We asked colleagues, present and past, to reflect on a man who has made such a difference to their lives and careers. Here it is then, a rich collection of memories that offer enchanting glimpses of the enigmatic Ajit Balakrishnan.
Development economist Jean Dreze said the Indian democracy is currently navigating a crisis that is not only limited to the 'recent wave of authoritarianism' but also suppression of opposition voices by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
'They have brought out a provision whereby the medium of education in the Hindi speaking states will be Hindi even in higher education institutions like IIT, IIM, etc.' 'Think about the students from the south who get admission in the IITs in Kanpur or Delhi or the IIMs in various places.'
Asked about the BJP's claim that its performance in southern states will be exemplary, Tharoor said, "The claim of an 'exemplary' performance is yet another product of the BJP's propaganda mill."
Nothing is going to change in a hurry unless attitudes change and punishments are speedy and fair, notes Ramesh Menon.
'Thirty per cent of the world's deaths in young people, due to heart disease, are encountered by people in India.'
Pune Police on Monday said they will seek a higher court's permission to try as an adult a 17-year-old boy whose car allegedly knocked down and killed two persons in Kalyani Nagar area in Pune.
'it's not just youth in India who are left behind because of their inability to find jobs; nearly two-thirds of Indian women of working ages do not participate at all in the paid labour force.'
'Our study finds that only about 20% of Indians are vegetarians and the rest of the 80% are non-vegetarians or meat-eaters.'
A CNN-IBN and the week Pre-poll survey for Himachal Pradesh conducted by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies shows a close race between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress in 2012 state assembly election.
The university has also directed security agencies to deploy ex-Army personnel to strengthen the security of its hostel blocks, the official said.
'I had the opportunity to portray a wildlife crime fighter on screen, which allowed me to express my concern for society, wildlife, and the environment. I strongly believe that humans share this planet with countless other species and hold immense respect for every living creature.'
'It was a machinery of death. A large number of Hindus were first converted and then persecuted from 1560 all the way to 1812!' says novelist Richard Zimler.
These maps can facilitate development of smart cities in little ways that add up to huge economic benefits for citizens
From installing water-saving aerators on taps to using cans for washing hands and dishes, Bengaluru is adopting diverse strategies to tide over the water crisis. While several citizens have taken to social media to urge Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to make work from home mandatory for IT companies, it appears that hybrid mode will continue to be the norm for most - although with new water conservation measures in place. Co-working space provider Urban Vault has, for instance, installed smart water meters to detect leakage.
'Younger children don't really distinguish based on class, gender, income and so on.'
The state's joblessness is three times higher than the national average of 7.8 per cent.
Nothing is more promising than countries putting aside hubris and ideological differences to invest in our shared future, observes Durga Sreenivasan, a delegate at COP28.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance is poised to cross 220 seats, well ahead of the United Progressive Alliance and within striking distance of forming a government in 2014 if elections are held today.
In the nationwide CNN-IBN Election Tracker conducted by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies today we look at the northern states -- Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and how has been the performance of the United Progressive Alliance government.
For the Mizo people, tribal and family identity are important. But so are jobs, farmers' access to markets, roads, and health facilities for a young population where drugs are a big affliction.
'Bihar's caste survey has bolstered the Opposition parties, but one shouldn't forget that the BJP is also trying to present itself as a party that cares for the OBCs more than other parties,' points out Sanjay Kumar.
Here are the results of the CNN-IBN and The Hindu poll conducted by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies.
'The BJP is trying to change this mantra.'
'Kejriwal could have easily deputed someone to step in as chief minister, but being the authoritative and self-centered personality that he is, he chose not to do it.' 'If the AAP loses Delhi, where it has a huge majority, the only one to blame would be Kejriwal,' asserts Ramesh Menon.
'Coupled with e-filing procedures it would really enhance the ability of the judiciary to provide speedier justice.'
Tired of hearing about Narendra Modi in the news? Well, if the results of a new poll are to be believed, you may well be hearing more on the Gujarat strongman in future.
The results of CNN-IBN and The Hindu poll conducted by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies projects the Bharatiya Janata Party to be single-largest party in Uttar Pradesh; a neck and neck tie between the BJP and the Congress in Rajasthan and a likely clean sweep for the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, if elections were to be held today.
More and more women are making their presence felt in jobs related to sciences, technology, and engineering across organisations.
'Muslims are divided on caste, class, region, language and even religious lines. It is almost impossible to club all these Muslim communities into one category to identify some kind of political pattern,' says Hilal Ahmed, associate fellow, Centre for the Study of Development Societies, New Delhi.
Senior state leaders of the two parties pointed to propping up of the "new set of leaders not having much political stature" and lack of communication for the failure to reconcile differences.
The signatories to a letter sent to NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani include Kanti Prasad Bajpai, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor who currently serves as the vice dean at the National University, Singapore, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a former vice-chancellor of the Ashoka University, Rajeev Bhargava, a former director of CSDS, Niraja Gopal Jayal, a former JNU professor, Nivedita Menon, a JNU professor, Vipul Mudgal, the head of civil society watchdog Common Cause, K C Suri, a former professor at the University of Hyderabad who is now associated with the Gitam University, and Peter Ronald deSouza, a former director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
The findings of the CNN-IBN & CNBC-TV18 'State of the Nation Poll', conducted by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi reflects the popular mood of a number of issues such as the popularity of political leaders, the economy, corruption and terrorism. The results of the poll on the theme 'Personalities and Leadership' shows that Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi is the preferred choice as prime minister.
In his opening remarks at the virtual summit of Leaders of G20 countries, Modi made it clear that terrorism was "unacceptable" to everyone and the death of civilians, anywhere, was condemnable.
A poll conducted by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies shows Mamata Banerjee will win in Bengal and Nitish Kumar is likely to hold on in Bihar despite the split with BJP, if elections were to be held today
When the votes get counted for the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will be hoping to set a few new records.
Justice Chelameswar said the State has reasons to keep surveillance depending upon the situations, but there should be "an amount of transparency in the process".
'I feel she has some mental disorder. Or, it was an act of pure revenge.'
'We should not underestimate the power of Hindutva.'
'We want to make sustainability affordable.' 'We tell everyone, don't just recycle, Craste it!'
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