Advertisement
Advertisement
Amrit Dhillon
Amrit used to work for the BBC in London but decided to return to her country of origin, India, over 15 years ago. Apart from travel articles, she reports on every aspect of Indian society. Rajasthan is her favourite state because of the magnificence of its forts and palaces, the great Thar Desert, exquisite handicrafts, and a colour palette so glorious it can lift the lowest spirits.
By the end of the decade, India is projected to have over 23 million gig workers – who report facing humiliation and exclusion at every turn.
There’s no minimum spend, prices are low and orders from apps like Blinkit and Swiggy’s Instamart arrive in a matter of minutes.
The recent surge of passengers is due to ongoing national elections and a cluster of astrologically auspicious dates, typically used for Hindu weddings.
There is a growing trend among India’s Jains to undertake deeksha – in which they give up all possessions and relationships to beg for alms – at a young age.
Advertisement
India outlawed the practice of forcing bears to dance for entertainment in 1972. Decades later, animal-rights groups thought they’d rescued the last one being held in captivity. But it turns out they were wrong.
Critics say the case is yet another example of hardline Hindu groups’ rising intolerance – and the fear that their actions and words inspire.
With Modi on course for a third term, Jokowi lining up a new political dynasty and the opposition hamstrung in both Pakistan and Bangladesh, illiberal democracy looks likely to be the biggest winner of this year’s polls.
The findings from a new study in India add to a body of evidence on organ donations that illustrates the life-and-death impact of gender inequality.
Officials are taking measures to deal with the public health crisis, such as imposing ‘odd-vehicle’ limits and suspending work on construction sites.
As China’s economic growth slows, the world’s luxury brands are setting their sights on the Indian economy.
India is set to pass the long-pending bill on Friday but critics caution that it could be an empty gesture bogged by delayed implementation.
An official has urged director Christopher Nolan to cut a scene featuring the Bhagavad Gita, calling it an ‘assault on religious beliefs of a billion tolerant Hindus’.
The rapid rise of such technology has some people worried about employment security, a lack of nuance in stories, and the sheer lack of a human element.
The ‘time bank’ service by Indian NGO Nirogi Bharat Foundation matches elderly in need with volunteers who spend time with them and help run errands.
Sakshi Malik, 30, and Vinesh Phogat, 28, have been protesting since January against the actions of Wrestling Federation of India head Brij Bhushan Singh, 66, who they accuse of sexual assault.
Violence erupted over push for majority Meiteis to gain access to jobs and university places set aside for Kukis. Home Minister Amit Shah, representing Hindu-nationalist government, has gone to Manipur for talks.
On the show, Modi discusses matters of interest to citizens, expresses his ideals, and even dispenses avuncular advice to Indians across ages, social classes.
In the 1980s, India had about 1,500-2,000 of these massive birds that have a wing span of up to seven feet. Now, only 120-150 Bustards remain.
This is not the first such detox in India, with five villages in 2022 introducing bans on devices and the Jain community’s 2021 digital fasting challenge.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals provided the mechanised animal as part of its efforts to persuade all temples in Kerala to stop using real elephants to end animal cruelty.
Both rural Indians and educated people in big cities are equally susceptible to irrationalism and belief in fake godmen, and psychiatrist Dr Hamid Dabholkar is resolved in his fight against superstition.
Zahad was in the process of becoming a man when he and his partner Ziya Pavel – who’s transitioning to be a woman – decided to try for a baby. Theirs is believed to be India’s first transgender-couple pregnancy.
The Hindu-nationalist BJP has arrested around 2,400 men in the state of Assam for marrying underage girls, but critics say Muslim minorities are being targeted and breadwinners removed.
In northeast India, Hindu priests name children from the so-called low caste Dalit community, who are then afflicted for life with sometimes demeaning names.
A protest led by acclaimed wrestler Vinesh Phogat was called off after federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh agreed to step down and ‘help in carrying out the probe’.
The Congress party figurehead’s 3,500km cross-India trek has forgone the politicking to focus on spreading a message of peace and love. And it’s resonating with ordinary Indians.
Anjali Singh was dragged along a New Delhi road for about 12km by a car that hit her scooter on New Year’s Eve, sparking a fresh debate about the ‘culture of violence against women’ in India.
Tapas Sandilya, who lost his wife of 39 years to Covid-19, commissioned a life-size silicone figure of her for his living room to alleviate his grief.
Bihar’s chief minister is under fire for refusing to overturn his almost 7-year-old ban, despite the state’s residents regularly dying and going blind from illegal liquor.
