Blogs

This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is ‘Give to Gain.’ And who embodies this better than the Jal Sahelis of Bundelkhand, best exemplified by their 530 kilometre -long Aviral Nirmal Yamuna Yatra. This yatra began from Pachnada in Jalaun district of UP and culminated on Feb 26, at Vasudev Ghat, New Delhi. The ‘Give To…

The Union Budget 2026-27 strengthened the local self-government in rural India. Accepting the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission, the Government has provided enhanced grants to Rural Local Bodies, amounting to over ₹4.35 lakh crore for the five-year period 2026-31. The Sixteenth Finance Commission marking a phenomenal 84 percent increase in fiscal allocation for Rural…

The concept of women’s empowerment has developed over time, with varying definitions and opinions. Women’s empowerment is the process to enable women to take control of their life, make decisions, and fully participate in all aspects of society. Women’s empowerment encompasses economic, social, and political empowerment. Economic empowerment refers to women’s ability to access resources…

Matcha rose to remarkable prominence in 2025, evolving from a traditional tea into a global lifestyle staple. Once closely associated with the refined tea culture of Japan, matcha steadily found its way into modern cafés, wellness routines, and social media feeds around the world. Its vivid green hue, earthy flavour, and reputation as a natural…

Every year on March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day by recognising the achievements, resilience and contributions of women in every sphere of life. From managing homes to leading organisations, from classrooms to public life, women continue to shape societies with strength and determination. Their progress and empowerment deserve appreciation and support. This year’s…

In Washington, a feud has erupted between the US Department of War and the AI company Anthropic, maker of the Claude model. The kerfuffle sounds like a classic corporate-state standoff, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei walking away from a $200 million deal, refusing to drop contractual red lines that prohibited its AI. The Pentagon labelled…

On most days, a woman in India does not experience the city as a neutral grid of roads and buildings. She experiences it as negotiation. She calculates lighting before distance. She chooses a bus based on who else is inside it. She avoids certain parks after dusk. She memorises which metro exits open onto crowded…

The Scrabble Board was laid out on the table.  My sister, brother, and I arranged our tiles and began to play. After a few rounds, just as I was going to place the word “Queen” on the board, my grandmother, who was sitting beside us, called out :  “Mina, make sure you place the Q…

The desert sun beats down on the white gaddis facing the makeshift platform, glancing off the reddening bare scalp of the man seated before me and turning the sandstone of the looming Mehrangarh Fort a burnished rose. In a nook cradled by boulders and dusty trees, my mother and I wait for the Ustaad to…

There has been a noticeable shift in recent years in the role of BRICS, from an informal grouping of like-minded emerging economies to a bloc capable of playing a larger role on the geopolitical stage. Founded by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, the group is now expanding further with new members including Saudi Arabia, the…