Discourse

Wednesday, May 08, 2024 | Last Update : 12:29 AM IST

Discourse

Wait, men at wreck in prisons

The Indian prison system comprehensively ignores the human rights of prisoners, deeming these to be non-existent.

Institutionalised corruption ensures that our jails are always peopled with more inmates than the space can hold. Jail personnel complain of being under-staffed.

Orange is the new black

Corruption is the root cause of the ills that afflict the judicial process system in our beloved country.

20 Aug 2017 2:30 AM

Criticism of ‘rewriting history’ has occurred more often when centre-right forces are in places of power and are able to influence history-writing.

Rewriting history is a distortion

History as a true narrative cannot be faulted. But history as an interpretative narrative can take angles, justified and otherwise.

13 Aug 2017 2:18 AM

A lively debate has begun in the media on the issue of changes made in the history textbooks of schools in Rajasthan and now in Maharashtra.

Rewriting History: Is there a Need?

Since the British were the last rulers of India, the pro-British bias is even more pronounced.

13 Aug 2017 2:14 AM

Obesity in India has reached epidemic proportions in the 21st century, with morbid obesity affecting five per cent of the country’s population

Obesity bomb hits Bharat

Obesity in India has reached epidemic proportions in the 21st century. Bariatric surgery has stood the test of time and the long-term.

07 Aug 2017 2:13 AM

A protruding belly was once acceptable, if not a matter of pride (Representational Image)

Ponder over potbelly

A protruding belly was a sign of prosperity and power, but today it is a social embarrassment across nations and classes.

07 Aug 2017 2:11 AM

Pride at having a big belly has been replaced by the six-packs of the metrosexual male. The affluent began cutting flab with the of help of dieticians and gyms

India’s gotta gig fat problem!

Research has shown that Indians figure high on the obesity chart. There is a also higher prevalence of central obesity in Indians.

07 Aug 2017 2:09 AM

Today, we revere sexless, bearded yogis who block all access to the enchanting sensual yoginis of yore.

Censoring The Queer

Traditional India is still more comfortable with hijras and kinnars and mangalmukhis.

31 Jul 2017 2:04 AM

Our rights: The communities have to continue their advocacy at all levels.

Dump the obsolete colonial law

It’s only a matter of time before India is liberated from the yoke of colonialism in the form of 377 and overthrows it once and for all.

31 Jul 2017 1:56 AM

Protest criminalisation: There has been a growing demand for decriminalising Section 377 and doing away with archaic laws.

When is India dropping Section 377?

There are people who truly believe that homosexuality should be punished, but that is very regressive.

31 Jul 2017 1:52 AM

Indian currency notes have 17 languages printed on them. These serve to both remind people of the diversity of the country and as a security feature.

Language no bar, please

In the modern context, within India, we have mobility from rural to urban centres occurring at a rapid pace.

23 Jul 2017 2:41 AM

Pro-Kannada organisations took to the streets recently in protest against perceived attempts by the Centre to impose Hindi on Karnataka. Protesters also blackened announcements in Hindi on Namma Metro signages.

It’s that anti-Hindi feeling again!

The anti-Hindi sentiment has for decades been strong among Karnataka’s neighbours, most notably Tamil Nadu.

23 Jul 2017 2:32 AM

Healthcare seems to have better pay parity and the best representation of women.

Gender pay gap: Let’s not wait 170 years to close it

On the pay parity aspect, a 2016 WEF report said global economic disparity between men and women is rising.

17 Jul 2017 2:21 AM

According to International Labour Organisation (ILO), less than 20 per cent of women in India have wage or salaried jobs.

Unpaid at home, underpaid at work

The share of Indian women in wage employment , at less than 20 per cent, is lower than that in Sub-Saharan Africa.

17 Jul 2017 2:10 AM

A living will or advance medical directive or medical power of attorney represents the patient’s wishes in case he or she becomes incapacitated due to a terminal illness or otherwise.

Government Draft Bill riddled with drawbacks

Where a patient is suffering from terminal illness, there is the aspect of End Of Life Care which the Bill has not considered.

10 Jul 2017 1:59 AM

Modern medicine recognises patient autonomy as the basic principle of biomedical ethics.

Time to die with dignity

Euthanasia is a term derived from ancient Greek and means a good death.

10 Jul 2017 1:48 AM

The first few years will see women in combat roles as the exception rather than the rule. (Photo: PTI)

You’re a soldier first, then a wo(man)

Only certain concessions such as maternity leave can be made for women officers without question.

03 Jul 2017 2:26 AM

In all the three services, the women were taken in as short service commission (SSC) officers.

Combat fine, what about top ranks?

It was as if while inducting women into the forces, the system had forgotten that women do get pregnant.

03 Jul 2017 2:20 AM

Since women are still not allowed to work in the armed forces beyond 14 years, they are denied the right to have a profession.

Women in arms

It’s good that women will be allowed to take up combat roles.

03 Jul 2017 2:13 AM

Even those who acknowledge these problems in the judiciary tend to favour quick fixes. Cutting down vacations, for instance, solves nothing.

For a transparent judiciary

It remains to be seen if the judiciary and the political leadership can take on this challenge in a timely manner.

26 Jun 2017 2:46 AM

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Columns

Abhijit Bhattacharyya