We sorted through countless photographs taken around the world to come up with the top photos of 2019. Together these images tell the story of the year -- capturing moments of hope and heartbreak, triumph and tragedy.
The year is coming to an end and overall, it's been one hell of a year! We have had our share of ups and downs and we look forward to a better 2020. While we count down the days to the new year, let's also reflect on those who gave us strength to stand up in what we believe, the courageous who didn't bow down and the ones with gumption who inspired us to be better. We, Rediff.com, have selected 26 personalities, who we think are worthy of the title -- HERO OF THE YEAR -- and we want you, dear readers, to choose your hero!
A course on 'land acquisition, rehabilitation and environmental clearance of projects' is also being offered by IIT-Kharagpur.
Vedanta Resources has huge interests in India. The promoter and majority shareholder of Vedanta Resources, Anil Agarwal, also founded Sterlite Industries.
Estimated to cost $44 billion, the project was expected to be commissioned by 2025.
'It was immoral to cut the trees at Aarey, says Delhi law student Rishav Ranjan.
By getting the Tamil Nadu assembly to act on his very imaginative public declaration to keep petro-chemical industries out of the Cauvery delta, which has traditionally been a DMK stronghold, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has not only set the ball rolling for the assembly elections due a year later but also sent out a strong message to the BJP government at the Centre, which took a unilateral decision to exempt petro-complexes from environmental clearance, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
The problem, say experts, is not so much the use of plastic as the lack of effort to recycle and reuse it.
'Why should farmers who give us food be vacated to hand over their property to a private company held by one individual,' asks green activist S P Udaykumar.
A 9-seater sea-plane of Maritime Energy Heli Air Services (MEHAIR) landed successfully in Gangapur dam near Nashik, thirty-five minutes after taking off from Juhu in Mumbai.
'He spoke about 20 jawans in Ladakh, but he couldn't even name China.' 'He said the world had seen what had been achieved, even though we Indians don't know because Modi has himself said that nothing had happened and nobody had come,' points out Aakar Patel.
Environmental campaigners say they hope two outstanding court cases can still stop India's Adani Enterprises Ltd from developing a A$10 billion ($7.6 billion) coal project.
'Gandhi turned his life into a counter-intuitive experiment in old ideas like non-violence and swadeshi.' 'He offered numerous universal ideas that talk to the human condition.' 'His ability to take risks was outstanding,' says Sopan Joshi, explaining why the Mahatma's ideas are as relevant as ever.
BJP, AIADMK oppose the project while DMK and CPI(M) support the Sethusamudram shipping project across the Palk Strait. T E Narasimhan reports
Water shortage is likely to lead to political tensions and instability in the future, warns Simon George, President, Cargill India.
According to official details unveiled by Downing Street on Friday, Trump will arrive for the two-day "working visit" next Thursday afternoon straight from a NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium.
Ever wondered what happens when Hollywood A-listers turn protestors? Take a look.
'The administration started intruding into the kitchens and bedrooms of the local community.'
'For the first time in 50 years the people of Lakshadweep who have till now never raised their hands, got out on the streets and started raising their voices.'
Natarajan said she had an unpopular job but she never did anything wrong
'That was triggering stone-throwing.' 'So if the cops were not so visible, the chances of any violence is reduced.'
'If prices of everyday consumption don't come down, employment doesn't pick up, 2020 will not be a happy year for anyone but the super rich,' notes Sherna Gandhy.
United States President Trump has been nominated along side his arch nemesis dictator Kim Jong-un.
The talks will be the first official engagement between India and Pakistan since Khan became prime minister on August 18.
Explosives, weighing totally nearly 750 kgs, were used in a controlled manner to bring down the lakeside structures in Maradu, eight months after the apex court ordered their demolition for violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone norms.
'The COVID-19 pandemic must push the military into a long-term reconsideration of its primary challenges.' 'There must be greater emphasis on humanitarian aid and disaster relief including the management of contagious illnesses and impending crises caused by climate change,' notes Ajai Shukla.
On September 20, the Maharashtra government had told the court that Aarey cannot be declared a forest just because of its greenery.
'The failures of private businessmen have set back the process of market-oriented reform, though that is the only way forward,' argues T N Ninan.
'The darkest days of Indian democracy were (during) the Emergency when basic democratic rights were suspended. For a time it seemed as though India would move along the East Asian model -- everybody works hard, nobody asks questions, certainly not of the government.' 'There are people who say we are headed that way, but I am not persuaded by the evidence,' says Mahesh Rangarajan who recently resigned as director of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi.
Activists burnt the US flag and logos of Union Carbide and Dow Chemicals - as they have done nothing to end the sufferings of the victims for the last 32 years.
While the government insists that the road will help in solving traffic woes, environmentalists and locals decry cutting of trees, impact on environment.
Labour unions, with a history of hostility towards management, are pushing back on Coal India's plans, fearing modernization and outsourcing will hit jobs.
Muzzling NGOs is unbecoming of a democracy. Self-confident democracies encourage, indeed applaud, the involvement of citizens' associations, including NGOs, in social and political decision-making and development planning. Instead, our paranoid government bullies and terrorises them, says Praful Bidwai.
Congress demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge.
Siddaramaiah asked "If Bengaluru people don't want, why do we want it?"
The death toll in twin explosions in this Chinese port city of Tianjin on Saturday rose to 85 amid protests from frustrated relatives of the missing fire fighters demanding answers on their loved ones' fates as specialised anti-chemical warfare soldiers recovered one survivor.
United States President Donald Trump's new executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries -- Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Syria and Somalia - has upended the lives of many families across the world.
'Haven't you heard of the magical EVM machines? They can negate all our votes.' 'There is no hope. Modi is India's Putin.'
At a press conference, the NBCC CMD defended the move, saying it is a sacrifice that one has to make for development and they would be compensating by increasing the green cover 15 times.
Gas affected areas in Bhopal are still bereft of basic amenities.
Flowing from an inadequate understanding of Tamil history and politics is an urban elitist mindset that does not seem to be able to touch and feel the real angst of the larger Tamil-speaking masses, cutting across the social and economic status of the individual, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
