Barbie versus Oppenheimer at the Oscars: Bias played a role
Does a clear Oscar tilt towards the biopic over the blockbuster comedy reveal a gravitas preference or gender bias? It’s time to place Hollywood’s big awards under the lens of republican ideals—like human equality.
India needs new taxes on finfluencers, and more IT notices
A notional capital gain tax on all claims by financial influencers, penalties for holding too many mutual funds, and other recommendations for Budget 2024
Season 2 of Indian TV’s soap opera: All it needs is some background music
Plot twists reign as Reliance and Disney work out an alliance even as the drama of the Zee-Sony split threatens a fallout that could potentially upset negotiations between the first two.
Journey to the certainty of death
Nobody has tried drilling a hole through the Earth and crawling all the way through to the other side, and for good reason, too
AI has made it way too easy to clone President Biden's voice
A fake 'robocall' by Joe Biden has revived anxiety over AI misuse. Voice cloning represents a significant threat to democracies worldwide.
ASER and India’s demographic dividend: Is a new generation ready for the future?
ASER findings reveal a worrying deficit of basic skills but telecom connectivity and digital enablers offer cause for hope as it might yet be possible for online education to play a complementary role in getting...
The geopolitical risks we face today stem from solutions to earlier excesses
Addressing the ‘polycrisis’ faced by today’s world demands acknowledgement that our problems have deep historical roots and have been in the making for over seven decades.
Govt's zeal for AI is great but it must complement not replicate private efforts
The real need for state intervention lies in setting up indigenous chipmaking capabilities and transforming India's education system to nurture innovative and critical thinking
How to keep tabs on your personal fiscal deficit, and more
While you focus on the Union Budget, here’s a primer on keeping track of your household budget
Why the stock market is showing more love for ICICI Bank than HDFC Bank
In the short term, while ICICI Bank seems poised to outshine HDFC Bank, a proper comparison of actual operational strength will be possible only after it increases its retail branches.
Navigating Growth: Maharashtra’s Ascent at the world economic forum
Maharashtra's chief minister, Eknath Shinde, reflects on the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, highlighting the importance of trust and collaboration in rebuilding and shaping a prosperous future.
In an age of AI geopolitics, India’s DPI can help build a trusted tech ecosystem
Its design mitigates risks from a tech cold war, a hard reality already, and enables democracies to harness the gains of technological advancement.
Eight years of Startup India: Is it really a runaway success?
We should adopt a more comprehensive set of measures to track how well this vital scheme is doing. A good dashboard will allow global comparison and help us reshape policy if need be.
The Hindenburg orchestra on Adani: Will doomsayers finally face the music?
The fallout on citizens of this report’s scandalous treatment as gospel truth should make us think hard about what’s in the public interest.
PMO review: Statistical clarity is a must for successful governance
India’s statistical system is under the PMO’s lens. Given recent data dissonance, it clearly needs a relook. The country’s view of itself is too hazy in these digital times of sharp resolution. For reforms, autonomy is key.
Opposition alliance: Too wobbly
A divided opposition means that its candidates will be fighting not only the BJP, but also their own alliance partners. Unless forces converge soon, its prospects of unseating the BJP this year will get dimmer.
Alas: Behavioural science should never have become a catch-all term
An umbrella term blurs what the field of studying human behaviour is about, makes space for theory mix-ups and holds back the process of revising our knowledge as it makes advances.
Luxury behemoth LVMH may be worth more if it’s carved up
Bernard Arnault has been taking steps to tighten family control over the empire he spent 40 years building. He may not be inclined to split the LVMH empire into its constituent businesses, but this can unlock value.
Global Minimum Tax: Reshaping the tax landscape
The Pillar Two design of OECD comprises numerous interlocking rules that will ensure that covered multi-national enterprises pay a minimum tax while avoiding double taxation where there is no economic profit.