Shravya Reddy Deshmukh comes across as an unassuming person. It’s only been a few days since she completed the daunting task of travelling across 31 districts in Telangana in 31 days. She has totally traversed a distance of 4116.4 km in a single month. “It’s all for the love of women,” Shravya reminds us, adding that it’s been her dream to touch every woman’s life and create a positive impact. […]
Mumbai Police’s social media team has come up with an interesting way to reinforce the importance of wearing a helmet. They did so by using an image of the fictional superhero The Hulk, who is wearing a helmet. The image of the text read, “No matter how strong you are, never forget to wear a helmet.” The image of the green character, who is never seen wearing either a shirt […]
According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO), around 78 million babies or three in every five are not breastfed within the first hour of the birth, putting them at a higher risk of death and disease and making them less likely to continue breastfeeding. Most of these babies are born in low- and middle-income countries. According to the report, newborns who breastfeed in the first […]
With almost 6 million RTI applications filed every year, India’s Right to Information Act is the world’s most extensively used transparency legislation. However, the government’s proposed amendments to the RTI Act threaten the very foundations of this empowering law. In April 2017 the government put out a set of Draft Rules proposing amendments to the RTI Act. They include permitting the withdrawal of appeals based on a written communication by […]
The government has slashed the minimum annual deposit requirement for accounts under the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to Rs 250 from Rs 1,000 earlier, a move that will enable more number of people to take advantage of the girl child savings scheme. The government has amended the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Rules, 2016, to state that the minimum initial deposit to open the account would be Rs 250. The minimum deposit that […]
Time and again, the Twitter handle of Mumbai Police comes up with creative and interactive ways to increase awareness about various issues among people. This time too, they have tactfully managed to impress tweeple with their wordplay. “There are a few lines you should not cross and a few that help you cross- both if followed, keep you safe #RoadSafety,” read the latest tweet along with a picture of a […]
The Supreme Court asked why women cannot be allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple in Kerala. The court said women cannot be denied entry into the temple as per Constitution of India. Lot of readers requested me to write about it. The arguments that aired for and against ban on women were really funny, illogical and unscientific. So, let’s first separate the facts and fiction. “Archaic discrimination in Sabarimala temple” […]
IN THE past 350 years the Taj Mahal has successfully contended with attacks, robberies and neglect. But the stunning marble mausoleum in Agra, northern India, is struggling to cope with its modern-day enemies: toxic air and filthy water. Commissioned by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj once had a pearly white exterior. This has changed, in part if not in whole, […]
A woman working at Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand has been arrested for allegedly selling a 14-day-old baby. Two other women employees from the centre have been detained and are being questioned about other possible cases. Police took action after the state’s Child Welfare Committee (CWC) registered a complaint. The charity has not responded to BBC requests for comment. “We have found out […]
Life was a dream for Amit Vaidya, who soared high financially and professionally till he was diagnosed with cancer when he was 27. Amit Vaidya lived the American dream. A Gujarati, born and brought up in the US, with a Ph.D. in economics, he worked in the entertainment industry’s business department. “It was an active but not a healthy lifestyle as I was an overachiever,” says Amit. His dreams “were […]
