It was sheer hard work and determination that paid off, says Odisha's differently-abled Sarika Jain who cracked in her first attempt the coveted civil services examination.


Differently-abled Odisha girl clears civil service exam in first attempt


IANS Automatic

Fine craftsmanship, attention to detail and the ability to produce exact imitations have made the illegal firearms industry of eastern Bihar's Munger district, a revered - if it can be called that - name in the world of crime. The clientele includes criminals from at least nine Indian states and even a terrorist organisation, police aver.


Made in Munger: A Bihar 'cottage industry' trusted by criminals (IANS Special)


A strengthening rupee, the impact and influence of social media and, most importantly, the yearning of Indian travellers to explore the world, especially during the ongoing summer vacation, is contributing to the robust growth of India's outbound travel sector.


More Indians fancying foreign vacations this summer (Feature)


Every day, thousands of devout Vaishnavs from all over the world return disappointed and frustrated from the ghats in Braj mandal, the land of Sri Krishna-Radha, when they see the miserable condition of the Yamuna river, stinking and rotting with pollutants, dead fish and toxins flowing down from upstream industrial clusters in Delhi and Haryana.


In Krishna's land, 'holy' Yamuna is a sickly drain (Feature)


India's tourism icon and a symbol of earthly love, the 17th century white marble mausoleum, the Taj Mahal, is a victim of both nature and man. If the monument looks sick and pale to visitors, the reason is the dry and heavily polluted Yamuna that once formed an integral part of the Taj Mahal complex.


Taj Mahal: A victim of man and nature (June 5 is World Environment Day)


In Guru Dutt's "Pyaasa", before that haunting Sahir Ludhianvi dirge on the arbitrariness of human relationships ("Jaane woh kaise log the...."), two Urdu poets are shown. For the current generation, they will just be the expected depiction - a gaunt man reciting a sonorous lyric and a bearded man in traditional garb declaiming in courtly style.


A poet for all times: Majaz Lakhnavi (Column: Bookends)


Bhutan's folklore, urban legends and myths have been celebrated through the country's rich oral traditions, but the abysmal absence of contemporary literary works and a limited reading culture is placing Bhutanese literature in a tricky situation in the Indian sub-continent.


Bhutanese literature: Rich oral tradition, but few writers (Feature)


Shanghai, May 29 (IANS/EFE) Gone are the days when music aficionados complained that pianists from the East played like machines - technical and clean, capable of being fast, but with no emotional spark and necessary musicality. Now Chinese pianists are among the world's best.


Why are so many good pianists from China?


The story is a bit topsy-turvy these days as far as journalism education goes, especially in the tribal areas in Central India. Instead of rural students coming to teachers in cities, teachers are going to 'adivasi haats' or weekly markets.


Democratising journalism: Giving remote tribal areas a voice (Special to IANS)


There is no gender discrimination in Bhutan but, when it comes to the representation of women in politics, socio-cultural prejudices prevent them from playing a larger role in policy making, says a Bhutanese filmmaker who has documented women's participation in the country's 2013 elections.


Bhutanese women in politics: Victims of prejudices (Feature)


The death of a cow after swallowing a polythene bag was the trigger that led Divya Jain, 15, to start a campaign against its use in Rajasthan and beyond. She also encourages people to fabricte water troughs to save birds from the searing desert summer.


A teenage girl's campaign for a polythene-free India (Environment Feature)


Two green crusaders in West Bengal have made it to the record books for breeding plants to record heights and growing them two-way to counter effects of global warming. However, their lack of formal education as scientists is proving a deterrent for the duo in delivering their novel ideas to the nation's farming community.


Green crusaders, agriculture innovators battle 'unscientific' tag (Environment Feature)


Comic books, like many products we know, are an American invention. The US and Japan (manga) account for most since the form appeared in the 1930s, but neither can lay claim to having produced the most famous comics ever - an honour which goes to two hugely popular Franco-Belgian series translated into over 100 languages.


Belgium's most enduring export: Tintin's adventures and politics (Column: Bookends)


Remember the poem "Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai" which you may have sung as a child or do you recollect the phrase "Dum Laga Ke Haisha"? It's the desi colloquial flavour that Bollywood has latched on to for its film titles to strike a chord with viewers.


Bollywood film titles: As desi as it gets (Feature)


A large number of environmentalists and Yamuna activists in the Braj region have pinned their hopes on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who could be the "bhagirath (saviour)" of the Yamuna river, the lifeline of Agra and Mathura, in the manner the Sabramati was cleaned up in Ahmedabad.


Will Modi be the saviour of the Yamuna?


It's an endearing saga that's lasted for decades and will endure for many more: retelling stories of mythological characters like Ram and Krishna and goddesses like Kali and Durga through the performing arts to bridge the gap between myth and reality in the complex stories.


Ballets retell India's ancient tales (Feature)


Indian Ocean has completed nearly 25 years in the music business and has seen many musicians come and go. Amit Kilam, drummer and vocalist of the Indo-rock fusion band, says it has never felt threatened as it never wanted monopoly in the industry.


Indian Ocean: A band that believes in 'more the merrrier'


Ancient Greek playwrights invented this literary device but the Romans gave it the name we know - deus ex machina (God from a machine) to untangle a plot which seems irrevocably stuck by lowering a god on to the stage to resolve it. But what if this service is performed by the devil, but one who is a "part of that force which wills forever evil and works forever good"?


The Master and Margarita: Devilish happenings in Stalinist Moscow (Column: Bookends)



Yummy mummy? (Column: Curious Case)


Vienna, May 5 (IANS/EFE) Of the beautiful "Blue Danube" to which Johann Strauss dedicated the famous Viennese waltzes in 1867, it is only the name that remains. Instead there are never-before-seen levels of plastics, garbage and industrial wastes in the river, according to a recent study published in the Austrian capital.


The Danube 'loses' its blue due to plastic pollution (Environment Feature)


Vagator, one of Goa's more picturesque beaches and a stunning backdrop for Bollywood cult classics like "Dil Chahta Hai", is in the news for the wrong reason.

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