Special Reports
Girja Shankar Dixit Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, popularly known as Kaka, is a name that resonates with football fans around the globe. Born on April 22, 1982, in Gama, Brazil, Kaka’s journey from a young boy playing in the streets of Brasília to becoming one of the most celebrated footballers in history is a…
In a democracy, the opposition plays a critical role. It keeps the ruling dispensation accountable and ensures necessary checks and balances. However, when the face of the opposition exhibits chronic irresponsibility, emotional immaturity, and reckless articulation, it becomes a liability for the nation. Mr. Rahul Gandhi, scion of India’s most prominent political dynasty, has repeatedly…
Delayed Leagues, Divided House, and the Rs 45 Crore Question MS Shanker In my continued mission to clean up the HCA and save the game, I wish to momentarily shift focus from my regular investigations to a pressing issue at hand — the ongoing delay in the local league and the upcoming AGM. It’s deeply…
Impact on HDI and Economic Development? Freebies should be seen as temporary welfare interventions, not permanent entitlements. Persisting with such schemes without rigorous, scientific evaluation of their long-term effectiveness is fiscally reckless and ethically questionable. If they are to continue, freebies must demonstrate tangible, measurable impacts on critical development indicators such as: Human Development Index…
Literacy and financial literacy are distinct yet interconnected concepts. While traditional literacy involves the ability to read and write, financial literacy encompasses a range of critical skills that empower individuals to manage their financial resources effectively. Key components of financial literacy include earning income, implementing effective saving strategies, understanding the nuances of sound investments, and…
Girja Shankar Dixit Vaman Viswanath Kumar, widely known as VV Kumar, was born on June 22, 1935, in Chennai (then Madras). His journey into leg-spin began during his school days, sparked by a simple curiosity—how a golf ball spun off a wall. This fascination soon led him to experiment with cricket balls, and before long,…
During my tenure as Director of NIPER, I observed a deeply troubling trend — senior professors exercising exclusive control over costly scientific instruments, purchased with public money, for personal academic gain. My proposal to centralize all such equipment under a single Central Instrumentation Laboratory (CIL) met stiff resistance from within the institute. The reason? Control…
Two similar tragedies. Two different states. Two vastly different responses. One common denominator — the Congress party. In Telangana, Telugu superstar Allu Arjun paid a surprise visit to a cinema hall screening his blockbuster Pushpa 2. The massive crowd surged uncontrollably. But instead of taking responsibility for crowd control failure, the state police swooped in…
“When your heart opens up, you cannot but serve,” says global spiritual master and humanitarian Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. By transforming hearts and bringing peace to the minds of millions of volunteers, Gurudev has inspired a global climate movement—one rooted not in fear, but in compassion. The results have been both miraculous and deeply…
Every election season, we proudly proclaim India as the world’s largest democracy. But democracy is not defined by how many can vote — it is defined by how many do. In recent elections, only 60–67% of eligible voters turned up at polling booths. The rest — tens of millions — chose silence over participation. That…
