Human skeletal remains from the ancient Indus-Saraswati Civilisation site of Rakhigarhi in Haryana have been formally transferred by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) for detailed scientific investigation. This transfer, under a new MoU, aims to advance multidisciplinary research into one of the largest known settlements of the Indus-Saraswati Civilisation, with archaeologists having uncovered eight burials, including three complete skeletons, during recent excavations.
Scientists have found that much of the Indus civilisation thrived around an extinct river, challenging ideas about how urbanisation in ancient cultures evolved.
The Indian contingent made a striking appearance at the Para Asian Games opening ceremony in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday, wearing ceremonial blazers adorned with motifs inspired by 5,000 years of Indian civilisation, including Indus Valley seals and SaptSindhu. Led by Paralympic medallist Simran Sharma and top shuttler Pramod Bhagat, over 100 athletes proudly represented India, which has a 281-member contingent competing across 11 disciplines. The Games will conclude on October 24.
'Archaeological sites like Keeladi, having remained buried for 2,500 years, have come out and speak now.'
Nearly a week ahead of his Pakistan visit, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is upbeat and eager to visit historical places of the Indus valley civilization.
India has strongly criticised the local body elections in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK), labelling them as a facade to conceal Pakistan's illegal occupation and severe human rights violations in the region. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated India's stance that all of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, including PoK, are integral parts of India. He also dismissed Pakistan's claims to a shared cultural legacy, citing its history of promoting terrorism and fundamentalism.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has altered the iconic 'Dancing Girl' figurine from Mohenjo-daro in its new Class 9 arts textbook, covering its bare torso with shading. This change has drawn criticism for misrepresenting the original artefact and sparking a debate on what is considered 'age-appropriate' in educational materials.
Underlining that students are the "architects of India's future," President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the government is taking comprehensive steps to reform public examinations to completely curb paper leaks and unfair means, making the system transparent, secure, and trustworthy.
'There is no doubt about the antiquity of Tamil Nadu.'
'It is disappointing that a craft, which is protected by the Geographical Indication Tag, Polo Ralph Lauren has turned it into a cheap wrap skirt, that too, printed.'
'It has the potential to sow seeds of furthering discord when the direction of the discourse is aimed at propagating the perceived supremacy of 'cultural nationalism' from a distant past over the prevailing dominance of 'Constitutional nationalism',' argues N Sathiya Moorthy.
India is the only significant power that all parties trust, or at least do not distrust, notes former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
If one has to compare the tenures of the two prime ministers one must credit Nehru with laying the foundations on which Modi is building a grand edifice, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'At Keeladi, we have not come across any evidence for organised religion.'
Pakistan was created as a result of the 1947 Partition of then-undivided India, and the Sindh region near the river Indus has been part of Pakistan since then.
He clarified that though China has not announced any such move, but even if it happens, it would in fact help mitigate the annual Assam floods.
Standing at the edge of Dholavira is witnessing history textbooks crammed in school coming to life. One is suddenly standing face to face with a 4,000-year-old civilisational site that is now but a ruin.
Believed to be of archaeological importance, the object was found in the Dikshit South area of Mohenjo-daro after a downpour on August 3, the Dawn newspaper reported.
An IIT Delhi professor has been booked for alleged negligence following the death of a PhD student during excavation work near the archaeological site of Lothal in Gujarat. The incident occurred in November 2024 when the student, Surabhi Verma, died after a 10-foot deep excavation pit collapsed on her while she and her professor, Yama Dixit, were collecting soil samples. The FIR was registered based on a complaint by the student's father, alleging that Dixit's negligence led to Verma's death. Dixit has been charged with causing death by negligence and endangering life. The investigation revealed that the team was unaware of the high water level beneath the visible dry soil, and had not informed police or local authorities before starting the excavation.
The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry carried out a review of municipal solid waste management in Indian cities in 2009, and found that only six of the 22 surveyed cities in the study had sanitary landfills, while 10 cities -- including major waste generators like New Delhi, Greater Mumbai (greatest generator of waste) and Kanpur -- did not have sanitary landfills.
There are tweaks in references to B R Ambedkar's experience about the discrimination.
'India is a strange place.' 'On the one hand we have the most advanced science working on our origins and our ancestry.' 'On the other we are at war with ourselves over a temple to a god whom our first ancestors knew nothing of,' says Aakar Patel.
'Ashutosh Gowariker's Mohenjo Daro does what many history books could not have done.' 'He awakens interest in the ancient civilisation of Harapppa and Mohenjo Daro,' says Asim Siddiqui.
While Governor Ravi's speeches have put the local BJP supporters on the defensive in matters of religion and social justice, his add-on 'attack on the constitutional scheme' in the 'Senthil Balaji case', has been condemned squarely by many legal experts and editorial writers across the country, thus adding weight to CM Stalin's position -- at least until the courts come up with their binding views, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Take a look at Hrithik Roshan's film Mohenho Daro's poster.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has collaborated with Grammy Award-winning Indian-American singer Falu for a special song to promote the benefits of millets and their potential to alleviate world hunger.
'The Dancing Girl is only one of the many symbols they threaten today.' 'Our country is changing.' 'Elements that ought to have remained on the fringes have been handed power and control of a state on a platter.' 'With this, the party that persistently wooed us with its development agenda has arrogantly taken its mask off,' says Veenu Sandhu.
At a time when China is trying to make its foray into South Asia, India should use its shared history to strengthen its ties in the region, says Dr Rup Narayan Das.
Villages in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district are geared up to host Jallikattu, the controversial bull taming game, with many strict restrictions put in place following a Supreme Court order. A Ganesh Nadar takes a stock of the preparations.
Stalin's personal intervention in the Adheenam row may have contained the avoidable political damage and social tensions at least for now, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
A Pakistani court on Thursday stopped the construction of a stage at the historic site of Mohenjodaro for an upcoming festival being spearheaded by Pakistan People's Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as a "cultural coup".
'Indian civilisation has thrived for millennia because of the element of Dharma in society, however strong the demons are.'
How should one billion Indians, for whom deprivation has become an inescapable way of life, join us in celebrating 75 years of Independence? And where do we go from here? asks Kalyan Singhal.
Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz emphasised that river Jhelum, on which the project is proposed to be built, is a 'symbol of our civilisation' and cannot lose the right of navigation on it.
But it is less adventurous. It seems, at last, that in its eighth decade, Pakistan has settled into being a parliamentary democracy just like Bangladesh has and like we have always been, observes Aakar Patel.
Each region in India has its own culinary narrative that speaks through its distinct dishes. Each cuisine packs within itself, textures, layers, ideas and historical nuggets so that all of Indian food cannot be pigeonholed together to say that there is one Indian cuisine. A fascinating extract from Sonal Ved's Whose Samosa Is It Anyway?.
Where paneer came to India from... How sambar got its name... Gulab jamun does not have Indian roots...
The Sindhi New Year 'chetichand' holds a lot of importance, as this is a day when friends and relatives come together to meet one another.
The earliest ones included whistles shaped like birds, toy monkeys that could slide down a string and small carts made from materials found in nature such as sticks, clay and rocks. While there might be no disputing India's rich toy-making tradition, the industry is languishing for lack of investment and technology, and also owing to competition from cheap imports. And though it has been listed among 24 key sectors under the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the question remains: will this push help place it in the global game? Currently, 80-odd per cent of the toys sold in India are imported - nearly 60 per cent of them from China.
'Was there an element of orchestration between Mukherjee and Mohan Bhagwat about their speeches to the effect that the former would leave out any reference to Muslims while the RSS chief will not talk about a Hindu rashtra?' asks Amulya Ganguli.
