Letters to The Editor — February 28, 2025

Delimitation and the South Instead of indulging in what looks to be verbal/statistical jugglery and dismissing the genuine concerns flagged leaders in the southern States — about the possibility of their losing out to the northern States in the delimitation exercise — the Centre needs to do more. It would do well to give an … Read more

Venjaramoodu murders: investigators uncover a complex web of financial troubles and personal despair

Trigger warning: The following article has references to suicide and murder. Please avoid reading if you feel distressed by the potentially disturbing subjects. Around 6.15 p.m. on February 24, 23-year-old A.R. Affan casually walked into the Venjaramoodu police station on the outskirts of Kerala’s capital, Thiruvananthapuram. Without a hint of distress, he told the officer … Read more

Barcelona’s revival: Aided by Flick’s pragmatism, the might of La Masia and a sprinkle of luck

German pragmatism and discipline. FC Barcelona’s traditional, expressive fair. On paper, there shouldn’t be a sync between the two. At least, not as much as it has. When Hansi Flick was named as Xavi Hernandez’s successor, even the most optimistic of fans wouldn’t have imagined the team to be as explosive and entertaining as it … Read more

West Bengal’s education policy conflict: PM-SHRI scheme, funding issues, and NEP 2020 disagreements

Along with Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Kerala have not signed on to the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme of the Union government. While the three language formula of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a problem as far as the Tamil Nadu government is concerned, in West Bengal, the concerns … Read more

Column | Gulkand ice cream and ambition

I had just finished my first year at medical school, and was visiting Phuphee for the summer holidays. The days were hot but a constant breeze made the heat tolerable, even pleasurable at times. One such hot, breezy afternoon, an elderly gentleman and his wife arrived. When it was hot, Phuphee usually made ice cream. … Read more

Daily Quiz: On Soviet Union’s history

Daily Quiz: On Soviet Union’s history This Soviet biologist led a movement as part of which he had thousands of biologists jailed or executed, destroying biological research at the time. START THE QUIZ 1 / 6 | In a bid to overturn what he called the ‘era of stagnation’ of the Soviet Union beginning from … Read more

Discover the spiritual journey of Naga Sadhus at Bandeep Singh’s photography exhibition in New Delhi

A portrait of a Naga sadhu at the exhibition titled Bhasmang: The Way of the Naga Sadhus | Photo Credit: Bandeep Singh The Naga sadhus (unclothed Hindu ascetics) first caught photographer Bandeep Singh’s attention in 2013. Six years later, he found himself photographing them in a deliberate attempt to capture the core of their spiritual … Read more

Understanding the stress around exams and how to combat it: a guide for parents and students

Stress related to examinations among students and their parents has become a growing concern for mental health professionals. As performance pressure mounts, many students struggle with anxiety, fear of failure, sleep disturbances, frustration and poor concentration. These signs are worrying but there is no single solution to do away with the exam-related stress — only … Read more