GoDaddy, the world's largest Cloud platform dedicated to small and independent ventures, is empowering small and medium businesses (SMBs) in tier 2 and 3 cities of India and, to its surprise, is finding young women more keen to learn the skills needed to go online.


Women in emerging Indian cities keen to acquire skills for digital growth: GoDaddy


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Fort Kochi has a lot of things to look out for. It has a beckoning feel about it, of things old and fascinating, others new and delightful. There are also too many things that are lost in Fort Kochi and waiting to be rediscovered. That's where I found myself after many years of trying to figure out if ball badminton is played anywhere any longer.


In search of a dying game called ball badminton (Sports Feature)


Steeped in royal splendour and untouched beauty, the Walled City of Jaipur is once again excited to mark its presence on the world map with Union Minister for Culture Mahesh Sharma informing the Rajya Sabha that the city is the next proposed site for UNESCO World Heritage recognition.


Why the Walled City of Jaipur deserves World Heritage recognition


Vulnerable communities in four South Asian countries across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region are hopeful and confident of fighting floods this monsoon, thanks to community-based flood early warning systems (CBFEWS).


Vulnerable South Asian communities gear up to fight floods (Environment Feature)


With the release of riveting novels such as "Latitudes of Longing" by Shubhangi Swarup and "All The Lives We Never Lived" by Anuradha Roy, the Indian bookshelf has thrown up quite a lot in recent months for fiction lovers to chew upon. But the coming month will bring cheer to readers of biographies and memoirs as a number of offerings from the genre are soon to hit the stands.


Five books to look forward to in August 2018


Mukki zone in the famous Kanha National Park had been known throughout its recorded history to have been ruled by tigresses, rather than tigers. True to this legacy, tribal women of the Mukki zone are breaking conventional chains by taking over men-dominated jobs in the region. These women now drive, guide tourists, guard the forest that traditionally gave them sustenance and are coming forward to shoulder bigger responsibilities.


How tribal women of Kanha are driving their own destiny (IANS Special Series)


It was at this quiet riverside town of Madhya Pradesh that one of India's best known modern artists, S.H. Raza, fell in love with nature and began to find pleasure in it. Nine decades on and the picturesque sight -- lush with green foliage and river Narmadas nurture -- emanates a calm, meditative energy that Mandlas son held close throughout his life.


Raza's love for nature and how art found utterance in a small town (Art Feature)


He was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and political leader who gained international attention as one of the faces of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), alongside India's Jawaharlal Nehru, Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser and Indonesia's Soekarno. But what better way to preserve history and impart Josip Broz Tito's values to future generations than mounting two permanent exhibitions on either side of his grave?


A gathering of friends at Tito's grave (Travel Feature)


(Attn Editors: A revised edition of "A Soldier's Diary: Kargil, The Inside Story" by Harinder Baweja is being published on the occasion of Kargil Diwas. Presented below is an exclusive excerpt from the new foreword by G.L. Batra, father of Capt. Vikram Batra, recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest gallantry award.)


'I will either come back after raising the Indian flag in victory or return wrapped in it' (Book Extract) (July 26 is Kargil Diwas)


Renowned historian and author of several bestselling books, including the highly acclaimed "India After Gandhi" and "India Before Gandhi", Ramachandra Guha has penned a new book on the father of the nation, which has just gone to the press and will be out in September.


Ramachandra Guha pens 'the most ambitious book' on Gandhi


From a staggering 171 submissions -- the highest number of titles put forward in the Man Booker Prizes 50 year history -- 13 novels, which capture facets of a world on the brink, have been longlisted for the 2018 edition of the much-coveted 50,000 pound literary award.


Man Booker longlist captures a world on the brink


India is the second-largest English-language publishing market in the world and Penguin Random House India, a major player in the sector, publishes more than 200 books a year. But Meru Gokhale, it's editor-in-chief, says it is not always easy to publish multiple points of view.


Not easy to embrace diverse perspectives in a country of strong opinions: Publisher Meru Gokhale


Thirty-two-year-old Geeta sits patiently, painting pots created by her husband in the small open porch in her house at Kumhar Gram or Potters' Village that interestingly has managed to find space in West Delhi's Uttam Nagar.


Pottery, an underpaying profession, makes surviving a struggle in Delhi


Majestic mountains, coupled with a spiritual setting, makes Bhutan's annual literary extravaganza -- the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival -- an exhilarating experience for its many visitors.


Literature, art, culture to come alive at Bhutan's Mountain Echoes lit fest


National Geographic explorer Mike Libecki and his 14-year-old daughter Lilliana are essentially travellers who have been to several remote corners of the world. But it is not just the high-ranging mountains or far-flung seas that have a distinct pull for the American father-daughter duo; in fact, most of their travels are humanitarian- and- philanthropy-based expeditions.


American father-daughter duo bring 'technological difference' to remote Arunachal village (IANS Special Series)


He could not become a doctor himself, but is now pulling out all stops to ensure that others fare better. This year, 18 students from Odisha made it to medical school thanks to the initiative of Ajay Bahadur Singh, who once sold tea for a living but now imparts free medical education to 20 underpriveleged students at a time.


Inspired by Super 30, 'Jindagi' realising dreams of medical aspirants in Odisha (Education Feature)


Learn how to resolve mathematical puzzles and paradoxes, mind-bending concepts and their surprising solutions; know how to put the pieces together to create a powerful social media presence; flick through the story of five youngsters who have to deal with extreme circumstances and learn how the consequences made these ordinary individuals extraordinary.


Of maths, social media and youngsters' struggles (IANS Books This Weekend)


Bengaluru, June 28 (IANS/Mongabay) Most rivers in South India begin as small streams in forested mountains. The Western Ghats are filled with such streams. As they flow downhill they join other streams and gain speed, depth and width to become large rivers like the west-flowing Nethravathi and the east-flowing Kaveri (Cauvery) rivers.


Are small hydropower projects fish friendly? (Environment Feature)


The "green agents" of Baran district in Rajasthan are nurturing foliage in their villages, despite a two-year rainfall deficit in the region. Over 3,000 children across 20 villages have planted 7,000 saplings thus far.


Children act as 'green agents' in Rajasthan's drought-hit Baran (Environmental Feature)


A popular Japanese craft, Aritayaki porcelain enjoys a global market but estimates suggest there are barely about a hundred independent artists producing it by hand. Japanese artist Yuji Obata hopes to introduce the craft to India and was recently in the Capital to get an understanding of the art scene here and indulge in discussions with leading galleries.


Japanese artist hopes to introduce Aritayaki in India


Much before the Indian parliament promulgated the Right to Education Act (RTE) in 2009 that guaranteed education to all a committed local teacher had already pioneered the idea of making school access a reality for hundreds of underprivileged children, irrespective of their social status or economic background.

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