Nitin Mishra

Nitin is contributor with experience in reporting on technology and current affairs. As part of a self help group that helps research students get access to information needed in their area of research, he is in a unique position where he gets exposed to and works with in depth research level information on a range of issues. His twitter handle is @curiousindian13

Voting decisions. Why and How?

: Society : Written by NitinMishra : 05-05-2014

This is our chance! Let’s Vote! Elections are just days away and everyone is itching for their chance to vote. Those who are still ambivalent towards it need to understand that India’s democratic rights were not a given but were earned after years of a persistent struggle for freedom and rights. There are still nations in the world who do not have a democracy and are oppressed without a voice. We are blessed that we at least have a voice, which is our vote and our voice must be heard and loud this time around. In the early 2000’s, most …continue reading

Pakistan’s mysterious love for AAP

: International : Written by NitinMishra : 03-15-2014

Author: Aamna Shahwani [Aamna is a Baloch analyst and human rights activist and by profession she is a cryptographer. This article was originally published in Afganistan Times.Original article: http://www.afghanistantimes.af/opinion_details.php?oid=60] When electoral preparation is going on in full swing for upcoming general elections in both Afghanistan and India, the cadres are busy with placards and posters; the covert game of Pakistani Political Agents is underway in both these nations. Analyzing the recent developments will uncover the naked faces of the Pakistani political games going on in India that the innocent public of India will find hurting. Pakistan, whose birth was blessed by religious …continue reading

Who is the real liberal?

: Society : Written by NitinMishra : 02-16-2014

The recent controversy over Penguin India’s decision to withdraw and pulp Wendy Doniger’s book “The Hindus: An alternate history” has once again sparked the debate about freedom of expression issues in India. The decision to withdraw the book was taken by publisher following a legal battle with a group of Hindus led by President of Sanatan Dharma foundation, Dinanath Batra. The objection raised by this group relates not only to the factual inaccuracies in the content which for the most part shows shoddy research and poor translation of Hindu texts on the authors part but more importantly the author uses outlandish …continue reading

ASACUSA experiment produces first beam of antihydrogen atoms at CERN

: Science and Technology : Written by NitinMishra : 01-26-2014

The ASACUSA experiment at CERN has succeeded for the first time in producing a beam of antihydrogen atoms. In a paper published in Nature Communications, the ASACUSA collaboration reports the unambiguous detection of 80 antihydrogen atoms 2.7 meters downstream of their production, where the influence of the magnetic fields used initially to produce the antiatoms is small. This result is a significant step towards precise hyperfine spectroscopy of antihydrogen atoms. The feat will help them test whether these atoms differ from their matter counterparts, which could give scientists clues about how our universe formed. Primordial antimatter has so far never …continue reading

No more donations ! Stop funding the Anarchists

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 01-20-2014

[This article has been submitted by Manjunath P from Bangalore. He was active in organising meetings in Freedom Park during Anna movement. An early member of AAP and part of AAP’s social media campaign during Delhi elections. Disillusioned with AAP government he now runs an awareness campaign to highlight perils of donating to AAP] The recent interview with Barkha Datt presented a new side of Arvind Kejriwal. The tone and tenor of the so called humble leader of common man had changed. The attitude reeked of arrogance so typical of men in power. Kejriwal’s claims of great achievements in Delhi bore uncanny resemblance …continue reading

I see hope in Narendra Modi

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 01-19-2014

[This article has been submitted by Praveen Koul, a Kashmiri Pandit. Born in Budgam, his family moved to a refugee camp in Jammu, he grew up listening to stories of his home in Budgam and the atrocities that forced his family to flee. He hopes of going back to his ancestral home one day] Today, twenty four years after the day mass exodus of Kashmiri pandits began in valley, a delegation of Pandits met Narendra Modi with memorandum. It said,“Challenge to the idea of Indian Nation state continues in Kashmir in one or the other form. Extirpation of entire Kashmiri …continue reading

The Monk who sold aam aadmi’s ferrari

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 01-11-2014

There is no doubt upcoming 2014 parliamentary election is going to be a historic one. For the first time positive agendas like development and effective governance are dominating the political discourse. Anti corruption agenda has got a major fillip with entry of AAP. Countless elections were fought with corruption as the main electoral plank. Rise of VP Singh post Bofors scandal is still the best example of electoral reversals driven solely by anti corruption agenda. Despite the cynicism prevalent since then, Arvind Kejriwal has successfully managed to rake this issue up once more. There are stark similarities between both situations. The anti corruption campaign led by VP …continue reading

Dear Arvind, I want my money back

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 01-09-2014

[This article has been submitted by Manjunath P from Bangalore. He was active in organising meetings in Freedom Park during Anna movement. An early member of AAP and part of AAP’s social media campaign during Delhi elections.] Frankly, I had never heard of Arvind Kejriwal till Anna’s Janlokpal movement. The movement had touched the simmering anger against corruption and the dishonest politicians. I still remember how we had switched off the lights in our building for an hour to support Anna. Most of the buildings in our locality had done the same. Round the clock media coverage on people’s participation acted as a booster …continue reading

Kerala: BJP’s southern conquest

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 01-08-2014

While the overzealous media is busy propping up AAP in an apparent attempt to pit Kejriwal’s party against BJP in order to contain Modi, BJP is busy not only consolidating it’s strongholds but breaking new grounds. The glee with which congress is willing to endorse Kejriwal betrays the animosity displayed by AAP towards congress and hints towards a tacit understanding between both. If the assumption is that such a plan would succeed against Modi then probably they fail to recognize the genius of Modi. He is not just a master strategist and a skilled orator but a genius in organizational skills. It’s no …continue reading

Behold the mighty INS Vikramaditya arrives

: Defence : Written by NitinMishra : 01-06-2014

As one of the military leaders of the Asia-Pacific Region, India possesses a significant military capability, one of the main components of which is the country’s naval forces. Today, India shows all the signs of being a first- class naval power with a nuclear submarine fleet and carrier battle groups. The Indian Navy surely has been strengthened by the commissioning of its new aircraft carrier, the INS Vikramaditya. Coming close on heels of another significant achievement – commissioning of the nuclear reactor of the Arihant. India’s first indigenous nuclear powered submarine, going critical and the Vikramaditya is being seen as …continue reading

The last refuge

: Society : Written by NitinMishra :

In 1774, Samuel Johnson made this famous statement, “Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.” He wasn’t talking about patriotism in general but show of false patriotism. He was a proud British patriot and in those glory days of the mighty British empire, Patriotism was the best rallying point to get people behind one’s cause. It still is in most countries. How about India? Is patriotic fervor the best way to get popular support in India? You’d be sorely mistaken if you thought yes. In this age of single agenda parties mushrooming on regional and national scene, except BJP and its affiliates, it’s …continue reading

Beware NETRA is looking

: Science and Technology : Written by NitinMishra : 01-04-2014

Not many know that India’s ambitious National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has discreetly commenced operations. The idea of setting up an integrated cyber warfare command was mulled post 26/11. One of the findings from review commission cited lack of an integrated command which was exploited by David Headley. Work on NATGRID commenced about 2 years back. The effort was being led by Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, Bangalore and CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team, India). Several scientists from CERT-In, CAIR and technical consultants from private sector have worked on the project for two years to set up the Indian Cyber …continue reading

Good riddance Dr. Manmohan Singh!

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 01-03-2014

If one had to sum up 10 years of Dr. Manmohan Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister, almost every adjective to define bad governance can be exhausted. He can very easily be credited with prompting the debate about worst PM ever. Announcement about today’s press conference had set media circles buzzing about possible important decisions. What turned out was stage used by PM to display his bitterness towards media and his possible nemesis Narendra Modi. A stone faced PM read a script as usual and went on to give unconvincing answers in his occasionally stuttering tone only to flare up when …continue reading

GSLV-D5 – Riding India’s own cryogenic engine

: Science and Technology : Written by NitinMishra : 01-01-2014

GSLV-D5, India’s work horse rocket is set to fly again on January 5th at 16:18 hrs IST. This time using the indigenous cryogenic engine. It took two decades of developmental efforts and 7 launches to reach this stage. GSLV (Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle) has a chequered past. Of the 7 launches 2 were successful, 2 were claimed partially successful and 3 were failure. GSLV is a vital technology that India needs to master, in order to attain indigenous heavy lift capacity. With a successful launch India will achieve the capability to launch satellites in 1-5 ton weight range. Most of …continue reading

The failed opposition

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 12-31-2013

Recent assembly election results threw up an anomaly. An aberration in what was supposed to be a 4-0 clean sweep for BJP. The anomaly was Delhi. The result was surprising in many ways. The BJP which won 2/3rd majority in Rajasthan and M.P stopped just 4 short of majority. Congress was decimated and went down from 43 to 8. AAP the underdog rose from Nil to 28. Result was interpreted in a million different ways. The group generally termed as LIMP (liberal, intellectual, media and politicians) used it to dismiss the Modi wave. AAP on the other hand viewed it …continue reading

The Manchurian Candidates

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 12-30-2013

This 1960 Novel by Richard Condon was a political thriller masterpiece. The plot revolved around a US presidential nominee. He had unknowingly been subjected to an extensive mind control program which in effect turned him into a puppet in the hands of his controller. He was propped up as a war veteran of impeccable character who also held a Medal of Honor from Iraq war. A combination the US public really loves to elect before things go haywire. Of course, this article is not a review of this old classic but i thought it would be prudent to give the …continue reading

Held guilty until proven innocent

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 12-28-2013

For more than a decade congress and its allies used Narendra Modi scare to build up a vote bank. The scare tactic worked better than Hitler’s propaganda and effectively demonized Modi. The thought behind this propaganda was congress’s policy of divide and rule. The congress seemed to have built on its legacy of dividing India into groups and communities along ethnic, sectarian, religious,linguistic and caste lines each group scared of other. If one looks at India’s electoral politics you’d notice a gradual decline in political discourse and participation. Barring late 70′s congress enjoyed uninterrupted power and the country continued its …continue reading

The sensational stories of Indian Media

: Society : Written by NitinMishra : 12-23-2013

Media is often hailed as the fourth pillar of democracy. The pillar expected to play a constructive role in strengthening democratic values. If you’re a student of Indian history, you’d know a lot of Indian publications played a great role in social upliftment and freedom struggle. However, long gone are the days of reformers, thinkers and idealists heading publications with social welfare and awareness as guiding principals. Now a days media is owned by big businesses, corporate houses, politicians and shady characters. It’s the only pillar of democracy that is mostly run by private businesses and yet expected to adhere …continue reading

Why India’s aggressive posturing on Devyani isn’t impressing US

: International : Written by NitinMishra : 12-20-2013

Amid the raging controversy around Devyani issue, India today cleared a defence purchase agreement with US worth 4000 crores. This despite, the unwarranted humiliation of the diplomat and snub from US state department to demands of apology and dropping of charges. They went a step further and denied claims of Indian foreign minister Salman Khusheed of a proposed meeting with John Kerry to sort the issue. The question i’m forced to ask is, is this how a self respecting country registers its protest? That India has been prone to external manipulation is a known fact but starting 90′s, they actually …continue reading

It’s time to hang your boots Advaniji !

: Society : Written by NitinMishra : 12-19-2013

That, most of us don’t know when to stop, is a known fact. We work hard, struggle, survive, succeed and then relax hoping to reap the well deserved benefits of our struggle. Time flies and we remain cocooned refusing to sense the changing winds. The resulting conflict leads to a lot of emotional turbulence and gives birth to a sobbing and sore old man living in his past. Pictures of a weeping Advani at recent book launch function is an example of this conflict. Frankly, Advani has wept too often in public for it to be a news anymore. For …continue reading

How Anna outfoxed Kejriwal in his own game

: Domestic : Written by NitinMishra : 12-18-2013

So we finally saw a rare consensus among parties in parliament. After a decade of commotion, squabbling and stalled work, what the Indian parliament did on Lokpal bill was refreshing and a welcome sight. A Bill envisaged 46 years ago and deliberately allowed to gather dust by successive governments finally got life. It’s one of those occasions when the MP’s deserve accolades and i’m glad Anna thanked them. The struggle for this bill isn’t without its share of controversies. The Janlokpal movement that exploded on national scene spearheaded by an unlikely octogenarian Gandhian Anna seemed fizzled out once Arvind Kejriwal …continue reading

He was just another soldier

: Poems : Written by NitinMishra : 12-14-2013

This poem is a tribute to the brave Indian soldiers who were killed in a cowardly attack on LOC by Pakistani army and Jehadi fanatics. The cowards mutilated their bodies and took away the severed head of an Indian soldier. Pakistan subsequently denied any part in this attack. In the world’s heaviest guarded border it is impossible for irregulars to attack the enemy without the knowledge and active support of army on their side. Following this incident Politicians and academics in India made some extremely irresponsible statements which further demoralized the Indian army and showed the level of appreciation Indians …continue reading

Chinese Dragon: Enemy at the gates

: Defence, International : Written by NitinMishra :

Earlier this year an interesting article was published in a staunchly pro government news blog in China. This article predicted six wars that china is sure to fight in coming years to resolve the border dispute and reclaim those territories. For those who’re unaware of Chinese system a lot of the news agencies are directly or indirectly controlled by PLA (People’s Liberation Army) and articles of such nature are penned by Generals or strategists.This quasi official document shows the prevalent thinking within Chinese security establishment, however the most interesting part is not the prediction of wars but how they’re fought. …continue reading

Implications of Indian Deputy Consul General’s arrest in US!

: International : Written by NitinMishra : 12-13-2013

Diplomatic circles in India were sent into a tizzy after the arrest of Indian Deputy Consul General, Devyani Khobragade in New York. She was charged with one count of visa fraud and one count of making false statements. The issue is related to the A-3 visa application that she submitted for an Indian national who served as a babysitter and housekeeper at her residence in New York. According to the allegations the worker ended up working more hours and getting paid less than what was mentioned in the visa application. She was produced before a magistrate and later released on …continue reading

An Indian view on history, current affairs and politics

Author: NitinMishra

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