ENVIRONMENT
How many types of solar eclipses are there, and how often do they occur?
Eclipses follow a predictable cycle known as the Saros cycle, lasting 6,585 days. April 8 will witness a total solar eclipse. It'll be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous US until 2044.
ENVIRONMENT
Top myths associated with solar eclipses
In spite of the scientific explanation for the celestial event, some misconceptions still endure. April 8 will witness a total solar eclipse.
ENVIRONMENT
How 6 ancient cultures explained a solar eclipse
These interpretations helped them make sense of what seemed like an inexplicable phenomenon. April 8 will witness a total solar eclipse, when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the Sun. It'll be the last total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous US until 2044.
TECHNOLOGY
OpenAI drops 'Sora', new groundbreaking text-to-video tool, can make films in the future
Microsoft-backed startup & ChatGPT maker OpenAI's new disruptor Artificial Intelligence tool, Sora, stuns social media with hyper-realistic 60-second videos created using text prompts. The potential of Sora is massive.
BUSINESS
Paytm pains far from over, but Sandeep Tandon of Quant MF sees digital banking new reality
On January 31, the RBI placed restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank, saying the actions were warranted by “persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns in the bank”
TRENDS
Dunki on Netflix: Shah Rukh Khan & Rajkumar Hirani's film trends on social media again
Dunki OTT release: Director Rajkumar Hirani's Dunki is now on Netflix. Over 2 hours, 41 minutes, Dunki covers a span of 25 years and the distance from Laltu in Punjab to London and back. The story of three illegal immigrants made around Rs 430 crore in worldwide box office collections.
TRENDS
Pioneers: Rukhmabai, one of India's first women doctors, encouraged women to seek medical help, socialise
Book excerpt: Rukhmabai: The Life and Times of a Child Bride Turned Rebel-Doctor by Sudhir Chandra | "In 1897, within months of the hospital’s formal opening, the plague epidemic broke out in Surat. Rukhmabai was given charge of the women patients at the Civil Hospital. As the pestilence raged on, she also had to undertake house-to-house visitation in the sprawling city to look for women and children affected by the disease."
TRENDS
Who walked with Rahul Gandhi in Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir?
Book excerpt | Dilip D'Souza in Roadwalker: A Few Miles on the Bharat Jodo Yatra: "The GPS coordinates had been sent to me by WhatsApp—the digital age, after all. Ahead, because someone had told us the best place to walk was just in front of the main body of yatris: still among plenty of walkers but not engulfed in a flood of them jostling for space on the road. So we waited there for the Yatra to arrive. I strolled about, taking photos of nearby posters and bunting."
SCIENCE
When and where to see total solar eclipse in 2024
On April 8, 2024, the rare celestial phenomenon total solar eclipse will be visible across continental America. Here's what you need to know about the time of surya grahan in India and best places to see the solar eclipse 2024 ring of fire in America, Canada and Mexico.
TRENDS
Parsi home-cooking: Easy Dhansak recipe
Book excerpt: Frenny Billimoria is one of over 100 people who contributed to The India Cookbook: From the Tables of My Friends, selected and edited by Sunita Kohli. Billimoria's recipe for Parsi dal-and-meat dish Dhansak with rice and kachumbar salad, reproduced with permission from Aleph.
TRENDS
How Shankar Mahadevan joined Zakir Hussain & John McLaughlin's Indo Jazz band Shakti
Book excerpt from The Authorized Biography of Grammy 2024 Winner for Best Global Music Album, Shankar Mahadevan, The Musical Maverick by Ashis Ghatak.
INDIA
Haldwani violence: 5 killed, over 100 cops injured; Uttarakhand on high alert
Communal tensions and violence erupted in Haldwani after an illegal madrasa and an adjoining mosque were demolished; paramilitary forces have been deployed to control the situation.
TRENDS
How descriptions of urban planning and sustainable living in epics and puranas, informed the making of Ayodhya airport
One of the key architects at Sthapati, which worked on phase 1 of the Ayodhya Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, was writing the book 'The Splendour of Shri Rams Ancient City AYODHYA: A Walk Through the Living Heritage' around the same time. The two projects intersected and informed each other. Here's how.
TRENDS
Ustad Rashid Khan tribute: Best film & non-film songs of Mian Tansen’s descendant
The demise at age 55 of Ustad Rashid Khan, of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, who was a direct descendant of Mian Tansen, marks the end of an era of Hindustani classical music. Here is a list of some of his memorable songs across genres.
TRENDS
Book excerpt: Revolutionizing Business Operations | 'Achieving Transparency in Business Processes'
From 'Revolutionizing Business Operations' by Tony Saldanha and Filippo Passerini | "KEY INSIGHT: Transparency in business processes is a powerful strategy. It fosters collaboration and systemically accelerates process effectiveness."
TRENDS
Book excerpt: The Winning Culture | A case for sticky messaging in all organisations, everywhere
"The messaging must also be concise and memorable. Clunky statements that attempt to be all things to all employees can never secure attention, much less recall." - Major General Neeraj Bali in The Winning Culture: Lessons from Indian Army to Transform Your Business.
TRENDS
Book excerpt: In Unboxing Bengaluru, reasons why Bangalore works for startups
Three reasons why Bangalore stands out even among big Indian cities: Its geography, history and strong tech culture.
TRENDS
Book excerpt | Pranab Mukherjee's daughter shares former President's diary entries, disillusionment with Congress leadership
Pranab Mukherjee had a long political career, serving as finance minister and then President of India. In his biography, 'Pranab, My Father', his daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee leans on his diary entries to talk about his complicated relationship with the Congress and more.
PODCAST
Mamaearth stake sale, Bank of India’s QIP, HCL Tech, M&M Financial in focus & more | Market Minutes
In this episode of Market Minutes, Zoya Springwala talks about the key factors to watch out for today, from the Mamaearth bulk deal, Bank of India’s QIP to the global market set up. Also, catch Nilesh Shah, Kotak AMC on the Voice of the Day segment. Market Minutes is a morning podcast that puts the spotlight on hot stocks, key data points, and developing trends.
ENTERTAINMENT
Imtiaz Ali: We stopped and shot wherever convenient
Locations are the heart of storytelling, are a character in his films. Film director Imtiaz Ali speaks at India International Foreign Tourism Conclave on why and how he chooses locations for his films.
TRENDS
Arnold Schwarzenegger: The only thing that works 100 percent of the time is...
In his latest book, Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life, Arnold Schwarzenegger draws on his own experiences, to share seven rules to realize your true purpose in life. An excerpt
TRENDS
Book excerpts: 8 books longlisted for the 2023 Booker Prize
Mini excerpts from The Bee Sting by Paul Murray; In Ascension by Martin MacInnes; Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry; The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng; A Spell of Good Things by Ayobami Adebayo; The Other Eden by Paul Harding; How To Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney; and Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein.
TRENDS
Book excerpt: She, The Leader by Nidhi Sharma | How Smriti Irani recovered from a mistake she made in her early years in the BJP
Smriti Irani has completed more than 20 years in the Bharatiya Janata Party. A look back at some of her earliest assignments in Rajasthan and Delhi.
TRENDS
Book excerpt: The Shortest History of War by Gwynne Dyer | Why humans fight wars
When did humans start fighting wars and is it possible to stop wars altogether?
