When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Norway in May, a Norwegian journalist threw a question at him after a press conference had ended. The question was: why does India rank far below Norway on the Press Freedom Index?

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Jammu and Kashmir's challenging terrain is steadily yielding to a new era of connectivity. The Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link has connected the valley to India's rail network. Its centrepiece, the Chenab Bridge, stands as the world's highest railway arch bridge.

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The song ‘Is Tarah Aashiqui Ka...’ from the 1994 film 'Imtihaan' is special not only for its romantic appeal but also for its two distinct versions. One was sung by Amit Kumar, while the other featured the voice of Kumar Sanu. Both versions were used in the film, each picturised on a different character.

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What happened on the evening of 12 May at an Agra ghat was not a tragic fluke. Six young people who had come to celebrate a birthday entered the Yamuna. Two hours of rescue efforts ended with four bodies recovered. Such tragedies are becoming routine. The police put up warning hoardings, but people ignore them. The families’ grief is beyond words. The Yamuna that has cradled our faith, history and civilisation is becoming a witness to death.

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What happens when two Indians in their seventies decide to conquer Europe in seventeen days? They discover ten countries, seventeen destinations, countless monuments, several rivers, hundreds of photographs and one very stubborn truth. Europe is beautiful, but the body has its own travel itinerary.

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Europe looks like a dream until you start paying the bills. The streets are clean, the trains glide smoothly, the rivers sparkle, and the buildings look straight out of a fairy tale. Everything appears beautifully organised. But there is one small problem. Your wallet begins to cry before you have finished admiring the scenery...

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Congress politics today resembles a caravan lost in the wilderness, the path unclear, the guide uncertain. Under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, the party repeatedly stages what can only be called political ‘crow feasts’, where every half-baked statement, every hasty decision, and every weak strategy hollow out its credibility a little more. The country wants a strong opposition, but Congress often appears like a wounded traveller, one more interested in finding excuses than reaching a destination.

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Some Hindi film songs evoke images of lush green mountains, the music of waterfalls and two hearts immersed in love as soon as we listen to them. The song ‘In Haseen Wadiyon Se...’ from the 1981 film 'Pyaasa Sawan' is one such composition. It presents the beauty of nature not merely as something to admire, but as an integral part of the experience of love. The idea of stealing a few stars from the vast sky and carrying away a few beautiful sights from the valleys lends the song a charmingly romantic touch.

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What happens when an alleged gang rape of a minor girl in a park turns, within minutes, from a demand for justice into a competition of rhymes?

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In Indian cinema, certain compositions are used in ways that completely transform the impact of a scene the moment they appear on screen. The ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ is one such composition. In Hindi films, it has sometimes been used to evoke faith amid fear and adversity, while at other times it has been employed to portray the awakening of a character’s inner strength. In some films, its recitation has become an important part of the storyline, while in others, its melody has transformed an otherwise ordinary scene into a memorable cinematic moment.

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