The Indian Railways is going for a huge overhaul to make travel more comfortable – from upgrading AC and non-AC carriages to retrofitting of bio toilets. In a tête-à-tête with Vishwas Dass, the Railway Board’s member (rolling stock) Rajesh Agrawal talks about plans to enhance the passenger experience. He also talks about the recently launched Vande Bharat Expr
The nation is virtually in election mode, and political parties are busy thinking up campaign strategies. But have MPs been making a mark in their constituencies? A study of malnutrition indicators among children below five years in parliamentary constituencies in the country shows that some of the constituencies with the worst health profiles are state capitals like Bhopal and Ranchi, and citi
As you drive down from Varanasi airport, the elevated road that takes you to the city says it all. It takes less than 20 minutes to reach the cantonment area where the British established their garrisons and other establishments to administer the city. Varanasi, one the world’s oldest cities, is bracketed by two rivers, Varuna and Assi, from whom it derives its name. There
Near a deserted park in Salempur Jat village in Bulandshahar sit a few men discussing politics. Sipping their morning tea, the men are engaged in a heated conversation about upcoming elections, education for the poor, local village issues and rising prices of fuel and LPG cylinders. Narrating his tale of woe, 52-year-old Bane Singh says that his family was forced to use firewood
Just as army commandos who conducted surgical strikes in September 2016 returned safely to their base, India’s Director General of Military Operation (DGMO) called his counterpart in Pakistan and informed him about the action against terrorist camps in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). Though the Pakistani DGMO was aware of the situation by then, he asked the Indian army official not revea
The Kashmir conundrum was never below the radar, but the Pulwama attack has once again put terrorism and foreign-aided separatism on top of the national agenda. The ghastly killing of the CRPF personnel in the suicide bombing has shocked the entire India and peace-loving people everywhere. Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed it was behind the act. It’s a script that
Punjabi singer, songwriter, and guitarist, Rabbi Shergill rose to fame in 2004 with his chartbuster song ‘Bullah Ki Jaana’ from his debut album ‘Rabbi’. Inspired by rock and Punjabi folk music, he uses Punjabi language to create acoustic rock-based ballads. His poetic and socially relevant lyrics instantly connected with an urban crowd who loved him for his genuine a
In a black salwar-suit and matching headscarf, Ruksana (name changed) listens carefully from a corner of the hall. Members of her support group are talking about their suffering, struggles, aspirations and achievements. At her turn, she slowly opens up. Like that of many others, her story is one of deceit, despair and misery. Yet she sees hope. Ruksana was 21 when a
When Dr Shruti Kamdi (pictured on left), a transfusion specialist at a leading Mumbai hospital, had her first child, she struggled to nurse her baby as she was unable to secrete enough milk. Admitted to a private hospital, she was put on medication to increase breast milk. But that didn’t help much. And four months after the delivery, she had to put her baby on breast milk substitutes (BM
After the liberalisation of the insurance industry in 2000, private firms (mostly in partnerships with foreign firms) have readily taken to the sector. Till FY18 there were 23 private firms in the life insurance sector and 21 in general insurance segment. However, it was only in 2016-17 that the first private domestic reinsurance firm, ITI Reinsurance, entered the industry and was yet to begin
Villages without power supply are easy to find though the government says there are none. The lines are laid, but many villagers are too poor to pay for electricity. BPL (below poverty line) families, entitled to free supply, are waived the installation charge. But they don’t have money to wire their homes. Others are held back by the fear that bills will rise beyond reach. &nbs
Riho Kruuv, Ambassador of the Republic of Estonia talks to Vishwas Dass on key issues like the importance of e-Residency programme of the Government of Estonia and why Estonia is becoming a preferred investment destination for Indian startups and budding entrepreneurs. The Ambassador says Estonia offers a Euro 500 million European Union (EU) market to Indian entrepreneurs. &n
“Aandhi” (Storm), director Gulzar’s movie starring Suchitra Sen and Sanjeev Kumar, was made in 1975, when Indira Gandhi reigned supreme in Indian politics. The film, based on Kamleshwar’s Hindi novel ‘Kaali Aandhi’, depicted the life of a woman politician, and it was believed to be partly inspired by the life of the then prime minister. Suchitra Sen too app
Despite the stupendous success of her debut film Maine Pyaar Kiya, which won her the Filmfare award for Best Female Debut in 1990, Bhagyashree chose marriage over stardom. After a break, she acted in a few Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bhojpuri and Kannada films. She has also appeared in television soaps. In 2015, she became the brand ambassador of the Bhagyashree Scheme, launched by the g
An official who worked closely with Narendra Modi during his stint as the chief minister of Gujarat told me an anecdote to explain his style of working. Just before the 2007 state assembly elections, Modi had found himself pitted against a strong lobby of Patel farmers and the RSS-backed Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. What got the goat of the affluent Patidars was Modi&rsqu
Swapna Liddle’s wide and warm smile is the kind of comfort one looks for on a cold January afternoon. Her love for Delhi, its monuments, its history, resulted in a doctoral thesis on 19th century Delhi. Led by a mind trained in history, she has ambled numerous times among Delhi’s unnumbered monuments, cherishing the well known and exploring the less known. From these leisurely f
It was some time in 2011. Lal Krishna Advani was in his chamber in the parliament complex waiting to receive George Fernandes, a long-time friend and political comrade-in-arms. Fernandes was ushered in assisted by his wife, Leila Kabir, and sundry aides. His walk was infirm. Advani looked at him quite pensively and asked, “Do you recognise me, George?” Fernandes showed no si
Born to Padma Bhushan awardee Kuchipudi dancers, Dr Raja and Dr Radha Reddy, Yamini gave her first dance performance at the age of three. She has received Sangeet Natak Akademi award, National Bismillah Khan Yuva Purasakar and Devadasi National Award among others. She was the first dancer ever to perform at the Wigmore Hall London in 2011. She has performed for various heads of countries at
Ravneet Kaur, IAS, chairperson and managing director (CMD) of India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (ITDC) speaks to Rahul Trivedi about this government undertaking’s growth plans. Edited excerpts from the interview: ITDC’s financial performance has been on upswing in recent quarters. What is fuelling this growth? ITDC ha
It is an incredible sight. As our small boat moves towards the Sangam (the confluence of the river Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati at Prayagraj) much before the break of the dawn, a sea of humanity surges forward to take a holy dip in icy waters in an extremely cold weather by north India’s standards. Thus begins the Shahi Snan (the royal bath), marking the launch of the Kumbh Mela,
