Is the time upon Indian cricket to take a call on the residual ODI careers of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli? A true giant of cricket across formats, Kohli and Sharma have bid adieu from the Twenty20 and multi-day Test cricket, but have not done so from the one-day limited overs internationals. Their timing to leave the scene from the Twenty20 format was perfect as it came after India’s Twenty20 World Cup triumph in the West Indies. The two chose to quit the Test format a few days leading to the team selection for the five-Test series in England. Now, with India coming out shining in England (2-2 draw) and Shubman Gill weighing in as batter and captain, will the decision-makers (the BCCI, selection committee) and the head coach Gautam Gambhir) brainstorm to overhaul the ODI team for the three-match series in Australia in October; three match series against South Africa at home in November. The ODI series in Bangladesh scheduled for August 2025 has been put off. Sharma would be 40+ and Kohli 38 + when the ICC World Cup arrives in 2027. It would not be prudent to pick them in 2025 and dump them in 2027. Five months ago India won the ICC Champions Trophy under Sharma’s leadership. There has been a cathartic change in Indian cricket with Gill taking charge and delivering results. The onus is on the selection committee, Gambhir and Gill (should he be nominated captain for white ball men in blue teams) to not to delay making it known their idea of India’s ODI team for the immediate future and the next World Cup.

Before Donald Trump’s ‘Tariffs @ 25%’ plus penal fines over Russian oil (another 25%) started impacting India, acute shortages of rice, ‘desi masalas’ have hit the U.S. supermarkets. India won’t export to the U.S. except on its own terms with tacit responses launched including PM Narendra Modi’s strategic alliances with Russia, China, Iran and FTAs with EU/UK already inked dry even as France is next in line. India assiduously rejected Trump’s tantrum to open up her markets allowing American farms/dairy products while refocusing its exports re-spread widely into Europe, Africa, Malaysia, Indonesia and host of nations open to barter without being U.S. centric. PM Modi’s exhortation to ‘Be Indian, Buy Indian’ aimed at absorbing trade imbalances over reduced U.S. exports will assimilate into Indian consumption rationalizing inflationary trends. Iran has upped the ante against Trump’s trade hegemony tariff plan, assured steady oil supply to long-time friend India. Interestingly, Chinese vessels are India’s resort for Russian oil imports even as oil carriers purchases and indigenous fabrication on scale is ongoing. China’s economy depends on manufacturing/exports and yet, recently sluggish trends have forced its realignment with India, which, on the other hand, ramped up the manufacturing sector with Apple, Samsung, Tesla also emphasizing Modi’s ‘Make (it) in India’ theme. Independence Day, come August 15, may witness Putin’s surprise visit to India after NSA Ajit Doval, MEA S Jaishankar visits to Russia. Modi has built up oil storage, stocked up reserves for 60 days as the Andaman & Nicobar islands have revealed high oil reserves. EU’s shopping spree for Russian gas and gold comes as Uncle Sam prospects Pakistan dry for oil (in Balochistan) where he is in for a nasty surprise welcome as well.

Having remained silent and absent from the INDIA Bloc’s public engagements for a while, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has made her stance unmistakably clear — she’s aligned with regional parties in the broader national agenda to defeat the BJP in upcoming assembly elections.  Acting on Mamata’s suggestion, Opposition parties are set to gherao the Election Commission of India’s office in New Delhi on August 8 calling out widespread allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. With elections due this year in Bihar, as well as next year in non-BJP-ruled states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, the issue is rapidly gaining traction as a national political flashpoint. Ahead of the protest, top leaders from the INDIA Bloc will convene in New Delhi on August 7 to finalise the gherao strategy. According to party sources, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee will attend the meeting and also dinner hosted by Rahul Gandhi. Discussions may include not only the logistics of the EC gherao but also preparations for the Vice-Presidential election scheduled for August 9.  It may be recalled that on July 21, Didi warned the TMC would not hesitate to gherao the EC if the names of legitimate voters were found to be removed from Bengal’s electoral rolls under the SIR. In effect, Mamata has reasserted her political clout within the INDIA Bloc — not just through participation, but by driving the narrative on what she sees as a fundamental threat to democracy through electoral roll manipulation.

In an interesting twist to politics in Tamil Nadu and Kerala ahead of assembly elections in the two states next year, it is being said a section of Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu are keen on sealing an electoral alliance with popular film star Vijay who has floated Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). Party MPs like ManickamTagore are reportedly sending delegations from the state to lobby with the AICC leadership on advantages of dumping its traditional ally, the DMK and opt for a political newbie like actor Vijay’s TVK. While the 2026 election would be actor Vijay’s first political foray into electoral politics, what is giving the Congress’s confidence to invest in him is his popularity rating among the Tamil Nadu youth and his ability to reach out to young and depressed classes. Congress leaders also feel the DMK is not in a good shape and is facing a lot of political headwinds as of now. Of course, a Congress tie-up with TVK is not being pushed by Manickam Tagore alone. It is being said that AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, who hails from Kerala, also feels having a tie-up with the TVK would boost Congress prospects in neighbouring Kerala assembly polls. He feels Vijay’s campaign in Kerala could boost UDF prospects as his films are popular in Kerala too. As of now in TN, AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is an early starter and his campaign tours have begun to draw huge response.  With BJP making right organisational change by appointing Nainar Nagendran to head its state unit, AIADMK-BJP tie-up does pose a strong challenge to the incumbent DMK.

Delhi Police kicked up a language row when it wanted to proceed against eight Bangladeshi nationals “residing illegally in India”. It made the mistake of seeking help of Banga Bhawan — that houses the West Bengal government’s office in Delhi – to identify texts written in “Bangladeshi” language and wanted it translated. Obviously, Delhi Police dealing with the matter were not aware that Bangladesh and West Bengal were united by Bengali language and there was nothing like” Bangladeshi” language, only Bangladeshi infiltrators and Rohingyas. Quickly, seizing upon the language issue, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee slammed the premier police agency’s faux pas. She pointed out how the Delhi Police functioned under the direct control of the Union Home Ministry and felt the government was describing Bengali as “Bangladeshi” language! It was left to BJP’s Amit Malviya to defend the Delhi Police. He said, “Nowhere in the Delhi Police letter is Bangla or Bengali described as a ‘Bangladeshi’ language. To claim otherwise and call upon Bengalis to rise against the Centre is deeply irresponsible.” Explaining further he said Delhi Police is absolutely right in referring to the language as Bangladeshi in the context of identifying infiltrators. The term is being used to describe a set of dialects, syntax, and speech patterns that are distinctly different from the Bangla spoken in India. The official language of Bangladesh is not only phonologically different, but also includes dialects like Sylheti that are nearly incomprehensible to Indian Bengalis. There is, in fact, no language called “Bengali” that neatly covers all these variants. “Bengali” denotes ethnicity, not linguistic uniformity. So when the Delhi Police uses “Bangladeshi language,” it is a shorthand for the linguistic markers used to profile illegal immigrants from Bangladesh — not a commentary on Bengali as spoken in West Bengal.

It is for good reason that the government asserted that Operation Sindoor has only been paused and isn’t over yet. Now that the Parliament has deliberated on the military operations, it is being said that the PMO and Ministry of Defence are assessing the possibilities of Pakistan resorting to misadventure again. Reason: Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir is in Beijing. He has met the Chinese vice-president and foreign minister. Reports have also come about that the Pakistani army has reactivated terror camps that were destroyed by India during Operation Sindoor in both Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. India’s Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan has warned Pakistan to desist from activating terror bases of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. Terror launch pads and training centres have been set up in Looni, Phutwal, Jamila Post, Umranwali, Chaprar, Chhota Chak and Janglora jungles. Pak Army has installed thermal imaging systems, foliage penetrating radars and satellite surveillance equipment in at least 13 ISI terror launch pads that were closed after Operation Sindoor. These launch pads have been activated in Kel, Dudhniyal, Jura, Leepa Valley, Pachhiban Chaman, Naiyali, Jaknote, Chakati and Nickale. Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar addressed his cadre in Bahawalpur and appealed for funds, while Lashkar commanders are collecting funds by organising rallies. Presently, an impression is being created in Pakistan as if the U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to browbeat India. China has become the protector and guardian of Pakistan. The impoverished nation is also getting loans from multilateral organisations. In such circumstances, one should not be surprised if Gen Asim Munir starts losing his mental balance.  One thing is certain. If Pakistan carries out a misadventure again, it will have to pay a heavy price.  

Are all the stars aligned against India? It would appear so if its captains can lose 15 tosses in a row. The chances of that happening are said to be 0.003 %. Of the 15, Shubman Gill lost five, emulating Virat Kohli who did that in England in 2018. But beyond the mathematics of such bad luck, there are serious conspiracy theories floating around, one of which is that everyone is conspiring to ensure Team India does not win or even draw the series in England. The tourists have had reason to believe one of the umpires, the Australian Paul Reiffel, was not too much in their favour in any decision-making. They had a run-in with a biased groundsman who thinks Indians should be at least 2.5 metres away from his pitch while the Kiwi coach of Team England was welcome to walk all over it. What may have proved most crucial between India standing a chance to win and trying to save it was the ball change at Lord’s. With the out of shape Dukes ball, barely 10 overs old and swinging and seaming and producing wickets, the Indians took a disastrous call to have it changed. And they were given a 30-over old ball as replacement which did nothing in the air or off the pitch. When they sought to switch back to the ball they had just changed, they were refused — and rightly too, as those are the rules. That ball change suited the home team which left Team India 193 to win rather than a much smaller target and India lost by 22 runs. Whether it was the stars, a conspiracy or poor cricket, the result is India’s chances of going ahead 2-1 at Lord’s were lost and they were left fighting to square the series in the Oval Test on that biased groundsman’s pitch.

Coolie is an endangered species even in the busiest of railway stations dominated by all pervasive airline luggage. Yet the megalith entertainment company, SUN Pictures chose this archaic title for the 50th year of Rajini’s super stardom, an enviable success many a hero yearns for. Coolie, certified A, is a big budget, big production teeming with big stars from other languages…big music and naturally big stakes for all concerned. Why did director Lokesh Kanagaraj, who has a whole universe named after him, choose this archaic title for hero Rajini? Maybe he carries the entire load of the film on his superstar back, despite the alphabet language soup of regional stars Aamir Khan, Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Shruthi Hassan and Pooja Hegde pitching in their weight. Pan India, Coolie is insured to bring in fans of each star …the sum of the parts exceeding expectations. Cinema is truly challenging for number crunchers. To add sound to the music, Anirudh has drummed up a storm with his style of Gen Z music. His hit numbers Powerhouse (Rajini, of course), Chikkudu Vibe, Monica (item song for which Pooja Hegde has swivelled her svelte self) have already stormed Spotify and YouTube. Chennai’s iconic launch pad, the Nehru Stadium went turbo on Coolie’s audio launch. Milling crowds clashed …delirious fans and genuine pass holders had a free for all according to media reports! But quickly quelled by the guards even as Rajini stood up in the sun roof car and acknowledged the cheering crowds. Age cannot wither his style nor custom stale the variety. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal has completed his batting duties on his first tour of England. As an opening batter, the left-hander can be termed a success because he coped well in easy and difficult conditions to make 411 runs in 10 outings, with two centuries and as many half, for a strike rate fractionally lower than 70.  Those who saw him play a shot that can be described as “unwarranted, nay, reckless” — as he did in the second innings of the third Test at Lord’s — feel that his response to fast bowler Jofra Archer in the seventh ball he faced was a gift to England. He was dismissed for 0 and India lost the Test by 22 runs. The argument that, India — in spite of the swashbuckler’s don’t care attitude when his team required only 193 to win — should have won the Test and taken a 2-1 lead midway through the series is correct, but his fans and critics as well believe that someone playing his third full series — England in India, Australia in Australia and England in England — lacked common sense on that occasion. After a century plus start, in the first innings of the Leeds Test, Yashasvi finished the series with a second century in the second innings of the Oval Test, but here was a heavy duty left hander who could have gone past 500, just as his captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja did. England would have indeed told Jaiswal that he could have done a bit more with the bat!

Forty-nine-year old Smriti Irani, who took a long break from the entertainment world after plunging into politics, is now back with a bang with her most iconic TV serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi on Star Plus. Will her second innings after be successful? But she is not the first to re-enter the acting world.  Big B, Govinda staged a successful comeback. In recent times, Kangana Ranaut, who was successfully elected on a BJP ticket from Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in 2024, is also scripting her return to the big screen. Tanu Weds Manu girl will be seen on screen with Telugu superstar Pawan Kalyan, also a force to reckon with in the political world. Successful Kollywood star Khushbu Sundar who entered politics long ago, changed several parties, has been appointed vice president of Tamil Nadu BJP cell. This articulate speaker is also making sure her acting career is also chugging along. The two leading ladies of the 70s Hema Malini and Jaya Bachchan continue to be in active politics…not chasing roles barring a few ads and occasionally signing up for movies. But when it comes to male stars like Vinod Khanna, Shatrugan Sinha and Rajesh Khanna they have not been a spectacular hit in politics. Sure, Sinha became a minister but could not keep that title for too long. Shotgun, a diehard BJP man was forced to quit BJP to join Congress and later TMC. After a long stint in both Samajwadi Party and Congress, Raj Babbar re-entered Bollywood. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari is more of a spokesperson and is seen focusing more on making music videos and songs. Ravi Kishan who is an MP is facing some resistance in UP politics and therefore is looking for more work in TV, OTT and films.  It’s an art to manage both worlds. 

The big news is India and Philippines ties are taking a strategic leap. After a gap of 17 years, the Philippine’s President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, elected in 2022, is on a five-day visit to India. This visit is being dubbed as a landmark diplomatic engagement between Philippines and India. President Marcos India visit coincides with 75th anniversary of Indo-Philippines diplomatic relations, the discussions will revolve around India-Philippine bilateral military defence cooperation particularly BrahMos missiles, training exchanges, regional security, maritime law and shared Indo-Pacific vision and deepening India-Philippine overall relationship with regard to science & technology.  This is because the Philippines is already an integral pillar of New Delhi’s Act East Policy, Vision Mahasagar and the Vision of Indo-Pacific. However, President Marcos’ visit is now being watched with keen interest by geo-political experts. What will be cooked between New Delhi and the Philippines this time? Is it just a symbolic push for further mutual cooperation spread between regional security? The buzz is India would push for Indo-Pacific power dynamics empowering Philippines further through defence cooperation to support New Delhi’s Act East Policy. The Philippine President’s first trip to India is also coinciding with the first planned naval exercise between the two countries in the South China Sea. Ex- Indian Ambassador to Philippines, Amit Dasgupta says India has already secured Philippines trust to become a key dependable pillar in Philippines maritime security by demonstrating its effectiveness in its Brahmos missiles, he indicated that Indian drones could be another attraction for Philippines considering India’s success story at the recent Indo-Pak war. 

Kolkata-based tech giant RS Software (India) Ltd has taken its first step into developing a global payments integration platform to ease international trade flows, following its pivotal role in building India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in 2015. The company is set to invest over Rs 100 crore over the next five years to further strengthen its payments network across India — an ambitious move aligned with India’s rising influence in the fintech space. With the government entering into several bilateral agreements to enable members of the Indian diaspora to use UPI for payments abroad, RS Software is actively working with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to integrate these international payment systems. The integration of bilateral payment platforms is currently underway across 10 countries, including the UAE, Singapore, and France. RS Software MD & CEO Raj Jain confirmed the development, noting that UPI’s growing global footprint has opened the door for India to collaborate with other nations on digital payment interoperability. According to Jain, RS Software has been instrumental in executing many of these bilateral integrations alongside NPCI. The company sees immense opportunity in addressing longstanding challenges in cross-border transactions, which in 2024 reached a total value of $162 trillion. These transactions often suffer from high fees, sluggish settlement times, and lack of transparency. Jain feels there is the need to make low-value cross-border payments simpler and more efficient. To closely focus on the next phase of development, the company recently appointed Samik Roy as COO. Roy will be overseeing the integration of international digital payment systems and expanding the company’s global footprint. 

In a landmark deal, Tata Motors announced its intention to buy the commercial vehicle business of Iveco group of Italy. The transaction is valued at approximately $4.4 billion. This supposedly strategic acquisition is ostensibly designed to catapult Tata Motors into the league of truly global commercial vehicle manufacturers, significantly expanding its capabilities, reach and resilience in a dynamic global market. What does this signify? A quick trip down time machine will put things in perspective and help understand the changing times and emerging market dynamics. Once upon a time, Iveco had a very strong partnership with Chennai-headquartered Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL), the flagship company of the Hindujas. The Italian group had both technical and financial relationship with Ashok Leyland, an arch rival of Tata Motors in the domestic market. Somewhere along, the alliance between Iveco and Ashok Leyland ended for assorted reasons. The Indian dream of the Italian group could not travel to its logical destination. Ashok Leyland subsequently aligned with the Japanese firm to roll out Hino model engines. Given this backdrop, long-time watchers of the automobile industry in India are expecting the acquisition of the commercial vehicle business of Iveco by Tata Motors to seriously alter the domestic playing ground. How will this play out in the coming days? Well, the fingers are crossed at the moment. 

The 2013 film Raanjhanaa directed by Aanand L Rai, stands as a testament to the power of storytelling, featuring an unconventional pairing of Dhanush and Sonam Kapoor. Its memorable music and poignant direction marked a significant milestone in Indian cinema, propelling Rai into the realm of celebrated directors. The film’s narrative, with its bittersweet ending, resonated deeply with audiences, creating a lasting emotional impact akin to classics like Sadma, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Ek Duje Ke Liye. In the age of artificial intelligence, the temptation to alter established narratives for the sake of novelty or entertainment poses a significant threat to the integrity of original works. The notion of revisiting Raanjhanaa to create a happier ending, albeit under the guise of innovation, undermines the artistic vision of its creators, including the director and writer. Once a film is released into the public domain, it becomes a shared experience, and any post-release alterations—especially those that disregard the original intent—can be seen as a disservice to the creative process. Eros International, the rights holder of Raanjhanaa pursuing an alternate ending without the director’s consent is not just an inappropriate approach; it sets a troubling precedent for other producers. Such actions could lead to a slippery slope where the creative authority of filmmakers is undermined, allowing producers to alter endings at will. Using AI to trivialize or distort established narratives is a misuse of technology. As we navigate the intersection of technology and creativity, it is crucial to uphold the sanctity of original narratives, ensuring that the heart of storytelling remains intact.

Guess who played a very active role in the recently signed Free Trade Agreement between India and the UK? Param Shah, Group Head — Strategic Communications & Government Relations Arvind Ltd. Shah who has Ph D in management had joined the Ahmedabad-based company some time ago.  The reason he could significantly contribute to the FTA is because of his earlier role as director at FICCI UK and Europe. Shah, under the guidance and leadership of Baroness Parashar, submitted the memorandum, and it has been meaningfully incorporated into the final India-UK Comprehensive Economic & Trade Agreement (CETA) that marks a historic leap in the bilateral partnership.  It may be mentioned that final CETA eliminates tariffs on 99% of Indian exports, directly supporting value-added manufacturing. Before FICCI UK, he was Head, Gujarat State Council, FICCI from 2009 till 2017, followed by his UK stint. Recognising his immense industry knowledge and networking edge, Arvind’s vice chairman Kulin Lalbhai created this role to woo him back to India from the UK. Shah is expected to look after all seven group companies. Insiders say this is a role that involves both Global and India-related work of the companies. Before Shah entered the scene, Lalbhai used to handle this portfolio. Shah’s will also help the Group’s non-business entities, including Ahmedabad University, CEPT University, Ahmedabad Education Society, and ATIRA’s Government and Corporate Affairs related matters. 

On a day the Election Commission of India (EC) published voter rolls in Bihar after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) adhering to its first deadline, it rebuffed charges of the ‘voter theft’ accusations levelled by LoP Rahul Gandhi, saying that the EC “ignores such baseless allegations”. On his part, Rahul claimed that an independent probe by the Opposition had revealed that the EC was allegedly involved in a massive “vote theft” to benefit the ruling BJP. He apparently warned those within the Commission of working against India, and “this is no less than treason. We will find you wherever you are, even if you are retired.” Rahul claimed that the Opposition’s suspicions grew after the results of the Madhya Pradesh and Lok Sabha elections. “Those only deepened after the Maharashtra Assembly polls — especially when we saw that 1 crore new voters had been added to the final voter list. That’s when we launched our own six month investigation”. He claimed his probe had uncovered an “atom bomb”.  If Rahul fancied SIR in Bihar helped him unite the Opposition, he may be up for a shock. SIR is not having much traction in Bihar. Even RJD leader Tejaswi Yadav is not focussing on it. Bihar Congress leaders admit no one wants to hype the SIR bogey as they feel it would put off general category voters. With Bihar SIR protest heading nowhere, one hears that Rahul is planning to take voter theft to Karnataka in the Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat where the BJP won by 32,707 votes. He claims thousands of new voters aged “way above 18 years” were enrolled in one seat, a point endorsed by CM Siddaramaiah. Besides, deputy CM DK Shivkumar has not been able to reconcile the loss of Bangalore Rural (Lok Sabha) seat contested by his brother DK Suresh.

Donald Trump’s ‘dead economy’ slur upon India/Russia has irked India that officially eschewed interest to purchase the fifth-generation F35 fighter jets. Short Post reported earlier on India’s reluctance to buy the American planes. The U.S. president Trump’s disparaging India talks will adversely impact the U.S. instead. Well-placed sources said, “India’s trade relations with the USA also included wide-ranging exposure to American bond markets for relationship building as indirectly sought by the USA. Trump’s undiplomatic language dissipated this informal American pressure and will evaporate Indian government/private sector spending on American treasury bonds hereon.” Over five years, demand for the U.S. government bonds declined to historically lowest levels (-17%). With foreign governments emulating India’s scaling down of financial spreads in the U.S. bonds and the American Federal Reserve also scaling down its own exposure over rising interest rates, the economic outlook for the Trump government, which raises $2 trillion annually to service its fiscal deficit, appears bleak. India partnered the U.S. economically to encourage her emphasis on exports to the USA. Trump’s belligerent stance repeatedly failed to get India to buckle down over higher tariffs pressures, again put off till August 8, with U.S. dairy and agricultural products imposition upon Indian markets staved off effectively. While concerns linger regarding its pharma and auto sectors India doubled down on indigenous manufacturing that coincidentally is coming of age today. Indian PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ exhortation to Gen ‘Z’ to manufacture semiconductor chips witnessed 20 varieties already past the testing phase, set for launch in six months. Similarly, 48,000 indigenously fabricated Close Quarter Battle) carbine assault rifles developed in collaboration between DRDO and Bharat Forge, set to reach 70,000 units...

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced a substantial 30% hike in honorarium for community Durga Puja organisers, raising the amount from Rs 85,000 last year to Rs 1.10 lakh per club. Playing high on Hindutva card, with approximately 45,000 clubs organising community pujas across the state, the move will cost the state exchequer an estimated Rs 495 crore. Didi also urged electricity supply companies to offer an 80% rebate to puja committees on power usage. The announcement, coming just months before the State Assembly elections, sparked sharp criticism from the Opposition parties, which termed the hike a “bribe” by the ruling Trinamool Congress. Emphasising the cultural and emotional significance of Durga Puja in Bengal, the CM urged organisers to prioritise safety and crowd control over competition. She encouraged clubs to deploy more volunteers and maintain separate entry and exit routes in pandals. She also appealed to the puja committees to support returning migrant workers who, she claimed, have faced mistreatment in BJP-ruled states. This year’s Durga Puja festivities will take place in the last week of September, followed by the annual carnival on October 5.

Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis whose ministers have been facing much Opposition heat for their resignations, has finally stated that there would be no more resignations coming in from his ministers. Fadnavis, who maintains an impeccable reputation, both with his public acts and deeds, has been much upset with the shenanigans of his coalition ministers and even publicly criticised them for sullying the image of his government. He seems to have been forced to go with them for now. Fadnavis clearly seems to have given in to Ajit Pawar’s alibi that any kind of resignation would have been akin to playing into the hands of the Opposition. In the case of the agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, it was a case of fighting a more personal battle for Ajit Pawar, since the campaign against Kokate was being led by his own nephew Rohit Pawar with whom he does not have a good equation. With the face saver of reshuffle for Kokate, Ajit Pawar scores an ace by not yielding in to the campaign against his ministers and also gains an upper hand over the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. As regards the ministers of the other coalition partner Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, his personal interventions with the home minister Amit Shah seems to have saved his ministers from Fadnavis’ wrath. Shinde has been rushing to Delhi multiple times including right in the midst of the monsoon assembly session after three of his ministers faced much heat over Sena MLA assaulting canteen staff, and other operating ladies bars. The Opposition has already taken the toll of one minister, Dhananjay Munde, within the first year of Devendra Fadnavis 3.0 term.

Former Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam has set the political cat among the pigeons. His meetings with chief minister MK Stalin, the first in a morning walk that was said to be coincidental and the second a formal meeting at the CM’s residence, may have opened a whole new avenue before the 2026 polls. There is a likelihood that Stalin will welcome OPS and his rump element from the AIADMK into the DMK+ fold because he believes in all forces joining a larger alliance like the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. In political terms, OPS may have very little to offer in terms of vote catching abilities, but his coming into the alliance would deliver an anti-AIADMK and anti-BJP message that may resonate with voters. Before ‘walking’ towards a DMK embrace just after he was refused a meeting with the PM on his recent visit to TN, OPS flirted with the idea of joining actor-politico Vijay if only to irritate the AIADMK+ combine. What Stalin sees in all this is an opportunity to gather all the forces he can so that he will be in a stronger bargaining position against the VCK, which has of late been showing some signs of hitching its fortunes to Vijay as a rising star. There is a possibility of DMK inviting Dr Ramadoss and his Vanniyar vote base into the fold in case VCK gets too ambitious in seat-sharing. And in all this, Stalin is dealing from a position of strength as he has the state machinery behind him to ward off what little anti-incumbency that may have gathered so far in his 50 months in office.

One can understand the sadness in Abhimanyu Easwaran’s father, Ranganathan Easwaran, who has been waiting patiently for his son to be capped in Test cricket. Abhimanyu has proved his mettle as an opening batter in first class cricket for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, for teams in the Duleep Trophy and for India ‘A’. The right hander has played 103 matches, amassed 7841 runs with 27 x 100s and 31 x 50 plus scores. He has played 89 one-day matches, scored 3857 runs, with 9 x 100s and 23 x 50 plus scores. Abhimanyu has been around for a dozen years, and perhaps one with these numbers would have played for India. The fact, unfortunately though is, he has not, while the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan have marched forward. Abhimanyu has been part of two big five-Test series in Australia and England and the team management have not found it ripe and fit for him to pad up even once. With Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma and Jaiswal and KL Rahul, being the opening pair in the last two and a half years, the Sharma-Rahul Dravid team could not find a place for him. Ditto with Sharma and Gautam Gambhir and now Shubman Gill and Gambhir have not looked at him, when on this tour of England, there appeared to be openings. Those who have mattered on this tour — Captain, Coach and the Chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar — did not seem to have the confidence to pick him ahead of the middle order batters Karun Nair — on a comeback– or the left-hander Sudharsan. Abhimanyu’s father is peeved because his son has scored runs, has been picked in the squad, but not capped yet. The big question now is whether Abhimanyu will make the Test cut at all!

Surprisingly, under the BJP-led chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the law and order situation in Odisha has been going from bad to worse with rape, mineral theft, bashing up government officers becoming the order of day.  Speculation is rife that the state government is mulling to take a leaf out of UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s playbook and implement gangster law. Women safety has become the top priority. Bhabani Shankar Bhoi Talasara,  BJP MLA and Dy speaker in Odisha Assembly has given his suggestion in writing to the government to incorporate UP style gangster law in Odisha. It is learnt that CM Majhi seems inclined to adopt his suggestions. Questions are being asked whether the Majhi government has the guts to copy and implement Yogi’s model of empowering police to contain crime including encounters to contain goonda raj? With the Opposition baying for his blood Majhi has no elbow room and will be forced to implement the law.

Former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar’s sensational disclosure that he had been ordered to arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in connection with the Malegaon Bomb blast case has created a no-win situation for the Congress party, which has retreated somewhat from its intransigent stand about the NIA court verdict that has acquitted all seven accused. Mujawar has named then top police boss Parambir Singh though not directly Hemant Karkare, who led the investigation in the initial months. Alarmed by the threat of a Hindu backlash, former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan has declared that the term ‘Saffron Terror’ should be replaced with ‘Sanatan Terror’ by arguing that terror has no religion. Chavan adopted this tactic after former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde was blamed all around for coining the term Saffron Terror. Similarly, most top Congress leaders have desisted from commenting on the issue. To add to the party’s woes, Mujawar said he had been inducted into the ATS with the object of establishing the blast as an act of saffron terror. Mujawar declined to oblige the brass as arresting Bhagwat would have been much beyond his sphere, he said. Mujawar expressed happiness over the verdict and said he was happy that he, too, had contributed in this direction to a small extent. Mujawar was implicated in several cases but was acquitted in all of them. However, his long police career was destroyed, he lamented.

Khushbu Sundar is the classic evolutionary survivor. She walked into the DMK and instantly became Kalaignar’s favoured acolyte. Quitting the DMK, she had a brief flirtation with the Congress and a stormy exit in 2020 leading to her entry into the BJP’s power establishment. She remains a high-profile activist and was rewarded with a post in the Women’s Commission. But a leadership status eluded her, despite her avowed talent as a public speaker. In every TV debate, she could shine with her English fluency and general knowledge. She was no glamour actress wallflower, depending on her star attraction to make heads turn …she could hold her own, authoritatively. Perhaps it is this power profile …perhaps her Muslim identity …or even her fluency in Tamil that has now raised her status to vice president, TN BJP. What timing! Just as she was about to work her attraction quotient of this mint new status, two entrants to the DMK camp have bunged a lethal spanner on her and the BJP. DMDK President Premalatha Vijaykanth has walked into Stalin’s charmed circle. And OPS, another survivor of doubtful worth has also sashayed into the DMK camp. Khushbu, already facing the handicap of a nationalist party facing two local Dravidian establishments in TN, has to now face the combined onslaught of me-too aspirants who are bound to affect the poll logic. Khushbu still tries her best…she appealed to TVK newbie chief Vijay to join the BJP alliance to unseat the DMK.

The retention of controversial minister Manikrao Kokate in the team of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has generated angry reactions across Maharashtra. Kokate was divested of his agriculture portfolio after he was caught playing rummy on his mobile phone in the legislature session. Now, he has been transferred to the Sports and Youth Welfare department though there were vociferous demands for his removal altogether. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has shielded Kokate to the discomfiture of the Mahayuti alliance, it is felt. A much-maligned politician, Kokate has been disrobed by social worker Anjali Damania, whose chagrin for his continuation has no bounds. Damania has described how Kokate has changed eight parties over the past 26 years. His wealth in 2014 was Rs 6 crore, which shot up to Rs 21 crore in 2019 and swelled to Rs 48 crore in 2024, Damania has stated.  Damania is a crusader who has embarrassed many high and mighty with one disclosure after another. Her baring of Kokate’s ‘progress’ has come as little surprise since the minister is known for his audacious behaviour for quite some time. Kokate’s nemesis was NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar, who first circulated the clip showing Kokate playing rummy on his mobile inside the house. Fadnavis had indicated that Kokate will face a penalty. However, the mere transfer of Kokate is not considered adequate.

Senthil Balaji, the TN ex minister out on bail continues to make headlines going by the caustic questions posed by the Madras HC: “We need a cricket stadium to accommodate 2000 accused and many more involved in the jobs for money scam in which Senthil Balaji, a confidante of the DMK was jailed. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi of the Supreme Court went hammer and tongs at the government lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi. If every case has over1000 persons as criminally accused and over 500 witnesses, this case can never end during the lifetime of the main perpetrators. Is this a dilatory manoeuvre? The Cash-for-Jobs scam is of a scale not often heard …the special court has yet to serve summons to the accused from far flung areas of TN, a task that won’t get done by December 2025. The next mammoth protocol will be serving copies of all documents and charge-sheets filed by the Greater Chennai Corporation. Each accused will have to be served 3207 documents (covering one lakh pages). But what is even more challenging is the fact that these very accused are also the ones who have lost their money …a pathetic status, though bribing is illegal. According to Gopal Sankara Narayanan, the lawyer appearing for the accused, it is heart wrenching when “even grandmothers who pawned jewellery to get jobs for their grandchildren have been pulled into this scam ring”.  Those who collected the money should be brought to justice. But as the Bench remarked “this whole investigation is like a rudderless ship”. Justice Kant suggests that clubbing of cases against both accused and witnesses may, just may find light at the end of the tunnel.

A day after the U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on Indian goods, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal informed the Parliament that the government would closely examine the implication and assured that all necessary steps will be taken to protect India’s national interest. He further informed the Parliament that India and the U.S. started talks for a just, balanced and mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in March 2025 and “the goal of this was to finish the first stage of the agreement by October-November 2025.” In contrast the Congress led by LoP Rahul Gandhi latched on to Trump’s jibe about India being a “dead economy” shockingly with such glee that it is unexplainable. It was as if they were happy that some economic pain or cost was going to be inflicted on India. In a post on X,  Rahul  had  even gone on to  back up Trump’s claim about the state of India’s economy —  listing   reasons for  why the economy failed under PM Modi. Of course, it wasn’t Rahul alone who was happy about the Trump Tariff jab. Former FM P Chidambaram too seemed happy. He posted that “The 25% tariff on all Indian exports to the United States PLUS penalty for buying Russian oil is a big blow to India’s trade. The U.S. ‘Dosti’ is no substitute for diplomacy and painstaking negotiations”. He was obviously targeting external affairs minister S Jaishankar. Rahul’s close aide Jairam Ramesh who has been counting  how many times Trump claimed that he had  stopped Op Sindoor midway was quite clear  that the 25% tariff  was a huge setback to PM Modi and India. He went on to say  “Taareef hi tareef mein tariff lag gaya…There were no gains from Howdy Modi and Namaste Trump. So what did we get from this (India-U.S.) friendship?”

Before replying to the Op Sindoor debate in Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chose to deal with criticism coming from the secular political parties about nomenclatures of military operations. Making it clear that names were not chosen by the government  but by the defence personnel, Shah went on to corner former Maharashtra  CM Prithviraj Chavan who had slammed the government  for knowing “nothing except naming operations on the basis of religion”. Chavan had also questioned why gunning down of Pahalgam attackers was called Operation Mahadev. It is another matter that the operation was named apparently after Mahadev Ridge inside the Dachigam forest in Kashmir where the terrorists were hiding (according to media reports). Hitting back at Chavan, Shah pointed out that the Congress simply did not want to understand that ‘Har Har Mahadev’ was not just a religious slogan.  It was the slogan of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj too.” They see everything from the angle of Hindu-Muslim”, he said. Chavan had claimed that the BJP “wanted to mix Hindutva in whatever it does. They are trying to polarise the situation into a Hindu versus Muslim conflict.” He had also questioned the naming of “Operation Sindoor” — India’s retaliatory strikes in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Meanwhile, the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha was quite upset that PM Modi had replied to their debate, even as they were told it would be Shah who would be replying to the Op Sindoor debate.

The century old Registered Post service of the Indian Postal service is being discontinued. It is being merged into a smarter and efficient — Speed Post, according to a circular issued by the Department of Posts. For over a century the registered letter was looked upon as a symbol of credibility, assurance and formality. Whether it be a job offer, legal notice, bank notices, government intimation or a personal letter, Registered Post was not just a service but a part of people’s lives. The Department has given operational streamlining, improved tracking facility and customer convenience as the reason for its merger with Speed Post. As per the circular, all functional guidelines mentioning Registered Post must be amended by July 31, 2025. Terms like Registered Post and Registered Post with Acknowledgement Due — once the very heart of postal communication will be replaced by Speed Post. The launch of the combined service starts from September 1, 2025. Although the transformation may appear trivial when compared to the new age private courier apps and instantaneous tracking services, it has a profound cultural and administrative transformation. Although the Department of Posts assures that speed post will now include all aspects of Registered Post, such as tracking and acceptance of receipt, the issue remains whether it will be able to restore the same measure of trust and ceremonial importance. The age of digital information has already eroded the significance of hard copy letters, but Registered Post was able to maintain its position due to its application in official and legal transactions.

PM Narendra Modi ticked off Congress MP(Sholapur) Praniti Shinde who had dubbed Op Sindoor as “media tamasha” in her Lok Sabha speech. Without taking her name, Modi charged the Congress of mounting a savage attack on Pahalgam victims by setting up an ordinary member to attack the operations of armed forces. Such description of Op Sindoor was dubbed as severe and heinous akin to an acid (tezaab) attack on the Pahalgam survivors, “spreading acid” in the country.  Exposing Congress’s betrayal, Modi said, “Got the world’s support. But sadly, no support from the Congress”. Politically it is interesting that Praniti’s insensitive comment came up for mention in Modi’s intervention. Daughter of former Union Home Minister and Maharashtra CM Sushil Kumar Shinde, Praniti  was once wooed by Maharashtra BJP to join the party. However, considered close to Rahul Gandhi — she has been part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra — has firmly entrenched herself in the Congress’s charmed inner circle. On his part Modi tried answering all issues raised by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha regarding Operation Sindoor. He observed that while the country was moving ahead at a fast pace towards self-reliance, the Congress was becoming dependent on Pakistan for issues. “Unfortunately, Congress is importing issues from Pakistan.” He slammed the Opposition for doubting the timing of Operation Mahadev that involved gunning down terrorists involved in Pahalgam attack. With reference to a third country’s involvement, Modi made it clear “No country in the world has stopped India from any action in its defence against terror”. On May 9 night, “U.S. Vice President (JD Vance) tried to reach out to me 3-4 times, but I was busy with meetings with the armed forces”.

Home Minister Amit Shah hit out at Congress leader P Chidambaram for his statement that the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack were “homegrown”, and his demand for proof that they were from Pakistan. Shah criticised the opposition leader for trying to ‘save Pakistan’ and declared, “When he says this, it means they (the Congress) are giving a clean chit (to Pak).” In a typically combative speech, Shah also said, “I thought the opposition would be happy to know the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack are dead… but it seems they are upset…” During the debate on Operation Sindoor, he elaborated on the operations in Kashmir, including the discovery of Pak-made chocolates and Pak government ID cards in the pockets of the terrorists gunned down. He also said ballistic tests on assault rifles — an American-made M9 and Russian AK-47s — recovered confirmed their use in Pahalgam. “Six forensic experts confirmed this to me on a video call… that these are the same bullets used in the Pahalgam attack,” he said. Trying to draw DMK MP Kanimozhi into a conversation, he sought to know from her why the Opposition was always giving a “clean chit” to Pakistan.  The DMK leader in a light-hearted way denied that she endorsed Chidambaram’s line. However, when her turn came to speak, Kani, who travelled on a government delegation to speak about Op Sindoor, spoke very negatively. It is quite possible that she wanted to show that she is not close to the BJP. In view of CM Stalin’s failing health, it is being said Kani fancies herself a chance to be the next CM. It is being said senior DMK leaders may not find deputy CM Udhyanidhi Stalin as acceptable to succeed his father.

It was quite refreshing to hear Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra take on the government for failing to protect the lives of tourists at Pahalgam.  She was sharp, witty and able to ask the government some pointed questions on security lapses that took the lives of 26 hapless tourists. She wanted to know why no heads had rolled the way then UPA government had forced men responsible for lapses — post 26/11 Mumbai terror strike in 2008.  Maharashtra’s then CM late Vilasrao Deshmukh had to quit so too Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil. In his initial remarks Home Minister Amit Shah did admit it was a security lapse and accepted responsibility for it. What worked for him was that the Pahalgam masterminds had been gunned down and he briefed the House with details. At the same time, Priyanka was seen faltering by refusing to accept that the terrorists were Pak-sponsored or that they had a definite communal agenda. She refused to accept that the Pahalgam victims were Hindus and opted to declare them as “Bharatiya” or Indians. It was odd that the Malappuram MP should deny the faith of victims considering the male victims were killed after asking them to recite an Islamic prayer — kalma. Possibly compulsion of her vote bank in Kerala. Zeroing in on Priyanka ambivalence about victims’ faith, BJPs’ Amit Malviya expressed shock over the Congress’s “shocking refusal to acknowledge that the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack were targeted for being Hindus” shows exactly ‘why the party remains disconnected from the sentiments of this nation and why it has no future in Indian politics.”

Was ex-Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar contemplating ‘Ghar Wapsi’ to the Congress fold after engineering a political coup at the expense of the BJP which was pre-empted by PM Narendra Modi in the nick of time? A well-placed source reveals, “Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla had accepted the notice of motion moved by 155 BJP MPs to impeach Delhi High Court Justice Yeshwant Verma as per the decided political strategy. Breaking from the plan, however, Dhankhar also accepted a similar motion moved in the Rajya Sabha by 66 Congress MPs as well as the Opposition’s near identical motion to impeach Allahabad High Court Justice Shekhar Yadav. Political alarm bells went off within BJP and PM Modi issued Dhankhar a 15-minute window to submit his resignation or pain of his own ejection from the V-P post through a vote of no-confidence.” Dhankhar began his political career with Devi Lal, founder of Lok Dal that had merged with the Jagjivan Ram Congress to form Janata Dal before moving to the Congress party under the late Sanjay Gandhi. Realizing the Congress’ political gambit to embarrass the BJP by exploiting the intended impeachment of Justice Yadav in the forthcoming Bihar state assemblies was nipped in the bud Dhankhar, a farmer, Jat leader and advocate known for wining and dining with Justice Verma of the burning cash stash infamy threw in the towel. PM Modi also came in for flak from within his own party for his political exuberance of trusting outsider politicians like Dhankhar and installing them in high statutory posts within the BJP ruled ecosystem that could have cost him dearly had Dhankhar gone through with his nefarious plans.

USA President Donald Trump has blinked first under the incessant stare of Indian PM Narendra Modi over the bilateral tariffs issue. The Union Commerce minister Piyush Goyal led trade delegation to USA returned back in a huff over American attempts to brow beat India into the formers’ one-sided tariff pact. “Goyal and delegation negotiated hard and long till he got the cue from PM Modi to break off talks and return home. Not even a day after the Indian trade delegation returned to India, Trump’s crestfallen team went into a huddle and has decided to send a team of U.S. delegates to India to retrieve the situation and still thrash out a trade and tariffs pact,” a person familiar with the developments told shortpost.in. They will be on our turf now with Goyal strategically making public our disinclination to accept American dairy and agro products on American terms. Massive de-dollarization is taking place in the world after many nations emulated India to deal only in their respective currencies internationally which has impacted the U.S. badly. Ascending gold prices (10 gm) crossed Rs 1 lakh price barrier with silver set to reach Rs 1.5 lakh per kg and countries are focussed on their precious metals reserves. With the hegemony of the U.S. dollar all but vanquished, India looks forward to a more balanced trade and tariffs deal with the U.S. even as it exports reliable and durable technology to the world. An Indo-French and Indo-German collaboration in technology, Russian tie-up for fifth generation fighter jets and more has ushered India into the Big Four of the world both economically and politically.

KL Rahul who is on his 25th Test series in 10 years has not been able to stamp his authority in a consistent way though. He was ever a batter with promise and potential. When he scored a 110 in his third Test innings in Sydney in January 2015, he was seen as a gifted opener emerging out of the Karnataka stable and in the mould of a typical opener, showing the full face of the bat in defence and sure shot in stroke making. After 109 innings (109th incomplete) in 62 Tests, it can be said that he belonged to the highest echelons of international cricket, in particular in red-ball cricket. He has evolved over time and the first thing that he would tell even a layman is that of his organised ways of responding to a delivery from a fast bowler or a spinner. He has not figured in 46 Tests after his debut in Australia, but he is the fourth highest run getter for India after his debut. Only three others — Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane — have scored more than him, but in many more Tests. He has scored 3765 runs with ten x 100s, nine of them in Sydney, Colombo, Kingston, The Oval, Lord’s, Centurion Park, and Headingley. Rahul has scored 3311 runs as an opener and for the first time in his career he went past the 500-run mark in the course of his second innings at Manchester. He has gritted it out to score 508 + runs at an average exceeding 72 and become the second highest run-getter on the tour of England contributing almost 18 % of the team score. Underrated all through his career, Rahul is finally getting his due!

Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena party MLA Sanjay Gaikwad has created another first by challenging his critic and former AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel for an unarmed combat in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan ‘any time, any day.’ After gaining notoriety for slapping a canteen boy in the MLA hostel for serving unsavoury food, Gaikwad has asked Jaleel to face him in the physical bout. This is not just a verbal challenge. Gaikwad has published a draft agreement on a stamp paper, to be signed by both, in case Jaleel accepts the invite. On July 11, Gaikwad had threatened to thrash Jaleel for criticising him over the canteen assault. “I thrashed that canteen worker by just punching him twice. But I will beat Imtiaz Jaleel so badly that he will not be in a position to run,” the legislator said. Jaleel immediately accepted the Sena MLA’s challenge, and asked him to fix the venue and time for the potential confrontation. Unabashed, Jaleel once again (July 22) ridiculed Gaikwad for the assault. Promptly, Gaikwad challenged him to meet in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan, a ‘neutral’ venue, in presence of the police, making it conditional that no one else will be coming between. Coincidentally, Eknath Shinde and another deputy CM Ajit Pawar are finding themselves in hot water for the questionable deeds and statements of a few of their ministers.  

A recent issue of The Economist has a solar plexus hitting writeup about advertising and Artificial Intelligence. The whoosh after this sucker punch was the subject of the annual Holy Grail meet at Cannes where adland titans revealed and predicted a doomsday status to creativity. The crystal balls revealed that human intelligence is overwhelmed by AI. But such “bare all” events are significant as Cannes proved. In this cockroaches and computers head on collision who will survive, who will be eliminated? Surprisingly, the legendary cockroach endures to see yet another epoch, because its survival instincts are too strong. TikTok, Meta and Google put on their fiercest Halloween masks to shock and shake the professionals in denial. Sam Altman, the Moses of AI predicted that 95% of marketing as we know may be AI delivered. The 5% is the surviving cockroach that shall still burrow into the $ 1-trillion ad spend annually on “workmanlike campaigns”. AI is definitely going to impact the landscape …some advertisers are shifting their communication onto billboards. Chennai’s iconic Gemini Circle proved this point in more ways than one. A huge billboard shows a very apt, creative copy (though oldies may be shocked) superimposed on the anatomy of unmistakable bums. The copy then fires …“let Elon Musk explore Mars. Our Mission is Uranus”. Discover a whole new world of colorectal care. The name of this clinic is even more creative — Assana Colorectal & Gut Wellness Clinic. A few years back, such an ad may have brought a smirk to the genteels, who do not discuss rectal troubles, pain in the arse including piles in a group. They called it anal fixation and anal retentive to be dealt with behind bathroom doors. AI has not killed the cockroach…yet.

On the death anniversary of “Mahanayak” or Great Hero of Bengali cinema Uttam Kumar, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee issued a strong statement against what she described as “language terror” targeting Bengali speakers in various parts of the country. Speaking at the annual Mahanayak Samman ceremony organised by the state government since 2012 to honour artists and technicians from the world of Bengali cinemas, Didi appealed to the industry stakeholders to defend Bengali language, warning that if necessary, a new language movement must begin to protect mother tongue. Bengali is the fifth most spoken language in the world and second in Asia, with nearly 300 mn speaking it worldwide. Mamata made it categorical asking not to insult the Bengali language. Didi’s remarks followed recent incidents where Bengali-speaking migrant workers were allegedly harassed, detained or even deported from other states after being branded “Bangladeshis.” She had earlier addressed the issue on July 21 at the Martyrs’ Day rally, accusing the BJP of targeting Bengalis. She said that this language which gave birth to Rabindranath Tagore, Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, Kazi Nazrul Islam reminded everybody that the country’s national anthem was written in Bengali.

The trailer for ‘War 2’ has all the ingredients of a quintessential masala potboiler, promising to deliver an exhilarating cinematic experience. As the sixth instalment in the expansive Spy Universe of Yashraj Studios, this film boasts impressive production values, breathtaking action sequences and a palpable energy that is sure to captivate audiences worldwide. Starring Telugu superstar NTR Jr and Bollywood icon Hrithik Roshan, the film is set to release on August 14th. With simultaneous release in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, War 2 is expected to make a big impact at the box office. Initial projections suggest that the Hindi box office alone could exceed Rs 50 crore on its opening day, with a global total—encompassing all three languages—expected to surpass Rs 100 crore. If the film crosses the Rs 100-crore mark on its first day, it could potentially gross upwards of Rs 300 crore throughout its theatrical run. Audiences can expect breathtaking visuals, including high-speed chases, intense ground battles, and aerial dogfights, all choreographed to perfection. director Ayan Mukerji, known for his work on Brahmastra brings his visionary approach to the project, while writer-producer Aditya Chopra, celebrated for hits like Tiger 3 and the original War ensures a compelling script. War 2 is shaping up to be the quintessential masala entertainer, blending style, substance and sheer excitement—a formula that has historically resonated with audiences, reminiscent of the fervour generated by the Dhoom franchise for Yash Raj Films.

Odisha’s ambitious metro rail project — Bhubaneswar Metro Rail — has failed to take off. The project launched on January 1,2024 with much fanfare by the then BJD chief minister Naveen Patnaik is still at the drawing board stage. The latest news is that the BJP-run Odisha government has officially scrapped the previous tender and contract awarded to Ceigall India and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for the design and construction of Bhubaneswar Metro project due to protracted delays and coordination setbacks. This move throws the project’s immediate future into uncertainty, even as the Odisha government asserts its commitment to revive the ambitious urban transport initiative with a revised blueprint. Ceigall India has indicated plans to pursue compensation legally for the contract termination. It is learnt that the Odisha government has now questioned the viability of the then BJD government’s fully state-funded project stating that currently no official proposal had been sent to by the state to the Centre. A Detailed Project Report submitted by the BJD government indicated the metro project would be financed internally. Political analysts are asking why Mohan Charan Majhi government did not pursue the financing issue with the Centre since it had one year’s time. State’s housing & urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra clarified that his government will submit a revised plan to the Centre with a request for central assistance.

Probably no other actor, pan India has launched such a plethora of memes as Vadivelu.  Tamil media, be it politics, cinema or just everyday life peppers their narratives with Vadivelu memes and gifs…his pathetic expression, beat up state, costumes and crazy dialogues are memorised and talked about, long after taking the bus home from the cinema. The 64-year old Vaigai Payal Vadivelu (reference to a storm from Vaigai river) has acted in countless comedy roles, a comic timing so perfect that it cannot be replicated. At one point he took on hero roles, his 23 Aam Pulikesi, a comic balloon that burst all myths about classic heroes. Suddenly his career climb took a beating as the Tamil Film Producers Council red carded him. It was a temp ban from 2018-2020. But Vadivelu’s drunken outbursts, run in with late Vijayakant founder of DMDK, his films failing all these led to his break. His master comic dialogue, “Varum aana Varadhu” ad libbed by thousands kept the fan following only clamouring for Vadivelu. But Maamannan brought him back…a film which proved that Vadivelu’s versatility was vintage. Director Sudesh Sankar knew what he wanted in Maareesan, the just released film of Vadivelu (as Velayudhaswami Pillai) and Malayalam artist Fahad Fasil (as Dhayalan) under the Super Good Films banner. Maareesan is a serious comedy with shades of humorous pathos.

PM Narendra Modi who was on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu was apparently under tremendous pressure from DMK leaders to extend “best wishes” for chief minister MK Stalin’s health and his recovery– in his public meetings–this was one thing he had skipped. It is another matter that Stalin was discharged from Apollo Hospital on July 27 evening a week after he was admitted to the hospital. It was probably around the same time that   Modi had left for Delhi. As per protocol DMK MP Kanimozhi was present at Dindigul function of PM Modi so were DMK ministers and state chief secretary present at functions near Trichy. Within the   State BJP, Modi had encouraging words for new chief Nainar Nagendran, in what is being interpreted as a snub to former president K Annamalai. AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) received PM Modi at the Tiruchirappalli airport. The meeting sealed doubts over AIADMK and BJP, particularly after the way the EPS has been asserting that his party is going to get a majority on its own. EPS and PM Modi were meeting for the first time since the AIADMK and BJP renewed their alliance. The meeting came amid the war of words between the allies ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Earlier, EPS ruled out a coalition government with the BJP and said, “Our alliance would achieve a grand success in 2026. AIADMK will be victorious and will form a government on its own.” This statement contradicts Amit Shah’s interview where he said that the NDA led by the AIADMK will form a coalition government in TN.

The big news is the Odisha government is now going beyond temple tourism, Buddhist circuit visits, wild life, MICE etc. Its big focus now is to showcase the natural beauty of Mahanadi river at its 25 km Hirakud dam, supporting sustainability, environment preservation and meeting tourist expectations. Hirakud Dam built across the Mahanadi River is the longest earthen dam in the world. Behind the dam extends a 55 km long lake, Hirakud Reservoir. It is one of the first major multipurpose river valley projects started after India’s independence. The Debrigarh wildlife sanctuary is located here. Several species of migratory birds visit the reservoir during winter. Nearly 20-25 species of birds are seen in the reservoir. The Odisha government has chalked up plans to transform Hirakud Dam. Soon the tourists will see floating hotels, caravan parks, laser shows, hot air balloon rides, recreation plazas, adventure sports making it an absolute happening place all this while protecting the fragile ecosystem. To fund the project, the state government has opted for the Centre’s interest free loans scheme falling under SASCI (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment). The Odisha government officials are confident that their Hirakud tourism hub plan will attract private sector investment.  

One can now piece the jigsaw events that led to Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation on July 21 as Vice-President. Yes, he was forced to put in his papers particularly after the kind of politics he had indulged in the last few days. Sources say the government became aware of Dhankhar’s move to accept the Opposition MPs’ notice seeking removal of Justice Yashwant Varma long before he announced it in the House post-lunch. That is because for the first time Dhankhar chose to go home for lunch that day. He had asked Congress leader Jairam Ramesh to carry the notice for impeachment signed by 68 Opposition MPs to be delivered to him at his residence. Later it was the visit of this high-profile Congress leader to Dhankhar’s residence that alerted the government about what the V-P was upto. Normally any actionable notice is submitted to the Rajya Sabha secretariat. So why did Dhankhar take such unusual interest in the Opposition petition when he was aware that in the Lok Sabha the government was already moving a resolution to impeach Justice Varma? BJP leaders said a powerful legal lobby led by Kapil Sibal — Rajya Sabha MP — was out to thwart impeachment proceedings in the Parliament. Sibal had apparently sought Dhankhar’s son in law, advocate Kartik Vajpayee’s help in ensuring that the Opposition’s petition was listed in the RS first. More than the breach of protocol what upset the government was the manner in which Dhankhar had been speaking ill about PM Modi. In private conversations with Opposition leaders, he had been running down the PM and even claiming he was more popular than Modi. An Opposition leader was so shocked when Dhankhar asked him to approach one of the NDA allies — to even withdraw support. Clearly, he felt he had arrived and needed to go up the power ladder.

PM Narendra Modi on his return from the UK and Maldives will be spending two days in Tamil Nadu; he will be directly reaching Tuticorin. On July 26 he will unveil a series of landmark projects worth over Rs4,800 crore across multiple sectors which will significantly enhance regional connectivity, boost logistics efficiency, strengthen clean energy infrastructure, and improve the quality of life for citizens across the state. The PM will inaugurate the New Terminal Building at Tuticorin Airport developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore, designed to meet the growing aviation demands of the southern region. Spread across 17,340 square meters, the terminal will be equipped to handle 1,350 passengers during peak hours and 20 lakh passengers annually. On July 27, he will participate in the celebration of the birth anniversary of the great Chola Emperor Rajendra Chola I with the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival at around 12 noon at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple in Tiruchirappalli. He will release a commemorative coin honouring one of the greatest emperors of India, Rajendra Chola I. This special celebration also commemorates 1,000 years of the legendary maritime expedition of Rajendra Chola I to South East Asia and commencement of the construction of the iconic Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, a magnificent example of Chola architecture. Further strengthening the state’s power infrastructure, Modi will lay the foundation stone for a major power transmission project — the Inter-State Transmission System for evacuation of electricity from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 (2×1000 MW). This project, developed at a cost of around Rs 550 crore, will include a 400 kV (quad) double-circuit transmission line from Kudankulam to the Tuticorin-II GIS substation and associated terminal equipment. It will play a pivotal role in strengthening the national grid..

This is an annual ritual. Such annual events used to trigger quite an excitement. Well, the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) held its 189th annual general body meeting on the evening of July 25 in Chennai. Vellayan Subbiah, Executive Chairman of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company Ltd., a Murugappa group company, addressed the meeting as the chief guest. His coming was indeed significant. Does it reflect a change ? A trip down memory lane will put things in perspective and help one understand the larger implications of the presence of Vellayan Subbiah at the MCCI annual general body meeting. In mid-90s when the global automobile giants were readying to enter India, especially Chennai, a section of leading industrialists in Chennai wanted L Lakshman of Rane group and MCCI past President to steer industry body ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry ) as its President. Ostensibly, he was preferred because of his stature in the auto component industry. But two leading groups – the MA Chidambaram and Murugappa – were pitching for their not so popular family member, heading a firm to be the president of ASSOCHAM. The move by the other side to work for the election of Lakshman as the president of ASSOCHAM reportedly upset these two groups. Consequently, 8 companies each belonging to these two groups moved out of MCCI. The Madras Chamber of Commerce, being the oldest chamber in the country ,was one of the promoters of ASSOCHAM. Given this backdrop, Vellayan Subbiah as Chief Guest at the MCCI annual meet has set tongues wagging. Well, the MCCI mandarins have reasons to cheer as it may signal the end of the turf war that MCCI saw three decades ago.

The BJP one learns has set its Bengal house in order. Former state president in West Bengal Dilip Ghosh had remained absent from PM Modi’s rally in the state on July 18 claiming that the state leadership had not invited him.  A solid RSS leader, Ghosh’s absence had begun to bother the BJP leadership as he has been skipping important party events and rallies in the recent past, including events attended by Modi at Alipurduar and Amit Shah in Kolkata this year. His latest absence from the Modi rally at Durgapur was particularly worrying since he had contested from the Bardhaman-Durgapur Lok Sabha constituency in West Burdwan district in 2024 and lost. Speculations were rife that he may cross over to the TMC amid reports of a souring relationship between him and the State BJP leadership. It may be recalled that it was under Ghosh’s leadership that the BJP had done well in Bengal – winning 18 out of the State’s 42 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. In May this year, Ghosh drew criticism from the BJP when he met CM Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of the Digha Jagannath Temple. He had also made some statements backing Mamata. In this backdrop, BJP chief JP Nadda reached out to Ghosh, met with him in  Delhi and had detailed discussions. Party sources say Ghosh is keen to contest as a party candidate in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls but from the same Assembly constituency from where he got elected for the first time in 2016 — Kharagpur (Sadar) in West Midnapore constituency. However, he had to resign as the MLA from Kharagpur (Sadar) in 2019 after winning from the Midnapore Lok Sabha constituency in the same year.

For the first time in four Tests India’s pace battery was dispersed with ease and purpose by the England openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley who had an average of 45.38 against India with an opening stand aggregate of 726 in eight Tests going into Manchester. On the second day of the fourth Test they added 166 to take the tally to 892, a mere 41 runs adrift of an England record of 933 for the first wicket collection by Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss in 11 Tests at 46.65. It was the eighth highest century-plus first-wicket stand for England against India and Crawley (now 774 runs against India) and Duckett (now 726 runs against India) — after a lacklustre undertaking in the first three Tests at Leeds, Edgbaston and Lord’s — did enough damage, fed around the pads for easy pickings. Duckett scores at around 4.85 runs an over against India which is actually much lower than his career average of 5.17. And Crawley scores at around 3.6 an over against India which is lower than his career average of scoring at 3.9 an over. Duckett has two centuries against India, but Crawley, none. These two have been the most successful opening pair against India in the last decade and second for over four decades. The right-hander Crawley got going at Manchester after being troubled by India’s pace attack in the first three Tests. And after scoring 62 and 149 at Leeds, Duckett has been below par. But their big effort at the top of the order in the Manchester Test has put England in a strong position in the Test and thereby the series itself.

BJP’s senior Lok Sabha member Nishikant Dubey faced the ire of three female Maharashtra MPs in the Parliament premises on July 23 for his threat to MNS president Raj Thackeray that the latter will be thrashed if he came to Bihar or Uttar Pradesh. The Congress party MPs Varsha Gaikwad, Shobha Bachchav and Pratibha Khanorkar, accosted Dubey and demanded to explain his offending remark. Instead of responding, Dubey just slinked away, Gaikwad said. The incident has an unexpected fallout. The result is that the male MPs from the state are now asked to justify their inaction regarding Dubey during the current Parliament session which they are attending. Seizing the opportunity, MNS has congratulated the three ladies for their spirited defence of Marathi language about which Raj had spoken, issuing a counter-threat to Dubey. “Come to Mumbai and you will be drowned in the sea,” Raj said at a massive rally in Mira-Bhayandar. “How can the male Marathi MPs remain mute when the women MPs are so vocal,” MNS has asked. Already, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan is at the receiving end for his public statement that no coercion should be employed about speaking any language. His warning that investments poised to come to the state could be adversely affected due to the atmosphere created by such acrimonies has also invited sharp reactions from MNS. A constitutional authority should not be expressing such sentiments, MNS has said, giving indications that it will go on with its agitation in support of Marathi.

After Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will begin an intensive revision of the voter list in West Bengal. Sources in the West Bengal State Election Commission’s office indicate that the groundwork has already begun. According to sources, the survey in Bengal is expected to begin in the first week of August. However, the final decision hinges on the proceedings of a case pending in the Supreme Court concerning the revision of the electoral roll in Bihar. The matter is scheduled for hearing on July 28. If the Apex Court does not intervene, the process of revision will be set in motion in Bengal. With Durga Puja festivities scheduled to begin in the last week of September, officials say it is imperative to wrap up the process beforehand. Otherwise, the exercise will have to be postponed until the end of November or early December. On condition of anonymity a senior official from the West Bengal State Election Commission said that all preparations are in place. The office is only awaiting the official notification from the Commission, which could be issued any day soon. The Commission’s move comes amid controversy in Bihar, where around 52 lakh names are expected to be deleted from the electoral roll. The issue has sparked uproar in national politics, with Opposition parties staging daily protests in Parliament. Amid this backdrop, Bengal has witnessed a surge in applications for inclusion and corrections in the voter list. In the past week alone, over 75,000 applications have been submitted. Sources say that the rate of voter registration and corrections has increased significantly in recent days, especially in districts along the state’s border.

India and the United Kingdom signed a historic free trade agreement (FTA) on July 24 during PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK, where he met his British counterpart Keir Starmer. This FTA which was under negotiation for around three years, will give a much-needed boost to bilateral trade between the two countries by around $ 34 bn annually. The deal was signed by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and his British counterpart Jonathan Reynold in presence of the PMs of both the countries. With this landmark deal, India is set to see tariff slashes on several products imported from the UK and the export businesses in India will also benefit immensely. Goyal said that the deal provides duty-free access for about 99% of Indian exports, which will unlock “nearly $ 23 bn in opportunities for labour-intensive sectors, marking a new era for inclusive and gender-equitable growth.” Here’s what gets cheaper for India in terms of imports. (1) Aerospace parts & medical devices. (2) Soft drinks, cars: India will also have better access to British products such as soft drinks, cosmetics and cars. India’s average tariff on UK products will drop from 15% to 3%. (3) Duty cut on scotch by 50% — from 150% to 75% and then to 40% over the next 10 years – giving the UK an edge over international competitors. (4)  More affordable for Indians to live in the UK. Indian firms and freelancers will have access to 36 service sectors in the UK with no ‘Economic Needs Test’.  And Indian professionals can work in 35 UK sectors for 24 months, even without an office in the country. With tariff elimination (as high as 18%) under the CETA, engineering exports to the UK could nearly double in the next five years to touch $ 7.5 bn by 2029-30.