Special Reports
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…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of “Mission Sudarshan Chakra” marks more than just a defence upgrade—it is a declaration that India intends to guard its skies with an unchallengeable shield, built on the fusion of cutting-edge technology, cultural identity, and strategic independence. At first glance, the name might make one think of a new missile….
Kamaljeet Sandhu’s name is etched in the annals of Indian athletics — a trailblazing sprinter who broke barriers and inspired generations of women to step onto the track with pride and ambition. Her historic feats brought not just personal glory but also marked a turning point for women’s sports in India. Born on August 20,…
The passage of the new National Sports Policy in both Houses of Parliament—amid noisy Opposition protests over the Election Commission’s special voter list revision—has sent shockwaves through India’s sporting establishment. For the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), long accustomed to functioning as an autonomous and untouchable powerhouse, this could mark the biggest…
Jawaharlal Nehru ended his historic Tryst with Destiny speech with the slogan “Jai Hind,” a phrase that not only resonated with millions in 1947 but continues to echo through India’s collective consciousness to this day. The freedom struggle produced countless heroes, but only a few found a lasting place in the pages of history. Among…
MS Shanker Who says social media is all noise and no fact? Those dismissing “WhatsApp University” often forget that a well-sourced forward can carry more truth than a thousand wordy editorials. Sure, there’s a margin of error—call it 5–7%—but the core data often exposes what conventional academia and mainstream commentary won’t admit. One such fact…
MS Shanker The crisis inside the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has deepened, with Acting President Sardar Daljit Singh coming under increasing fire for allegedly arbitrary actions taken by a truncated apex council — one that critics say has no mandate under the association’s own rules. In the latest challenge, Ramakrishna Udupa of Classic Cricket Club…
