All stories by SHEELA BHATT
Are the COVID-19 figures in India correct?
Rediff.com21 Apr 2020'In our country, there is a lot of checks and balances, the figures cannot go wrong.' 'Because they are being checked by not only the governments, but by doctors themselves.'
China claims traditional medicines fight COVID-19
Rediff.com18 Apr 2020Studies in China claim that traditional Chinese medicines seem to be working effectively on patients with mild or moderate symptoms of coronavirus.
How Indians are coping with the fear of coronavirus
Rediff.com11 Apr 2020From Kutch to Itanagar, Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there is only one emotion, it seems. Fear. Of coronavirus.
'Who will feed us for three months?'
Rediff.com10 Apr 2020Sheela Bhatt drives from New Delhi to Agra and Firozabad to capture the stories of an India under lockdown.
'How will we survive this lockdown?'
Rediff.com10 Apr 2020Sheela Bhatt reports from Firozabad, the country's centre for glass bangles, on what life is like for its workers in the wake of the national lockdown.
'Why the fuss over hydroxychloroquine?'
Rediff.com7 Apr 2020'India is a pharma dada. We can manufacture enough for our people and for the world.'
'COVID-19 may impact Chinese politics'
Rediff.com6 Apr 2020'There are reports of political dissent mounting on Xi Jinping's handling of the Wuhan fallout.'
'Begin a gradual lifting of the lockdown'
Rediff.com4 Apr 2020'...Where there is clearly no evidence of community transmission, letting life return to normal in those districts while continuing to rigorously control the spread of the infection.'
What you must know about China and coronavirus
Rediff.com2 Apr 2020How China's all powerful Communist party bungled the response to the coronavirus crisis.
How the Delhi police got Tablighi Jamaat to vacate their headquarters
Rediff.com2 Apr 2020Sheela Bhatt narrates the behind-the-scenes action in the Delhi headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat that finally forced the religious sect's compliance with the coronavirus shutdown.
'The world has been transformed into a huge laboratory'
Rediff.com30 Mar 2020'Hopefully, people will understand that, beyond medical vaccination plans, in the future we will also need to implement some 'social inoculation' plans.'
Coronavirus crisis pushes India to work on drug security
Rediff.com26 Mar 2020The current crisis has forced the government to announce measures to ensure that India becomes self-sustaining for any kind of bulk drug. The government says India will not depend on any other country for vital key ingredients for drugs within six years, reports Sheela Bhatt.
Motera is done, what will Tuesday bring?
Rediff.com24 Feb 2020Both countries are closer than before due to these two leaders's public display of mutual connectivity and warm exchanges of words, but how it will help India to serve its interests will be known on Tuesday.
'Forget trade or defence. Talk chemistry! Chemistry ab badhega!'
Rediff.com23 Feb 2020'It's the first-ever US presidential visit which is specially planned for India.' 'The standalone visit itself has achieved something already. Don't underestimate it.' Sheela Bhatt gives us an exclusive glimpse of what the Modi government hopes to achieve from Trump's visit.
Dear Melania, know the Amdavad that welcomes you!
Rediff.com21 Feb 2020As Melania Trump arrives in Ahmedabad, Sheela Bhatt offers the First Lady Of The United States a primer on one of India's oldest, and historic, cities.
AAP took great care of Hindu voter sentiments
Rediff.com11 Feb 2020'Kejriwal took political steps and micro level care at every level not to allow the consolidation of Hindu votes behind the BJP,' observes Sheela Bhatt, the distinguished political commentator.
'Kejriwal is not Rahul Gandhi'
Rediff.com8 Feb 2020If Kejriwal wins the Delhi election, then most regional parties will copy Kejriwal's do's and don'ts of jugaad to win an election against the Modi-Shah juggernaut, reports Sheela Bhatt.
2020 will be the year of the economy, but...
Rediff.com3 Jan 2020'Neither Modi nor the BJP have lost control over the minds and votes of their original supporters due to their tremendous political ability to play upon baser communal instincts.' 'But this buoyant support will melt away if the economic scenario remains depressing.' 'That makes 2020 an interesting year to watch out for,' notes Sheela Bhatt.
Pawar has delivered a body blow to Modi-Shah
Rediff.com27 Nov 2019'For Modi and Shah, the humiliating setback is bigger than the electoral defeats in New Delhi and in Bihar in 2015.'
'Ajit Pawar doesn't need BJP to be cleared in corruption cases'
Rediff.com25 Nov 2019'Look at the impropriety of the Anti-Corruption Bureau giving Ajit Pawar a clean chit!'