Eminent historian K N Panikkar dies at 90
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Eminent historian and academic K N Panikkar died at a private hospital here due to age-related ailments on Monday, family sources said.
He was 90.
A towering figure in the field of history, Panikkar was widely recognised for his Marxist interpretation in history writing and for advocating secular and scientific approaches in the sector. He was also a known critique of communalism.
The veteran played a key role in shaping progressive perspectives in the study of modern Indian history.
After higher studies, Panikkar joined as a history faculty at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi, where he later served as head of the department.
Panikkar also served as Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady in the state.
He was the founding chairman of the Kerala Council for Historical Research and headed the institution from 2001 to 2017.
In addition, he also held visiting professorships and fellowships at several universities abroad and served as the president of the Indian History Congress in 2008.
He also authored several influential works on Indian history, particularly on colonialism and modernity.
Panikkar is survived by two daughters. His wife, a native of Rajasthan and a former classmate, predeceased him.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI (M) state secretary M V Govindan, general education minister V Sivankutty and so on were among those who condoled his demise.
Vijayan, in a detailed message, described Panikkar as a cultural figure who steadfastly defended a scientific and objective understanding of history.
"Panikkar consistently reminded society—through his writings, speeches and teaching—that India’s pluralism had evolved through historical processes and that any attempt to undermine it would weaken the very foundations of the country," he said.
Vijayan noted that Panikkar’s interventions had often served as a guiding light during periods when secular values in India faced challenges.
By studying and presenting India’s historical evolution to younger generations, the historian helped raise awareness against distortions of history, he said.
The Chief Minister also said Panikkar was at the forefront of resisting attempts to alter the narrative of India’s freedom struggle and to communalise educational curricula.
His contributions to safeguarding secular and democratic values in the cultural sphere were significant, Vijayan added.
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Silver slides Rs 3,400 to Rs 2.68 lakh/kg, gold stays flat on strong dollar
New Delhi (PTI): Silver prices declined by Rs 3,400 to Rs 2.68 lakh per kilogram, and gold traded almost flat at Rs 1,64,300 per 10 grams in the national capital on Monday as a firm US dollar dampened the precious metals' demand amid volatile global markets.
According to the All India Sarafa Association, the white metal extended its losses for the third straight day by plunging Rs 3,400, or nearly 1.3 per cent, to Rs 2,68,300 per kg (inclusive of all taxes) from Friday's closing level of Rs 2,71,700 per kg.
"Silver extended last week's decline as a sharp rise in crude oil prices raised concerns that inflationary pressures could intensify again," Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst, Commodities at HDFC Securities.
Higher energy prices tend to feed into broader inflation expectations, which may delay the pace of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. This scenario supported the US dollar and Treasury yields, which in turn weighed on precious metals, he added.
Meanwhile, gold of 99.9 per cent purity rose marginally by Rs 200 to Rs 1,64,300 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes). The yellow metal had settled at Rs 1,64,100 per 10 grams in the previous market session, as per the Association.
Globally, spot gold fell USD 65.23, or 1.26 per cent, to trade at USD 5,105.89 per ounce, while silver was also trading 0.53 per cent lower at USD 83.92 per ounce.
"Gold is trading lower at USD 5,097 per ounce level as crude oil prices surged nearly 30 per cent overnight on Middle East supply concerns," Praveen Singh, Head of commodities and currencies at Mirae Asset ShareKhan, said.
Kaynat Chainwala, AVP Commodity Research, Kotak Securities, said that forced liquidations to meet margin calls during the broader market sell-off have also pressured bullion prices since tensions escalated sharply last week.
Investors will now monitor key US macroeconomic indicators such as CPI, Core PCE Price Index, Prelim GDP, and JOLTS job openings, for further cues on the Fed's policy trajectory, while geopolitical developments in West Asia are expected to continue influencing market sentiment, she added.
