Small gestures from Indira gave Sonia the confidence that she could be a daughter-in-law in the distinguished family.
There are several books that Aakar Patel wishes were being written but aren't. Fortunately, there's plenty coming up this year that he's eagerly awaiting.
Here's your weekly digest of the craziest and funniest stories from around the world.
Here are various roles that a bigot can play, disproving that s/he is one-note and uni-dimensional, and is in fact a versatile, multitasking person.
Nilanjana S Roy compiles a list of the most eagerly awaited books next year.
National Geographic has revealed the first batch of entries in its 'Travel Photo' contest -- and the bar has been set very high. Think extraordinary landscapes, inquisitive wildlife, sneak peeks into people's lives around the world, and jaw-dropping natural phenomenons; all captured in a whole host of creative ways. These exquisite images are battling it out for the possible grand prize of $7,500 (Rs 5.17 lakh). The winning image will also be featured on National Geographic's official Instagram account. Details of entry into the competition can be found on the contest homepage, and National Geographic are accepting entries until May 3. Here are some early highlights from the entries National Geographic received so far.
Nearly 490 million people of working age are outside the bounds of India's unemployment assessments. A decrease in the unemployment rate could signal economic growth, but could just as well mean that people have given up looking for work. A revealing excerpt from Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran and Tata Chief Economist Roopa Purushothaman's Bridgital Nation: Solving Technology's People Problem.
Get set to be amazed as Rediff.com has all that and more sporting action from the past week encapsulated in this super photo feature.
Don't get bullied into doing anything that does not make you uncomfortable. The key is truly to trust yourself and your instinct.
If people respect our culture and interests, why should anyone become more regressive? Education will not be saffronised. Just the correct picture will be portrayed and facts not distorted.' Dr Dinanath Batra, who successfully litigated to have Penguin withdraw copies of Wendy Doniger's book on Hinduism, tells Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa what India will be like if the BJP under Narendra Modi forms the next government.
In a soon to be published book, 'Of Counsel: The Challenges of the Modi-Jaitley Economy,' former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian says though RBI has a good reputation, it does not mean it's always right, as for years, the RBI was unable to grasp the seriousness of the loan repayment problems or identify the prolonged frauds of Nirav Modi and the likes.
'We can make all the noise we want to about being a tolerant society, but the reality is in front of us.'
'His contributions in setting up transparent precedents of governance are still basically intact despite the cynicism of several of his successors,' notes Jamini Bhagwati.
Alas, the 'basic income' schemes that have hit the headlines in the recent past are a far cry from the genuine article in terms of coverage and fiscal implications, says Vijay Joshi.
The decision to do away with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes accelerated the slowdown in economic activity with growth averaging 6.8 per cent in the seven quarters after it, as against an average of 8 per cent in the six quarters preceding it, says former chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian.
Sridevi had updated her art to become more contemporary than current actors. She was new-age and yet vintage. By making the predictable so precious, she makes it a scene that could hold its head high anywhere in world cinema.
Devdutt Pattanaik responds to the decision by Penguin to withdraw and pulp Wendy Doniger's book The Hindus: An Alternative History.
Colouring books for adults are helping people loosen up and rediscover their childhood.
Indian Admirals say Malabar 2018 will involve unprecedented complexity, featuring enemy threats in all three dimensions, but especially underwater threats from submarines -- a key Chinese strength. For the first time, officers from all three navies will be posted on other navies' warships. That means Indian Navy officers will obtain the unprecedented benefits of operating on US nuclear attack submarines and Japan's highly regarded Soryu submarines.
You may eat great food, exercise enough and yet not lose fat because you are sleep-deprived. Most of the magic takes place when you sleep well.
'Constitutional narratives are forged both inside and outside courtrooms,' says Rohit De.
'New Delhi showed itself willing -- at least for a period -- to tolerate the risk of conflict and to withstand Beijing's implicit and explicit threats.' 'But it also continued to try to cut some kind of deal with China to reduce tensions.'
'Hindus are proud of what the Dharmashastras symbolise, but they don't want to do any work to preserve it!,' Sanskrit scholar Donald Davis tells Kanika Dutta.
Iqbal wanted to land the smuggled goods by helicopter on the Andaman Islands. DK asked, 'Iqbal, a helicopter will bring the consignment to the island, drop it there and then return. Won't radars detect it?' 'No.' 'How?' 'Radars can't detect aircraft that fly at a low altitude. Our helicopter, after entering India's air space, will dive and fly at four feet above the sea level.' 'For that, I have a German pilot in mind. He was an ace aviator in the last world war.' An enthralling excerpt from Aabid Surti's Sufi: The Invisible Man Of The Underground.
An excerpt from Fitness Secrets of the Stars.
Tailored luxury experiences with the most minute of details charted out for discerning travellers is the way forward, says Nikita Puri.
Nearly 31 million Indians are unemployed and looking for jobs. While economic growth has been humming along, the pace of job creation has been poor. A revealing excerpt from Dev Kar's India: Still A Shackled Giant.
The nine meetings offer an interesting window into Shafi Armar's efforts to try and group together what after all were excitable keyboard warriors into an actual terror group, capable of handling weapons, organising recruits, cooking homegrown explosives, selecting safe training areas, safe houses and finally, committing strikes against Indian targets.
Kuch banne ke nahi, kuch karne ke sapne dekho.
Nikita Puri lists the best shows and films to watch online as you ace social distancing.
'This proved that whatever was growing in the mosquito's gut was a parasite -- it was almost certainly the malarial parasite.'
Wheeling round, a look of utter shock on its face, a marmot jumps in fright after a young fox sneaks up behind it. The split-second encounter between prey and predator -- called the Moment -- has won the man who captured it the title of Wildlife Photographer of the Year. He was chosen from a longlist of various category winners, all of whom managed to record the oddities, rivalries and beauty of the natural world. Scroll down for some of the winners.
'Any conventional conflict could trigger a nuclear war with results that neither India nor Pakistan could survive easily.' >A revealing excerpt from Shuja Nawaz's The Battle For Pakistan: The Bitter US Friendship And A Tough Neighbourhood.
Soon after the BJP lost the 2004 election, the stockmarkets went into unprecedented free fall. Then SEBI Chairman G N Bajpai reveals how his firm handling of the situation restored confidence and soon the markets were back to doing what they do best -- make money. A revealing excerpt from his book, A Game Changer's Memoir.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Friday said Emergency is no longer possible in the country as media censorship is not possible in the digital era and amendment to the Constitution has ensured that people cannot be detained without a cause.
At a time when the Kashmir valley has been shut down, it is perhaps appropriate that we remember Lal Ded, Kashmir's best known spiritual and literary figure, someone remembered with divine adoration both by Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir. A fascinating excerpt from Sandhya Mulchandani's For The Love Of God: Women Poet Saints Of The Bhakti Movement.
Long before he launched Paytm, Vijay Shankar Sharma, a 32 year old from Aligarh, embarked on his ambitious entrepreneurial journey.
Unlike the Germans, Britons began to face the hard truths about their colonial empire only recently.
An army of 'book fairies' are anonymously dropping off some delightful books in public places across the world.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances