THOSE WHO REMEMBER the periodic table from school know that mercury is denoted as Hg. The element has a few unique properties as a heavy metal and stays liquid at ‘standard temperature and pressure’. The title Heavy Metal, therefore, is fitting, and the story that Ameer Shahul tells, an outcome of rigorous investigative journalism, is about … Continue reading An investigation into the mercury poisoning of Kodaikanal

They want a sanitised Bapu, says Tushar Gandhi, author of Let’s Kill Gandhi! A Chronicle of His Last Days, The Conspiracy, Murder Investigation and Trial The deletion of some sentences referring to Gandhi’s assassination in Class 12 history textbooks by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has shocked many historians, but not Tushar … Continue reading Not shocked by changes in school textbooks on Gandhi murder, says great grandson

Riyas Komu, curatorial director, Sea: A Boiling Vessel Clad in resplendent medieval dresses, the residents of Fort Kochi who feature in KR Sunil’s stunning photographs resemble the dandies of the Congo. The setting too is similar in parts—stagnant pools of water, dilapidated buildings. In the Congo, they wear the most expensive of modern clothes, imitating the … Continue reading Riyas Komu brings together history, geography and migrations in a multidisciplinary show

Villagers navigate the floodwaters of the Ganga after heavy rains in Patna district (Photos: Reuters) GURUGRAM-BASED PRIYARANJAN, whose family lives in Gaya district of Bihar, no longer worries about his kin in the drought-prone re­gion getting access to drinking water. They now receive it round-the-clock from the Ganga. The water, which is collected from the … Continue reading In Bihar, a state scarred by drought and floods, a scheme converting floodwater into drinking water has brought in a wave of relief

GLOBAL INDIAN TECHNOLOGY Professionals Association (GITPRO) is a forum that helps te­chies of Indian origin in distress, besides organ­ising online upskilling workshops throughout the year. In January this year, it launched a job assistance network to help Indian-origin pros in the US who lost their jobs amidst massive layoffs announced by Big Tech companies, a … Continue reading Hard Times for Software: Indian-origin contractual employees bear the brunt of IT job cuts and startup meltdown in Silicon Valley

Analysts say Americans lost credibility due to their approach in the Middle Eastern region Saudi Arabia and Iran signed an agreement brokered by China on March 10 to resume diplomatic relations seven years after they broke off ties (Photo: Twitter account of Saudi Arabia government) The historic and game-changing peace agreement signed in Beijing on … Continue reading Why China, Not the US, Could Broker Iran-Saudi Truce

Faisal Devji, Professor of Indian History, St Antony's College, University of Oxford The second instalment of the war on Iraq began 20 years ago this month. The US, which led the offensive and was joined by more than 35 countries, including the UK, Australia, Poland and several others, launched this war on a false pretext: to disarm … Continue reading ‘Iraq War led to the dismantling of the international order and fragmentation of Islam.’

PT Usha poses at an event in New Delhi (Photo: Getty Images) VENUGOPAL TK, A CLOSE RELATIVE OF PT USHA’S COACH OM NAMBIAR, recalls his meetings with the iconic athlete back in the mid-1980s. “Her name was a synonym for hard work and devotion. She had a tremendous will to train against odds and win,” … Continue reading The Passion of PT Usha: Lessons from a champion in surviving and overcoming the odds

In conversation with Richard D. Wolff, American economist and public intellectual Richard D. Wolff is a noted American economist, public intellectual, radio host and speaker who is widely interviewed on global economy and geopolitics. Besides being the author of several books, he is also the host of a weekly programme titled ‘Economic Update’. Founder of the … Continue reading Americans miscalculated gains, now fear losing allies: American scholar on Ukraine war

(Illustration: Saurabh Singh) PUNE-BASED ENGLISH professor Kunal Ray says he does not grade his students based on exams alone, but over how they “reflect” what they have learnt. He promotes what he calls intensely participatory classes and therefore has no apprehensions about anyone else, least of all a robot, substituting him as a teacher, especially … Continue reading Learning is easier thanks to AI but fears persist about students misusing new tools like ChatGPT