The relative ranking of castes can vary across regions and localities and depends on a number of factors including control over land, wealth, and political power. Castes have often tried to 'upgrade' themselves (a process sociologists refer to as Sanskritization), and sometimes get 'downgraded'. A revealing excerpt from Upinder Singh's Ancient India: Culture Of Contradictions.
The BJP is certain that the TMC will divide the Opposition votes, leaving it free to cruise through the polls.
The Maoists rained bullets from light machine guns and used low-intensity improvised explosive devices to mount the attack that went on till evening.
The gunbattle took place at a forest in Kistaram area bordering Telangana
Are the lions tourists see in Gir forest really wild and free? Prasanna D Zore doesn't feel so.
A superintendent of police along with his driver and three security guards was killed in a Maoist attack in Jharkhand's Pakur district on Tuesday.
The tribal leader, India's youngest president at 64 and the first to be born after Independence, took oath of office in the name of god to 'preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law'.
The battalion had lost its first Commanding Officer, Colonel Rajinder Chauhan, on August 21, 2000.
The recent monsoon rains have left almost 85 per cent of the park under water.
Forest personnel guarding Kaziranga National Park in Assam gunned down two poachers in an encounter that took place in Bagori Range of the National Park.
The 15 ministers were sworn in on Sunday for the expanded Gehlot cabinet, fulfilling a key demand of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot whose rebellion last year shook the state's Congress government.
The identity of the missing pilots has not been disclosed and the worst is feared.
Delhi has come to accept the Taliban takeover in Kabul as a reality and seems increasingly unsure of its dogmatic view of the Taliban as a mere proxy of the Pakistani military and security establishment, observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The Beatles came to Rishikesh to experience Indian spiritualism in 1968. The ashram where they stayed is now a 'Beatles museum'.
'That is how our machinery operates and sees every prisoner.'
Mizoram accused Assam of human rights violations, a charge denied by Guwahati which said on Monday that encroachment of its land was the crux of the border dispute between the two Northeastern states.
Pandey is living in New Delhi along with his family.
Yadav was named in an FIR registered on Tuesday by Special Task Force probing the multi-crore Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board or Vyapam scam under various sections of IPC, including 420 for cheating.
'Jackson presents me better than my previous films.' Kannada actress Pavana talks about her look in Jackson.
'This is the only place on earth where Elephas maximus climbs to these heights.'
The killed cadres, identified as Vargese and Linga, were allegedly involved in the ambush in which Mandavi and his four security personnel were killed on April 9, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava said.
A court on Sunday ordered the release of protesters on certain conditions, including production of personal surety of Rs 7,000 and assurance that they would not take part in protests.
Ramesh Menon, the veteran journalist suggests Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi what he should do if he wants to win 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
'We need to retell this history from many different perspectives.'
'Guarding the borders in extreme weather conditions is not easy and most people don't realize it is a very tough job.'
An ecological disaster is in the making in the Sunderbans, the world's largest mangrove forest spanning across the Indo-Bangla border, after an oil tanker collided with an empty cargo vessel. The incident spilled nearly 350 tonnes of oil into the Sela river, threatening the survival of multiple species of flora and fauna.
Growing and harvesting trees for productive and economic uses are once again dead in the water, says Sunita Narain.
Two Naxals were also gunned down in these face-offs.
The Natural History Museum's annual competition and exhibition, Wildlife Photographer of the Year has been the longest-running and most prestigious nature and wildlife photography competition that has been recognising the world's best nature photography every year since 1965.
The IED blast damaged the front portion of the bus, which was carrying a squad of at least 30 jawans.
A Defence spokesman said the ultras opened heavy fire on search parties resulting in critical injuries to the JCO and four other personnel.
Counting of votes will take place on May 15.
In the jungles of the Pench National Park and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, 28 brave women walk 20 km every day. They often come across tigers, leopards, bears, bison and other wild animals. But there is another species far deadlier that often crosses their path: Humans.
Suspected Bangladeshi nationals attacked a border outpost in Meghalaya, assaulted 2 BSF jawans and snatched their weapons on Wednesday night. Another group from the neighbouring country barged into the house of a Meghalaya resident and looted money.
In the jungles of the Pench National Park and Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, 28 brave women walk 20 km every day. They often come across tigers, leopards, bears, bison and other wild animals. But there is another species far deadlier that often crosses their path: Humans.
The year 2019 witnessed a total of 3,168 ceasefire violations against 1,629 in 2018.
This is the third infiltration attempt that has been foiled by the army in north Kashmir over the past fortnight.
The team of 21 Rashtriya Rifles had entered the house of a civilian to prevent a hostage situation when they came under attack from the terrorists who had already reached there. While the four army personnel and the police Sub Inspector lost their lives in the encounter, the civilians trapped in the house were safely evacuated.
The North Sentinel island is one of 29 islands in the Andamans where till June foreigners had to take special permission -- the RAP -- before being allowed to visit them.
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