Special News

New technology to fan female foeticide

The unholy spectre of illegal sex selection to prevent or destroy female offspring - at the pre-conception stage or the pre-natal - just doesn't seem to stop. Even as the country is battling to remedy its skewed sex ratio, newer onslaughts are afoot through technology driven procedures available in cyberspace; the warped Indian brain is quick to learn and adapt with ulterior aims.9:00 AM on August 31

The unseen Indian hand in Manila's Moscow diplomacy

Manila - A hitherto untold story recounted by a retired Filipino general reveals the role India played 36 years ago in helping Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos negotiate diplomatic relations with the then Soviet Union - courtesy a former journalist and Congress party official.9:46 AM on August 21

Terror group Lashker's spreading tentacles in India

New Delhi - Indian counter-intelligence agencies have busted over 70 modules of the Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba (LET) across the country in the last 14 months, giving the authorities a fair assessment of its vast reach and potential to create havoc across the country.2:31 PM on August 13

NRI hearts aflutter with tricolour on Aug 15

'Like all the Indians, my heart is also aflutter with the tricolour (Indian flag) not only on Independence Day but throughout the year whenever we even think about our country,' says Arpit Shah, a senior engineer, in Dubai.11:16 AM on August 13

A freedom to remember - the Kerala of 1947

We schoolchildren used to call him Pammechan, short for Parameswara Iyer. He was always seen moving around our sprawling village, asking everyone to shun mill-made cloth and use only khadi. Under the influence of his campaign, even my mother started using a charkha (spinning wheel) in her spare time to spin cotton thread and make some pocket money in the process.9:45 AM on August 13

What ails the farmers in Vidarbha?

Wardha (Maharashtra) - 'Uttam Sheti, Madhyam Vyapar, Kanishth Naukri (Agriculture is the best occupation, business comes next, employment is the most inferior) -- the aphorism reportedly originated from Maharashtra's Vidarbha region in central India about 100 years ago. Today, starving and debt-ridden farmers stretch out their begging bowls as the more desperate among them give up a losing battle for survival and take the escape route to death.8:30 AM on August 13

Narayanan must set the record straight on Kashmir

The hornet's nest stirred by M.K. Narayanan, the National Security Adviser, in his rather uncharacteristic interview with Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN must surely carry a deliberate sting. Otherwise, why should a normally reticent, erstwhile sleuth warn us that the country faces a serious threat to its security and that infiltration into the Indian armed forces and 'sensitive areas of bureaucracy' (read 'intelligence agencies') is a matter of 'concern though not a danger'.10:00 AM on August 06

Filing income tax returns for NRIs

'Have you filed your income tax return in India before July 31?' was the question that startled Manilal in the US when his brother rang him from India a few days ago.10:30 AM on July 30

India and Doha Round: Development is at the core

The Doha Development Round of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is clearly at a defining moment now, especially after the failure of the recent negotiations in Geneva. At the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference in December, all countries had agreed to a timetable for conclusion of the negotiations by the end of 2006. This meant that a substantial part of the negotiations had to be completed by July if deadlines were to be met.9:45 AM on July 28

An exclusive domain for the 'Thinking Cop'

Not many are aware of the exclusive discussion forum on the Web for Indian police officers - IndiaTopCops@YahooGroups.com. Not even most cops! I wasn't, before I was invited recently by its moderator Nandkumar Saravade to join the forum. Saravade, an active officer with the Indian Police Service, runs the 'group', which has grown to over 350 members.10:00 AM on July 27

NRIs hit out at terror, hail India

No NRI will cancel visits to Mumbai despite the bomb blasts on trains that killed nearly 200 people. Despite terror attacks in New Delhi, Kashmir and Mumbai, India is still a safe country for NRI visits and holidays, for the simple reason that as no place is immune to terrorism, including the countries they live in. Terrorism is not an Indian phenomenon. It can happen anywhere; does it mean you do not invest in those parts of the world? These common sentiments emerged from a spot survey of NRIs in different parts of the world.9:32 AM on July 15

NRIs branching out to India

'As an NRI, you can't do business in India by telephone and email, you need to set up a proper branch office if you are serious,' said Jayant 'Jay' Kumar in Leicester. He plans to invest in real estate. NRI real estate agents and estate developers have been flooded with requests from their local clients after the Indian government allowed foreign direct investment (FDI) in real estate Feb 24, 2005.9:15 AM on July 09

NRI marriages: Dreams to nightmares

Dreaming of a good life in Britain, Satwant Kaur landed at Heathrow to start her new life with her husband, far removed from her village in Punjab. She found him waiting at the airport entrance. Visibly happy, he took her suitcase and passport telling her to wait while he fetched his car. He never returned.9:31 AM on July 02

VIPs should pay for their own security

India's home ministry, which is concerned with internal security issues, is currently having a re-look at the VIP security system. Under consideration during the exercise is a proposal to make VIPs pay for their own security, fully or partially. There are people feel it is about time this is done.8:30 AM on June 26

For NRIs, investing in India akin to bungee jumping

For NRIs, investing in the Indian market is akin to bungee jumping - considering what has happened over the past few weeks.9:32 AM on June 19