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Monday, February 23, 2026
TopicEnglish Language

Topic: English Language

Bipolar disorder, substance abuse & a pretty good brain—what Stephen Fry revealed at JLF 2026

In a session titled ‘A Bit of Fry’ at the Jaipur Literature Festival, author Stephen Fry spoke with politician Anish Gawande.

‘Deadline’ originally meant a line in a US prison yard. Cross it and you’d be shot dead

In 'Stories of Words and Phrases', Sumanto Chattopadhyay peels back the layers of language and takes us on a rollicking ride to demystify the origins and meanings of common words and quirky idiomatic expressions.

Amit Shah’s attack on English will club him with Jyoti Basu in West Bengal

In 1983, the Left Front government in West Bengal under Jyoti Basu banned the teaching of English till Class 6, and justified it by citing a recommendation of the Himangshu Bimal Mazumdar Commission.

English is now code for ‘Khan Market Gang’. BJP is fighting a phantom enemy

English is now code for a clever adversary we’ve known in the past, variously as ‘anti-national’, ‘tukde-tukde gang’, ‘Lutyens’ Delhi’, ‘champagne leftists’, ‘limousine liberals’ and my personal favourite, ‘Khan Market Gang’.

Shashi Tharoor has a grand love affair with words. He even enjoys Indianisms

Shashi Tharoor shared that his favourite four-letter word is ‘read’ and that people need the capacity to either absorb, deflect, or reflect on the language being thrust on them.

Wokes are destroying beauty of language. Being blunt is better than inoffensive

In 'A Wonderland of Words' Shashi Tharoor demystifies punctuation, guides us through the arcane rules of spelling and grammar, and explains a wide array of essential components of the language.

Taking TOEFL about to get easier. Shorter tests, no ‘independent writing’, dedicated helpline

Educational Testing Service, which administers English proficiency test used for admissions abroad, announces slew of changes that will come into effect from 26 July.

Phase out English intelligently. But prepare Indian languages for the difficult task first

Thanks to English, we have produced an elite that is culturally illiterate and devoid of creativity.

English India’s most used social media language, but it’s shutting out rural women: Meta paper

According to insight from Meta, 91% Indian women use English for online communications. Hindi is used by just 6%, while Bengali is used by 1%.

Mansukh Mandaviya’s English is not a parameter. His performance as health minister will be

From Lalu Prasad Yadav to Narendra Modi, Indians are quick to pick on a leader's lack of proficiency in English. But they forget that India is a land of multiple languages and dialects.

On Camera

Nick Jonas wearing a mangalsutra is validation for many Indians. He’s our favourite jiju

Nick Jonas is not trying to modernise the mangalsutra, but his gesture shows that choices can be equal. If commitment must be flaunted, it need not be gendered.

In the West, there’s anxiety. In India, optimism—Rishi Sunak says India poised to be leader in AI

On Wednesday, the former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was speaking in New Delhi at a Carnegie & Observer Research Foundation event on AI.

Suspected brake failure leads to Tejas accident after landing, airframe likely to be written off

The IAF, so far, remains mum on this accident which has led to grounding of the fleet for safety checks.

No country is ever fully sovereign. Cold War era taught India its real meaning

India’s fraught neighbourhood places multiple constraints on its strategic choices. It leaves no time to take a deep breath, lean back and reset.