ThePrint

ThePrintAM: Why actor-TVK chief Vijay is contesting from 2 seats?

Ongoing Gulf war has exposed five critical gaps for India. A nation has to raise itself and earn strategic autonomy as the Chinese have done. This failure cuts across the tenures of various parties. If India sees no choice other than to follow the big-power (not UN) sanctions on buying oil from Iran, Venezuela and Russia, and sometimes from all of them, it underlines the cruel fact of our fragilities. Watch this week's #NationalInterest with ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Read Here: https://theprint.in/national-interest/india-iran-us-pakistan-china/2890530/

ThePrintPod: 4,300 missiles & drones since day 1 of war: Gulf nations, not Israel faced brunt of Iran's retaliation

A month since the Gulf war, US has lost at least 20 aircraft. US Radar systems, drones & aircraft worth billions have been either destroyed or damaged. #CutTheClutter Ep 1817 looks at US combat losses in Gulf war and draws lessons on aerial warfare. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also explains why combat losses aren't directly linked to war objectives.----more----Read ABC News article here: https://abcnews.com/International/us-allied-radar-sites-middle-east-struck-10/story?id=131164670----more----Raed The Wall Street Journal's article here: https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/the-u-s-military-assets-damaged-or-lost-in-the-iran-war-b651127a

British Colonial censuses did not merely record caste, they froze it, standardised it, and permanently tied it to governance. Independent India inherited this mechanism.  

High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah, in address on 56th Independence Day of Bangladesh, termed Dhaka-New Delhi ties as ‘unique, multi-dimensional', with ‘common developmental aspiration'.  

Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, 26th March, where the two leaders discussed both regional escalation and the war in Ukraine. Kyiv and Riyadh signed a security cooperation agreement, particularly focused on “protection of the skies", a reference to Ukraine's expertise in countering drone attacks. Samah Qundeel explains.

Former CEC TN Seshan was feared, formidable & famously outspoken. He was never partisan. In contrast, Gyanesh Kumar has a cavalier disdain, even disrespect, toward the Opposition. Gyanesh Kumar's actions represent a systematic erosion of constitutional guarantees. Gyanesh Kumar is not guilty of only administrative excess. He has been a constitutional failure. The Republic cannot function with a compromised umpire. Elections cannot be credible if the referee is in question, bent on demolishing the level playing field. And democracy cannot survive if the voter is treated as a suspect. Kumar's tenure has raised too many questions, triggered too many doubts, and crossed too many lines. The cost of inaction is simply too high. Therefore, constitutionally and unequivocally, CEC Gyanesh Kumar must go. Watch this week's column for ThePrint by Sagarika Ghose, TMC MP, Rajya Sabha   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To Read: https://theprint.in/opinion/cec-gyanesh-kumar-is-a-constitutional-failure-damage-is-not-procedural-it-is-existential/2884544/

ThePrintAM: Why did UK court reject Nirav Modi's bid to stall extradition?

ThePrintPOD: ‘Detailed & reliable'—India's assurances thwart Nirav Modi's extradition challenge before UK High Court

What Awami League needs now is not an answer to who will succeed Hasina or even a debate on whether Hasina should return to Bangladesh, but a new leadership on the ground.. Watch Author & ThePrint Columnist Deep Halder explain:   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   To Read: https://theprint.in/opinion/awami-league-desperately-needs-new-leadership-its-looking-for-it-in-wrong-places/2879667/

Maharashtra CM briefed assembly Tuesday on the probe so far, revealing godman allegedly raped several women after drugging them, and has bought land all over the state.

https://theprint.in/india/odishas-top-maoist-sukru-surrenders-weeks-after-hacking-deputy-to-death-over-laying-down-arms/2887883/

ThePrintAM: What are the highlights of AIADMK's manifesto for Tamil Nadu polls?

Pakistan has offered to mediate & resolve the war in Iran. While US President has shared Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's post on his country's offer to host talks, there has been no official word from Iran. #CutTheClutter with ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at the complexities & hypocrisies as Pakistan tries to play mediator in the Gulf war, & why India should keep away. This episode also details what Pakistan stands to gain from these negotiations. Episode 1816 ----more----Read Financial Times' story here: https://www.ft.com/content/dc7ba7ef-9e45-48ee-8ba6-88dfab66b2c1?syn-25a6b1a6=1

ThePrintPOD: ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel gets started on building India's largest greenfield steel plant in Andhra

Letter, dated 19 March 2019, had guidelines on candidate disclosure rules, was sent to all parties in Kerala. EC said it was a ‘clerical error' & that the letter had already been withdrawn.

Vajpayee and Mahajan were instrumental in creating Biju Janata Dal in 1997. Modi-Shah BJP is on a mission to destroy it now. What's the possible endgame, ThePrint Political Editor DK Singh weighs in on it in this episode of #politicallycorrect     To Read: https://theprint.in/the-fineprint/bjp-maharashtra-redo-in-odisha-naveen-patnaik/2886284/

Trump today said US is postponing strikes on Iranian power plants & energy infrastructure as the two countries hold negotiations to end the Gulf war. Rejecting Trump's claims, Iran has said that no talks have been held with US. Meanwhile, Pakistan trying to position as the key mediator, with reports of a possible meeting of US & Iranian delegations in Islamabad. #CutTheClutter Episode 1815 explains Trump's incoherent & changing end goals in Iran— from regime change to nuclear weapon & a possible deal. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief also looks at how Trump has used ambiguity to declare victory or negotiate ‘deals'----more----Read The New York Times article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/21/us/politics/trump-iran-offramp.html

App-based cab drivers in Gurugram associated with platforms like Uber and Ola went on strike on March 23, demanding mandatory KYC verification for passengers. The protest has disrupted ride availability across the city, leaving commuters struggling to book cabs. Samah Qundeel explains the key demands.

The low-budget movie, Adamya (The Unbroken), captures the life of a young Communist who chooses the barrel of the gun over the ballot box. Released on 13 February in limited theatres, the movie, directed by Ranjan Ghosh and presented by veteran director Aparna Sen, has become a regular favourite for the audience. Reviewers have critically acclaimed the movie, and a raging debate has started in West Bengal. Watch Author & ThePrint Columnist Deep Halder explain:   To Read: https://theprint.in/feature/naxal-film-adamya-political-buzz-west-bengal/2881975/

As critics accuse PM Modi of surrendering national sovereignty and India's moral compass over Iran crisis, declassified documents show the dilemmas he faces are not new. Watch #ThePrintSecurityCode with Praveen Swami.

Today's tensions between Iran and Israel dominate global headlines—but this conflict was not always inevitable. Once strategic partners, the two nations collaborated on intelligence and defence. But revolutions, wars, and shifting alliances transformed cooperation into confrontation. This video explores the deeper geopolitical forces—oil, ideology, and the Palestinian issue—that shaped this rivalry.----more----Read full article here: https://theprint.in/opinion/iran-israel-werent-enemies-allies/2884582/

The Iran war is escalating and one side thinks India is punching way above its weight. The other thinks Modi has undermined India and it punches below its strength. Both are wrong. Through its independent history, then (Congress era) and now (under Modi), India has punched according to its weight. It has, however, always had an exaggerated sense of its own power and authority—more moral, philosophical and ideological in the past; more strategic, economic and spiritual now. Watch this week's #NationalInterest with ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta

Iran's Kharg island is at the centre of Gulf war, with Trump reportedly mulling a takeover as tensions escalate. #CutTheClutter Episode 1814 looks at the strategic importance & geography of the tiny island, which is also Iran's key oil hub. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also explains why the island is crucial to Iran, and how it was at the centre of earlier Gulf war.

What has SC squashed the case against Elvish Yadav? ----more---- https://theprint.in/judiciary/anti-bodies-not-snake-venom-why-sc-quashed-case-against-youtuber-elvish-yadav/2883746/

Iran targeted energy infrastructure across Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia & UAE, after Israel struck South Pars- Iran's biggest natural gas complex. South Pars is part of the world's biggest oil field shared by Iran & Qatar. #CutTheClutter Ep 1813 explains the unique geography & significance of South Pars. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also details how the Arab states have reacted, and why this may mark a new phase in the Gulf War.

https://theprint.in/politics/was-insulted-had-difficulty-surviving-assam-mp-pradyut-bordoloi-joins-bjp-after-quitting-congress/2882369/

Soon after announcing assembly poll schedule Sunday, Election Commission transferred 44 IAS, IPS, other civil servants in 4 states, including Bengal, ‘without consulting state govt'.   https://theprint.in/india/mamata-says-eci-transferred-officers-by-breaking-convention-what-former-ecs-say-on-the-norm/2882134/

Assembly Elections will be held in 4 states and one Union Territory next month. With the election schedule announced, the campaigning has already begun and politics is heating up. In #CutTheClutter Episode 1812, Shekhar Gupta and DK Singh explain what's at stake in these crucial elections for each political party - from BJP to Congress, and LDF in Kerala to TMC in West Bengal. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief & Political Editor also explain what the poll outcome could mean for key leaders: Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam, Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala, Vijay & Stalin in Tamil Nadu, and Mamata in West Bengal.

ThePrintPOD: Complaint filed by members of BJP Yuva Morcha after video of Muslim group on the boat went viral. Police say appropriate action will be taken.   https://theprint.in/india/14-held-in-varanasi-for-iftar-party-with-chicken-biryani-on-boat-in-ganga-hurting-hindu-sentiments/2882120/

Joe Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation in a letter addressed to President Donald Trump and posted publicly on X on Tuesday, 17 March. In the letter, he said he could not support the war “in good conscience”. Samah Qundeel explains who he is and what his resignation means for the Trump administration.

BJP has tamed many regional parties—both allies and adversaries. How Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry polls are a win-win for BJP in terms of its expansion plans, ThePrint Political Editor DK Singh looks at the BJP's stakes in coming assembly polls in this episode of #politicallycorrect   To Read: https://theprint.in/opinion/amit-shah-wont-lose-sleep-over-kerala-tamil-nadu-puducherry-assam-bengal-is-different/2880526/

Nishikant-led House panel flags ‘regulatory gaps' in online media & OTT, calls for more PIB fact-checks

Israel has claimed that it killed Iran's most powerful leader & country's top security official Ali Larijani in overnight strikes. #CutTheClutter Episode 1804 traces Ali Larijani's journey & his rise from a science student, philosopher to Ayatollah's Khamenei's closest confidant & the most significant person in Iran's power structure. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also explains why his ‘killing' would be a blow to country's leadership.

What began as a routine two-seat election to Rajya Sabha turned into a midnight drama of cancelled ballots, EC scrutiny and voting patterns likely to have left the Congress unsettled.

As Iran chokes the Strait of Hormuz, #CutTheClutter Ep 1810 looks at rivalries between gulf countries that prevented an alternative to the critical water passage. ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta also explains Saudi Arabia & UAE's oil pipelines, when they were built & limitations.

Iran faces a choice that is larger than the immediate conduct of war. It can continue the logic of short-term escalation, or it can think in the longer historical frame.

Rating democracies is a tricky business.  Something makes the Indian Subcontinent different. All of its nations, from the Maldives through Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan have regular elections. Of course the quality of democracy varies, let's say from Pakistan at the lowest rung to India. Peaceful power transfers followed uprisings in India's neighbourhood— from Bangladesh, Nepal to Sri Lanka. Watch this week's #NationalInterest with ThePrint Editor-In-Chief Shekhar Gupta   

एलपीजी की कमी, ईरान के खिलाफ छेड़ा गया युद्ध और ईरान के परमाणु कार्यक्रम से लेकर भारत-बांग्लादेश संबंधों तक-- दिप्रिंट के शो #ShekharSeSawaal में दिप्रिंट के एडिटर-इन-चीफ शेखर गुप्ता दे रहे हैं आपके सवालों का जवाब अपूर्वा मंधानी के साथ.

Iran war & the closure of Strait of Hormuz has affected global oil supply and resulted in LPG ‘crisis' in India. In episode 1809 of Cut The Clutter, Shekhar Gupta, Editor-In-Chief, ThePrint looks at India's imports of LPG & LNG, how much do we consume & measures undertaken by Modi govt to address the concerns. Udit Bubna joins in.

Two weeks on and the US-Israel and Iran war has only escalated. And what we have been seeing is aerial warfare. Israel & US have been launching attacks from airborne assets whereas Iran is targeting US missile defences with missiles & drones, launched from the ground. In Cut The Clutter Episode 1808, ThePrint Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at the big picture emerging from the war, and what air power can & cannot achieve by itself. He also looks at lessons from the Iraq war & US air-campaign then.

ThePrintAM: Why did SC allow passive euthanasia in Harish Rana case?

Three commercial ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions escalate in the US-Israel Vs Iran war. Nearly one-fifth of global oil supply passes through the narrow sea passage between Iran and Oman, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy. But the story of Hormuz is not just about geopolitics. In Cut The Clutter Episode 1807, Editor-in-Chief Shekhar Gupta looks at its strategic importance, geography & geology. --------------------------------------------

The IMD Tuesday announced that Delhi is undergoing a spell of dense fog, but what are the underlying reasons? What is the reason behind Delhi's AQI rising sharply from 172 on Friday to 265 on Tuesday? Watch #ThePrintVideo with Akanksha Mishra to find out.

Five members of Iran's women's national football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after refusing to sing the Iranian national anthem during a match with South Korea at the AFC Women's Asian Cup. The decision allows them to remain in Australia amid concerns that they could face punishment if they returned to Iran. Samah Qundeel explains.