Uttarakhand floods: Two years on, life in ‘Village of Widows’ at standstill

Uttarakhand floods: Two years on, life in ‘Village of Widows’ at standstill

Rain symbolises doom for this tiny speck of Uttrakhand that saw nature’s worst fury in the form of floods caused by a cloudburst two years ago, leaving thousands of people dead and causing widespread devastation. Despite efforts made by the government, NGOs and other social organisations to restore normalcy in the region, people continue to […]

A legend comes to life in remote Rajasthan village

A legend comes to life in remote Rajasthan village

The remote village of Binjore along the India-Pakistan border in Sri Gangangar district of Rajasthan, nearly 600 km from state capital Jaipur, came to life for a week as some 15,000-20,000 people from across the country and a few from overseas participated in an annual fair to mark the “martyrdom” of the legendary lovers Laila-Majnu […]

Mapping India’s biodiversity through wildlife cartoons

Mapping India’s biodiversity through wildlife cartoons

Have you ever seen maps that take you through lush forests harbouring endangered animals, birds and people enveloped by nature’s bounties, all depicted through enticingly funny caricatures? Well, thanks to wildlife cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty’s prowess with the pen and some digital tools, these ‘illustrated biodiversity maps will soon be made available at certain popular Indian […]

Himachal hills miss warmth of piping hot Maggi

Himachal hills miss warmth of piping hot Maggi

S teaming hot Maggi is no longer a familiar sight at dhabas that dot the winding roads in these Himachal hills, with eatery owners ruing the “noticeable decline” in their business following the ban on the popular noodle. Pawan Thakur, a makeshift ‘dhaba’ owner at Batal, the famous stopover for the motorists located at the […]

Detergent in Mother Dairy milk? Company refutes allegation

Detergent in Mother Dairy milk? Company refutes allegation

Two samples of milk produced by Mother Dairy have been found to be substandard, and one of them contained detergent, a food watchdog official said on Tuesday. A Mother Dairy official denied the charges, saying the company conducts “stringent quality tests”, and the substandard milk was wrongly attributed to it. Ram Naresh Yadav, chief of […]

Indian-American doctor shot dead by friend in Texas

Indian-American doctor shot dead by friend in Texas

Indian-American cardiologist Suresh Gadasalli was shot dead last week at the Healthy Heart Centre in Odessa, Texas by a patient and business associate who then killed himself, according to police. Witnesses said 60-year-old Ayyasamy Thangam shot the 53-year-old Gadasalli multiple times on Thursday afternoon, according to an Odessa Police Department news release. Thangam then closed […]

Congress, AAP up ante on Swaraj’s Lalit Modi links

Congress, AAP up ante on Swaraj’s Lalit Modi links

The opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party on Monday upped the ante on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s alleged links with former IPL chief Lalit Modi, with the Congress reiterating its demand that she should resign. Continuing its attack on Sushma Swaraj for “helping” Modi – who was served an Enforcement Directorate notice for alleged […]

Sexual harassment, rape allegations rock Greenpeace

Sexual harassment, rape allegations rock Greenpeace

Environment rights NGO Greenpeace India could be in for more trouble as an ex-staffer has gone public with allegations of rape and sexual harassment by her colleagues. The organisationÂ’s inaction against the perpetrators has spurred more female ex-employees to come out with similar accusations. Now, the NGO is at the receiving end with activists lambasting […]