Bigger India

Life

10 Things You Might Not Know About India

For many people writing about India, the common cliches of Delhi belly, lengthy traffic jams, bureaucracy, corruption and yoga retreats are the subjects that fill the column inches.

Bangalore’s Rain-catcher: A Man Who Never Had to Pay Corporation For Water

Shivakumar has not had to pay a single penny to the corporation for water in the past 19 years.

US Banker Offers $1 Million Reward to Solve This Math Problem

Want to be a millionaire? Try solving this tricky math problem!

Himachal's Rave Parties, Narcotics Deals, Mafia and Sex

There are reports that the Israeli, Russian and Italian mafia exist in Manali and Dharamsala.

Dhoni Comes Under Attack From Former Cricketers

Former Indian cricketers and sports management executives feel that Dhoni should not put himself in such a position where questions could be raised about a possible conflict of interest.

Post-ban, Demand for Grandpa’s Favourite Chew Shoots Up

Many consumers of smokeless tobacco in the city appear to have switched to what their grandparents used to chew.

Most Controversial Pages on Wikipedia Revealed

The most controversial topics on Wikipedia that people argue about the most around the world have been revealed.

Now 15 Starbucks Stores in India

Starbucks Coffee has expanded its India presence in Delhi and Mumbai by taking the total number of stores to 15.

Could Eating Yoghurt Help Treat Depression

A new research reveals that probiotics found in natural yogurt could help boost a person’s mood because they affect brain function.

Fat Indian Mommy: Perfect Scapegoat for Child Obesity

The real moral of this big fat story is that free market affluence has turned us all into pigs in a sty. We want it deep-fried, drowning in butter or loaded with sugar.

Why the Return of Kashmiri Pandits is Still A Distant Dream

The return of the Pandits to Kashmir Valley seems like a distant dream unless the wounds of the 1990s exodus are healed. Under such circumstances, the idea of the new city, as proposed by the government-appointed delegates, is far fetched.

Indian Africans

The Sidis are a small community of Indians of African descent. It is estimated that 60,000 to 75,000 Sidis live in the western state of Gujarat and the southern state of Karnataka.

Dhoni’s Conflict of Interest is Out in the Open

While the BCCI has chosen to procrastinate acting on it, some voices of opposition have already spoken out.

Dhoni Owns Stake in Firm That Manages Him, Raina, Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha

This puts Dhoni in the conflicting position during team selection meetings, where he is expected to share opinions on performances and strategy.

From Holy Land to Land of Superstitions

Such Blind Faith Must End

UN Honours Indian Poet Nobel Laureate Tagore For Tolerance, Harmony

The event, part of an ongoing series organised by the UN Department of Public Information's Academic Impact initiative, was designed to promote mutual respect and tolerance amongst the different cultures of the world.

Nooks and Corners

As the ‘alternative’ space in South Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village becomes more and more compromised, with real estate rentals hitting the roof and even more expensive joints making inroads into the narrow alleys, some outlets are taking a hit.

Indians Aren’t Buying Enough Jeans, Firms Worried

In the face of stiff competition from non-denim quarters — trousers, chinos, cargos — denim brands including Levis, Lee, Wrangler and others are renewing efforts to scale up the low denim consumption in India.

Simple Vinegar Test Cuts Cervical Cancer Deaths

A simple vinegar test cut cervical cancer rates among Indian women by nearly a third and could prevent 73,000 deaths worldwide each year,

Indian Summer Mela Finds Its Way to Rome

Indian culture arrives in Italy

Mandasur Village Plans Family, Shows The Way

At a time when crime against women is on the rise and patriarchal mindset spurs people towards honour killing, the opium-cultivating village of Guradia Narsinghpur in western Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district has heralded a revolution of sorts.

Painkillers Can Increase Risk of Heart Attack

High doses of two common painkillers, used by millions of Indians, taken over a long period of time may increase the risk of heart attack

Large Asteroid Swinging Past the Earth Today Carries Its Own Moon

Astronomers getting their first close-up glimpse of a giant asteroid about to whiz by Earth found a surprise bonus rock.

Kashmir's Famed Countryside Yielding to Concrete

In most areas of the Kashmir countryside, agricultural land has been sold in violation of laws that prohibit its conversion for commercial purposes.

Kipling Admitted to Plagiarism in Jungle Book

Rudyard Kipling, India-born famed author of 'The Jungle Book', in a letter has admitted to plagiarising some of his best known work

Infosys Trains Uni Professors to Bridge India's Education Gap

Faced with the reality that fifty percent of India's hundreds of thousands of tertiary graduates are unemployable, Infosys is addressing the imbalance by training professors at poorly regarded universities.

Terms of Endearment: The Many Languages of Love

Quick guide to the language of love around the world - dominated by metaphors from cookery and the animal kingdom

India's Ancient University Returns to Life

It was an eminent centre of learning long before Oxford, Cambridge and Europe's oldest university Bologna were founded.

India Village Gets Electricity after 65 Years

A village in India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh recently got electricity for the first time - 65 years after independence.

Asteroid Mining Company Wants to Put Your Face in Space

It launched a crowd-funding project yesterday to gauge public interest in a small space telescope that could serve as a backdrop for personal photographs,

Healing Power of Dogs Revealed

It has been proven that dogs help lower blood-pressure, stress, and decrease anxiety just by offering their unconditional love and support.

Elderly Eye Live-in Relationships to Fight Loneliness

Few trends symbolize Indian society in a state of flux as this.

Cancers Can be Prevented Before They Develop, Says Indian-origin Scientist

Scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have uncovered a survival mechanism that occurs in breast cells that have just turned premalignant.

Albert: Last of the (Golden Era) Mohicans

Once Upon a Time: The Lunch Houses of Bollywood

The ideas of many great Hindi movies germinated in these lunch homes, the stomping grounds of the greatest film-wallahs.

Bank Holidays Around the World

In traffic jams, at the beach, or still at the office - how are bank holidays marked around the world? BBC correspondents from Seoul, Los Angeles, Rome, Calcutta and Moscow provide a worldwide view.

A Swedish Varsity With Over 100 Indian Research Tie-ups

India "represents a large part of the world and many young vastly successful researchers, which renders research collaboration work with the country of indescribable interest".

A Car That Runs on Tweets, Facebook Likes and Instagram Shares

Believe it or not, but a car that runs on 'social fuel' is a reality now.

Lakshmi Mittal Puts Palatial London Home Up For Sale

The credit crunch seems to be taking its toll on one of the world's richest Indians Lakshmi N Mittal, who has put up one of his mansions in central London up for sale.