Self-Respect: Knowing When to Step Back

eople's perspectives can be. When we are young, we often see people and relationships through the lens of trust, hope, loyalty, and emotion. We believe that everyone means what they say and that every relationship is genuine.

With age, experience teaches us otherwise. We begin to recognize hidden intentions, unspoken boundaries, changing loyalties, and the difference between genuine affection and convenience.

Yet, this understanding should not make us cynical. Instead, it should make us compassionate toward our younger selves and toward those who are still learning.

When the Need Ends, So Does the Loyalty

Today, while sitting quietly at home, working on some official assignments and letting my mind wander through recent developments in the Zou context, a thought suddenly struck me - loyalty.

I picked up a pen and began jotting down a few thoughts, points and outlines on a piece of paper. As I reflected, several familiar sayings came to mind, each carrying a deeper truth about human relationships and the often-complicated nature of loyalty:

Once the rain is over, an umbrella becomes a burden to everyone.

Churachandpur: A Paradox of Urban Growth and Developmental Deficit in Manipur

Abstract: Churachandpur occupies a strategically important position in the socio-economic geography of Manipur. It is the principal urban and commercial centre of the state's southern hill region and serves as a gateway connecting numerous rural and hill settlements with markets, educational institutions, healthcare, financial services and government administration. Yet its physical and institutional development appears significantly out of proportion to its regional importance. This paper critically examines the developmental condition of Churachandpur from the perspective of urban infrastructure, public services, economic opportunities, human capital, environmental management, mobility and urban governance. Rather than treating the town's deficiencies as isolated failures of individual departments, the paper conceptualises them as manifestations of a broader urban-development deficit a situation in which demographic, economic and regional functions expand faster than the institutional and infrastructural systems required to support them.

Foreign Contribution Regulation in India: History, Amendments, Controversies, Current Status and the Way Forward

The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) is India's principal legal framework governing the acceptance and utilisation of foreign contribution and foreign hospitality by specified individuals, associations, companies and other entities. Administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the law seeks to ensure that foreign funding is received and utilised transparently and does not adversely affect India's sovereignty, security, public order or other national interests (Ministry of Home Affairs [MHA], 2010).

For churches, charitable societies, educational institutions, humanitarian organisations and NGOs, FCRA is therefore much more than a registration requirement. It establishes a continuing regulatory framework covering registration, renewal, banking, accounting, utilisation, audits, annual returns, governance, donor compliance and the consequences of non-compliance.

NRC in Manipur: Citizenship, Demography and the Politics of Documentary Proof

The demand for a National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur has emerged from a broader anxiety over demographic change, migration, indigenous identity and political representation. The debate has become particularly intense because population statistics, the growth of villages and the forthcoming census have increasingly been connected to questions of citizenship and political power.

The Briefing on NRC by Uday S. Reddy, dated August 2026, attempts to examine this debate through three principal lenses: the legal and administrative history of the NRC, the experience of Assam, and demographic trends in Manipur (Reddy, 2026). Its central conclusion is that the available evidence does not establish a sufficient basis for an NRC in Manipur (Reddy, 2026).

Revisiting high school memories: The timeline of Indian Independence Day

India’s Independence Day is celebrated annually on August 15. On August 15, 1947, it marked the end of nearly two centuries of British colonial rule and the birth of a free, sovereign nation. India’s freedom was achieved through a vast, decades-long national movement marked by intense struggle and supreme sacrifices. Leading freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Subhas Chandra Bose unified the country using mass civil disobedience, non-violent resistance, and revolutionary actions.

The transition reached its climax with the British Parliament passing the Indian Independence Act 1947. At the stroke of midnight on August 14–15, 1947, legislative sovereignty shifted to the Indian Constituent Assembly, and Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the Tricolour at the historic Red Fort in Delhi.

The Future Belongs to Those Who Adapt: Preparing Students for the Age of Artificial Intelligence

"Artificial Intelligence will not replace those who are willing to learn. Instead, those who combine human creativity, wisdom, and compassion with AI will shape the future."

I. Introduction: The Age of Intelligent Machines

We have been unknowingly using Artificial Intelligence in our day-to-day lives. It has gradually become an integral part of our daily routines, often operating quietly in the background without our conscious awareness. From search engines and digital assistants to online recommendations, navigation applications, facial recognition, spam filters, personalised advertisements, and increasingly sophisticated communication tools, AI has already become embedded in many aspects of modern life.

I have had a keen interest in Artificial Intelligence for the last several years and have spent considerable time reflecting on its basic and fundamental ideas. What initially appeared to me as a highly technical and specialised field gradually revealed itself as something much broader and more consequential. AI is not merely about computers performing complex calculations or machines imitating human behaviour; it is increasingly about how we work, learn, communicate, make decisions, create knowledge, and understand the world around us.