Jaipur: India’s fiscal federalism, the system that governs how resources are shared between the Union and states, is facing challenges.At a JLF session Thursday on their book, ‘A Sixth of Humanity: Independent India’s Development Odyssey’, former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian and academic Devesh Kapur said that the country’s federal unity is being strained by…

Jaipur: India and China followed two different models of governance. India runs on constitutional democracy, elections, and individual freedoms. China, though a one-party state, is increasingly described as practising performance-based democracy, said speakers at a JLF session Thursday.Drawing the contrast, Arun Maira, former Planning Commission member and author of ‘Reimagining India’s Economy’, said, “The Chinese…

Jaipur: Lyricist, poet and screenwriter Javed Akhtar Thursday said secular values are shaped by upbringing and lived experience, not formal instruction, as he opened the first day of Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 with a session titled ‘Javed Akhtar: Points of View’.In conversation with human rights advocate Warisha Farasat, Akhtar said, “There is no crash course…

Jaipur: International Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq Thursday described writing as “an act of survival” and “often an act of resistance” in societies marked by “inequality, violence, silence and erasure,” saying her work began with documenting “the unspoken grief of women” and “the silences inside homes.“Delivering the keynote address at the 19th Jaipur Literature Festival,…

Jaipur: Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday said the Indian Army is continuously upgrading its capabilities and creating “super specialists” for future warfare, citing the formation of Bhairav Battalion and Shaktibaan Regiment as part of the effort. The Army Chief said that the Bhairav Battalion has been created to fill the gap…