Try GOLD - Free

Harnessing technology to strengthen democracy

Hindustan Times Ranchi

January 15, 2026

The world is witnessing a digital turn in democracy, and New Delhi should serve as the platform where the Commonwealth forges a consensus on how to navigate this transition

- Om Birla

Harnessing technology to strengthen democracy

Samvidhan Sadan is not merely a building; it is the hallowed ground where India's Constitution was debated and drafted.

(HT ARCHIVE)

As the winter mist settles over New Delhi, the historic Samvidhan Sadan is hosting the custodians of the Commonwealth’s parliamentary traditions.

It is with a profound sense of responsibility and pride that I welcome my fellow Speakers and Presiding Officers for the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC).

We meet at a time when the very nature of our work is being reshaped by forces our predecessors could scarcely have imagined. The gavel and the rulebook, which have long represented our authority, must now work alongside algorithms and Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is fitting, therefore, that we have chosen to focus our deliberations on themes that are of contemporary relevance.

This story is from the January 15, 2026 edition of Hindustan Times Ranchi.

Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Already a subscriber? Sign In

I LIVED AS HER SLAVE: ONLER, MARY KOM'S EX-HUSBAND

After the boxer's interview calling Onler a liar and cheat who stole from her, he speaks out

3 mins

January 15, 2026

Hindustan Times Ranchi

Wholesale inflation rises to 0.83% in December

India’s wholesale inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), went up in December 2025, rising to 0.83% year-on-year from a 0.32% contraction in November, according to data released by the ministry of commerce and industry on Wednesday.

2 mins

January 15, 2026

Hindustan Times Ranchi

MILITARY EXPERTS BEHIND THE ON-SCREEN BATTLEFIELDS

Behind Bollywood's most realistic war films are military minds ensuring authenticity

2 mins

January 15, 2026

Hindustan Times Ranchi

Got divorce as 'gift' on 15th anniversary: Celina Jaitly

Actor Celina Jaitly, who filed a domestic violence case against husband, Austrian entrepreneur-hotelier Peter Haag in November 2025, has revealed that he served her divorce papers under “the pretext of a gift” on their 15th anniversary in September last year.

1 min

January 15, 2026

Hindustan Times Ranchi

SURVIVING THE SOCIAL HOUR

Nick Jonas' Golden Globes moment of stepping aside to manage social anxiety sparked a wider conversation. Here are some science-backed ways to cope better

3 mins

January 15, 2026

Hindustan Times Ranchi

Judicial course corrections & the need for judicial finality

A constitutional court exists in a democracy, provokes strong emotions, and functions under the public eye. But there isa difference—crucial and constitutional— between recognising a judgment’s public consequences and letting public opinion shape judicial outcomes. In 2025, that line began to blur.

3 mins

January 15, 2026

Hindustan Times Ranchi

The case for nuance in the gig economy debate

The recent strike by delivery partners of quick-commerce platforms has once again thrust India’s gig economy into the spotlight.

4 mins

January 15, 2026

Hindustan Times Ranchi