Given the importance of Constitution in determining the character of the State, its features immensely impact the lives of its citizens. Indian Constitution has several unique characteristics that make a lasting impact on the Indian lives. Many of these characteristics, resulting from the need to balance differing interests or priorities, or from an effort to incorporate positive features from different Constitutions, make the Constitution of India a very unique document....

Identification of the ‘principal contradiction’ in China has always been a very important event, as the Chinese history clearly shows. The last major change in its perceived ‘principal contradiction’ – a concept derived by Mao from the Marxist ‘dialectic materialism’- changed the trajectory of Chinese economy, enabling it to adopt market process without giving up the socialist ideology. How the new ‘contradiction’ affects Chinese future, will be a big topic of debate…...

While the rest of the world was recuperating from the aftermath of the second World War and its consequences, the people of India were subjected, in 1947, to another tragedy of unprecedented proportions, in the form of Partition of India. It was not just a division of civilization, it was also a partition of an ancient civilization, and the partition of an open economy, which had never been closed and divided like this…...

The ease with which a 22 year old student and a 17 year old girl could manipulate scores of teenagers around the world into unreasonable absurdities, including self-mutilation and suicides, has striking similarities with the way masters of terrorism indoctrinate youngsters and convert them into human bombs. Understanding Blue Whale psychology and the social risk factors can help us in the war on terrorism....

Laws of nature differ from the laws made by man in many ways Understanding these differences can provide significant insights to those who wish to make good and sustainable laws for the society. Laws of nature are extremely consistent, and do not offer any exceptions to the rule, which is invariably the case with manmade laws. They are also not good or bad, they just always apply, irrespective of whether someone is helped by them or harmed. So living beings accommodate themselves to the laws......

Vardhaman Mahaveer’s life is a story of a man who gave up everything one aspires for, to achieve self actualization and understand the mysteries of the universe that lie within. His ability to endure all hardships with detachments and stick to principles like non-violence, hold an example, that can be the answer to our unrestrained greed, consumerism and violence. Vardhaman Mahaveer can be the role model for humanity, and his teaching the wisdom that can save us from our misdeeds. ...

Restrictions on economic freedom can result in outcomes that can be even worse than the lack of political freedom. Even though masses are more sensitive about their political freedom today, they do not understand that it is lack of economic freedom, with its consequent illicit rent seeking that creates biggest disincentives against production and entrepreneurship, and is the single biggest obstacle in their development. ...

Movies are a mirror of the society and its aspirations and values. The characteristics of Bollywood Hero during the last hundred plus years of its existence make it clear that it has drawn enormous inspiration from the life and persona of Ram, the ancient king of Ayodhya. Clearly Ram’s influence in social values that Indians cherish, remains unaltered even after several thousand years of his existence....

A common perception that religion and dharma mean the same thing, or are only a translation of each other, arises from the ignorance of their characteristics and differences. While dharma is primarily a guidance on the duties of a man in actual life towards his fellow beings and nature at large, religion places primacy on the allegiance to a particular set of beliefs, divine dictates and communal identities...

Music, and in particular, Bollywood music, has enthralled and entertained millions of listeners for several decades. With its wide reach, and zero marginal cost, Bollywood music , being a good that is neither ‘rivaled’ nor ‘excludable’, must be considered a public good … an obvious conclusion that seems to have somehow, completely escaped the attention of economists. This realization makes Bollywood music a national treasure for India, and can have several interesting implications....