How Can We Matter

We're all familiar with the MRP ( Maximum Retail Price ) printed on packaged goods in supermarkets and other stores.  MRP  ( Maximum Retail Price ) Well, I've often felt it should really stand for Misleading Retail Price ( MRP )! While shopping, it's a huge point of irritation for many of us, as this seemingly deliberate overpricing by manufacturers feels like nothing short of a " legal scam ", one that many suspect has the quiet approval of the Finance Ministry.  The lack of clear guidelines for setting MRP allows many manufacturers to intentionally inflate it. This practice enables retailers to offer discounts, typically ranging from 10-30% normally and a hefty 70-90% during "flash sales." Despite these seemingly large reductions from the MRP, I am sure that shopkeepers still manage to turn a profit.  E-Commerce MRP and Discount The level of discounting also varies by product category. For instance, electronics, fashion apparel, sanitary-plumbing-hardw...

I've yet to encounter a foreigner who has grasped India's legacy, culture, principles, character, and identity with such profound depth – truly, far more insightfully than many Indians who live here and are immersed in "Indianness" around the clock. Oprah Winfrey's Insightful Revelation Many people know Oprah Winfrey as an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor, who is best known for 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'.  Image Credit: Internet Listen to her remarkably powerful speech titled:  Why is America openly supporting Pakistan against India?   What made it so striking was that she used the terms "America" and "Pakistan" just once to frame the subject; the rest of her talk was a deep focus on India, the nation, rather than its leadership. Oprah's understanding of India surpasses that offered by any contemporary Indian , even leaders like PM Modi - who crafted its vision, EAM Jaishankar - who e...

My acquaintance with law is that of an ordinary resident in just respecting the laws and consequently I don't understand the complexities of the laws, except what I glean from news reports of famous legal cases and their judgements. And as a casual observer of the judicial system I also came to realize that there are mainly two types of lawyers namely "Civil Lawyers" and "Criminal Lawyers". I've also heard the term "Constitutional Lawyers," as sometimes certain major cases are argued before the Supreme Court's constitutional benches. Categories of Lawyers I Googled to find out what other categories of lawyers exist and I was just flabbergasted by the sheer number of lawyer categories I received in answer!   Here is a list of them by just names, without the description and further sub-categories under each: Criminal Lawyer, Civil Lawyer, Family Lawyer, Corporate Lawyer, Intellectual Property (IP) Lawyer, Employment Lawyer, Labor Lawyer, Immigrat...

India's opposition parties are questioning the Government as to why it allowed Trump to mediate between India and Pakistan and reach a ceasefire agreement. Many western countries also strongly believe, as per Trump's tweet, that it was USA which enabled a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. India's Strategic Plan The grim reality of the war is that the  Western countries and arms dealers, along with suppliers like Turkey and China , were, in fact, eagerly looking forward to a protracted war to analyze how Pakistan would deploy their provided weaponry against India and to assess the real-world capabilities of their aircraft, missiles, and drones . India's BrahMos Cruise Missile   Fully intact, undetonated Chinese PL-15 missile found in Punjab's Hoshiarpur All the dreams of this  coterie of countries,  were shattered when India, with military brilliance , carried out completely unexpected tactical moves, in a matter of hours, by: precision striking and dam...

As war rages with our northwestern neighbor, Pakistan, we in the south of India, are completely oblivious to the disruptions to daily life that ordinary people are experiencing in various cities and towns in the northwest. The states, districts, cities, and towns that are affected by the ongoing war include the following:  Jammu & Kashmir : Srinagar, Avantipora, Udhampur, Jammu, Baramulla, Nagrota, Poonch, Kupwara, Uri, Mendhar, Rajouri. Punjab : Amritsar, Pathankot, Firozpur, Fazilka, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Mohali, Barnala, Patiala, Sangrur, Malerkotla, Gurdaspur. Rajasthan : Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet, Lakhi Nala, Samba. Haryana : Sirsa, Panchkula, Ambala. Gujarat : Bhuj, Kutch. Mock Drill and Preparedness Currently, Civil Defense Mock drills are being conducted in different parts of India, to enhance the preparedness for war-like situations and disasters. Such mock drills are crucial for those residing in southern India, where the daily realities of warfa...

A sense of impatience is building among many Indians, who are eagerly expecting a decisive move by the Modi Government against Pakistan after the Islamic terror attacks in the Pahalgam valley of Kashmir resulted in the deaths of 26 innocent tourists from various parts of India. Copyright: Internet Given India's current position as a politically vibrant nation with a coalition government, a rapidly growing economy, and an expanding global influence across multiple sectors, it has naturally attracted the envy of various nations who would prefer to see its progress stall or reverse.  The India-Pakistan Situation In this context, engaging in warfare with a poor and struggling neighboring country would be a self-destructive act, squandering the significant advantages the present BJP led Indian government has painstakingly built over the last decade. Pushing Pakistan deeper into poverty through a war could inadvertently lead to global sympathy for them. Other countries and international ...

I am a great fan of US President Donald Trump , who entered politics just ten years back and announced his candidature for the 2016 presidential race. On the eve of his swearing in as the 47th president of the United States , I shared my excitement with this Facebook post on January 20, 2025: Image Credit: The Web   "The world is about to experience a series of tectonic shifts that will reshape the global landscape starting tonight. The policy changes at the White House will affect every country in the world , including the US itself, impacting their governments, economies, migrant populations, and national security . Starting tomorrow, the world will enter a new era , fundamentally different from what we know today ." And this is exactly what we are witnessing today! Reshaping the Global Landscape It is undeniable that Trump is significantly transforming America and reshaping the global landscape at the speed of light. He has halted substantial USAID donations that were of...

Presently, Trump administration has announced sweeping changes to USAID, by ordering a near-total freeze on all foreign aid. Elon Musk, head of DOGE, announced the intention of shutting down USAID.  US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the acting head of USAID under  Trump 2.0. Rubio has authorized Peter Marocco, the director of foreign assistance at the State Department, to also serve as Deputy Administrator at USAID — giving him the authority to “begin the process of engaging in a review and potential reorganization of USAID’s activities.”   What is USAID? The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the US government that is responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance in over 100 countries. With an annual budget of over $50 billion, USAID is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world and accounts for more than half of all US foreign assistance – the highest in the world in a...

The world is stepping into a new era, one that will be fundamentally different from what we know today. The American people elected President Trump with a decisive victory and a mandate for change. Trump's "America First" doctrine signals a departure from traditional US diplomatic practices. Historically, the US has maintained a dominant position in global politics, economics, and military affairs. Trump's new policies suggest a potential decline in US dominance, which will reshape the global political landscape. The Intelligence And Security Team The  Office of the Director of National Intelligence  (ODNI) is an independent agency that integrates intelligence to protect the United States. The ODNI's goal is to defend the country's interests abroad and homeland. The ODNI role is more supervisory, overseeing all 18 of the nation's intelligence services. Unlike the CIA, it does not deal in direct intelligence collection. ODNI assembles the intel from the var...

Given the historical context of civil code implementations in the region, why has India still not adopted a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) ? Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru passed a Hindu Civil Code in 1950s, Pakistan Military Chief Ayub Khan passed a Muslim Civil Code in 1961, and Justice Muhammad Carim Chagla proposed a Muslim Civil Code in 1964:  Hindu Civil Code of 1950s:  Traditional Hindu laws that prevailed in India prior to the Independence movement often discriminated against women in matters of property, marriage, and inheritance.  The diversity of Hindu customs across different regions of the country created a need for a unified legal framework. Realizing the demand for uniformity, B.R. Ambedkar , architect of the Indian Constitution, drafted the Hindu Code Bills championing women's rights.  Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru supported the reforms and played a crucial role in their passage during the 1950s, immediately after Independence.  Muslim Civil Code o...