News for 'East Room'

'I wanted to understand what happened to Amy and why'

'I wanted to understand what happened to Amy and why'

Rediff.com1 Mar 2016

'It was impossible to please everyone with Amy Winehouse's story because it is complicated and dark. Everyone has his or her own version of what was going on and I found myself caught in the middle of it.'

High fashion is severely low on soul

High fashion is severely low on soul

Rediff.com30 Aug 2013

18-year-old Paloma Sharma had never been to a fashion week until a few days ago. She writes about what it feels like to stick out like a sore thumb.

'People shoot their mouths off on Hinduism without bothering to understand it'

'People shoot their mouths off on Hinduism without bothering to understand it'

Rediff.com11 Jul 2016

'People on both sides of the Hindutva debate need to read and understand the texts first,' Bibek Debroy, translator of the unabridged Mahabharata, tells Kanika Datta as he gets started on a similar project for the Ramayana.

In China, Modi to push for expediting industrial parks

In China, Modi to push for expediting industrial parks

Rediff.com12 May 2015

Beijing wants assurance that its investments won't come under scrutiny

Injured Clarke shaking up fitness regimen ahead of Pak series

Injured Clarke shaking up fitness regimen ahead of Pak series

Rediff.com22 Sep 2014

Injured Australia captain Michael Clarke will arrive in the United Arab Emirates five days ahead of the rest of the Test squad as he races to be fit for the two-match series against Pakistan.

'We will always fight this battle with our hands tied behind our back'

'We will always fight this battle with our hands tied behind our back'

Rediff.com23 Nov 2015

'It has taken bombings in Beirut, bombing of a Russian airliner and now terror attacks in Paris for people to realise that we are not going to achieve our objectives of destroying ISIS if we drive in second gear. We need to get into top gear.'

Haryana's mission to become an investment hotspot

Haryana's mission to become an investment hotspot

Rediff.com7 Jul 2016

The state is trying hard to improve ease of doing business by several notches.

How Dabur, Lakme and Rooh Afza were started

How Dabur, Lakme and Rooh Afza were started

Rediff.com27 Jan 2015

These Indian companies truly defined the essence of entrepreneurship.

Can the industry avoid being scrutinised by CAG?

Can the industry avoid being scrutinised by CAG?

Rediff.com10 Jan 2014

CAG may not be the cure-all for the ills that afflict PPP projects and is perhaps a sub-optimal solution to the problem.

The danger signal from the Muzaffarnagar riots

The danger signal from the Muzaffarnagar riots

Rediff.com19 Sep 2013

It is rare for communal riots to spread to rural areas. The UP riot is the first time after the September 1969 Gujarat riots that a rural area have been affected. Electoral politics which divide society in majority/minority, going on since the early 1990s, is a major contributing factor to this heightened tension between communities, says Colonel (retd) Anil Athale in the first of a two part series.

The Huge Call Centre Scam

The Huge Call Centre Scam

Rediff.com20 Oct 2016

An industry of scamsters is operating in the guise of call centres in India.

Nita & Devashish narrate a beautiful story of hope, love, laughter

Nita & Devashish narrate a beautiful story of hope, love, laughter

Rediff.com27 May 2015

Nita Doshi and Devashish Sharma share a common goal to help poor patients who cannot afford treatment for cancer.

Dadri Lynching: Time for a Mann Ki Baat, Mr Prime Minister!

Dadri Lynching: Time for a Mann Ki Baat, Mr Prime Minister!

Rediff.com3 Oct 2015

'Mohammad Akhlaq's death isn't only about a Muslim being killed out of sheer communal bigotry, but also the denial of the Constitutional guarantees of "due process" under Article 21 and the freedom of choice,' says Shehzad Poonawalla, who has moved the National Commission for Minorities over the murder.

Bad news for poor as Mumbai clamps down on primary schools

Bad news for poor as Mumbai clamps down on primary schools

Rediff.com2 May 2016

In a major measure, Mumbai's municipal corporation has sent legal notices to 249 private primary schools asking them to shut down. The step threatens to disrupt the already inadequate educational scenario in the city, reports Hepzi Anthony.

WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny

WTF News: It's Weird, True and Funny

Rediff.com31 Oct 2014

From DIY submarines to diets of 20,000 calories is part of this week's collection of weird, true and funny news.

Exclusive: 'Maharashtra police has no understanding of Naxalism'

Exclusive: 'Maharashtra police has no understanding of Naxalism'

Rediff.com21 Oct 2013

Vernon Gonsalves, who spent nearly six years in jail after being labelled a Naxalite by the security agencies, recounts in detail his arrest, the case against him and his future plans in an exclusive interview.

'India has never lacked for ideas'

'India has never lacked for ideas'

Rediff.com30 Jun 2016

'Soft power is the power really to win friends and influence people with the strength of your ideas.' 'India's greatest soft power is being India itself. A nation of varied beliefs, states, creeds, castes, languages and yet embodying that spirit of unity in diversity.'

Escaping the Spiti snowstorm

Escaping the Spiti snowstorm

Rediff.com1 Jul 2013

Rediff.com columnist Yoginder Sikand recounts his near-death experience during a recent trip to Tabo, a small town on the banks of the Spiti river in Himachal Pradesh.

Xi's India visit: Can Modi play his cards well?

Xi's India visit: Can Modi play his cards well?

Rediff.com10 Sep 2014

President Xi Jinping's visit may put relations between India and China on a new trajectory

'Sunny Leone was in tears when she saw me'

'Sunny Leone was in tears when she saw me'

Rediff.com18 Oct 2016

'There was a day when I didn't want to live.' 'And there is today, when I want to live long and enjoy my life.'

7 States. 6 Days. 2,148 km and a journey of a lifetime

7 States. 6 Days. 2,148 km and a journey of a lifetime

Rediff.com4 Jun 2016

When Rediff.com's Archana Masih and Rajesh Karkera set course from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea, they could not think of a better place to begin their journey than the stately campus that has given India some of its greatest military heroes.

Dalit protests turn violent during Bharat bandh, 9 dead

Dalit protests turn violent during Bharat bandh, 9 dead

Rediff.com3 Apr 2018

Incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab as protesters agitated against the dilution of the SC/ST Act.

Have you visited these stunning monuments?

Have you visited these stunning monuments?

Rediff.com11 Feb 2015

You totally should says Lakshmi Sharath.

Sheena Bora Trial: Why didn't the driver recognise his wife?

Sheena Bora Trial: Why didn't the driver recognise his wife?

Rediff.com22 Dec 2017

'You don't want to admit that it is your wife in the video because she said you were arrested on Wednesday (August 19; Shyamvar Rai states he was arrested on August 21, a Friday).'

'How can I pursue masters in the US?'

'How can I pursue masters in the US?'

Rediff.com27 Apr 2015

In an online chat with readers, overseas consultant NNS Chandra offers career advice.

Can Modi and Xi 'reset' Sino-Indian ties?

Can Modi and Xi 'reset' Sino-Indian ties?

Rediff.com14 May 2015

'China's excessive military aid to Pakistan is the real elephant in the room as far as Sino-Indian relations are concerned. India should be confident enough to accept a degree of closeness between China and Pakistan, since China may wish to use this link for its foray into the Muslim world.' 'But the Chinese must be realistic enough to know that as time passes, the tactic of using Pakistan as a proxy to check India will yield diminishing returns. The US tried it for 60 years but failed, so will China,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).

I did not waver from my loyalty to Indira Gandhi: Pranab Mukherjee

I did not waver from my loyalty to Indira Gandhi: Pranab Mukherjee

Rediff.com12 Dec 2014

Pranab Mukherjee's book The Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years takes the readers through the economic and social unrest of the period leading up to the emergency, rise and fall of leaders, many splits within the Congress, while promising to offer more in the next two volumes of the trilogy, says Nivedita Mookerji.

What went on inside Bengal's house of terror?

What went on inside Bengal's house of terror?

Rediff.com13 Oct 2014

Rediff.com's Indrani Dey digs up chilling details of the ongoing investigation in the Bardhaman blast case, which exposed the a militant network that had been operating in West Bengal since many years.

Remembering Amar Bose: The label 'Great Man' fits him to a T

Remembering Amar Bose: The label 'Great Man' fits him to a T

Rediff.com15 Jul 2013

Sree Sreenivasan recalls his encounters with the pioneer of sound who passed away on Friday and gives a sense of how many lives he touched -- in big and small ways.

Bangalore beats Mumbai, Delhi as airlines' favourite hub

Bangalore beats Mumbai, Delhi as airlines' favourite hub

Rediff.com27 Aug 2014

The future certainly looks good for Bangalore.

This CA quit his job to teach slum kids

This CA quit his job to teach slum kids

Rediff.com29 Dec 2015

Mumbai-based CA Prince Tiwari is educating and empowering the underprivileged since 2011. This is his heart-warming story.

The sad business of smuggling red sanders wood

The sad business of smuggling red sanders wood

Rediff.com18 Aug 2014

The illegal trade in red sanders wood, which sells for up to Rs 80 lakh a tonne in some Asian countries, involves a complex nexus of smugglers and impoverished woodcutters.

'What entrance exams are required to apply in the US?'

'What entrance exams are required to apply in the US?'

Rediff.com9 May 2015

Overseas consultant NNS Chandra shares crucial advice for students aspiring to study abroad.

Arun Jaitley always stands for the long term

Arun Jaitley always stands for the long term

Rediff.com11 Jul 2014

'Power sits lightly on Arun Jaitley's shoulders. Just because earth-shaking election results have brought his party in power, he has not gone recklessly ambitious. "Too soon, too fast" is not what he likes,' says Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com about Budget 2014.

PM on Modi: I take my opponents very seriously

PM on Modi: I take my opponents very seriously

Rediff.com6 Dec 2013

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday disagreed with those in the Congress who were dismissive of the challenge posed by Narendra Modi but asserted that the party would approach the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with self-confidence, irrespective of the results of the just concluded elections in five states.

'We are on the verge of a student movement'

'We are on the verge of a student movement'

Rediff.com29 Mar 2016

'... A youth movement which could really transform our politics in a way that the existing elites don't understand.' 'The more you suppress free expression, the more people will value it.' 'The State can't suppress a young society like India where there are so many interesting new ideas emerging,' says Sunil Khilnani, whose latest book Incarnations looks at Indian history through 50 lives.

'What we leave behind of ourselves through work is most important'

'What we leave behind of ourselves through work is most important'

Rediff.com23 Jul 2016

In an interview to HarmonyIndia.org, the artist, who had famously said that he lived to paint and painted to live, spoke of what the 'bindu' meant to him, about his friend M F Husain and the legacy that he will leave behind.

'I'm surprised that George Clooney got married'

'I'm surprised that George Clooney got married'

Rediff.com31 Oct 2014

'I think I've got to see Happy New Year but people have told me that I would like Haider,' The Best Of Me director Michael Hoffman tells Paloma Sharma.

'Indian women have amazing bodies'

'Indian women have amazing bodies'

Rediff.com6 Jan 2016

Fashion designer Pria Kataaria Puri, host of celebrity chat show 'Born Stylish', spills the beans about designing for celebrities, her journey as a fashion designer and her ultimate style icon in an interview with Anita Aikara/Rediff.com.

Indian on the outside, Swedish on the inside

Indian on the outside, Swedish on the inside

Rediff.com28 Apr 2017

Born and abandoned in Mumbai, reborn in Sweden, Erika Sandberg says she is Indian on the outside but feels Swedish on the inside. Vaihayasi Pande Daniel narrates her tale.