A few days ago, Jay Leno made derogatory references to the Golden Temple on his show. Our religious sentiments were hurt, and now we have blown this up into a massive controversy. Take that, you American sense of humor. The joke was on super rich Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, and the Golden Temple...
Not often does an individual’s attending a gathering of writers make so much news as the Salman Rushdie saga has over the past week. Salman Rushdie’s presence at the Jaipur Literature Festival has suddenly become an issue of national importance even bigger than the dress Katrina Kaif wore at her latest public appearance. But...
The Indian government today announced a surprise decision to leverage the auditions of the popular reality TV show MTV Roadies, for filling up the backlog of officers in the IAS. Here’ an excerpt from the official press release. “MTV Roadies has grown to become a phenomenon in India over the past years. Young people...
A few days back there was a news item in the paper about how Indian children ranked second last in the world in a test of Science, Math and English. While the accuracy of statistical studies can always be questioned, but second last? For a nation that can not stop patting its back for...
Not everyday does the reigning world and IPL champion team get to wipe the floor the way the Indian cricketers are doing in Australia. If this were a movie, the doctor would come out of the operation theater and announce to anxious waiting people that only prayers could save their loved one. “Ab inhein...
2012 is set to start on a sore note for mobile subscribers across India. Airtail today announced a shocking decision to start charging users for missed calls. Starting tomorrow, all missed calls will be charged at a flat rate of Rs 5 paise per call. This applies across all pre-paid and post-paid plans. The company...
So 2011 is almost done, and 2012 beckons. If the Mayans were right, then this is going to be a pretty exciting year. If they weren’t, well, bummer. We managed to find a crystal ball which told us what’s in store for the year, albeit with a 95% confidence interval. Believe at your own...
If one were to pick a single policy decision that changed the face of India in the last many years, it has to be the reservation system. Reservation for jobs. Reservation for education. Reservation for public service. All to ensure that our poor and downtrodden get to share the benefits of our growth. Contrary...
The first time I heard the song “Ooh-La-La-Ooh-La-La-Tu-Hai-Meri-Fantasy”, nostalgic memories (which had nothing to do with the rampant shaking of mammaries) were evoked. Like Ravi Verma’s incarnation Monty in Karz, who used to get occasional flashback images of a Kali Mandir in negative print while his memory went into spurts of power saving mode,...
12 April 2014 A billion Indian citizens woke up today to a world without one of the basic necessities of modern life. Not food. Not water. Not the roofs on top of their head. Not even the daily dose of Arnab. Something much bigger. The Internet. In an emergency order, the central govt ordered...
She was a starry eyed fresh off the boat when she landed at the Seattle airport and was driven to her host family by one of the members of the Indian Students’ Association who helped jetlagged, confused, and unsettled FOBs like her settle down the first time they landed in America. Her host family...
In 1947, our great democracy took birth. Through various turns and twists, it has come a long way. To this. Yet another common man trying to physically assault a political leader. Gandhiji please excuse, but the modern Indian is too frustrated to try peaceful means. Here’s a pictorial dedicated to the growth of our...
If the 90s were the decade of the IT industry, the 2010s have got to be the decade of the Indian maid. Seriously, they’ve never been so talked about. People returning to India from the US cite availability of domestic help as a prime inspiration to shift base. Housewives swear by their maids, when...
The other day my mom asked me to explain Twitter to her. As someone who spends my days feeding the smartest possible one-liners to my army of Twitter followers, yours truly is certainly more than qualified to introduce her to the magic. So i brushed my shoulders, turned up the collar of (much to...
The Indian economy is booming. Salaries are rising. Everybody is doing well for himself. All it takes to be above the basic level of subsistence (commonly known as the poverty line) is Rs 32 per day. For a family of four that comes to less than 4,000 per month. Even if you earn Rs...
