CATEGORIES

Forging the future

As the curtain falls on 2024, I take pride in the extraordinary milestones achieved under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This year stands as a testament to the Modi government's resolve to forge a resilient and forward-looking Bharat. From groundbreaking advancements in infrastructure to visionary global initiatives, these efforts resonate deeply with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Our strange democracy

Abraham Lincoln is lauded as among the very best presidents the US ever had: the statesman par excellence successfully steered the nation through the devastating and perilous years of the American civil war. Not only did Lincoln manage to keep his country united, he also ensured the passage of the 13th amendment to the US constitution, which abolished slavery.

Five years of post-pandemic fashion

It has been five years since we discovered what Covid-19 was, and five years since it disrupted the world forever. The World Health Organization activated their emergency systems on January 1, 2020, and informed the world by January 4, 2020. By the end of that week, they had set guidelines for various countries to follow. Comparable to the Spanish flu of 1918, more than 7 million people have died of Covid according to official data. Unofficially, no one has an idea. WHO has just this week asked China to provide critical data to understand the virus's origins as a “moral and scientific imperative”.

Community spirit

Rhythm of Dammam opens a window to the world of African-origin Siddis of Uttara Kannada

'Breaking' down a scandal

Society Girl is not just a case study of a high-profile death in Pakistan but also a stark commentary on media trials

Progress card

Jasmine Shah's book tells you what the AAP has achieved in Delhi in the last 10 years

SENSE IN NONSENSE

In his latest book of poetry, Ruskin Bond is at his funniest

Get ready for Trump bump

The ‘butterfly effect’ is a beautiful, mysterious metaphor of the planet’s interconnectedness.

QUIET FLOWS THE FAITH

The melding of an ancient amorphous faith and the latest science; of an antique tradition and new practices; ways of life older than memory and new expressions is happening at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh.

Trash to treasure

How a weed-choked Dal Lake spurred Maninder Singh's journey to become a waste management visionary

ACES

Badminton has a new home in Odisha. With 77,000sqft of indoor space, Shuttle is unlike any other badminton facility in the world

Manmohan & the power of intellect

On my 12th birthday, my parents decided I was old enough for pocket money. Two crisp five-rupee notes were deemed sufficient for a month's expenses—and they were. I clearly remember treating my friends to colas and burgers in the school canteen with just one of them, eliciting admiring cries of ‘whoa, big spender!’ from all present.

An iron hand in a velvet glove

Like a quintessential bureaucrat, Manmohan Singh protected his functional turf long after he ceased to be a civil servant

Quietly brilliant

Manmohan Singh implemented his own reform agenda, not World Bank-IMF diktats

Intentional prime minister

Manmohan Singh’s welfare policies as prime minister had a bigger impact on India’s economy than his dismantling of the licence raj as finance minister

How Singh became king

Manmohan Singh’s success lay in his ability to engage with diverse opinions and steer a coalition government—a task requiring considerable political acumen

There would have been no India-US nuclear deal without Manmohan Singh

I had known Manmohan Singh briefly when he was finance minister and I was the director of the Intelligence Bureau but had no occasion to understand the makings of his mind or vision.

When Manmohan turned menacing

Manmohan Singh initiated a radical change in India's strategic doctrine against China by raising an attack corps

Manmohan, my role model, and a master in persuasion

MONTEK SINGH AHLUWALIA, FORMER DEPUTY CHAIRMAN, PLANNING COMMISSION

Unless they were economists, visitors filled him with panic

Selected excerpts from Strictly Personal: Manmohan & Gursharan by Daman Singh, Dr Manmohan Singh's daughter

SILENT, SELFLESS AND STRONG

Manmohan Singh's legacy is not only one of economic and diplomatic achievements, but also of a leadership style rooted in dignity, respect and unwavering dedication to the nation

Walking in pine forest can have the same effect as a prescription drug

INTERVIEW - KATHY WILLIS, professor of biodiversity, the University of Oxford, and author, Good Nature

MORE THAN A HELPING HAND

Maria Victoria Juan spent a lifetime healing wounded soldiers, and she can't think of anything she could have done better

Against all odds

Mohamed Raishan Ahmed was born with spinal muscular atrophy, which made him unable to sit, stand or walk. Recently, the Maldivian underwent a rare, complex surgery in India that now allows him to sit upright. At 23, the fact that he is alive is in itself an achievement. But he has gone beyond mere survival-with a pursuit of excellence

A pacemaker tale

From science fiction to reality, with a touch of southern Indian wisdom

Driving safe

Taxi drivers endure gruelling hours, cramped seats and relentless traffic, making them prime candidates for health issues like back pain, hypertension, diabetes and insomnia.

Good food, good life

From the moment of birth, we establish a relationship with food—a nourishing link that requires care and attention to stay healthy

POOR SLEEP IN MIDLIFE COULD AGE YOUR BRAIN FASTER

PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE SLEEP ISSUES, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep in their 40s, may show more signs of brain ageing in late midlife. Poor sleep may accelerate brain atrophy that is associated with dementia.

BRAIN SCANS SHOW MINDFULNESS MEDITATION CAN REDUCE PAIN

CAN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION actually relieve pain, or is it just a placebo effect?

NON-SURGICAL OPTION TO EASE KNEE ARTHRITIS

A NEW, MINIMALLY INVASIVE procedure called genicular artery embolisation (GAE) can effectively reduce pain, improve quality of life and reduce progression of the disease and the need for knee replacement surgery in people with knee osteoarthritis.