As Covid fuels anxiety, astrologers cash in

As the virus continues its rampage around the world, more and more Indians are asking for predictions and advice based on the reading of the stars Thirty-year-old IT professional Amit was excited that he was going to marry, but lockdown killed his excitement as the bride’s family did not want to conduct the ceremony at […]

Why real estate is priced out of reach

Are you wondering if home prices will fall in the post-Covid world? There’s something you should know: the real estate industry in India doesn’t want this to happen The film director Basu Chatterjee who recently died was known for making slice-of-life cinema. Among his lesser known movies is a movie called Kirayadar (tenant) which was released in […]

Gharials thrive in flooded Bihar

Amid pandemic around 260 gharials were sighted in Gandak river of Bihar, making it the second largest ecosystem for gharials after Chambal river. A success story of conservation They are the marker of a healthy river system: gharials, a species of crocodile found in South Asia. They have been classified as “critically endangered”.  The Gandak […]

​ Virtual court, real justice

The virtual courts have real and far-reaching implications in the administration of justice. Here’s why One of the impacts of the pandemic has been that it has precipitated the infusion of technology in the administration of justice. Urgent matters are now being dealt with digitally in what’s called electronic courts or e-courts, where the judges, […]

Zooming away from refunds

Amidst the rising need for the use of private vehicles, self-drive rental service Zoomcar is under fire for its lax attitude towards customer support, refunds and cancellations  When people think of Zoomcar, the popular web-based car hiring service, they often think of a drive with scenic beauty and the windows rolled down. All this can […]

Much love for the hate industry

People who spit venom on social media have a huge following and many of them are even considered online stars Last week a man, Shubham Mishra, was arrested by Vadodara police for threatening to rape standup comic Agrima Joshua. He had posted a video on social media which was supposed to be a “warning” against […]

Online exams a failure

Delhi University’s online mock exams are a disaster, students claim In June, Delhi University announced open book online exams for its final semester students. As the move was opposed by students and teachers alike, human resource development minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, on June 24, asked the University Grants Commission to revisit its guidelines for online exams. […]

No shoppers, no jobs

Sarojini Nagar workers’ plight shows how Covid has wrecked Delhi’s popular flea market The very day prime minister Narendra Modi announced the coronavirus lockdown in March, Ankit Sahu, 22, was laid off. Ankit worked as a salesman in a shop selling women’s clothes in Sarojini Nagar, one of Delhi’s most popular flea markets. He got […]