With Narendra Modi at the helm of affairs allegedly there have been quite a few changes in the manner we conduct our business: if the news reports are to be believed babus are now spending less time on golf courses—and more on their jobs. If we are to believe the dailies, the bureaucracy is finall...
Smart and sassy; writer, designer, and political and social commentator, Shobhaa De has worn many hats in her decades-long career. With DW she talks of her first love—writing... In 2013 French champagne brand Veuve Clicquot honoured author and columnist Shobhaa De with the Veuve Clicquot Business...
Bitter Medicine that must be Swallowed for Economy’s Sake Hike// Attacking the previous government, Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on June 22, 2014, said the hike in rail fares was “thrusted upon” by the UPA, but it was a “bitter medicine” that had to be swallowed in the interest of soun...
Mumbai’s Campa Cola Residents Recede
Aplogise to BMC Eviction// In June 2013, the Supreme Court had ordered families occupying illegal flats in Mumbai’s Campa Cola Society to vacate the building by May. Their deadline to hand over the keys ended on June 12, 2014, but the residents then threatened to pitch tents in the complex. The r...
Ronaldo Congratulates Fellow ‘Old Boy’ Klose Football // Ronaldo was among the first to congratulate Miroslav Klose when the German striker joined him as the all-time leading scorer in the World Cup with 15 goals. “Welcome to the club, Klose. I can imagine your happiness!!!!” @ClaroRonaldo ...
Eight Bodies Recovered from Water Trag edy// On June 8, 2014, 24 students including six girls and a tour guide were washed away after the sudden release of water from Larji hydro power project in the Beas. The students were all from an engineering institute in Hyderabad. Around 65 people—includin...
It was way back in 2001 that I came to the US with my husband. I came here with a lot of dreams and hopes of a new life. My husband, who is a scientist, had an offer to work for his post doctoral research. Everything was not hunky dory when the visa process started. I was, in a way, both scared and ...
Revisiting Social Media for Maximum Gains
A recap on social media to max your mileage. Are you new to handling social media, or someone who’s simply looking to close some knowledge gaps? In either case, we’re glad you stopped by, as we revisit some of the basics of how you can fully leverage arguably the two most crucial components of ...
Indulgence, adulation make star memoirs what they are! When the long-overdue autobiography of a 92-year-old movie legend hits the stands, there is reason for enthusiasm, but the literary critic can also find himself gnawing at his knuckles apprehensively. Such a book can easily turn out to be an ex...
Gandhi Peace Prize awardee Bulu Imam wears many hats, each related to his central concern—that of getting Jharkhand’s people their dues. Bulu Imam has many claims to fame. He is a poet, a writer, an artist, an activist and many things besides, all rolled into one. But all his diverse talents an...
Article 370 failed miserably in its purpose becoming a political tool in the hands of powerful politicians. With battlelines drawn over its proposed abrogation by the central government, the debates are once again hot among the ruling class. But the people of Kashmir suffer on silently. Iftikhar Gi...
Indian Politics of Scaremongering As the Budget Session of Parliament begins, news channels and commentators have begun talking of the dangers to democracy resulting from a single-party majority and the lack of a numerically-strong opposition party. This issue is a bit silly because it essentially ...
Laying the Foundation for a Good Life
Navjyoti India Foundation’s targeted interventions are helping marginalised communities get back on the road to self-reliance and community development. In June, Punjab’s ignominious drug racket, under national and international scrutiny for many years, finally came tumbling out in the open and...
My Years in Paris Usually, memoirs bore me a little. I must confess they do not “bore” me as much as leave me with a debilitating jealousy. Edmund White is no exception to this rule—though I don’t really want his life (no one can handle White’s life but he alone), it would have been inter...
A fine reading of the myth and reality of Indian soldiers under British Rule The Testimonies of Indian Soldiers and the Two World Wars—Between Self and Sepoy is a misleading title. The book is neither a factual rendering of the sipahis’ testimonies nor a historical construct/reconstruct of the ...
Sublime Kerala cuisine and the nicest people I was walking steeply uphill in a cardamom plantation. The man-height bushes crowded in front of me so densely that I could barely make out a path. Suddenly, I heard a soft swishing sound and in a trice, an elephant and I were trying to occupy the exact ...
Mamagoto is an Asian café that is set to rock India They are not quite the new kids on the block—in fact Kabir Suri and Rahul Khanna have been ruling the NCR food scene for some time now. However, with their latest Bandra outlet of Mamagoto up and running (and garnering rave reviews) and the Ben...