Smitha Verma
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Spotlight: India has more regional language users than English; Startups try to bridge gap
A slew of start-ups are looking to bridge this divide by providing platforms for regional language content, be it novels or poetry.
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Book Review – Karno’s Daughter: The Lives of An Indian Maid
The story of the invisible people who work hard to keep our homes running like clockwork.
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In pursuit of happiness: Why is it important to be happy?
Personal happiness has become big business today. From ‘happiness curriculums’ in schools to ‘happiness departments’ in state governments, there’s a huge thrust on the emotion and its attainment. But why are we chasing happiness? And is too much premium being attached to being happy?
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Flying on nostalgia: Here’s Vistara’s special tribute to JRD Tata
Vistara pays a tribute to JRD Tata with a special flight.
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Nutraceutical in India: How big is the market? Are they really beneficial?
Lack of medical aid, a general scepticism about allopathic medicines and food fads make nutraceuticals extremely popular. No wonder the market is booming, with new products launched everyday. But do we really need them?
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‘Claims regulations are in the final stage and will be announced in a few weeks’, says Pawan Kumar Agarwal
Pawan Kumar Agarwal is the chief executive officer of food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which brought out new regulations in 2016, covering nutraceuticals, foods for special dietary and medical use, etc.
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Digital web: Real and unsettling dangers of digital dependency
With the proliferation of social media sites, the desire to stay connected online has become permanent. But this digital addiction is now beginning to take its toll on people’s happiness. As technology becomes omnipresent, the dangers of digital dependency are real and unsettling.
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Acid: A psychedelic rollercoaster
A disturbing narrative of a romance that struggles to survive within the confines of a relationship.
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Creative or crass? Viewer sole censor of web entertainment
On OTT platforms, as of now, there is no censorship, except for prohibition on pornography. Earlier this year there was talk of TRAI developing a consultation paper to regulate OTT platforms.
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How life coaches are helping their clients successfully navigate maze of everyday issues and challenges
Around 89% people in India are aware of life coaching and around 59% have partnered with a life coach at some time, with 97% being satisfied with the experience, revealed the 2017 ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study, which was also conducted by PwC Research
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Stephen King’s Outsider unfolds an unknown reality
Outsider carries forward the ever-popular character of Holly Gibney—the private detective of the Hodges trilogy—who, with her unparalleled imagination and superlative sense of the paranormal world, helps in bringing the story to its climax.
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How Tiffin start-ups helping working parents for whom first challenge of the day is figuring out children’s tiffin boxes
Help is at hand for harried parents for whom the first challenge of the day is figuring out children’s tiffin boxes. Thanks to a slew of start-ups, which deliver tiffins to schools, their kids can now get interesting and healthy options.
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How popular culture is changing to bring women’s desires to the forefront
As a film on friendship starts drawing room discussions about female sexuality, a look into how popular culture is changing to bring women’s desires to the forefront and what comes with this change
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We are living in an unjust world full of misogyny and hate: Saeed Akhtar Mirza
The book starts with his multicultural upbringing at Fonseca Mansion in Mumbai, moves on to the impact of the Vietnam War in his world views, the myths created by western nations and how contemporary events like the Charlie Hebdo terror incident raise questions about freedom of speech.
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The significant south: History of south India; how region has influenced country’s culture
A formidable book details the history of south India and how the region has influenced the country’s culture.
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Electronic waste equal environmental hazard as plastic; here’s what India should be doing
Only 20% was recycled through appropriate channels. If we talk about India—the fifth-largest producer of e-waste in the world—around 1.8 million mt of e-waste was generated in the country in 2016.
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From rollercoasters to flying theatres; theme parks go all out to woo Indians
Theme parks are different from amusement parks, as they not only have rides, but also retail stores, restaurants, etc, unified by a central theme.
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FSSAI CEO: People hear adulteration, and think milk is mixed with detergent, urea. That’s not the case
“We have set safety standards for milk to be followed that have been given out to states. Every state has food safety commissioners who are supposed to keep a check on the quality of milk,” says Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
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Milk Shaken Up: Organic, adulterant-free, dairy-free is the rage
Organic, adulterant-free milk is all the rage, dairy-free milks have flooded the market, the polypack industry is working on quality assurance after surveys fail samples. We capture the churn in the milk market.
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Can I fake your order?
From branded footwear, apparel and personal care products to watches, fragrances and alcohol, fakes exist in almost all categories.
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Water wars: Many varieties of water are available in the market, but do we really need them?
The packaged drinking water (still) market in India was valued at Rs 177.3 billion in 2017, with a sales volume of 13 billion litres.
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Made in Marathi
Marathi cinema is on a roll with the films getting increasingly bigger and better. Big studios are pumping in more money, new awards are being launched and even Bollywood stars are eyeing the industry with renewed interest
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Why do we need an Indian literary prize?
Bamford also gives credit to the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) for JCB group’s interest in literature.
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Scripting a new story: Independent publishers carving a niche for themselves on the back of their varied offerings
From coffee-table books and translations to feminist narratives and quirky literature, a handful of independent publishers in the country are carving a niche for themselves on the back of their varied offerings
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Toast of the town: Dosa has some stiff competition from waffle, being served even at small nooks across the country
The golden honeycomb crust, once confined to the dessert menu of a five-star hotel or a high-end eating joint, has now moved out of a plush ambience to settle inside a roadside eatery.
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Made to measure: What does an ‘India Size’ mean and do we need it?
Retail giants in India, however, are missing out on sales, as the likes of Kaushik would rather get their clothes stitched than pick up ready-to-wear attire that needs altering.
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‘With India Size, 60-70% of the population will find the right fit from the current 30-40%’
The NIFT had originally proposed the idea in 2006. But it was a gigantic proposal and there was no scheme available to fund the cost.
