Despite affirmative action ruling, however, statistics show that African Americans and Hispanics are still underrepresented in elite universities. Late last month, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that the admission policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina (UNC), which gave weightage to students from minority communities, especially African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, were unconstitutional and, therefore, illegal. The ruling, part … [Read more...]

  There is no conclusive evidence, but the influence of the US as the leader internationally appears to be on the wane. Will China replace the US in that leadership position? Time and what transpires over the next decade or so — in the US, in China, and around the world — will shape that story. Amid China’s economic and military rise, and Russia’s strategic manoeuvring during its war against Ukraine, there is a growing belief in national capitals across the world that the soft and hard … [Read more...]

  It is too early to predict what the full and permanent impact of these layoffs will be on the H-1B programme and the Indian economy. If the reading of the tea leaves by the US tech industry on recession turns out to be correct, its effect will be enormous. The technology industry in the United States (US) is shrinking. According to Layoff.fyi, more than a quarter million professionals have lost their jobs since the beginning of 2022, with 95,000 job losses occurring in 2023. This … [Read more...]

  India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1. If activities since then are any indication, it will be quite a ride over the next 11 months. Beginning December 4, New Delhi hosted four back-to-back preparatory meetings in three cities: The G20 Sherpa meeting in Udaipur; the development working group meeting in Mumbai; and meetings of two panels — finance and central bank deputies and framework working group — in Bengaluru. These events, attended by, among others, representatives of … [Read more...]

  Finance ministers, economists and representatives of 180 countries convened in Washington DC earlier this month for the first in-person annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank Group since the onset of Covid-19 in 2020. With the global economy on shaky ground, the mood was sombre. Days before the event, World Bank president David Malpass warned, “A series of harsh events and unprecedented macroeconomic policies are combining to throw development into crisis. … [Read more...]

    A viral video showing a woman hurling racial abuse at four Indian-American women outside a restaurant in Plano, Texas, sparked outrage on social media. “I hate you f*****g Indians,” the woman, who was arrested later, shouted. “Oh, these f****** Indians! They come to America because they want a better life. They obviously are not leading a great life in India.” The incident happened less than two months after an armed man showed up at the Seattle home of … [Read more...]

  As a significant demographic, they must speak out on race relations, engage other minority groups and civil rights organisations, and use our formidable resources to work for racial equality and justice for all in the US. A viral video showing a woman hurling racial abuse at four Indian-American women outside a restaurant in Plano, Texas, sparked outrage on social media. “I hate you f*****g Indians,” the woman, who was arrested later, shouted. “Oh, these f****** Indians! They … [Read more...]

  On July 14, the United States (US) House of Representatives passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would strengthen the US-India “defense partnership” and proposed waiving any sanctions against India triggered under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) which penalises countries that engage in significant defence transactions with Russia, Iran or North Korea. This amendment was authored by Ro Khanna, an … [Read more...]

 The 2+2 Dialogue between United States (US) secretary of state Antony Blinken and secretary of defense Lloyd J Austin and India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh and foreign minister S Jaishankar on April 11 provided a platform for the two countries to reaffirm the strength of their “partnership” at a time when the India-US relationship has been under pressure due to India’s neutral position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 2+2 Dialogue between United States (US) secretary of state … [Read more...]