What happened to the two crore jobs a year? Are our rivers really cleaner? Are our cities smarter, or just better at putting up smart boards? Has corruption gone down, or have we simply learnt to live with it? And after twelve years, how much of the distance between promise and delivery has actually been covered? These are not academic questions. They are questions people ask over tea, at railway stations, in offices and inside their homes.

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India’s space journey began in 1963 with a sounding rocket launched from Thumba, Kerala. It now looks ahead to the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station. New technologies are driving this progress. They include reusable launch vehicles, electric, green and nuclear propulsion, and in-orbit servicing.

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The song ‘Naina Ye Barse...’, sung by Lata Mangeshkar for the 1985 film 'Mohabbat', captures a state of love in which the heart is immersed in longing for someone, while circumstances prevent two lovers from coming close to each other, no matter how much they wish to.

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Scientists have discovered that one of the brightest X-ray pulsars, Centaurus X-3, is gobbling up material through an accretion disk, which is rare for pulsars of its kind.

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“Ek kachori, doh samosas, in mardon ka kya bharosa? Ek cigarette, doh cup chaay, mard jaat haay haay!" What a revolution! Kachoris, samosas and cigarettes have become weapons of women’s liberation. Add a plate of biryani, and this revolution might qualify for a royal banquet!

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From the streets of Paris and Brussels to New Delhi, young people are running out of patience. What happens when a bigger segment of an entire generation loses faith in its leaders?

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Two contrasting images of India’s economy have emerged on the same day, forcing us to reflect on the deep divide between economic growth and inequality. The country’s largest-ever IPO, Jio Platforms, made its debut on the stock market, opening with a gain of around 21 per cent over its issue price and climbing to nearly 27 per cent by the end of the trading day, sparking enthusiasm among investors.

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If I had to describe my recent journey through Europe in one word, it would be water. I saw more than half a dozen rivers, canals and lakes up close. Sometimes I was on a cruise, sometimes on a ferry, sometimes looking down from a bridge, and sometimes simply sitting beside the water. I spoke with boatmen, ferry operators, cruise managers and gondoliers. I also watched ordinary people sitting along the banks in the golden afternoon light, chatting, watching the water or simply allowing life to slow down for a while.

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What has happened to our political leaders? Democracy demands questions, arguments and accountability. Governments must face scrutiny, and opposition parties must challenge those in power.

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In Bollywood films, faith in God is often expressed through prayers, devotional songs and surrender. Yet there are scenes in which heroes do not bow before their deity but instead question him. They want to know the reasons behind their suffering, seek answers for the injustices they have endured, and sometimes even hold God accountable through their reproaches. Two such scenes stand out in Hindi cinema. One is Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic “Aaj Khush To Bahut Hoge Tum…” scene in 'Deewaar', and the other is the song “Hey Shivshankar…” picturised on Girish Karnad in 'Sur Sangam'. The two scenes are presented in entirely different styles, but both convey a sense of grievance against Lord Shiva.

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