All stories by DEVANGSHU DATTA
The World's Youngest Grandmaster
Rediff.com29 Jan 2019At 12 years, seven months and 17 days, Dommaraju Gukesh is the second youngest Grandmaster of all time.
Why retail investors should pay homage to John Bogle
Rediff.com29 Jan 2019John Bogle figured that cheap mutual funds, which just mirrored indices with little tracking error, would be a useful vehicle for wealth creation, recalls Devangshu Datta.
Where to hedge in 2019
Rediff.com28 Jan 2019Continue to invest normally unless prices fall drastically in April-May. If prices do fall drastically, invest more than normal, advises Devangshu Datta.
Good time to take stock of your equity portfolio
Rediff.com25 Jan 2019'Historically, the lead-up to a general election tends to be excessively volatile and big losses are perfectly possible.'
How cricket has changed since that historic day!
Rediff.com21 Jan 2019'Perhaps the biggest change is in terms of mindset when it comes to the art of the possible when chasing.'
'A modern team knows that knocking off 120 runs in 10 overs is eminently possible.' 'When things click, that can translate into 450 in 50 overs,' says Devangshu Datta.
Detecting cancer
Rediff.com12 Jan 2019It isn't one disease. It can attack different organs and there are very significant differences in the treatment modes for each.
Investors: Focus on companies facing the consumer
Rediff.com14 Dec 2018The most consistent wealth creators since 2008 are all consumer-facing companies, says Devangshu Datta.
Why India needs a Data Protection Law
Rediff.com26 Nov 2018'It's looking odds-on there won't be a data protection law before this edition of the Lok Sabha is dissolved.' 'This limbo has enabled all sorts of businesses that would be illegal in countries that do have data protection laws,' notes Devangshu Datta.
Why Jamal Khashoggi's death matters
Rediff.com11 Nov 2018'A 2018 murder may lead to shifts in the geopolitical order and impact at least one monarchy,' says Devangshu Datta.
Has one of mathematics's toughest problems been solved?
Rediff.com20 Oct 2018Mathematical problems can sometimes turn out to have real-world applications. This is true for the Riemann Hypothesis. Crypto-currency investors will heave a sigh of relief if the problem is unsolved since a proof could render their expertise obsolete, explains Devangshu Datta.
Of Gaurakshaks and data privacy
Rediff.com12 Oct 2018What if the digital records of a food delivery service are leaked? What if a tech-savvy gaurakshak scans those records and discovers who the beef-eaters are? What happens next? Devangshu Datta highlights the risks posed by leaks of digital databases.
Why IL&FS crisis has made investors so nervous
Rediff.com9 Oct 2018Given that there are hundreds of players in the shadow banking space, it's hard to make a credible estimate of potential NPAs. That creates more scope for panic, says Devangshu Datta.
Is Pluto a planet or not? Debate rages on
Rediff.com1 Oct 2018After stripping Pluto of planet status in 2006, some astronomers want to reclassify it once again, says Devangshu Datta.
WhatsApp is the favoured tool for spreading poison
Rediff.com29 Sep 2018'Over 200 million Indians use WhatsApp, including many who use no other form of social media.' 'WhatsApp has been used to propagate all sorts of fake news and misinformation.' 'In the past six months or so, WhatsApp has been the core enabler of many instances of lynching,' points out Devangshu Datta.
Aadhaar: Data everywhere, little left to steal
Rediff.com26 Sep 2018'Every Indian citizen is already exposed to massive digital surveillance and most are already vulnerable to data theft and cyber-impersonation as well,' points out Devangshu Datta.
Modi and the art of distraction
Rediff.com20 Sep 2018'The arrests of Sanatan Sanstha members for committing murder and stockpiling explosives with the alleged intent of committing mass murder must be embarrassing to a majoritarian government,' notes Devangshu Datta.
Who can kill the fake news monster?
Rediff.com11 Aug 2018'There are sound commercial reasons to hope for the development of 'anti-fake news networks',' says Devangshu Datta.
Warning: Inflation ahead
Rediff.com8 Aug 2018'Election years tend to see high government expenditure on unproductive schemes, though that money sloshing around can boost private consumption.' 'Again, it can mean higher inflation,' explains Devangshu Datta.
Akshay Venkatesh: The king of numbers
Rediff.com6 Aug 2018Devangshu Datta walks you into the mind of the winner of the Fields Medal, considered by pure mathematicians as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
How Pragg, 12, became India's youngest Grandmaster
Rediff.com27 Jul 2018'It was a big relief to get it out of the way. Now he can concentrate on future progress.'