10 things we really want gone this year

Gassy Judgments | Leave alone Latin, sometimes even their English is Greek to us. SC despairs over ‘impenetrable’ court verdicts – it recently said an order may be returned to HC to be rewritten, because it...

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Keep calm, it’ll pass

2025 is the quarter mark of this century. Big things are in ferment, just like a century back. And they will all settle down, again, just like before     A year turns, and brings us a...

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We used to flip, not swipe

As 2024 turns into 2025, your phone or computer will update the date automatically, without a second thought. That’s how digital calendars work—they organize time neatly into days, months, and years. But once upon a...

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India-Africa Forum Summit: A partnership of vision and mutual growth

India’s aspiration to lead the Global South finds strong resonance in its relationship with Africa, a continent that shares similar historical trajectories and developmental aspirations. Under the visionary leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh, the India-Africa...

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Bad boy, bad rules

FIDE right on axing Carlsen from chess tournament. That said, dress codes are very silly  I do what I want,” Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios said after breaking Wimbledon’s all-white rule with red trainers in...

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How proposed lending regulation is missing the mark on financial inclusion

The draft of the proposed lending regulation is an overreach, targeting predatory lenders but threatening to criminalize legitimate informal credit systems and stifle innovation in a sector vital for underserved communities. On December 19, 2024,...

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Incentivizing people collaboration in an AI-driven media company

  In earlier Media Flywheels issues, I discussed critical organizational challenges in media companies: Media Flywheels #6: How divisional structures and “House of Brands” strategies hinder algorithmic media platforms from achieving their potential. Media Flywheels...

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From Parathas to pancakes: The hidden cost of India’s cultural exodus

It took an old American movie and a Nobel laureate’s musings about bland turkey to make me realize how far we’ve strayed from our roots. Last night, watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946), I was...

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When grief knocked, community walked in: A lesson in shared values of Indian culture

As children and young adults, we often mock and dismiss the cultural practices ingrained in our society, labelling them as outdated and irrelevant. Yet, with time and the onset of responsibilities, we come to realise...

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Who gets to age without judgment?

Why Female Actors Deserve the Same Fairness as Male Ones Imagine this: a 45-year-old male actor shows up on screen. He looks older than he did at 25, and no one really cares. But when...

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Why do prices change?

Have you ever noticed that the price of something online isn’t always the same? Like when you check a cab fare, and it’s different for someone else taking the same trip? That’s because some companies...

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Risque management

Why criticise condom ads for being overloud about what’s hush-hush, when racy jokes are super popular Wrap it before you tap it; For those all nighters; Is raat ki subah nahin; Always have protection; The...

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Why car safety is important for kids (and everyone)

Car airbags might look soft and harmless, but they’re not toys. When a car crashes, airbags pop out at a speed faster than a plane taking off—about 320 kmph! For grown-ups, the impact can hurt...

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Lovely, Dark & Deep?

State of forest report, even taken at face value, shows what’s wrong. Pell-mell afforestation isn’t the answer  Health of forests is a critical indicator of the health of a nation, one that speaks to its...

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Show it, carefully

Polling Records, Including CCTV Footage, Should Be Accessible with Proper Security Measures The Election Commission’s decision to change the electoral rules, stating that CCTV footage from polling booths will not be made available to candidates...

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Between bloom and wither

Returning home for a week felt like stepping into a painting I once knew intimately but now found altered, its colors softened, its edges blurred. The house stood unchanged, its walls carrying the weight of...

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Exploring the dimensions of ESG in banks

In today’s global financial ecosystem, the dimensions of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) have become critical benchmarks for evaluating the sustainability and impact of financial institutions on stakeholders. ESG is no longer a optional topic,...

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Leading causes of lifestyle diseases

Lifestyle diseases are largely a result of modifiable behaviors related to diet and daily habits. However, modifying these behaviors requires accurate and reliable information. Unfortunately, much of the information available in today’s social and print...

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US is raging about private health insurance trap. We shouldn’t fall into it

The concept of insurance is based on an attractive idea: you pay a small amount of money regularly, and if and when disaster strikes, you will receive protection from catastrophic expenses. But ask anyone who...

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Vijay, Nirav & India

These two men remind us of some big lessons about money and fairness Nirav Modi, who once sold fancy diamonds, and Vijay Mallya, the “King of Good Times,” both caused huge financial trouble in India....

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Glitches happen, what next?

Imagine planning for an 8-day trip and ending up stuck for 8 months. That’s what happened to astronaut Sunita Williams. She and her teammate Butch Wilmore went to the International Space Station (ISS) for a...

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Booking into Bangalore

Tech city is coded for litfests – no litpests  Kasauli’s Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Oct, Mumbai’s LitLive in Nov, Bangalore’s BLF last weekend. It was heartening to see up close and personal the real...

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Cryptic silence

The government should help small investors understand cryptocurrencies better Warren Buffett and Bill Gates don’t like cryptocurrencies, but about 2 crore Indians seem to. This year, many Indians have been buying crypto, even though they...

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Cryptic silence

Govt should issue clear guidance for small investors dabbling in cryptocurrencies Warren Buffett and Bill Gates don’t get crypto, but it seems 2cr Indians do. Data shows it’s been a good year for these currencies...

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Can startups solve India’s waste problem?

New-age startups have the potential to address India’s solid waste management issues, but systemic challenges like rigid tendering and corruption persist. The Ghazipur landfill in Delhi is one of the country’s oldest landfills, notorious for its stench...

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Doppel gang

Imitation is the best form of flattery. Nobody should have a quarrel with celebrity look-alike contests A bakery in rapper Drake’s hometown Toronto held a contest to pick his closest look-alike Saturday. A woman with...

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Papa don’t preach

Why does the government act like a strict parent? It often goes beyond its job! Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh is super popular, but not everyone is cheering for him. During his recent concerts in...

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Yankee, come home

India should cash in on the boom in outward-bound anti-Trump migration from US As Donald Trump prepares to preside over the Oval Office, America is on the move, literally. According to reports, many thousands of...

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Doppel gang

They say copying someone is the best compliment. So, what’s wrong with a little fun at celebrity look-alike contests? In Toronto, the hometown of rapper Drake, a bakery recently held a contest to find someone...

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Wise turtle, foolish man

Olive ridleys travel great distances to continue life, we destroy environments with abandon  The olive ridley sea turtles swim incredibly long distances to give birth to their babies, at selected sites every year. We don’t...

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Leaders getting report cards? Wait, what?

Imagine this: your teacher gives you a report card, but instead of just grading your work, they compare you to every other kid in class. Sounds annoying, right? That’s kind of what happens in workplaces...

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Netas’ bell curve? Huh

How to review performance of mantris when even companies are junking classic appraisal systems CM Fadnavis’s Mahayuti govt has 42 ministers, up from Shinde govt’s 29. Coalition compulsions, not unlike a rash of promotions in...

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The wise turtle and the foolish human

Have you ever heard of the olive ridley sea turtles? These amazing creatures swim thousands of kilometers every year to return to specific beaches to lay their eggs. Nobody knows how they choose these places,...

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India needs to act fast in the chip game!

Imagine if you could solve a super hard math problem in just 5 minutes that even the world’s smartest computer would take forever to finish. That’s what Google’s new “Willow” quantum chip can do! It’s...

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Softening inflation – A positive sign for early repo rate cut

Notably, the year-on-year (YOY) CPI inflation for November 2024 softened to 5.48 percent, below the 6 percent mark, the upper end of the target under a flexible inflation targeting framework (FITF). The drop in CPI...

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Even if I hadn’t sold a single shoe here, I would still come to India: Louboutin

French designer Christian Louboutin first visited India when he was 15. Since then, the man who turned red bottoms into a style statement has returned for countless visits. He’s also done several collabs with Indian...

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Women misusing domestic violence law? Data tells a very different story

Bindu D & Pragya S The unfortunate death by suicide of an engineer based in Bengaluru due to allegations of harassment by his estranged wife and her family has underscored several concerns about the functioning...

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Pushpa, Too!

Police case against Allu Arjun a worrying trend For Telangana police to charge Telugu superstar Allu Arjun with culpable homicide was ridiculous. For a trial court to send him to judicial custody for 14 days...

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Gall-stones and microplastic

Wonder what is the relationship between them… read on   Production of PE-based plastic–poly (ethylene) is processed in a factory to make plastic pellets.  The pellets are poured into a reactor, and melted into a thick...

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The steely king

Just raw talent doesn’t make you a champion. Gukesh shows why being fiercely focused is so important Dommaraju Gukesh went into the final of April’s Candidates chess tournament – where the world champion’s challenger is...

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Trail nix

Mumbai to get new forest trail. But we already have concrete jungle, no?  Posh Malabar Hill will get more uppity. Literally. It’s being bestowed with an elevated, 470m-long forest trail. Sounding like a SoBo unreal-estate...

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$ vs the world

The almighty American dollar mightn’t be mighty enough to isolate itself from all other countries US prez-elect Donald Trump is flexing the muscles of the almighty American dollar, in which over 80% of all international...

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Boycott button

We love pressing it, whether the injury be grave or slight In the midst of a fairly fierce diplomatic row between India and Bangladesh, a senior BNP neta has called upon Bangladeshis to boycott all...

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Damascus doozy

Assad’s Fall: What It Could Mean for the Region The fall of the Assad regime in Syria, which had been in power for nearly 50 years, has caused a huge shift in the balance of...

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US elections: What does it mean for the world?

After a lengthy and vicious fight, as usual elections were held in the USA on November 5, the first Tuesday in November.  The results were astonishing, historical and highly unexpected.  Donald Trump easily won the...

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Lifestyle diseases

The terms chronic diseases and lifestyle diseases are often used interchangeably. Most lifestyle diseases are chronic diseases but not all chronic diseases are due to lifestyle. Some can be due to genetic causes or infections...

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Virtual vitriol! Mocking Indians has become a global sport online

Last week, a video of a racist rant against an Indian American family at Los Angeles airport went viral. Since the visibility of Indians has only risen in recent years — with a string of...

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Death’s Certain, Its Fear Avoidable

Sage advice to future corpses We’re all going to die, but we shun that thought. Memento Mori: The Art of Contemplating Death to Live a Better Life by Joanna Ebenstein is an exploration and a...

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Is your decision wise or otherwise?

What if your one decision could change the course of your life forever? Life is a series of crossroads, and our choices define the direction of our journey. Laddu Pinto, a thriving entrepreneur and a...

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Kanji winters

After a scorching north Indian summer, the golden sun of winter brings a 24-carrot treat North India’s winter of polluted discontent, which makes daily headlines, is compensated for by a sudden efflorescence of vegetables and...

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Prejudice in the neighborhood

Imagine this: Dr. Ashok Bajaj, a doctor living in a nice area in Moradabad, decided to sell his house to another doctor, Dr. Iqra Chaudhary. But there was a problem—Dr. Bajaj and Dr. Chaudhary follow...

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And Protima Bedi too

Another friend, another never-imagined end, another eerie reminder Last week I wrote about finding a note from my dear Delhi friend Sabina exactly 16 years after she was killed in the 2008 Taj attack; worse, it...

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Jobs for boys

Good that IIT-Bombay is reviewing student-led placement process, which has network bias Allegations of bias against student-led placement offices in engineering and management colleges are not new. That’s why IIT-Bombay’s move to set up a...

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Kash it in

Indian immigrants are a very successful brand in US. Big threat to them is undocumented Indians  Most of America and the world heard of Kash Patel for the first time when he was announced as...

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Is ESG here to stay?

Whilst there has been progress on reporting the lack of standards continues to pose problems  In the current business landscape, where the ongoing uptake on ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) reporting has grown exponentially across...

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Killer on the road

India has once again earned the sad title of being the country with the most traffic deaths in the world. It’s a record no one should be proud of, but it keeps happening because nothing...

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2023 was very tough for startups and investors, why and where do we go from here?

Different parts of the world have fared very differently but sitting in Silicon Valley, overall 2023 has been a difficult year for both startups and investors. Three data points: Longer wait time between rounds, partly...

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