India’s military mules: No road too treacherous
By Anjali Ojha New Delhi, June 5 (IANS) The Indian Army honoured its longest serving mule “Pedongi” by naming an Army mess after it, but there was a time when the Army had decided to…
Features
Disposable sanitary napkins mess up health and hygiene
By Kavita Bajeli-Datt New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Long-lasting, comfortable, stain-free and affordable are the thoughts that come to every woman’s mind when she picks up a disposable sanitary napkin. What doesn’t occur to most…
97-year-old appears for MA exam in Patna
By Imran Khan Patna, June 3 (IANS) It was a sunny day and Raj Kumar Vaishya had trouble walking. But determined to get a postgraduate degree, the 97-year-old sat for a three-hour MA exam, along…
A campaign that bats for two-child norm in country
By Rupesh Dutta New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) As India’s population continues to grow and threatens to overtake that of China, a campaign started by a group called Taxpayers’ Association of Bharat wants every state…
News items prove that annoying people are often useful
By Nury Vittachi I have an ethics issue. What do you do when you’re having an argument on Facebook and an incredibly stupid, annoying person joins in, but they’re on your side? It’s shocking that…
Amid the stink, Yamuna bank dwellers brace for floods with fortitude
By Vishal Narayan New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) A dense smell of excrement attacks one’s nostrils just before the rugged downslope that leads to the banks of the Yamuna river near Shastri Park metro station…
Dev’s American Caf?: Whiff of something different
By Jaideep Sarin Chandigarh, June 1 (IANS) It is certainly not one of those upscale, air-conditioned, fine-dining places with a fancy address. But Dev’s American Cafe here believes in providing a new and different experience…
Fewer Indians use tobacco, but country still world’s No. 2 consumer, producer
By Ojaswi Rao Fewer Indians used tobacco in 2015-16 than a decade ago, but only China consumes and produces more tobacco, keeping cancer rates high, according to the latest national health data. Tobacco consumption in…
First pollution early warning system aims to cut deaths, health hazards
By Mukta Patil The first monitoring and early warning system in India was launched on May 12 in Ahmedabad, with the hope that it will reduce the health impacts and deaths from air pollution, a…
India’s 70,000+ public libraries and its untapped potential: A study in contrast
By Saket Suman New Delhi, May 31 (IANS) A meagre total of 75 public libraries are serving the over 200 million population of Uttar Pradesh. Compare this to 4,028 public libraries in Tamil Nadu that…
No uptake for rooftop solar in Indian cities
By Juhi Chaudhary India might be playing a leadership role in bringing the world together for the International Solar Alliance, but it is struggling with the adoption of solar rooftops in its metro cities, a…
How climate change is affecting Kinnaur’s apples – and more
By Manu Moudgil On April 16, Roshan Lal Negi woke up to find snow carpeting the courtyard of his home in Jangi village. Boys with smartphones quickly made videos to share on WhatsApp but more…
Retired Mumbai professor paints her way to good health
By Quaid Najmi Mumbai, May 28 (IANS) A rewarding but hectic four-decade-long academic career left Mangal Gogte, 65, with a slew of medical issues — including silent killers like diabetes and hypertension — and a…
Market for pre-owned foreign luxury cars growing in India
By Sakshi Srivastava New Delhi, May 28 (IANS) The demand for fancy foreign luxury cars is witnessing a steep rise, with buyers, including from faraway northeast, picking up Lamborghinis, Maseratis and Range Rovers that cost…
Grab the future with both hands, unless it’s electrified
By Nury Vittachi A spiritual friend gave me some advice last week: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” So now I have to work out how to become a giant killer…
Upcoming summit to bring together 400 women delegates from across India
Mumbai, May 24 (IANS) Aiming to bring innovative and inspiring women across the globe to discuss, debate, inspire and turn ideas that matter into action?, an audience of 400 women delegates from across India will…
Sana-di-ge, where Delhiite gets a taste of West Coast cuisine
By Karishma Saurabh Kalita New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) Delhi is a melting pot of people from across the country but only in recent years have its residents become more experimental when it comes to…
Collectors converge at Christie’s art sales in New York
New York, May 23 (IANS) A confident and distinctly global community of collectors converged at Christies flagship US saleroom in Rockefeller Center, driving its 20th Century Art sales of Impressionist, Modern, Post-War and Contemporary Art…
In Arunachal, tribal taboos are conservation devices
By Sweta Daga “My Naba (father) always says you can’t challenge nature. If you challenge nature, you are asking for trouble. When you see a river and think, it’s so low, I can easily cross…
Lahaul festival: A blend of virgin nature, Buddhism
By Vishal Gulati Manali, May 22 (IANS) Taking a leaf from the success of Leh’s Sindhu Darshan festival, locals of the picturesque Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh also decided to hold a similar event every…