These are exciting times for Indian rail commuters with a lot of talk of high speed trains, though there are those who scoff at such talk. Sudhir Badami explains how an effective network comprising high speed trains, bus and suburban rail will work well for both the commuters and the ecology. There is much talk today of new railway projects than the actual delivery of services to the 75 lakh commuters of Mumbai Suburban Rail System (MSRS). These new projects and the state of MSRS will be examined and analysed in this article. Mumbai – a major hub Mumbai is…
Author: oiop
“The year is 50 BC. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, not entirely…. One small village of indomitable Gauls still holds out against the invaders…” Every Asterix comic begins on this rather sedate note. But the action is fast and furious and funny. Made incredibly strong by a magic potion brewed by their clever druid, the Gauls resist the repeated attacks of Julius Caesar and his powerful Roman legions. The Gauls who make this possible are the wily warrior Asterix and his chubby friend Obelix (who does not need to drink any magic potion for strength, as he…
It is infrequently that these Northeastern states find mention in a media which can barely straddle the increasingly diverse mix of regional, national and international news. They sit far from the movers and shakers of the country and the who’s-who of the globe that increasingly deem it prudent to visit India. It’s a pity that the lands which the Sun kisses at dawn, fall into the shadow of dusk by the time it shines high on the national capital. Read about the enchanting lands of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram in this concluding part of the series on the…
There is a new wave of film festivals being held in different parts of the country, which give voice to alternate cinematic expressions, especially realistic films and documentatries. Shoma A. Chatterji explores this and explains why such cinema is vital. Away from the razzmatazz of a Happy New Year or the surrealistic explorations of PK, a revolution of a different kind is brewing in different parts of India, where committed social, political, human rights and gender activists are organising a film festival called the Cinema of Resistance which is now an ‘umbrella’ title for similar festivals being organised and held…
In today’s screen-driven, connected world, we strangely seem to have lost the connection to ourselves and the immediate world around us. Every gesture and action today seems to be dictated by the demands of the social media, rather than spontaneity and originality, rues Urvish Paresh Mehta. We should take time to savour the simpler, more real moments in life, he says. Remembering birthdays of our near and dear ones is passé these days. We have the ‘Birthday Reminder’ App on our Android Phones. When this app pings, we ‘WhatsApp’ our wishes to the concerned person. It’s comical to imagine that…
The tiger quoll or spotted quoll, which is one and a half times bigger than other quolls, is the world’s second largest carnivorous marsupial after the Tasmanian Devil. It has white spots on its tail—a feature that distinguishes it from other quolls. Quolls are cat-like marsupials native to the Australian continent. They are also known as native cats. They have a long bushy tail and brownish-black fur speckled with white spots. Their pointed snouts enclose a row of sharp teeth. Quolls feed on insects, birds and small animals such as mice and frogs. These solitary, nocturnal animals are known for…
US President Barack Obama’s parting short about the need for religious tolerance notwithstanding, his visit to India as our guest on Repulic Day was a game-changer in many respects. Dr. P.M. Kamath? dwells on the Presidential visit and its tangible outcomes. The President of the United States (US), Barack Obama came on his second visit to India for three days – 25-27 January 2015, becoming the first American President to visit twice, as also the first American President to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest. Having followed relations between the two countries from the time of Franklin…
Author : K. Natwar Singh Publisher : Rupa Publishing Year : 2014 Pages : 464 Price : Rs. 225 K. Natwar Singh, former diplomat and Congress politician was close to the Nehru Gandhi (no relation to Mahatma Gandhi) clan in diplomacy as well as politics. He is the first Rajasthani to be selected to Indian Foreign Service (IFS). As a probationer he had met Jawaharlal Nehru in April 1953; and later, he served Nehru in various positions from the Ministry of External affairs (MEA). He served not only under Nehru but Indira Gandhi as well. He resigned from diplomatic career…
The food of the Northeast is much more than just momos and thupka says Larisa War. She describes the rich cuisine of the region which typically uses less oil and spices, and is a balance of meats, rice and mostly home-grown, organic vegetables. Seven sisters and one brother – that is how the Northeast states comprising Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Sikkim are often referred to. Ethnically, culturally and linguistically different from the rest of India, it is no wonder that our cuisine and food habits are also markedly different from the regular Indian cuisine. Momos,…
Raghunandan S. Kamath has whipped up a revolution in ice-creams. Using fresh fruits, dry fruits, milk and sugar, with absolutely no preservatives, colouring agents, chemicals, gelatin or any other additive, he has made Natural Ice-creams a household name in Mumbai, Delhi, Indore, Jaipur, Goa, Bangalore, Raipur Hyderabad, and many other places. Tasty, smooth and soft ice-creams with exotic Indian flavours like sitaphal (custard apple), chickoo, mango, jackfruit, tender coconut and almost a hundred others, Kamath has carved a solid niche in ice-cream making and distribution. Kamath (61) is a simple man, whose office and home in Mumbai are surrounded by…