Rudra Bhatt writes on Indian politics, foreign policy, and the pressures on the press at the intersection of the two. His column is read closely by those who disagree with it and those who rely on it.
Recent work
Nepal's Lawmakers Thank India for Flood Rescue, Relief on Open Border
Nepal MP Vidushi Rana has thanked India for sending aid and helping in rescue and relief operations after flash floods, calling international support 'heartwarming.' An 11-member Indian team reached Nepal, and 108 Indian nationals were rescued, while President Ram Chandra Paudel separately praised India's 'generous support and solidarity.'
Param Pragya and the Compute Sovereignty India Is Building Brick by Brick
Prime Minister Modi attended IIT Delhi's convocation on August 8, inaugurating the AI supercomputer 'Param Pragya' at the institute's Sonipat campus and honouring 3,036 graduates. The event marks another node in India's deliberate drive to build indigenous high-performance computing infrastructure, with implications that reach well beyond academic research into defence, data sovereignty, and India's positioning within allied technology frameworks.
Bharat Taxi and the Cooperative Gamble at the Heart of India's Gig Economy
Bharat Taxi, the cooperative-based ride-hailing platform operated by Sahakar Taxi Cooperative Limited, has been clarified by Union Minister Amit Shah as not intended to replace Ola or Uber, but to offer a driver-centric alternative. The government has extended no financial assistance, equity support, or incentives to the platform. The experiment carries implications well beyond urban transport — it is the first serious test of whether cooperative platform governance can rebalance India's gig economy without triggering a regulatory confrontation with global platform capital.
A Child Dies in Mysuru, and India's Snack Safety Gap Stares Back
A five-year-old boy in Mysuru died after swallowing a small plastic toy ball found inside a Kurkure chips packet, according to NDTV. The incident cuts to a structural problem in India's FMCG regulatory architecture: no single authority owns the intersection of food safety and embedded non-food promotional items, leaving millions of households exposed. The case is likely to energise India's consumer rights movement and force a reckoning between FSSAI, the Bureau of Indian Standards, and the Consumer Affairs Ministry.
Hyderabad Books Meta India Head: What an FIR Reveals About Digital Sovereignty
Hyderabad's cybercrime police have registered cases against operators of multiple Facebook and Instagram accounts, and filed a complaint naming Meta's India head, over allegedly AI-morphed content targeting the Prime Minister during CJP-led protests. The legal provisions invoked — sections of the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita — signal that India's enforcement architecture is prepared to hold platform intermediaries personally liable. The case arrives at a moment when India's digital governance framework is under close international scrutiny.
Parliament Sharpens the Teeth on Exam Fraud, But the Rot Runs Deeper
The Lok Sabha has passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, raising maximum fines for service providers involved in malpractice from ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore and toughening imprisonment terms for their directors and senior management. Introduced by Union Minister Jitendra Singh in the wake of the NEET-UG scandal and nationwide protests, the bill now awaits Rajya Sabha approval. The legislation signals genuine legislative intent, but analysts argue that punitive deterrence alone cannot address the structural incentive architecture that makes paper leak syndicates so durable.
The Satluj Takedown: India's OTT Regulation Void Comes Into Sharp Focus
The Union government's directive to ZEE5 to remove Diljit Dosanjh's film 'Satluj' — invoking national security grounds under Section 69A of the IT Act — has brought India's unresolved OTT regulatory architecture into sharp public relief. The film, which depicts the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra during Punjab's turbulent 1980s and 1990s, had earlier been denied CBFC theatrical clearance under the title 'Punjab 95'. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has now constituted an inter-departmental committee to examine the content, setting a precedent that the streaming industry, legal community, and diaspora audiences are all watching with unusual attention.
US-Iran Peace Deal Opens Energy Gateway as India Eyes Strategic Revival
A 14-point US-Iran draft peace deal includes permanent ceasefire, naval blockade lifting, and sanctions relief on Iranian oil sales. The agreement would restore India's access to its third-largest oil supplier and revive the strategic Chabahar Port project, significantly strengthening India's energy security and Central Asian connectivity.
Britain's Defense Pivot Signals Shifting Western Priorities Amid NATO Pressures
The UK government plans to slash £6 billion in hospital and school funding over four years to finance a £15 billion defense spending increase, raising the military budget from 2.3% to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. The move reflects broader Western military prioritization amid NATO pressures and global tensions.
India's Ebola Biosecurity Rules Reinforce Health Sovereignty Leadership
The Indian government has banned cross-border transportation of Ebola-infected human remains and mandated strict handling protocols including double packaging and cremation. These biosecurity measures position India as a proactive global health leader while protecting domestic public health infrastructure.
India Shapes Eastern Mediterranean Diplomacy Through Strategic Cyprus Engagement
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Cyprus as a special invitee, conducting bilateral meetings with European and regional counterparts. The visit reinforced India's strategic partnership with Cyprus and demonstrated India's deepening engagement with smaller EU member states.
India-US Strategic Partnership Gains Momentum as Rubio Briefs Modi on Regional Dynamics
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's meeting with Prime Minister Modi reinforced bilateral cooperation across defense, strategic technologies, and trade while discussing regional challenges including West Asia tensions. The engagement underscores India's growing strategic importance in U.S. calculations as both nations navigate complex geopolitical terrain.