Blogs

Thirty years ago, India saw a famous cheating case where people said they moved cows on scooters and bought huge amounts of mustard oil for crazy prices. Recently, something a bit like that happened again — this time in a science project. At a university in Jabalpur, the government gave money to scientists to find…

As the winter chill sets in across India, so does exam season, a combination that most students dread. While the cold brings comfort to many, it also silently affects how the brain functions, how we concentrate, and even how motivated we feel to study. The science behind this connection is fascinating and worth understanding, especially…

Pakistan’s nuclear programme, from its inception in the 1970s, was fundamentally shaped by theft, deception, and systematic proliferation, involving not only individual scientists but also the country’s political leadership, military establishment, and intelligence agencies.  At the centre of this programme was Abdul Qadeer Khan, popularly described as the “father of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb.” Khan, with…

The recent reports of deaths due to contaminated drinking water in Indore were really disturbing as I have had close encounters with similar situations, both in a personal and professional capacity. In the winter of 1955-56, when the population of Delhi was just 1.6 million, approximately 30,000 cases of jaundice were recorded with 266 deaths….

Winter in India is not a season to endure, but one to celebrate-especially through food. As temperatures dip, kitchens across the country come alive with dishes designed to warm, nourish, and comfort. Homemade pinnis, rich with ghee, nuts, and jaggery, are prepared not just for taste but for their strength-giving health benefits. Seasonal vegetables find…

It tells you what is good, normal, worthwhile in life When we look at the world rationally, the world looks rationally back, Hegel said. Following this precept enables Alexandre Lefebvre, professor of politics and philosophy, to float against the zeitgeist centred on bemoaning the rise of illiberalism. His book Liberalism as a Way of Life…

I remember in junior school, teachers would ask us to write essays on strange topics. Like imagine that you’re a bird. And then the whole class would write how the experience of flying in the sky would be. Ofcourse it was a great exercise in creative thinking. Though it was difficult to imagine how it…

Every day, millions of complaints are made by citizens about deficiencies and failures in public services across the country. Trains may be overcrowded, Buses may be late, Streetlights may not be working, Hospital equipments may be out of order, Police stations may be unresponsive, Schools lack basic facilities, Electricity voltage is poor- the list is…

I have spent years in coaching rooms, watching people arrive with polished smiles and heavy hearts. I have also met them outside, in cafes, corridors, at weddings, in airports, and on WhatsApp threads. Different outfits, same inner weather. And almost everywhere, the same question floats in like a polite mosquito: “How are you?” The problem…

When men joke it’s foreplay, when women joke they are friend-zoned. A sense of humour is high on her list when it comes to dating, bra size perhaps on his. Men unsure of their chances with the opposite sex look deeply into mirrors and practise punchlines. Women uncaring of their chances in romance develop what…