India's beloved President -- there has been no other who has influenced the nation as much -- never stepped back from inspiring people to be the very best that they could be.

Many scholars have suggested that the importance of the cow and her association with the pantheon grew with the growing influence of the cult of Krishna,' says Arundhuti Dasgupta.

Retracing the journey that brought coffee from Araku Valley in Andhra Pradesh to an upscale caf in the aristocratic district of Le Marais in Paris.

'Ignorance isn't a problem when it's a question of common citizens having forgotten (or never learnt) middle school science.' 'It becomes a problem when it's displayed by policymakers and people of some influence,' says Devangshu Datta.

All you need to know about preparing for the Civil Services examination

Sudha Murty worries that India has still not learnt its lessons from history.

'Sakshi's medal will do to women's wrestling what Sushil's 2008 Olympic medal did to wrestling in general.' 'It will make more and more families put their daughters into wrestling.' 'More and more young girls will fall in love with the sport and demand that they be taken to akhadas.'

Just when it looked as though CGI overkill has ruined the fun of spectacle, here comes a film that charms with its kaleidoscopic vision and meticulous combats, says Sukanya Verma, who can't wait for more!

'I would like to believe that out of this struggle (to effect climate change) will be born a generation that will be able to look upon the world with clearer eyes than those that preceded it; that they will be able to transcend the isolation in which humanity was entrapped in the time of its derangement; that they will rediscover their kinship with other beings, and that this vision, at once new and ancient, will find expression in a transformed and renewed art and literature.'

'After the trailer was out, people felt it did not look like ancient India, but how much you do know about Mohenjo Daro? We have found certain coins and objects like a dancing girl, a bearded man... it is difficult to create a world based that only. There are certain things that you have to imagine.' Mohenjo Daro actor Nitish Bhardwaj defends his film.

Have you heard of the Burning Man festival? Or the Monkey Buffet festival?

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has discovered high levels of manganese oxides in Martian rocks, which may indicate that the red planet was once more Earth-like than previously believed.

Here's the full text of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the United States Congress.

Scientists believe the unique geological locations where they are situated makes them worthy of veneration.

'My aim is that the message from our ancient texts reach the younger generation of Indians.' 'The trouble is that our literature is in Sanskrit and scientists don't know the language. And the people who know Sanskrit they don't know science.'

With Tibet to the east and home to three stunning Himalayan ranges, Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh boasts of a colourful culture and beautiful people, says Geetanjali Krishna.

Job creation was mentioned 13 times in the BJP's 2014 election manifesto, yoga only twice. Has yoga taken precedence over jobs for the Modi Sarkar, asks Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

A NASA spacecraft has detected deposits of glass on Mars.

Signs of alien life will be detected by 2025, while "definitive evidence" of extra-terrestrial beings may be found within the next 20 to 30 years, top NASA scientists say.

Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com steps into the wonderful world that is the spectacular Kochi-Muziris Art Biennale.

Rediff.com reproduces the 1997 feature about Laxman, his passion for crows, and of course, his genius.

Rediff.com reproduces the 1997 feature about Laxman, his passion for crows, and of course, his genius.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will perhaps be best enjoyed by those who have not yet read JRR Tolkien's prequel to the Lord of the Rings series, says Paloma Sharma.

'Muslims, like people of all other faiths, are quite comfortable with the idea of nationalism and democracy today. But are they following Islam in its spirit? That is a different question.'

Kailash Satyarthi, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, in front of packed crowd made a rousing speech asking every person to come together and set our children free. He honoured those who came before him and also said that he accepted this honour on behalf of all the martyrs and activists in India. Here's the transcript of his moving acceptance speech.

Led by a team of scientists of Indian-origin, NASA's Curiosity rover has found new evidence of water on Mars, indicating that the planet most like Earth in the solar system was suitable for microbial life.

What would happen if the home minister chose to go to the movies, and watched the current science-fiction hit, Christopher Nolan's Interstellar

Barack H Obama was on Monday sworn-in as President of the United States for a second term. Here's the transcript of the speech he gave at Capitol Hill shortly after the swearing-in ceremony

Quashing the 'doomsday' rumours, top National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientists have assured that the world won't end on December 21, 2012.

After 800 odd years of Islamic and British rule, the Indian elite and intellectuals are copybook examples of the Fanon phenomenon: Living, breathing purveyors of a sordid ideology, says Jay Bhattacharjee

Various people have admitted -- off the record -- that the BJP had the same 'Vadra File'. Why did the BJP not speak out, asks T V R Shenoy.

Indian nationalism is not based on language, or geography, or ethnicity, or religion, but is that of an idea of an ever-ever land -- emerging from an ancient civilisation, united by a shared history, sustained by pluralist democracy, says Shashi Tharoor in the 5th annual lecture on 'Who is an Indian? A nation of minorities' organised by the National Commission of Minorities

'Indian education has, after Independence, produced nothing whatsoever -- yes, absolutely nothing -- of global calibre. Not one earth-shaking discovery or invention, not one outstanding theoretical insight!' Rajeev Srinivasan on how Indian education is unable to anticipate what the future holds.

The Republican challenger David Williams in the 'Bible Belt' US state of Kentucky, has accused Democratic Governor Steve Beshear, who participated in a Hindu-style groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a $180 million manufacturing plant creating more than 250 jobs in this economically depressed state, as an idol-worshipper and anti-Christian.

Thought you were a Scorpion? According to the gradual shift of the earth's axis over the last 3,000 years and its position in relation to the 12 signs, you're now under Libra. And oh, yes, there are actually 13!

At the edge of the Shola forest, at the foot of the Ayyasamy Hills, in western Tamil Nadu, near Coimbatore, lives a writer and scholar who traveled to India from northern France over three decades ago and never went home. Michel Danino, who 'loves chapattis, sambar, yoga and everything Indian', has devoted his life to studying Indian culture/heritage and history, authoring several books both in French and English on India.

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.

Let us know the 10 things that would make it to your priority list if you had only three years of life left. The most interesting entries will win prizes from rediff Books, so hurry and mail in your ideas today!

The widespread application of three is not a coincidence, it might be the pulse of everything.

American President Barack Obama along with representatives Heath Shuler and Vernon Ehlers hosted the the National Prayer breakfast in Washington. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was among the guests at the meeting.