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Sunday, November 23, 2025
HomeGround Reports

Ground Reports

Rajasthan’s 17 new districts are running from mandis, hostels, schools. A logistical mess

A year after Rajasthan’s 17 new districts were carved out, they’ve become a political battleground between BJP and Congress. But action on a review panel’s report still pending.

Where does Aravalli end? Lack of clarity leads to rampant mining; furious Haryana villagers

Haryana's Rajawas village’s vehement opposition to mining near the Aravalli range comes from bitter experiences. They have faced the repercussions of living near a stone mine.

India’s youngest spiritual baba wants no friends, smartphones. What about homework, people ask

Ten-year-old Abhinav Arora’s teachers ask him to sing bhajans for them during free periods. Every child in his class wants to sit with him—they have to use a roster.

20 UP villages lost their beloved Sakarni River decades ago. They just got it back this July

A local environmentalist and Pratapgarh officials used MGNREGA funds to mobilise 30,000 residents to revitalise the 28-km Sakarni River in Uttar Pradesh.

Bellatrix Aerospace is rising with ISRO. Nano thrusters are its big game now

Bellatrix founders stopped and pitched their idea to ex-ISRO chief Kiran Kumar when he was leaving a venue after delivering a convocation ceremony speech.

Indraprastha University student suicide brings up a storm of anger and a long list of woes

Most of the students didn't know Gautam Kumar, as the new academic year had just begun a month ago. But his death has sparked an unprecedented protest at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University.

Govt job in Jharkhand means corruption, cheating, exam delays, court cases—JPSC to JSSC

In 21 years, JPSC has conducted only 13 exams when it is supposed to happen annually. There has not been a single civil services exam that hasn’t landed in court.

Nitish Katara murder witness battles 37 cases, bullets, poison—Ajay Katara a cautionary tale

Katara is no VIP, but his life is now shrouded in high-level security with police officers on speed dial. His story shows why witnesses to murder hesitate to come forward in India.

Akshara Theatre is a Delhi gem, and a lifeline for small artists

Theatre stars Gopal Sharman and Jalabala Vaidya built Akshara Theatre with their own hands—literally. The struggle it’s facing today is a microcosm of the larger existential crisis in Delhi theatre scene.

Is Hindi literature adapting to survive? It has more Chetan Bhagats than Omprakash Valmikis

Greats such as Premchand, Nirala, and Nirmal Verma loom large in Hindi literature. Dalit-Bahujan voices like Omprakash Valmiki and Tulsiram shook status quo, but a new canon is still missing.

On Camera

In Tejas Dubai crash, the harm goes beyond the loss of an aircraft and pilot

Airshows are thrilling spectacles of aviation skill and engineering marvels. But they carry inherent risks as the crew is pushing the aircraft, and themselves, to perform at the edges of the envelope.

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.

From a small Kangra village to Tejas cockpit: IAF fighter pilot Namansh Syal’s journey cut short

Wing Commander Namansh Syal is survived by his wife, their 6-year-old daughter and his mother. Back in his native village, relatives and neighbours wait for his remains for last rites.

A tribute to Tejas. India’s delay culture is the real enemy in the skies

It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.