In the context of the future of the INDIA bloc, our lead editorial notes that if they wish to have any chance in next year’s Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and the alliance must quickly settle all issues, draw up an alternative agenda, and create a cohesive campaign. None of this will be easy, and the distance the alliance eventually covers will to a large extent depend on the accommodative capabilities of the Congress, both in terms of seats and issues. Read here
Even as India seeks a place at the global high table with leadership of the Global South or permanent membership of the UN Security Council, the latest National Crime Records Bureau data offers a grim counterpoint in the abysmal levels of women’s safety, notes our second editorial. Read here
India can sustain a GDP growth rate of 7-8 per cent until 2030, if key reforms continue, and if we see a recovery in private corporate investment, which we hope comes through in 2024 and sustains, writes economist Ajay Chhibber Read here
Nivedita Mookerji writes about being stranded in Chennai during Cyclone Michaung. Read here