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Saturday, November 22, 2025
HomeGround Reports

Ground Reports

Just 1 month of NEET classes, Rs 1.46 lakh bill. How coaching centres profit from dropouts

Across the board, coaching institutes ignore rules and follow their own refund policies. Parents pay full price even if students drop out. Some eat the cost, others take the legal route.

Indian railway stations are failing women. Dark corners, broken CCTVs, loitering men, rape

In Haryana’s Kurukshetra, a woman was gang-raped on a train and later lost her leg after an injury on the tracks. ‘I screamed and pleaded with them,’ she said—but no one came.

Bengaluru billionaires are changing Indian philanthropy. Old-style CSR is out

A new Bengaluru wave of first-generation science and tech billionaires is quietly changing the grammar of giving. It’s a shift that’s mirroring the nation’s expanding aspirations.

Gurugram police ask for Bengali migrants’ passports. They say ‘we haven’t even seen a train’

The fresh round of exodus in Gurugram neighborhood has come exactly two years after migrant workers from Bengal faced attacks in the aftermath of the communal violence that broke out in Nuh during a VHP-led procession, resulting in deaths and FIRs.

Fake weddings are Delhi’s new distraction. Marigolds, lehengas, sangeet & beer—no vows

With tickets going for up to Rs 5,000, fake weddings are also a new business for wedding planners and event managers. Millennials and Gen Z are the target audience.

Rise and fall of India’s BRTS. ‘World-class’ solution that made problems worse

Bus Rapid Transit Systems in India are a cautionary tale about the high cost of copy-paste urban planning. They’re being dismantled in Jaipur and Pune and triggering protests in Hubballi-Dharwad.

Banned in Delhi, full throttle in Bengaluru—RD350s, Shoguns, Yezdis ride on

Two-stroke bikes have long ridden into the sunset in cities like Delhi, but in Bengaluru, they power a well-oiled subculture. ‘Passionate people get into this.’

Tablighi case over, but 5 years of stigma linger. ‘Did it happen because I’m Muslim?’

‘We kept asking what our crime was, but there was no answer,’ said Shafiquddin Malik, one of 70 men cleared after five years in the Tablighi Jamaat case by the Delhi High Court.

Working at Rikers Island prison taught Tillotama Shome more than acting school

Improvisational work at Rikers Island prison taught her more than any acting school could have, she said. It toughened her and made her resilient

Prada’s Milan misstep can bring Kolhapuris back on their feet. Chappal Gali has new hope

Kolhapuri chappals have long battled low demand and dwindling artisan numbers. A case of cultural appropriation is now offering the craft a possible chance at revival.

On Camera

Trump’s 28 points for Ukraine add up to a no-go at peace

Two questions are pertinent: Why does the Trump administration keep making the same mistakes on the peace proposal? And what does a hurried peace plan mean on the ground?

At Charcha 2025: Local entrepreneurship, not just big IT, will drive next wave of distributed AI work

While global corporations setting up GCCs in India continue to express confidence in availability of skilled AI engineers, the panel argued that India’s real challenge lies elsewhere.

Tejas fighter aircraft crashes at Dubai Air Show, IAF confirms pilot’s death

This is the second such incident after a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas had crashed into a hostel on the outskirts of Jaisalmer in March last year.

INDIA has a Congress-sized hole. And the fix begins with a little humility

Without a Congress revival, there can be no challenge to the BJP pan-nationally. Modi’s party is growing, and almost entirely at the cost of the Congress.