In India’s coastal state of Goa, the world’s best chess players are chasing titles at the FIDE World Cup, a biennial tournament run by FIDE, the International Chess Federation. On the East Coast of the United States, Kenneth Regan chases fairness. Each night he downloads every game, feeding the moves into his program to see if the play looks human …

Ask for ORS at your local pharmacy and odds are you will be handed a tetrapack of ORSL or some other liquids that may have the letters ORS on their packaging but are not actually the formulations recommended by the World Health Organization. ORS or oral rehydration salts are a vital formulation that is used in the treatment of dehydration. And it w…

New York City has just chosen a socialist as its leader. At 34, Zohran Mamdani is the city’s first Muslim to hold the office. The son of filmmaker Mira Nair and scholar Mahmood Mamdani, Ugandan-South Asian parents who built lives across continents.He ran on ideas like rent freezes, free buses, and universal childcare. Once, that would’ve sounded li…

Last week, Open AI reported that over a million people discuss suicide or self harm tendencies with ChatGPT every week. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tools are now being developed specifically to support mental health, especially for students in institutions such as IIT Kharagpur and coaching institutions for engineering and medical entrance e…

India’s economy has been humming. Easing of income tax rules, followed by GST rate cuts for daily-use items have helped the it along. One important indicator of economic health is the microfinance sector. That has had its highs and lows over the past decade. Today we have with us Alok Misra, CEO of MFin, the representative organisation of the secto…

Bihar is one state made up of many distinct worlds. In Seemanchal, floods and identity anxieties take over everyday life. In Magadh, jobs and economic justice are among the demands. The people of Mithilanchal lean on migration remittances. Meanwhile, a major electoral roll revision in 2025 removed a large number of names—women among them—raising qu…

A month ago India’s women’s team looked uncertain. There were early wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan but then came bruising losses to England, Australia and South Africa. That sparked some stern words in the dressing room. What followed was a transformation that saw India stun Australia while South Africa routed England. In the final 21-year-old Sh…

Despite her widespread appeal, Taylor Swift still draws some polarising opinions, especially since the release of her brand new album on October 3rd, The Life of a Showgirl. This outing was a departure from her previous era, as she would call it, The Tortured Poets Department, which saw her lament about her inner life for 31 songs. Showgirl was bra…

Anyone who lives in a city in India knows there are pigeons everywhere – on the balconies of buildings, roosting on rooftops, nesting in air-conditioners, and gathering in open spaces. Recently, pigeons have found their way into the news too – the Maharashtra government’s order to shutdown 51 kabutarkhanas in Mumbai has stirred up a controversy. Wh…

In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court of India quashed multiple FIRs filed under Uttar Pradesh’s anti-conversion law on October 17, 2025. The court found that the FIRs were marred by “legal flaws, procedural errors, and lacked credible evidence”, and ruled that continuing such prosecutions would amount to a “travesty of justice”. The ruling is e…

Recently, the Ministry of Education announced that an Artificial Intelligence (AI) curriculum would be introduced from Class 3 onwards for the next academic year (2026-27). In July, the government had launched the Skilling for AI Readiness (SOAR) initiative, under which thousands of CBSE schools will offer AI as a skill subject starting from Class …

Earlier this month, the vast forest-grassland mosaic of the Western Ghats, Assam’s Manas National Park, and West Bengal’s Sundarbans, a mangrove where tigers swim from island to island, were all listed as being of “significant concern”. This was the assessment of the natural World Heritage sites in Asia and was released by The International Union f…

In today’s episode we turn our attention to Manipur; a state in India’s Northeast that has been experiencing conflict on ethnic lines. In 2023, the violence between the valley-dwelling Meitei community and hill-based Kuki-Zo tribes erupted in full force: homes burned, villages razed, thousands displaced, and lives forever changed. As per data from …

Evidence-based policy. Randomised Control Trials or RCTs. These are buzzwords in developmental policy these days. They have become almost synonymous with each other. The ‘evidence’ in ‘evidence-based’ has largely come to mean whatever data is produced by one method of research – RCTs. But as some economists have been trying to tell us, RCTs have th…

In a major shift in policy, China has announced that it will no longer seek the special treatment reserved for developing countries under World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements. Speaking in New York while he was in the U.S. to attend the United Nations General Assembly, Chinese Premier Li Qiang declared that his country would no longer seek the …

Over the past few months, the stray dog crisis has rocked the country. The numbers are staggering and how to deal with them has elicited multiple, heated opinions. One crucial aspect to this however is rabies: a disease that is completely preventable and yet claims many lives, primarily of children, every year. While the government states that ther…

The Election Commission is all set for a country-wide roll out of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The first phase of the process would implemented in more than 10 states, including in poll-bound Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and West Bengal. This exercise comes in the wake of the controversial SIR in Bihar, which was done…

Ahead of Conference of the Parties 30 (COP30) in November in Belém, Brazil, global headwinds have left many developed countries in the West increasingly reluctant to take on the mantle of climate leadership. India, like other countries, is expected to update climate commitments and present an adaption plan. Should India take global leadership on cl…

A serene Sunday morning at the Louvre turned chaotic in just seven minutes. Four thieves, using construction vests and a mechanized lift, cut through reinforced glass and stole eight priceless pieces of the French Crown Jewels—some linked to Napoleon Bonaparte. Guards prioritized visitor safety, while a 60-officer manhunt began. What does this heis…

Bihar will go to the polls in November. There are 243 seats, and three major players. The NDA Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is facing 20 years of incumbency. There are also adverse reports about his health, and his ability to lead for another term. The BJP doesn’t have a strong electoral face either. As for the Mahagathbandhan, many believe this is t…

In a paper in 1992, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt explained how economic growth is propelled by a cycle of innovation, in which outdated technologies and firms are replaced by newer technology. This cycle of “creative destruction” leads to sustained economic growth, as new technologies and firms outcompete and replace the old, driving productivi…

They travel with boards in their backpacks and cameras in their faces. Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Vaishali, Divya now play before millions online. For parents, the dream is intoxicating: can my child be next? But the path is heavy: endless hours and lonely tournaments. Few know this better than R.B. Ramesh, who has walked it himself and guided India’s…

India’s World Cup has been a mix. Some matches went well. Others, not so much. The regular batters haven’t quite clicked. The bowling still lacks variety. Five reliable options weren’t enough to trouble South Africa or Australia. With tough games against England, New Zealand and Bangladesh coming up, India will need a new strategy.This World Cup ha…

India has big plans — and even bigger dreams — to host the 2036 Olympics. But before that, the country will look to prove its ability to do so, by hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games. India has bid for Ahmedabad as the host city for the Games — with Nigeria being the only other contender. This comes 15 years after the 2010 Delhi Games, the largest …

It is election season in Bihar. While the Opposition often speaks about the lack of development and industrialisation in the State, in its campaigns, the National Democratic Alliance, which is in power, argues that a change of government will bring back the ‘Jungle Raj’ of the earlier decade. What makes Bihar one of India’s most underdeveloped Stat…

A few weeks ago, U.S. president Donald Trump made a startling announcement: he said using the common painkiller paracetamol, or acetaminophen, known as Tylenol in the U.S. during pregnancy, could cause autism in the baby. This announcement came after earlier this year, the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine sceptic, announ…

In a significant diplomatic development, a Taliban delegation led by Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister recently visited New Delhi for official talks, the first such high-level engagement since the group took power in Kabul in 2021. Following the talks, India announced plans to reopen its full-fledged embassy in Kabul and expand cooperation in health, …

The Supreme Court is set to take up a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the Securities Transaction Tax (STT). This is a direct tax levied on all transactions that happen through a stock exchange. The STT was brought in under the Finance Act, 2004. It has since become a significant source of revenue for the government, netting an estim…

Another upgrade, another round of applause. OpenAI’s GPT-5 has arrived—sleeker, quicker and kind of the talk of the town. But peel back the glitz and questions pile up. In this episode, we will know who builds these systems, and at what cost? Who reaps the rewards? And what happens when a few voices decide how billions will live, work and learn? Gu…

She has been tear-gassed, threatened, and banned from office — yet María Corina Machado never stopped speaking for a silenced nation. Now, at 58, Venezuela’s most determined dissident has been named the country’s first Nobel Peace Prize winner — and only the 20th woman to ever receive it. An engineer turned opposition leader, she has spent years st…

President Donald Trump's new 20-point peace plan promises to end hostilities, free hostages, and rebuild Gaza under a new framework of international oversight. Backed by several Arab nations, it’s being routed as the most detailed roadmap yet to stop the war. But is this really a plan for peace, or just another political blueprint that sidesteps th…

In the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections, political parties are rolling out several welfare measures for women. On October 3, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar transferred ₹10,000 to the bank accounts of 25 lakh women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Rojgar Yojana. Earlier, on September 26, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced the tran…

For decades, Indian households relied on fixed deposits, insurance, and gold to grow their savings. A large faction still continues to do that. But in the last few years, more and more Indians have opened demat accounts, started SIPs, and entered the stock market.In this episode, we explore what’s driving this shift in how Indians invest, and wheth…

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Recently, the Supreme Court of India issued guidelines with regard to DNA samples in criminal cases. These guidelines, issued to preserve the integrity of such samples, highlighted the need for chain of custody documentation as well as for proper procedures to be put in place for the collection, packaging of transportation of such samples. DNA samp…

On a July morning in 1960, Jane Goodall stepped off a boat onto the shores of Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. She was 26, untrained by universities, armed only with binoculars, a notebook and patience. What she saw in the forests of Gombe in East Africa altered science itself: chimpanzees who shaped tools, who mourned, who loved. She gave them names a…

Adding a page to the history of the Israel-Palestine question, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia now formally recognise a Palestinian state. However, data show that the share of people surveyed in the UK who support this decision has decreased since the same time last year. On the other hand, ac…

On September 24, Ladakh witnessed unprecedented violence and protests which left four persons dead in police action. Two days later, climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who was sitting on a hunger strike with 15 others, was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) and taken to Jodhpur Central Jail in Rajasthan. The government accused the activis…

The Asia Cup has never been straightforward. Scheduled every two years, it often slips away — undone by border tensions and government quarrels. This year, despite tensions between India and Pakistan, the tournament managed to be held. The young Indian team, missing the usual veterans, went unbeaten. Pakistan made the final a nail-biting contest: a…

Over the last decade, "Make in India" has been at the heart of the Centre's economic policy and increasing defence manufacturing is a important part of that goal given India is one of the largest importers of defence equipment in the world. The sector, plagued by bureaucratic delays, budgetary constraints, and corruption, was opened to the private …

A recent analysis in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia, found that one in five deliveries in India are now by Caesarean section. From 2005, when the rate of C-section was 8.5%, it has risen to 21.5% as of 2021, the analysis said. International bodies such as the World Health Organization discourage high rates of C-section, as they are assoc…

Fringed by China and Pakistan, Ladakh is India’s high-altitude borderland. For years now, locals led peaceful protests demanding statehood and constitutional protections for land, jobs, and identity. But last week, that peace broke. Violence erupted in Leh city in the Union Territory of Ladakh on Wednesday (September 24, 2025), several protesters w…

In recent times, India has seen a sharp spike in the popularity of IB schools. In fact, having your kid in an IB school has become something of a status symbol, although that may or may not be the primary motive for most parents. But many parents, regardless of their reasons for choosing an IB school, face a number of confusing questions and dilemm…

At the World Wrestling Championships in Croatia, India’s Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat was shockingly disqualified ahead of his opening bout on September 14. At the official weigh-in before his match, Aman was found to be 1.7kg over the 57kg limit. The Wrestling Federation of India on September 22 served a show-cause notice to Aman, asking his st…

On September 19, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order, raising the H-1B visa fee to $1,00,000. Many fear that this will disproportionately impact Indian workers, especially those with lower median salaries. Although the White House has clarified that the fee applies only to new applicants and not those up for renewal or already in …

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have signed a new defence deal. It’s called the Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA). Under this deal, “any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both”. There are also vague indications that Saudi Arabia will get the benefit of Pakistan’s nuclear capabilities but in what is not cl…

90% of the world’s natural diamonds are cut and polished by about 5000, largely family run businesses out of Surat in Gujarat, but the recent 50% US tariffs on India has led to deep anxieties about the very survival of this sector, which is part of the country’s sprawling gem and jewellery industry. Kunal Shankar, The Hindu’s Deputy Business Editor…

Through a new executive order, President Donald Trump has added 100,000 US dollars to the annual fee for H1B visa applicants. H1B is a visa programme for skilled foreign workers. So far, the biggest beneficiaries of this visa have been Indian-origin IT workers, employed by American and Indian companies in the US.President Trump has justified this m…

When the Goods and Services Tax — or GST — was rolled out in 2017, it was billed as one of India’s biggest tax reforms. It replaced a maze of indirect taxes like excise duty, VAT, and service tax, with the promise of creating a single, unified market. It was meant to create a simpler, fairer, and more transparent system. GST is what’s known as a de…

The Sample Registration Survey’s Statistical Report, released last week had some significant numbers. One, India’s total fertility rate has dipped – it has gone down from 2.0 and now stands at 1.9, as of 2023. The second significant number was that for the first time, the total fertility rate in rural India has reached replacement levels. Replaceme…