BJP leader Ram Madhav's rant about Vice President Hamid Ansari's absence at the International Yoga Day celebrations goes deeper, says Syed Firdaus Ashraf, deep into their brain.

Heartfelt, sharp, aware, bright, and sincere, these are the best speeches from the show.

Leander Paes talks to Harish Kotian/Rediff.com about his recent Australian Open mixed doubles triumph and the special bond he shares with his former Grand Slam-winning partner, Martina Navratilova.

A special episode of the Prime Minister's radio broadcast Mann ki Baat featuring US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aired on Tuesday night. The 35-minute special broadcast of 'Mann Ki Baat', which marked the rapport between Modi and Obama, touched on issues ranging from public health and personal inspirations of the two leaders, both of whom have come up from simple beginnings to assume to top positions of the respective countries. What follows is a transcript of the Mann ki Baat episode.

Pravasis have created a great impression among Americans about their maternal country, India, says Dr Joy Cherian, the first Asian American to be appointed to a sub-cabinet level position in the US government.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, US Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker from New Jersey and US Congressmen Steny Hoyer (Maryland), Ami Bera and Ed Royce (California) Elliott Engel, Joe Crowley, Nita Lowey, Carolyn Maloney, Jerald Nadler (New York), Frank Pallone (New Jersey), Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas) Joe Wilson (South Carolina) and Jim McDermott (Washington) are among those confirmed their attendance.

'Only he can bring change in India that all of us have been dreaming of since we saw America for the first time when our plane touched down at JFK airport.' Narendra Modi's friends in New York and New Jersey travel down memory lane and remember a simple man with great ambition. Sheela Bhatt/Rediff.com tracks down the Modi bhakts, who knew since his first visit in 1993 that he was destined for bigger things.

Blessed with a computer-like brain and an elephantine memory, Anandji Dossa was a pioneer in compiling cricket statistics and scores. Haresh Pandya pays tribute to the modest stats-man, who has passed into the ages.

Who are the men the prime minister relies on to execute his impressive agenda?

Modi's meeting with Dr Singh, totally unexpected and unique in all respects, will take place perhaps after Monday's swearing-in ceremony, and before his bilateral meeting with visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday.

Savera R Someshwar/Rediff.com describes the mood in the humble apartment in Varanasi where the Aam Aadmi Party leader strategises on how to defeat Narendra Modi.

'Corruption is rampant in every office in the state from the villages right up to Gandhinagar. I have witnessed all these issues first hand... Before Narendra Modi became chief minister Gujarat had a debt of Rs 25,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore. Today it is Rs 180,000 crore. There has been six-fold jump in public debt in Gujarat in the last ten years... Every child born in Gujarat owes a debt of Rs 30,000 today. How can you call this development? Look at how high taxes are in Gujarat. Look at the condition of our public health system. There are not enough doctors or nursing staff in government hospitals; not enough teachers in schools and colleges.' Three-time BJP MLA Dr Kanubhai Kalsaria rips apart Narendra Modi's policies.

The Varanasi versus Azamgarh story is about the fears and insecurities of two of our strongest leaders, Narendra Modi and Mulayam Singh Yadav, says Sheela Bhatt.

Sree Sreenivasan recalls his encounters with the pioneer of sound who passed away on Friday and gives a sense of how many lives he touched -- in big and small ways.

Actor Arjun Mathur talks about his career thus far and the unusual subject of his new film, Ankur Arora Murder Case.

What is Change really like in Bihar? Once seen as India's basket-case, what is its turnaround story like? Archana Masih reports from India's other most talked about state.

ISRO sources said that with Sunday's mission, the agency has launched 62 satellites, one space recovery module and 37 rockets, making it a grand 100

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh was the chief guest at the Golden Jubilee Convocation at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay at Powai. This is how he inspired the students of the prestigious institute.

Indian American Nithin Tumma, 17, won the 2012 Intel Science Talent Search, the nation's oldest and most prestigious high school research competition.

Agneepath is less of a remake, more of a tribute, writes Sukanya Verma

Uttam RajBhandary, the Lester Wolfe Professor of Molecular Biology and Associate Head of the Department of Biology at MIT, knew Dr Har Gobind Khorana for close to half a century. Many consider him the late Nobel Laureate's closest friend and colleague. He spoke to India Abroad.

Seeking to put behind memories of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the country has moved on since the "tragic incident" and it was time to "forgive and build a new India". "It is time that we forgive and move on to build a new India where every citizen irrespective of faith has an equal place," he said while addressing a function to felicitate him for his role in removing the names of 142 Sikhs from a black list.

The transcript of the speech President Barack Obama delivered in Parliament on Monday evening

Dr Sameer Kaul, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's personal physician, speaks about Kashmir's hardline separatist.

The instant SLP is against the final order/judgment dated 25.05.2010 of Delhi High Court.

On May 11 we launched our campaign against caste in census 2011 and responses from readers have been pouring in. While some merely clicked the 'I am against the caste census' button, others were more vocal. We present what our readers had to say.

Here is the entire text of the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's Budget Speech:

Thirty-six-year-old Jagan, who along with his mother and other family members returned to Hyderabad on Sunday after performing the last rites of his father in home town Pulivendula, issued a statement urging his supporters to remain calm, exercise restraint and leave the decision to the Congress high command.

A UK-based nuclear medicine doctor presents his case on the existence of Lord Krishna in a documentary.

History might be better understood if we did not treat it as a heroes-and-villains movie, says eminent journalist and author M J Akbar, elucidating on the Jinnah factor in pre-Independent India.

The death of Gangubai Hangal, who had become a legend in her own time, marks the end of an era in the realm of Hindustani classical music. She has been one of few exponents of the Kirana Gharana style of music who stuck to the purity and averse to going in for experimentations, as has been wont with many of the musical celebrities.

Battered and bruised by the slowdown, real estate developers have done a mid-course strategy correction and begun to offer low-cost and affordable houses.

On a trip to India, Michael Viser confronted thirst, and decided to do something about it. Preeti Balakrishnan reports on a project that provides life, one drop at a time

Bhagavan, the first Malayalam film directed by Prasanth Mambully starring Mohanlal inspired by 26/11 has nothing to offer except the record breaking time it took to shoot it.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday hosted a delegation of lawmakers, civil rights activists and some of this country's leading musicians, including jazz great Herbie Hancock, on the eve of their setting off on a trip to India to retrace the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr's visit 50 years ago, and to commemorate the influence Mahatma Gandhi had on this civil rights icon and the passive resistance movement he founded.

Dr Suresh Kumar Gupta has been appointed a commissioner of the Maryland State Board of Physicians. The Board comprises 21 members, including 14 physicians and seven members of the public and is vested with the mission to protect the health and safety of Maryland citizens 'through strong enforcement of licensure standards for physicians and allied health providers; and through an effective disciplinary programme.'

A 21-gun salute to late Baba Amte was given as his mortal remains were lowered in a grave near the bamboo plantation in the ashram complex amidst a solemn atmosphere, highly charged with emotions. Mourners raised slogans like 'Baba Amte amar rahe' (Baba Amte will be immortal) and 'Bharat Jodo' (unite India).

Chandrashekhar Hariharan changed career midway when he started building eco-friendly green houses. Today his company BCIL, is worth Rs 80 crore and he is happy that he took a gamble by leaving his cushy job as a journalist.

What Benazir Bhutto told the Council for Foreign Relations in New York before her return to Pakistan.