It has always been in the nature of the Congress to ensure that the entire process of electing the President be mired in uncertainty, one-upmanship, official confusion and rumour-mongering. Anirban Ganguly recalls an instance from the early days of t
Culture and cultural institutions in India have begun to bear the brunt of official apathy. In a strange turn of events the present government has reduced the allocation for 2012-13 for the Ministry of Culture. It is indeed unimaginable that in a cou
In a remarkable speech delivered at Nalanda on November 20, 1951 at the inauguration of the Magadh Research Institute for the study of Pali, Prakrit and research in Buddhist literature and philosophy, Dr. Rajendra Prasad the first President of the In
Though the setting up of a Central University is the prerogative of the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) it shall be in the right spirit of adherence to the Constitution and to our federal structure if it is done in consultation w
In his address on ‘The Influence of Indian Spiritual Thought in England’ on 11th March 1898 at Calcutta Swami Vivekananda distinctly referred to the Indian civilisational reach worldwide. While travelling in the Eastern parts of Asia, he said he
Avant Propos: Constructing – Deconstructionism Inspired by the theory and belief of an imagined India a vocal and influential section in the Indian and Western academia and intelligentsia has been uninterruptedly inspiring and promoting a spirit
Of late the debate on standards in public life, of probity in public life and of the use and abuse of power in a democratic framework has been occupying the centre stage. While the debate has often developed to no-holds barred level it is nevertheles
Though he often lamented the extent and depth of Indian influence on Chinese civilisation in the past, Ambassador Hu Shih (1891-1962) scholar-formidable of China’s cultural renaissance nevertheless conceded India’s immense contribution to his cou
Avant Propos Writing a foreword to noted social historian and political philosopher Dharampal’s (1922-2006) book ‘Civil Disobedience in Indian Tradition’ [1971] legendary Indian mass leader and socialist thinker Jayaprakash Narayan (1902-197
All is not well with the minorities in Bangladesh, especially the Hindus. One of the major election planks of the Awami League (AL) during the last general elections of 2008 was its assurance of securing the rights of the minorities of Bangladesh and