Living heritage to go under the hammer

Almost every aspect of the Central Vista redevelopment plan – its very need, cost, clearances, public consultation – is contentious. But the government is pressing ahead with it even as the Coronavirus pandemic ravages the world On 20 March, a few days before Narendra Modi put India on lockdown to contain the Coronavirus outbreak, his […]

Vibing via virtual virtuosity

This is the story of exceptional women who converted adversity into online opportunities — one for tarot card readings, the other to teach Bharat Natyam Social distancing and being forced to stay indoors for long periods of time has had a profound impact on peoples’ psyches. Now we have to gravitate towards a ‘new normal’ […]

Sounds of silence in a bustling city 

The lockdown has turned my city Kolkata into a literal ghost town with barricades and not a soul in sight in even the busiest parts Kolkata, the city of joy. It is the city I have spent the first 23 years of my life. I have grown up here, used to the hustle and bustle. […]

Off the shelves 

As the lockdown chapter shows no signs of ending, reading habits are undergoing a change    Restrictions due to Covid-19 have impacted a lot of things including the reading patterns. A market research firm named Avance Field & Brand Solutions LLP recently did an interesting survey. The survey found that the number of readers who spent […]

Online classes not a hit

For large numbers of Indian students, attending classes on the Internet is both exasperating and exclusionary, due to connectivity issues Deepak Kumar Gupta is a visually impaired student at Delhi University. Of late, he has been busy petitioning the vice-chancellor against online classes and examinations. Why? He believes they are discriminatory to large segments of […]

Keep the gut healthy

Very few know about the microbes that humans play host to in their gastrointestinal tract, but they have an important role to play in the proper functioning of a healthy immune system The human body is a mix of complex mechanisms that work together to ensure a healthy life. An imbalance in diet, exercise and […]

War of the video platforms

YouTube has become the Establishment and TikTok the upstart that is being denigrated for giving play to content created by people who are less sophisticated and urbane. The fight is getting nasty  The pandemic has thrown India, like the rest of humanity, into a great crisis. It is an unprecedented challenge not only for the […]

‘Carrot and stick policy’ needed for cleaner air 

The Coronavirus brought about a dip in pollution levels in the country. The lockdown offers an opportunity to find out the options among greener fuels and make a switch With Lockdown 4.0 came multiple relaxations as central and state governments moved to revive the economy. And with these relaxations, unfortunately, came a rapid deterioration of […]