Shekhar Gupta

Minimum Trump, maximum Modi: Their contrasting views on civil servants

For Modi/BJP supporters, Deep State is some amorphous entity, including global foundations, Left-activist corporations and investors, and also intelligence proliferations working in cahoots with them

Making nukes great again: How Trump buried non-proliferation forever

Nukes are today a fairly low-tech option and inexpensive deterrent. If the Pakistanis could build them in the 1980s, anybody could do so now

Deep state, shallow state, non-state: The rise of conspiracy theories

From bhikshus of Ashokan 3rd century BC and medieval Sufis to Oxfam, Omidyar and Soros now, non-state actors have any real power only when they work in conjunction with a real state

Kejriwal's no-ideology politics over as his 'cynical image' cost him Delhi

Kejriwal and the AAP are devastated, but not finished. They still have a big state in Punjab, the municipal corporation in Delhi and 43 percent of the vote, even in defeat

Socialist delivery, a nuclear promise: Hoping the Budget meets its goals

Those of us who were so excited by that flurry of reforms and hailed it as a true and virtuous example of not wasting a crisis are now chastened

In defence of Murthy & Subrahmanyan: Valuing entrepreneurs and job creators

It's easy to beat up on the corporations. But a society that does not give its entrepreneurs, wealth & jobs creators love and respect, is doomed to be frozen in a low-middle-income status

Middle class & Modi love: Navigating tax burdens and political strategies

The Indian middle class seethes at the growing phenomenon of political parties taking their tax money and showering benefits on the more numerous poorer classes to buy their votes

Left, right, centre, reverse: Populism emerges as unifying political idea

In the new world, the only idea that cuts across enough vote banks is populism. Its beauty, charm and success lie in its ease of use and how little it demands from the head or heart

An open letter to Prof Mohd Yunus: From revenge to responsibility

Hasina took away your bank, you've now served revenge. Here's the test: Now that you have public office, it implies public trust. Can you have it and do nothing? And if you would, what would it be?

Dr Singh's other major reform lies in India's strategic shift to the West

It was also audacious, in my book even more so than the 1991 reform, given how little support it had within the Congress and the UPA

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's call for unity: A shift in Hindutva discourse?

The calling for halt to rash of 'masjids built over mandirs' claims could stem from realisation that it will be impossible for BJP government to maintain order if the issue spirals out of control

BJP's attack on the American 'deep state' reflects growing global discourse

The idea had been acquiring currency across ideological lines for some time and has been given greater legitimacy by Trump

Return of bad ideas & missing reformers: Steel lobbying and lost reforms

There are three perfectly timed triggers for this week's column: Old, povertarian instincts are back; the steel industry lobbying for more import duties; and the absence of reformers like A D Shroff

Why India shouldn't go to Pakistan: Broken ties go beyond cricket disputes

Broken cricket relationships in the subcontinent aren't about any disputes over the game, nor Hindu-Muslim issues. They are about the state of the nations, and what goes on between them

Adani's reckoning: Sebi probes, political uproar, and foreign capital woes

Sebi may now launch fresh inquiries. Parliament will open to uproar, and Adanis' access to foreign capital will become impossible. The damage this time will be deeper and longer-lasting

Two-front deterrence: India needs a strong stance against China, Pakistan

India needs clear deterrence against both likely adversaries. With China, it lies in raising costs of aggression to levels it should find unaffordable. For Pakistan, it has to be punitive

Trump, Modi, Rahul: The three-pillar formula for a successful campaign

Trump has just followed the formula, as did Modi in 2014 and 2019, but not in 2024

After LAC disengagement, India needs to increase defence allocation

We talk much about our military but do not put our national wallet where our mouth is. While nobody is saying we double our defence spending, the current declining trend must be reversed

Survival or revival? How 2004 win, 99 seats in 2024 shaped Congress

Congress is silently acknowledging it overread the verdict of the last general election. You can see it in easy concession to SP. It will likely be more reasonable in Maharashtra & Jharkhand

Sikh separatists' violence should concern host countries, not just India

If Sikh separatists are a nuisance, it should worry their host countries. Should it bother India if they keep killing their own in gang rivalries and making their neighbourhoods unsafe?