Life and death by the Kosi

Silent shades of the tea leaf

The posters show the women smiling, with the picker’s basket behind them. In truth, they are maximally exploited minimally paid by the tea industry.

The South Bombay plan

More than 1800 acres of port land home to heritage structures, shrinking public spaces, and a redevelopment plan worth billions heat up the election season.

Supreme but fallible

From a time gone by

The unique architecture in colonial outposts of West Bengal.

The republic of Gorakhpur

A place of great historical legacy, a political barometer and as real as it is a state of mind.

The faith of a true believer

The foot soldier is both indispensable and a unique feature of the BJP’s political machine. He is loyal, always there and ready to do anything they ask as he is wedded to their ideals.

A song of devotion and a plea for trust

It is no easy task running a government in India with its size and unruly population. So even when a party does a decent job in tough times there is always someone willing to pull them down.

Thoughts that resonate

Sound bytes they are called by the unkind, but a good slogan has a value beyond the immediately obvious. In a few words it tells you what its propagator stands for.

The frog with stars

The new century has been a great time for Indian biologists who are discovering dozens of new species, especially in the Western Ghats.

The birth of a political affinity

How do young people turn to politics? Sometimes it is an accident of birth, but others learn through protest, inquiry and by following their natural bent.

RSS and the akharas

The militant orders of Hindu asceticism have great influence on ordinary people and the Hindutva project has depended on their support. Now, it seems they cannot take the akharas for granted.

The secret society of the paper wasp

Raghavendra Gadagkar, India’s preeminent biologist, speaks on a lifetime of research on the insect society, and the state of science education the country.

TikTok TikTok

The promise of fame and the march of a Chinese giant.

Mysteries of an ancient migration from India

The ancient relics found at the Bujang Valley site in Kedah, northern Malaysia, are Indian in origin, but there are more questions than answers.

A gathering storm on Elephanta

After it got 24-hour power last year, residents are dreaming of improvements that could edge the island closer to ecological disaster.

BB cream and the skin regime

Korean beauty products are all the rage. They’ve invaded the west and are setting the tone, whether it is pure and flawless or glass skin. In South Korea, apparently, that is the key to paradise.