelist continues to illuminate the hopes, struggles and moral dilemmas of ordinary people 2026 is an auspicious year for West Bengal and for Bengal’s cultural, spiritual, educational legacy and her history of nationalism and for India. It …

The return of the Chola copper plates calls for a greater and deeper rejoicing. Its recovery connects us to a dynamic and powerful past, which can propel our future quests. (Image: Wikimedia Commons) Just as the return of the sacred Piprahwa Gem Relics, after 127 years, to India was an …