Bengaluru’s parking woes: How encroachments and violations are choking the city

For 28-year-old Shwetha Pillai, a resident of Indiranagar, parking her car in front of her independent house has been a challenging experience with many cars and bikes taking up space. “There is often bumper-to-bumper parking or double parking which is mostly done by valet parkers from pubs and restaurants from around the area, which makes … Read more

Should mpox be labelled a sexually transmitted disease?

Even as the threat of mpox continues unabated globally, with an increasing number of countries outside the Africa region detecting cases, the scientific community seems divided on whether mpox should be given the label of a sexually transmitted disease (STD), with targeted public health interventions to contain it. Mpox was first declared a global health … Read more

UGC-CARE list scrapped: A move towards autonomy or a risky gamble?

The much-debated and highly anticipated announcement arrived on Feb. 11 — the UGC-CARE list has been withdrawn based on the recommendations of an expert committee. In its place, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to discontinue the listing of journals and instead develop suggestive parameters to guide faculty members and students in selecting peer-reviewed … Read more

Daily Quiz: On Toponymy – The Hindu

Daily Quiz: On Toponymy 1 / 5 | Many people living in this city call it “Chatigaon”. The Portuguese called it the “Grand Harbour of Bengal”. Ibn Battuta called it “Sadkawan”. Its current name is derived from that given by a 9th century Burmese invader, in whose language it meant “to make war is improper”. … Read more

Fungus that turns spiders into zombies named for Attenborough

Gibellula attenboroughii, spider host after removal and drying, showing the multiple synnemata. | Photo Credit: Fungal Systematics and Evolution Researchers from the United Kingdom and Denmark recently discovered a new fungus that turns a particular species of spiders into brain-dead creatures — and named it for David Attenborough, the host of various natural history programmes … Read more

All you need to know about: Diabetic Foot

An organ that can be severely affected in people with diabetes, is the foot. Photograph used for representational purposes only | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Everyone knows that diabetes is a condition when your blood sugar levels are higher than they should be. But when these levels are consistently high over a long period of … Read more

V.O. Chidambaram: an advocate of women’s education and quota based on strength of each caste

Naan Yaar is part of the special issue brought out by the Tamil Nadu government to mark the 150th birth anniversary of V. O. Chidambaram. It presents VOC as a thinker and a Tamil scholar, who has penned commentaries on Sivagnana Bodham, Tholkappiyam, and Tirukkural. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Caste census has become a … Read more

Thiruparankundram row: early references to usage of ‘Sikkandar Malai’ by the Mohamedans

An aerial view of Thiruparankundram in Madurai. File | Photo Credit: R. Ashok In recent weeks, certain Hindu outfits and some BJP leaders in Tamil Nadu have accused sections of Muslims of attempting to rename the Thiruparankundram hills as ‘Sikkandar Malai’. The remarks were made against the backdrop of some Muslims making such oral references … Read more

A legal ‘remedy’ that perpetuates survivor trauma

‘Justice must not be diluted by societal norms or convenience’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto The Allahabad High Court, in Atul Gautam vs State of Uttar Pradesh (2025), recently granted bail to a man who has been accused of raping his inter-faith live-in partner on the ‘promise of marriage’. The bail was granted on the … Read more