Author: oiop

In the aftermath of the horrific incident of rape in a call taxi in Delhi, efforts are on to come up with viable solutions for safe commuting for women. The city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha has come up with the innovative and well-audited Pink Auto service. Do we finally have a solution to the urban woman’s transport woes? asks Rakhi Ghosh. Even as India marks the second year of the tragic rape and killing of a 23-year-old student in Delhi, an incident that triggered extensive debate on women’s safety in public spaces and even forced the government of the day…

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A genius who died young ( 1918-1971) The world of Hindustani classical music suffered a tragic loss when Chidanand Nagarkar passed away suddenly in Mumbai on 26 May 1971, at the age of 51. His versatility in many fields—cricket, dance, astrology, spirituality and occult sciences, besides his originality and virtuosity as a vocalist, scholar, composer and innovator, put him in a class by himself. He was equally adept as a percussionist and harmoniumist, too. Nagarkar inherited his legacy of artistic talent from his father, who had a flair for devotional music and stage acting. The home of the Nagarkars was,…

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Remember… Not to fly them on the roads. To stay away from power lines that can cause serious injuries and even death. To avoid flying them near an airport – you don’t want to disturb a low-flying aircraft or get in its flight path. And last and most important, avoid using glass-coated strings that can injure birds and other animals.

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When was Rosetta launched and by whom? The robotic space probe was launched on March 2, 2004 by the European Space Agency. Its target was to reach the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. Travelling a distance of 4 billion miles, it reached the comet in August 2014 and entered its orbit on September 10. What is its mission? Rosetta’s mission is to gather information about comets, about how they were formed. Scientists hope that its data will help them understand the formation of the solar system better. What are its achievements so far? Its greatest success has been landing the Philae probe on…

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Every year on Republic Day, a grand parade is held in the capital New Delhi. The parade begins from the Rashtrapati Bhavan and goes along the Rajpath, past India Gate up to the Red Fort. Different contingents of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force march past wearing their official decorations. The President of India who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces takes the salute. All the latest acquisitions of the Armed Forces such as missiles, tanks, radar, fighter aircraft, etc. are proudly displayed during the parade. Apart from the Armed Forces, NCC, Home Guard, police and civil…

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A squirrel joined the service of the King of the forest, the lion. He did whatever work was given to him, quickly and well. The lion became fond of him and promised to give him a cartload of almonds as pension when he retired. The squirrel envied the other squirrels in the forest because of their carefree life. He longed to run up and down trees and leap from branch to branch like them but he could not leave the king’s side and even if he could he had to move with courtly dignity. He consoled himself with the thought…

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The Northeast region of India has a strong culture of music, starting from legends like Lou Majaw and Zubeen Garg, to myriad bands like Cleave. But the sound of their music is often lost in the brutal cacophony of armed conflicts. Assamese filmmaker Bidyut Kotoky recently travelled across the eight Northeast states to film the region’s musical legacy, and unearthed many and often poignant vignettes, while also re-connecting with his roots. Youngsters here are truly using music to change the canvas of despair and anguish, into one of hope and peace, he writes. The idea for my film Guns and…

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High maternal mortality is a reality in our rural areas due to lack of adequate health services and deep-held superstitious beliefs. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, it would be practical to train the existing dai and health workers, as is being done in the state of Chattisgarh. Reducing maternal mortality in remote villages spread far and wide in forest and forest fringe areas, is a huge challenge. A reputed public health organisation Jan Swasthya Sahyog (JSS) has attempted to meet this challenge at several levels in Bilaspur district of Chattisgarh. Traditional midwives already working in these villages have been identified…

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Rita Ganguly, a Padmashree awardee and recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, has established and popularised her guru Begum Akhtar’s legacy for 40 years. She has also founded the Begum Akhtar Academy of Ghazals and is currently preparing for a series of programmes and recitals across the country. In October last year, Ganguly released her book, Ae Mohabbat – reminiscing Begum Akhtar. In an emotionally rich interview, this veteran vocalist opens her box of memories of interactions with her mentor, her own entry into music, and her total commitment to music. Few know that Rita Ganguly is a multi-talented…

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Music has inspired us since time immemorial and led to the creation of various instruments not only to recapture the sounds of nature but also give expression to emotions. We can trace the origin of Indian music instruments in ancient scriptures. Over the years, various regions of the country have been inventing and modifying new instruments. Music is obviously the first creative expression of man. Man must have picked up various sounds from nature – the melodious chirping of birds, distant cries of animals, sound of water gently falling, gush of waterfalls, and rain pattering on earth, rocks and trees.…

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