Trumpcession

As politics and whims guide economics, a Trump-induced US recession looks likely Is America headed for a recession? What looked like a remote possibility at the start of March, is now looking more and more...

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How can we prevent a repeat of covid totalitarianism?

When covid lockdowns and (later) vaccine mandates were implemented, I initially thought that the experts were making a blunder. But within a couple of years, it became clear that the experts were actually right. If...

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Why are cities getting so hot?

Have you ever walked on a sunny day and noticed how some places feel way hotter than others? That’s because of something called Urban Heat Islands or UHIs. In cities like Mumbai, some places can...

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Justice Varma case shows why judiciary needs an accountability commission

The alleged recovery of burnt stacks of cash from the home of Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi high court has reignited an old flame. The National Judicial Appointments Commission had flickered briefly in 2015...

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Why Ghiblified photos can’t replace real art

Last week, OpenAI released a new ChatGPT model capable of turning any picture into a specific art style. Since then, our X (fka Twitter) timelines have been flooded with hundreds of posts of people turning...

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Aurangzeb the bad, and our new black-and-white history

Some years ago, I had a memorable conversation with a cab driver, Mishra ji from Uttar Pradesh. It began because he had a near-accident and we agreed it was the other fellow’s fault. This created...

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How India reclaims its own

The Indian industrialist, SL Kirloskar, used to take out full-page ads in national dailies in the eighties stating that India would progress once profit ceased to be a dirty word in the country. Well, profit has ceased to be...

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Poetic Justice

SC speaks clearly & eloquently for free speech That the Supreme Court quashed the case against Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi isn’t a surprise. That the case had to reach SC was the real shock. As...

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We the wheatish people

Kerala’s top government official just showed us how to fight back against unfair ideas about skin color. A few years ago, a famous skin cream called “Fair and Lovely” changed its name to “Glow and...

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Who gets to vote?

Donald Trump is making big changes to how people in the U.S. can vote, but it’s not as simple as it seems. The way a country decides who can vote is really important, and it...

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Unfair to women

The Supreme Court (SC) had to stop a really unfair decision made by a High Court (HC) in an important case. Sadly, unfair decisions like this happen too often. Two men offered a ride to...

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Courting sexism

SC, thankfully, paused a disturbing HC order in attempt to rape case. But such orders are distressingly frequent It would have been disturbing enough in a district court, of which there are 688. But that...

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Who gets to vote?

Trump will find out how complex & controversial voter roll changes can be. India can teach him a few things Trump’s executive order to ‘protect’ American elections is centred on defining ‘citizenship’. The order requires...

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Too many freebies can hurt states

In Delhi, the new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has promised to give ₹2,500 every month to women from low-income households. This will cost the government ₹5,100 crore, but the number of people applying might be...

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Can we take a joke?

Jokes make people laugh, but in India, not all politicians find them funny—especially when they are the ones being joked about! Recently, comedian Kunal Kamra made fun of a politician. Some people thought it was...

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Joke’s on us

Who’s respecting free speech when cops file defamation case after a comedy riff on a neta? When the going gets funny, the funny get going, goes a stand-up comic witticism. Politics is always fertile material...

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Chinar & Maple

There’s an opportunity for India-Canada ties to improve. A G7 invite for Modi will be a first step A week can be a long time in international relations. A month, an eternity. With a new...

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Weaved endlessly – man and the sea

He stands there. As the waves rise, roar and die. The solitary nerve in his heart comes alive; He breathes fresh again, accomplishes fulfilment, With contentment, Aroused from the acknowledgment. In agony and ecstasy, It...

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Aurangzeb row underlines demise of free speech

Censorship has a thousand fathers; free speech is an orphan. Not just an orphan, but one that is abused all the time. The level of abuse rose higher this month as a police complaint was filed against Samajwadi...

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Why is a ‘welfare’ department using disabled soldiers for target practice?

After being left for dead with multiple embedded shrapnel during Operation Vijay and then miraculously revived, I was lucky to get some visibility for my achievements as an amputee marathon runner though what the world...

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What price art?

A Husain fetches millions. So does a banana. Go figure The relationship between art and money? It’s complicated. Insofar as the idea of starving artists is alive and well, so is that of art having...

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Suri/Srinivasan Story

Memo to Trump: US needs foreign students as much as they need America’s excellent higher education It’s too early to say what Trump wants from US universities, but freedom of speech is not it. The...

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Secret deals and power plays

Russian leader Vladimir Putin seems to be winning in talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But could Israel’s attack on Gaza be a secret way for U.S. president Donald Trump to pressure Russia? Trump...

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Banks need to do better for customers

Banks in India have a lot of money—₹103 lakh crore ($1.2 trillion) in fixed deposits in 2023 alone! But sometimes, regular customers don’t get the care they deserve. That’s why Sanjay Malhotra, the head of...

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Well said, Guv

RBI chief batted for ordinary bank customers. More can be done Indian banks are awash in money. In 2023, they held 103L cr – $1.2tn – in FDs alone. The small customer can seem too...

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Deals within deals

Putin came out ahead on Ukraine peace talks. But is Bibi’s bombing of Gaza a Trump pressure tactic on Russia?  Trump did make a deal – Putin’s deal. America – and Ukraine – had wanted...

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Don’t gag free speech

SC bench says right things. But too many courts exercise their power arbitrarily  Three pillars of democracy – legislature, executive and judiciary – have codified powers, and police to enforce them. The fourth – media...

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Customers don’t trust interior designers. While the industry is booming it struggles with a credibility crisis that no one talks about

The Interior Design and Construction industry in Bangalore is booming, if you take a stroll through any of the commercial hubs of Bangalore you will see a business catering to home interiors every 100 meters,...

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Press and release

What tourists in Japan rave about – not its poetry or pottery or cherry blossoms  Whatever the Japanese do, they don’t rest till they perfect. Give them a mountain and they will come back with...

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Yodelling Kishore da

Fictional minutes of an honour-able meeting Salim didn’t get Anarkali in reel life. Kishore Kumar got her in real. And, in the 1958 hit Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, the ‘motor mechanic’ even broke into her...

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Think inside the box: Bring back the sparrows

One of the best things about my workspace is having a window that looks out onto a leafy neighbourhood. In the heart of T Nagar, Chennai’s bustling commercial district, the road here is lined with...

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Social media: The weapon of liberal destruction

I am reading a social media post by a highly educated Indian woman about how “India” is being stupid by not joining the “whole world” that is rising against Trump. She is obviously not alone....

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Toilet etiquette? Indian women get a bum deal

Earlier this month, Air India’s flight from Chicago to Delhi returned to O’Hare International Airport because 8 of 10 toilets onboard were clogged with plastic bags, socks, hand towels and even underwear, sparking a debate...

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Days that matter (Or don’t)

March 15—the Ides of March—is supposed to be unlucky. But why worry? It’s Saturday, a long weekend! You’re the ruler of your world, and no one’s coming at you with a knife… at least, not...

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War & decision: Putin’s tough choice

Putin has a big decision to make. Ukraine has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S., and now, all eyes are on Russia. Will Putin say yes or no? Either way, it won’t...

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We also need Viveka & inner inspiration for ethics in governance & management

As elders, teachers, preachers, parents, whether we’re aware or not, we will be ultimately judged by the extent to which we’ve been able to guide society, to awaken Viveka and appreciate the necessity of being...

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Words that hurt

Bengal BJP neta’s comments are a new low in incendiary rhetoric. Does it even help in polls? That Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari said BJP would physically throw out Muslim MLAs from the House after the...

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Satellite internet is coming to India!

Imagine being able to use the internet no matter where you live—even in the most remote villages. That’s exactly what’s happening in India with a new plan by Airtel and Starlink, a company owned by...

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Wild card?

Elon Musk might be helping Donald Trump, but he’s also causing some problems for the US when it comes to dealing with other countries. Recently, after a tense moment between Trump and Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy,...

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Rape & reality

Hampi tourists’ nightmarish suffering isn’t a one-off. It’s part of what women live through in India  The crime scene, near Hampi, is painfully picturesque. Gently swirling canal waters ahead, craggy rocks beyond and clear sky...

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Indian investors, please understand the opportunity of menu-to-prompt shift and support young companies

There is one area where India has always been at the forefront, and that is in missing the bus. We lost have opportunities at every paradigm shift that emerging technologies brought not because we lacked...

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Teach your son how to knit a scarf: Breaking gender molds this women’s day

‘The opposite of patriarchy is not matriarchy but fraternity.’ (Germaine Greer) The first time I read this phrase, I was stunned into silence. Having participated in numerous panel discussions and debates on patriarchy, I, like...

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Saturday night fever and the game of stayin’ alive

9.30am I want to sit on the balcony with my coffee and continue staring at a boat cutting across the still ocean with a plume of shimmering ripples and scavenging birds, but I have an...

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Dress down

What should Zelenskyy wear to next Trump meet? Team Zelenskyy meets Team Trump in Saudi next week. We don’t know if the principals will be there, but if they are, Zelenskyy will likely swallow his...

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Pace it like Shami

Outdated bans, policies, data can mean both short-term injustices and long-term harm In fashion, one person’s outdated style can be another’s top style. In etiquette, Baby Boomer rules like ‘speak only when you’re spoken to’...

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What is the state of Thalassemia in India and how to eradicate it from the country?

India is known as the “Thalassemia capital of the world.” It has the highest number of patients with thalassemia major in the world. India has around 50 million (5 crore) carriers of the ß (beta)...

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Gold rush: India’s endless love for gold

Indians love gold. The government? Not so much. While people keep buying gold, India has to spend a lot of money importing it. To stop this, the government puts high taxes on gold, but smugglers...

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Time to step up, India!

India needs to be smart to survive a trade fight with the US. Our industries must improve fast! Starting April 2, the US will put extra taxes on Indian goods sold there. This could cost...

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How the market profits by breaking families

A strong joint family is a barrier to capitalism. Why? Because when families stay together, expenses are shared, emotional support is abundant, and the need for excessive consumption reduces. But for businesses to grow, people...

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Don’t babysit

The Supreme Court (SC) has allowed podcaster Ranveer Allahbadia to make money again, but he still can’t say whatever he wants. He is only allowed to create shows if they follow ‘traditional Indian norms’ of...

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How India’s new criminal laws curb civil liberties

From introducing vague offences to increasing police powers, India’s new criminal laws, touted as a means to ‘decolonise’ the criminal justice system, achieve anything but. In July 2024, India entered a fresh regime of criminal...

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Hollywood & politics: A quiet Oscars

The Oscars are always full of surprises. Sometimes, things happen that no one expects—like when a man ran naked across the stage in 1974 or when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in 2022. But often,...

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Language fights: A big mistake

Some people try to create fights over language, but they forget how bad things can get. History shows that if we don’t learn from past mistakes, we might repeat them—and sometimes, things get even worse....

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Checking for cheating, quickly

Some important people from SEBI (the group that makes rules for India’s stock market) are in trouble. A court says they might have helped a company break the rules when it joined the stock market....

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Forgiveness

If you’re bruised and battered By someone else’s deeds Do not feel angry Your forgiveness is what they need   When you fall a heavy step Due to someone else indeed Do not raise your...

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Asthma & COPD

Emphysema & chronic bronchitis    Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third most common disease and a leading cause of death in the United States, following heart disease and cancer. Its primary symptoms include...

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Indispensable yet inconvenient, the paradox of being Shashi Tharoor

Last month, a helicopter sliced through the skies of Kozhikode, Kerala, carrying the state’s most eloquent political anomaly — Shashi Tharoor. While fellow Congress leaders, including V D Satheesan, Leader of the Opposition in the...

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