Whether we flew aircraft or mastered plastic surgery is immaterial for modern India, what matters is if ancient Indians understood the science and art of settlement planning, architecture and governance of natural resources. This is the history we need to learn, says Sunita Narain
'India in 2020 is a lot better prepared than in 1962.' 'It is no longer a pushover; and anything other than a crushing Chinese military victory will be a major loss of face for China,' observes Rajeev Srinivasan in the first of a three part column.
The 102nd Indian Science Congress, which concluded last week, saw claims on ancient aviation and surgery, and created quite a stir
Stay away from these cinematic ruins, warns Raja Sen.
'We have had 27 years of liberalisation and in the same period Korea and Japan and China transformed themselves forever,' says Aakar Patel.
A pair of Turkish ice dancers on Tuesday said they take care to ensure their relatively conservative costumes are firmly in place when they compete but maintained it was not due to any pressure from their government.
'In the Mahabharat, when faced by an enemy, Yudhishtir, the eldest Pandav, had quipped that 'When it comes to external enemies, we are 105, (100 Kauravs and 5 Pandavs)'.' 'It is time modern politicians heed this ancient wisdom,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'The government may backpedal for now to stave off bad international press and diplomatic demarches, but that it will go ahead with putting religion at the centre of citizenship rules is certain.' 'For it is convinced that this is the magic bullet that will ensure its return to power in 2024,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Women, this is all the fashion inspiration you need for the season.
Gazing upon the prize-winning images of the Siena International Photo Awards 2019 is something of a roller coaster experience. The overall winner is a compelling picture of a boy trying to retrieve his ball behind an armed guard in Liberia, taken by British photographer Jonathan Banks. He was up against some extremely talented competition, as our selection shows.
Vikas stepped into the house, dialled a number and handed his cell phone to Raj Kumar, Virat Kohli's childhood coach. "Happy Teachers' Day, Sir," said Virat, even as Vikas thrust something into Raj Kumar's palm -- a bunch of keys. A fascinating excerpt from Vijay Lokapally's must read biography of the cricket superstar.
They're a means to an end: bridges are fundamentally a way to get from point A to point B. However, as designs get bolder, bridges have also become destinations in their own right. National Geographic has listed out a few bridges, which will impress, thrill, and perhaps even make you fall in love. Here are some of them.
The title alludes to Socrates willingly drinking poisonous hemlock as his punishment after he was convicted of corrupting the minds of the young and impiety in ancient Athens.
Lonely Planet unveiled its list of Asia's Top 10 destinations for 2018.
Belgians tasted bitterness in their beer on Tuesday after their dreams of a first World Cup final were ended by the narrowest of margins by their bigger French neighbours.
'The BJP has been tinkering with the Indian Constitution every now and then.' 'Instead of celebrating November 26 as Constitution Day, the BJP was more interested in (the VHP's) Dharam Sabha which was called that day.' 'This shows they believe more in the Ram mandir than in the Constitution.'
'The Ayodhya anniversary, every year brings back the tragic memories. Politicians should let people's wounds heal and not reopen them to suit their agenda'
It is important to approach the belief of people in ancient India's achievements with a sense of proportion, balance and empathy, argues B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant.
'Valmiki has not written anything about Hanuman's caste.' 'I want to clarify that Hanuman was not a Vanar, but an Adivasi.'
'The return of India to its own civilisational values can never endanger freedoms as pluralism is the bedrock of our culture,' assert Lieutenant General Ashok Joshi (retd) and Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'Brand Kejriwal-AAP have a long way to go even if they win another Delhi election...'
'It is a force nobody can ignore, not even Mr Modi, because it will keep punching above its weight,' notes Shekhar Gupta.
Pankaj Vasani tells us how he moved from an unhealthy life to walking and running 20 kilometres a day.
'Once our voices are crushed, they can bring in an agenda of privatisation.'
A balanced diet with proper protein, carbs, fat, minerals and seasonal nutrition can help maintain good immunity.
Unless Indians learn to speak freely and fearlessly, 'true greatness will elude this nation, no matter how brilliant the individual at the helm may be,' says Aakar Patel.
'One must remember that a dragon has a forked tongue,' warns Vivek Gumaste.
'Amit Shah's trajectory seems unstoppable; no wonder some say the day is not far off when he could be pitching for the top job, and that this is only the first step,' says Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
"Your Google has started now, but our Google started a long time back. Narad Muni was the epitome of information. He could reach anywhere and transfer a message from one place to another by saying 'Narayana' three times," he said.
He ordered to start the process of moving the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.
Vivid Sydney is an annual festival that places light sculptures and installations throughout the city. More than 1 million people are expected to visit the festival this year, which takes place from 25 May to 16 June. Vivid is celebrating its 10th year with its biggest collection of light installations to date. Here are some dazzling sights from the lights festival.
'I had the strangest feeling that my childhood home had burnt and disappeared on my parents' funeral pyres,' he said. Hardly any of his family lived there now. Migration or death had claimed them all. It seemed to be full of strangers. 'Then I realised that from their perspective, perhaps there was only one stranger -- me..." Babu Lal tells Geetanjali Krishna.
Though a visual treat, the 10th instalment doesn't stand out in terms of gameplay.
Arundhuti Dasgupta finds herself surrounded by Greek legends and fables in the mythical centre of the world.
We take a look at what other brides wore to their royal weddings.
Milind Bhade presents a list of 10 forts near Mumbai that offer a slice of history along with breathtaking views.
'India is a strange place.' 'On the one hand we have the most advanced science working on our origins and our ancestry.' 'On the other we are at war with ourselves over a temple to a god whom our first ancestors knew nothing of,' says Aakar Patel.
Vivek Sharma heads one of the teams searching for the Higgs boson. George Joseph reports.
'Modi's initial forays into foreign policy had the flavour of Aswamedha Yagas launched by ancient kings to conquer the world.' 'He overcame the hesitations of history and explored unconventional ways to win friends and influence people.' A fascinating excerpt from Ambassador T P Sreenivasan's new book, Modiplomacy -- Through a Shakespearean Prism.
'The Vatican should take them to court for blasphemy and using a crucifix as a sex ornament,' says designer Wendell Rodricks.
A glimpse of the 854 (Rs 77,400)-a-night safari where the British royal's love blossomed with the American star.
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