Senior journalist Askari Zaidi new executive director of top non-profit research institute

By A Representative

Senior journalist Askari H Zaidi has taken over as executive director of the Centre for Studies of Plural Societies (CSPS), a non-profit social science research organization based in New Delhi.

A Delhi-based journalist, who has spent more than 25 years in senior editorial positions at India’s top media houses, including The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and Indian Express, Zaidi is known for his incisive reporting on a wide range of issues, including the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, political events and issues, the Kargil war, and environmental matters.

Zaidi has covered several overseas assignments in the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, and West Asia, including the 1996 US presidential elections. He has delivered invited lectures at the Singapore National University, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, and other national and international institutions, and has worked as Media Advisor and Group Head, Corporate Communications at the Reliance Group.

Claiming to provide skill development and mentorship to students and research scholars in the humanities and social sciences, with primary focus on issues aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), environment, gender equality, and pluralism, a CSPS note said, "With his extensive experience, Askari Zaidi will play a key role in implementing CSPS programmes that are aimed at enabling a sustainable and just future."

Kamal Mitra Chenoy, scholar and student activist who never stopped being both

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Kamal Mitra Chenoy, who taught comparative politics and the Indian Constitution at the School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University, died on October 11. He was 75. A political scientist and public intellectual, he was known for his work on international relations, peace and conflict resolution, human rights and democratic values, and for his solidarity with students.

New UPF study strengthens case for statutory controls on junk food advertising

Counterview News A randomized controlled trial published in the journal Nature Metabolism has found that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) trigger metabolic and neural responses distinct from minimally processed foods—even when the two meals are nutritionally identical. The study provides direct experimental evidence that food processing itself influences health through mechanisms beyond calories and macronutrients alone.

New report reveals deep crisis in RTI's transparency watchdogs as citizens demand accountability

By A Representative As India marks 21 years of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a new report by the civil rights to group Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) has exposed a severe crisis in the functioning of Information Commissions (ICs), the final appellate authorities mandated to safeguard people's fundamental right to information.

Counterview

Search This Blog