Not long ago, vast stretches of rural India went dark after sunset. From the remote villages nestled in the hills of Uttarakhand to scattered hamlets in Rajasthan's deserts, nightfall meant dim kerosene lamps, unreliable electricity and lives governed by the setting sun. Children struggled to study. Farmers depended on erratic power supplies. Small businesses shut early. Darkness was not just a daily reality; it symbolised deprivation. Today, that picture is changing dramatically.

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The journeys of women creating livelihoods from waste, leading cleanliness efforts in their communities and turning everyday challenges into opportunities. Alongside them are transgender community members finding professional roles and recognition in sanitation services. Across cities, Swachhata is becoming more than a public service. It is becoming a space for dignity, enterprise, participation and opportunity.

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The safety lock on a fairground ride in Agra came undone, sending a young man on a one-way journey to eternity. In Belanganj, an excavation caused an entire bank building to collapse. Shoe factories catch fire with disturbing regularity. Poor maintenance traps people inside malfunctioning elevators. Daily crashes on expressways have become too numerous to count. The only people seemingly untouched by this brutal system are politicians, who invariably appear only at condolence meetings and funeral feasts.

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History does not change course every day. Occasionally, however, an election arrives that appears to mark the beginning of a new era. For supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the party's sweeping victories in Assam and West Bengal this year represent precisely such a moment...

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What happens when the people raising environmental concerns are treated as obstacles rather than guardians? Who speaks for rivers, forests, wildlife, and future generations when bulldozers arrive carrying the banner of development...

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Income disparity between partners at home stalls women’s careers, even when they earn more than their male partners, finds research by NEOMA Business School.

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Some songs are not merely heard; they become memories of an era. ‘Pag Ghungroo Baandh…’ is one such song. When this nearly twelve-minute-long song from Prakash Mehra’s 1982 film ‘Namak Halaal’ first appeared, perhaps no one imagined that its blend of classical sargam, disco beats, qawwali influences, dramatic dialogue and Kishore Kumar’s playful voice would create a song that, decades later, would be remembered not merely as an old film song but as a cultural memory.

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A morning walk is no longer a leisurely activity. It has become a daily struggle. School children dodge speeding motorcycles while crossing roads. Elderly residents risk their lives because footpaths are missing or unusable.

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On 15 June 2005, India did not just pass a new law. It gave its citizens a power: the power to ask questions. Even more important, it gave them a legal right to demand answers.

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Some songs transcend popularity and become an inseparable part of people's lives. They go beyond entertainment, capturing emotions, memories and relationships. 'Chitthi Aayi Hai..., from Mahesh Bhatt's 1986 film 'Naam', is one such song. Pankaj Udhas's soulful voice, Anand Bakshi's simple yet touching lyrics, and the evocative music of Laxmikant-Pyarelal combined to create a timeless classic.

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