Op-Eds Opinion

From KAL to Sheshnaag, India Is Joining the Drone Arms Race at the Front

By BPN News Desk September 21, 2026

India quietly crossed an important defence technology milestone at Pokhran on September 20 when the indigenous KAL long-range one-way attack drone successfully completed its maiden flight trials. Developed by Noida-based private defence technology company IG Defence, KAL is designed for a range of up to 1,000 kilometres, endurance of seven to eight hours and a […]

Op-Eds Opinion

The IIT Pressure Cooker: When Excellence Becomes a Burden

By BPN News Desk September 20, 2026

The death of a second-year IIT Bombay student on September 18 has once again forced India to confront an uncomfortable question about life inside its most prestigious educational institutions. Earlier that day, the 19-year-old Energy Science and Engineering student had been found using a mobile phone during an examination. IIT Bombay later said that the […]

Op-Eds Opinion

India’s Monsoon Is Retreating, But the Farm Risk Is Just Beginning

By BPN News Desk September 20, 2026

India’s southwest monsoon has begun its withdrawal, but it is leaving behind a complicated agricultural picture. The country has received roughly 15% less rainfall than normal this season, while around 43% of India’s geographical area remains classified as rain-deficient. At first glance, those figures may suggest a straightforward drought story. The reality is more

Op-Eds Opinion

Asian Games Chaos in Japan Exposes Global Media’s Double Standards

By BPN News Desk September 19, 2026

The 2026 Asian Games have barely begun in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, and the organisers are already dealing with problems that would normally make uncomfortable headlines for the host of one of the world’s biggest multi-sport events. Accommodation shortages, questionable room allocations, accreditation delays, transport complaints and administrative confusion have all surfaced

Op-Eds Opinion

After 12 Years of Reforms, Why Is Modi Picking Fights With the Common Man?

By BPN News Desk September 18, 2026

There is an ancient Greek story that every powerful leader should occasionally revisit. Icarus was the son of Daedalus, the legendary craftsman who fashioned wings from feathers and wax so that father and son could escape captivity. Before they took flight, Daedalus warned Icarus against two extremes: do not fly so low that the sea […]

Op-Eds Opinion

Washington’s Russian Oil Lecture Raises Questions About America’s Double Standards

By BPN News Desk September 18, 2026

US Senator Richard Blumenthal has delivered a remarkably blunt message to India and China over their continued purchase of Russian energy. “You better clean up your act,” he said, telling the two countries to buy their oil and gas somewhere else and arguing that continued purchases help sustain Moscow during the Russia-Ukraine war. His remarks […]

Op-Eds Opinion

Supreme Court Protects Vehicle Owners From Forced Repossession

By BPN News Desk September 17, 2026

For millions of Indians, purchasing a vehicle without finance is simply not possible. Cars, taxis, autorickshaws, delivery vehicles and trucks are routinely bought through bank or NBFC loans, with borrowers committing themselves to years of monthly instalments. Most borrowers understand the basic bargain: if you borrow money, you must repay it, and if you persistently […]

Op-Eds Opinion

E20, UPI, UGC: Why Are Ordinary Voters Being Ignored?

By BPN News Desk September 16, 2026

There is an increasingly uncomfortable question the Modi government needs to confront. What exactly must an ordinary Indian do before the government considers his or her anger worthy of serious political attention? Millions of Indians go to work, pay their taxes, obey the law, vote, participate in elections and increasingly use social media to communicate […]

Op-Eds Opinion

A Public Road, a Mosque and Karnataka’s Ganpati Controversy

By BPN News Desk September 16, 2026

The controversy that erupted in T. Narasipura in Mysuru district should never have required a complicated political debate. Ganpati celebrations were under way, organisers were preparing for processions and immersion, and the police were perfectly entitled to seek advance information about routes, timings and crowd sizes so that adequate security could be arranged. Those

Op-Eds Opinion

Dear Modi, Fund UPI, Not Pilgrimages

By BPN News Desk September 15, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves enormous credit for presiding over one of India’s most successful pieces of digital public infrastructure. UPI has changed how this country transacts. From the vegetable vendor and autorickshaw driver to the neighbourhood kirana shop, restaurant, professional and large retailer, scanning a QR code has become almost instinctive.