Special Reports
When I assumed charge as Director of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, my vision was clear: to transform the institute into a true centre of excellence in pharmaceutical education, research, and skill development. By 2018, these efforts bore fruit when NIPER Mohali was ranked No. 1 in the country under…
Gulabrai Ramchand occupies an important place in the evolution of Indian cricket. Emerging in the 1950s, he offered something relatively rare in that era: a middle-order batsman who combined grit with attacking intent, a useful medium-pace bowler, and a leader who helped shift the team’s mentality toward greater competitiveness. His influence extended well beyond the…
The Indian selectors have announced the squad for next month’s T20 Asia Cup, but the tournament itself remains under a cloud. After the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 innocent tourists at the hands of Pakistan-backed militants, there is growing public outrage demanding that India reconsider playing with Pakistan. The government has yet to…
MS Shanker The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) appears to be sinking deeper into crisis under its Acting President Sardar Daljit Singh, who has once again courted controversy by convening a Special General Body Meeting (SGM) in defiance of the association’s by-laws and amid a host of unresolved disputes. A letter dated August 14, issued by…
Dr. Sandhyaa Bombay Even after 79 years of independence, the shadow of English colonization still lingers over India. It is time we reclaim our linguistic heritage and restore pride in our languages. The legacy of colonial rule is not just about phrases like “Your Majesty,” “His Highness,” or “Me Lord.” It runs deeper—shaping thought, identity,…
The Vanishing Gold Cup: From Cricket’s Jewel to a Locked-Up Replica While chronicling the decay and disgrace that have plagued the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), I would be remiss if I overlooked one of its most shameful episodes in this explosive series — the mysterious “melting away” of the once-prestigious Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Trophy. This…
Billy Mills, also known by his Lakota name Tamakoce Te’Hila (“Love of Country”), stands as one of the most inspirational figures in Olympic history. A Native American athlete from the Oglala Lakota tribe, Mills overcame tremendous adversity to achieve the unthinkable—winning a gold medal in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. His victory…
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar The search of every being is for joy. Whatever the pursuit—material or spiritual, in movies or in meditation, in bars or in temples, in money, fame, or power—it is ultimately joy that one seeks. And the Divine is nothing but pure joy. The Divine is existence, consciousness, and bliss. Bliss…
Inside the System: A Veteran Secretary D Kishen Rao Speaks Out In the course of writing this long-running series over the last few months, I’ve interacted with a range of voices—from former state players to disgruntled selectors—trying to piece together how Hyderabad cricket, once a proud nursery of the sport, fell into its current state…
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has pulled up the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali, for furnishing what it called an “evasive and misleading” reply to a Right to Information (RTI) application. In its order dated 27 June 2025, the CIC directed the CPIO to…
