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Friday, August 22, 2025

PoV

IAS officers are not lazy ‘babus’. Time to reject the colonial slang

In his Parliament speech, PM Modi came down heavily on the ‘babu culture’ in India. But who made civil servants ‘babus’ in the first place?

Clubhouse mixes podcasts, Spotify, Houseparty, Zoom. But not all can check in

The absence of visual cues on Clubhouse — no videos, no text-based comments or likes — is refreshing. From Indie musicians to tech entrepreneurs, everyone is lining up.

Traditional book reviews are dead. ‘Bookstagrammers’ are killing it one post at a time

Photo captions, emoji and star ratings — millennials are disrupting book reviews on Instagram.

Mumbai local is back on track. But how did the Maximum City even survive without it?

The picture of a man worshiping a Mumbai local is viral. The local is the vehicle of the mortal, much like Hindu gods who have from lions to tigers to peacocks.

Indian liberals’ WhatsApp University moment came with President Kovind’s Bose portrait row

A confirmation bias the liberals suffer from is their unwillingness to accept that Narendra Modi is popular.

These Muslim women comedians are making us laugh. In India of 2021, it’s no joke

Be it Pakistan, India or across the world, the stereotype against women comedians is being challenged.

Women won’t be in distress if Lucknow police’s AI cameras could keep an eye on men

With police in the picture, the socially sanctioned surveillance will weaponise this time-honoured tradition.

WhatsApp suffering ‘Facebook moment’. After capture by uncle-aunties, time for trendier apps

From loud and proud ‘Good Morning’ messages that clogged the web to endless memes, WhatApp’s ‘free’ service was a game-changer for Indians.

Why Jaipur’s grand celebration of Makar Sankranti festival loses out to Ahmedabad’s Uttarayan

Popular culture adds glamour to festivities — Sushant Singh Rajput’s 'Kai Po Che' is remembered for depicting Gujarat’s Uttarayan scenes.

Before desi cow exam, Indians should study how to not kill dolphins and elephants for fun

The viral video of men killing a dolphin in UP shows such acts of bestiality are committed with no real motive, or just for fun — which makes it even scarier.

On Camera

Tariffs, chips, and China — how Trump’s trade playbook affects India

Trump’s OBBB is framed to augment domestic semiconductor production and enhance trade protection, even at the expense of certain social programs such as Medicaid, food stamps, and student loans, as well as a projected ballooning federal deficit from US$2.8 to 3.3 trillion

New insolvency frameworks to shorter timelines, how 2025 amendment bill proposes to transform IBC

New bill aims to fix key issues with IBC 2016, including delays & patchy implementation, and protect creditors, with window for genuine promoters to retain control of their companies.

Indian firm joins hands with US manufacturer to locally develop all-terrain vehicles for armed forces

Under joint venture, JSW Sarbloh Motors will indigenise and manufacture TX range ATVs in Chandigarh. The first India-assembled unit is expected by early 2026.

War of IAF, PAF doctrines: As Pakistan obsesses over numbers, India embraces risk, wins

Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?