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World's hottest chili takes on wild jumbos

The villages of Assam close to elephant habitats have had regular visits by wild herds. There has been loss of lives on both sides. Finally, the forest department has thought of a hot solution to cool down the elephants. Read on ...

UFO in Kolkata?

An unidentified flying object or UFO has the city of Kolkata in a tizzy. Sighted in the skies on Monday, October 29, 2007, scientists are wondering what the strange and interesting fiery ball is all about. Read on ...

Punch and Spar: Way to go, Mary!

M.C Mary Kom, 25, holds the world title in boxing, but very few people in India know about her. Born in a poor family in a village in Manipur, Mary Kom has reached the pinnacle in her sport through sheer determination. Hers is a story of a girl wanting the world to know that boxing is not for boys alone. Read on ...

Hockey Heroines

If you thought Chak De! India was great, wait till you read this real life story about the rise of the Indian women's hockey team in recent times. It's thrilling. It's heartwarming. It's inspiring... Read on ...

Man Who Was a Mountain

Dasrath Manjhi, the man who bent a mountain to his will and connected his village to the outside world, died on August 17, 2007. He was over 70. In his life story of great poverty and greater will is the lesson that supermen don't always come from an alien planet. Read on ...

Honey, What About It?

Like many villages across India, this one too suffered a serious water shortage. But then the villagers came up with the sweetest of solutions to quench their thirst... Read on ...

Couch Pet-atoes

First it was kids, now, it's the dogs. In middle class families across India, from the master to his pooch, everyone is likely to be fat, and sick. Read on ...

The Flood

For people across the country the rains come as a relief. But with the rains come heavy floods in parts of Assam, Bihar, Bengal and north-east India. What is the reason for these monsoon floods? Read on ...

Wet behind the ears: Mumbai floods again

Year after year, comes monsoons and Mumbai goes under water. For a city that has dreams of becoming the next Shanghai, it is a gutter ahead. Read on ...

On the tracks of a hero

He is 57 years old and ordinary looking. But Mahender Singh’s extraordinary act saved the lives of thousands of train passengers. Read on ...

Patel 20th most popular surname in UK

If you take the 500 most popular surnames in Britain, the Indian surname Patel comes out strong at number 20. Not too far behind are Singh and Kaur. No wonder Indians form the largest ethnic minority group in the UK. Read on ...

India launches Agni-III missile

India has launched a missile that can reach as far as the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Beijing, and most of West Asia. Can there ever be peace if countries only think about who has the bigger bomb, or the bigger missile? Read on ...

Trees of Delhi - Under the Axe!

Delhi is in the grip of a feverish exercise. Thousands of trees are being cut down to make way for the Metro, a speedy bus system and wider roads. Is there a way out? Read on ...

Green Fields in a Concrete Jungle

Govind Mhatre grows paddy and vegetables for a living. He lives on his farm which is in the middle of the bustling city of Mumbai. Read on ...

Answering Nature's Call in Peace

With the construction of 30 toilets for the 1000 odd residents of Karuvettupatai in Tiruchi district, Tamil Nadu, life is changing for the better. There's even a special model for the children's toilet. Read on ...

India's First Female Grand`master'

International master P Harikrishna was ranked higher than 21-year-old S. Vijaylakshmi. But the four-time women's national champion defeated him in a thrilling contest to become the first Indian Woman Grandmaster. Read on ...

Pushed to the Edge

The country's most famous sanctuary for tigers, Corbett Park, is sadly but surely, losing its most prized possessions - its tigers. Read on ...

Pickpocket

Young children are picked off the streets in India and trained to steal! The reason? The law cannot touch children below seven years and the gang can carry on its operations without fear of prosecution for their 'employees'. Read on ...

Army Comes to the Aid of Birds

The Harike Sanctuary in Punjab, once used to be a favourite destination of migratory birds coming from as far as Siberia. Then the hardy weed called water hyacinth choked the surface of the wetland and drove the birds away. Now the birds have returned, thanks to a big clean-up operation by the Indian army. Read on ...

Asia's First Floating Museum

The Indian navy has refused to allow their first aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, to be reduced to a pile of metal. Instead, it has convinced the Maharashtra government to convert the ship into a maritime museum. And preserved a little bit of history, in the process. Read on ...

Gandhi's School is Dying

Seventy years ago, Gandhi emphasised the need to teach children to respect manual labour. That is why his school in Gujarat had farming, spinning and cooking in its syllabus. Today the school is crumbling, like other Gandhian ideals. Read on ...

The Actor

Seventeen-year-old Dhanna has acted in two films and has got a national award for one of his roles - of a disabled person with a fighting spirit. Dhanna, who is mentally disabled, had been chosen because of his condition, not his acting abilities. Now he is obsessed about entering Bollywood. And his life has turned upside down. Read on ...

Shakespeare in Prison

A theatre director stages Shakespeare's play in prison. He has not only cast the prisoner's in lead roles, he's also transformed their thinking. Read on ...

Indian Children Do It Again

By being selected in the prestigious Mars Training Mission, three Indian children do the country proud. Read on ...

The Teenage Teacher of Pune

As a 13-year-old, Ganga began to spread the light of literacy in her slum. Today, three years later, her efforts have enabled thirty women to 'see' the world around them, anew. Read on ...

Prisoners ride on fried snack success

From a 'bhajiya' corner to a state-of-the-art petrol pump, the prisoners of Ahmedabad's Sabarmati jail are planning one business venture after another, to keep them busy in jail. Read on ...

Simayal's Women

Whether it's Rajasthan's Nyala village which recently received praise from American President Bill Clinton, or Simayal village in the Kumaon region, there is something common to both - it is the women who have put their villages on the road to prosperity. Read on ...

The Empowered Woman of Nyala

When Shakuntala Bai was young, she was told that education was not for girls and stopped from going to school. On September 19 this village woman who had never travelled outside her village, flew to New York to attend an international conference and later met US President Bill Clinton. Read on ...

Simputer: The Low-cost Computer

It is both the answer to the prayers of those clamouring for a cheap computer, besides being hi-tech enough to perform commands by a mere touch of the hand. The only catch - it isn't out in the market as yet ! Read on ...

The Common Man's Filmmaker

In a career spanning more than 40 years, senior film-maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee succeeded in making some of the most well-loved Hindi films. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for a lifetime contribution to Indian cinema in the National Film Awards ceremony in Delhi on September 18. Read on ...

Prized Skeleton in Museum Closet

The well-preserved skeleton of a woman has been added to the gallery at the National Museum in Delhi. She is 5,000 years old, from the time of the magnificent Harappan Valley civilisation. Read on ...

Chetak's Descendents

Many consider the Rajasthani or Marwari horse equal to the Arab breed. The first lot has just hotfooted into the United States having passed a number of stringent tests for entry. Read on ...

She Pulls Airplanes, with her Teeth

Seema Bhadoria, a slim young girl, has done something that could put heavyweight lifters to shame. She has pulled an airplane, with her teeth! Read on ...

Where Children Run Their Own Lives

In a Delhi slum, some children have come up with a unique way to settle their problems - they have set up local Bal Panchayats or governing groups to act on various issues. And their Bal Panchayat is a runaway success. Read on ...

How to Write the Right Way

Is beautiful handwriting on its way out today? Don't worry, hope's at hand. An organization in Calcutta is teaching children how to write 'well', based on scientific principles. Read on ...

Girl Power

The world is changing rapidly. A decade ago, no one would have thought about boys wanting to step into a girl's shoes. But now, this is happening. Read on ...

'Your dam is our death'

Children from the Narmada Valley were in the Capital, meeting with other children, journalists, activists and supporters to share the fear of losing their homes. Read on ...

Jealous ambition of a father

Mad at the winning exploits of his son's competitor, a jealous father made a failed attempt to kidnap the boy. By putting so much pressure on children to succeed, parents often damage their self-esteem for a long time to come. Read on ...

No marks for mother tongue

Nearly 50 per cent of the class X students in Uttar Pradesh have failed in Hindi, their mother tongue. The failure rate is higher in government schools, while private school children have performed better. Read on ...

Web of Financial Scandal

In January 2000, the lifetime savings of 20 million people invested in United Trust of India, the country's oldest mutual fund company, was Rs 65,000 crores. In August 2001, it was Rs 56,000 crores. Where have Rs 9000 crore gone? Read on ...

More fuel to the CNG fire

Is CNG the way to go? Too little and there are long waiting queues. Too much and there is the danger of the vehicle's gas pipe bursting, with opposing views on 'clean' image of the fuel. Either way, it's a nightmare for Delhi's residents. Read on ...

Jumbos have some Oily Fun

Wild elephants are giving a tough time to officials at Assam's oil-producing wells where they move around freely, often opening crucial valves in the pipelines that connect the oil wells to the refineries. Read on ...

Chained Inmates of Asylum burnt to Death

It was not even a proper asylum, just a thatch-roof house, in Tamil Nadu. Twenty six mentally ill patients died a helpless death, pointing to the sorry state of asylums in India. Read on ...

Testing Times for Indian Sports

An Indian sportswoman has submitted a list of 144 sportspersons who she says have taken drugs to boost their performances. At a broad level, doping has been very much a part of all Indian sports, says a prominent sports consultant. Read on ...

Young girl's earth-shaking courage

Pulled out of the rubble 34 hours after the Gujarat earthquake, 12-year-old Prutha Desai lost her right arm. But the way she has started a new life is an example to all... Read on ...

A school for budding politicians

The 'Netagiri Vidyalaya' is the first 'school' of its kind in India, and its aim is to train aspiring politicians to lead a clean public life. And it has been started by a former small-time politician. Read on ...

Flooded by Disaster

Drought, cyclone, and now floods in Orissa, described as the worst ever in independent India. And the extent of devastation is caused largely by human mismanagement rather than natural calamities. Read on ...

Precious Boats

Grooms in West Bengal are saying no to ornaments and hard cash. Not because they have shunned dowry, but because they are asking for something more precious - wooden boats. Read on ...

Take Me Back

She goes to school but is not allowed to wear a uniform, sits in the last row without a friend and, her notebooks go unchecked. The reason is simple. Her father happened to question the illegal fee hike in her school. Read on ...

Places That Care

India's monuments will now be made disabled-friendly, says the Archeological Survey of India, thereby accepting that public space must be physically accessible to all. Read on ...

Do You Know What You are Eating?

If you think yourself to be a vegetarian then you are in for a shock. A recent report released by the Animal Welfare Board of India says the most common vegetarian food products available in the market have animal-based ingredients. Read on ...

No Begging for Merit

Nagarathna begged for a living and to pay her way through school. Having passed the Class X exams with flying colours, she has become a heroine. And everyone wants to reward her... Read on ...

Starving in the Midst of Plenty

People in the rural areas of six states are starving to death due to famine-like conditions. But the State governments refuse to release the stock of grain kept aside for emergencies. Read on ...

Microbes begin Deforestation

Insects, fungi and various kinds of insects are eating into the conifer trees of Himachal Pradesh. Read on ...

Pushkar Lake Water or Sugarcane Juice?

The famous lake next to the only Brahma temple in the world is dying. It looks like even the mythological Hindu creator cannot save it. Read on ...

The Peacocks are Dying

In the first week of May 19 peacocks died a sudden death near Jaipur. Since January this year 135 of these birds have died, compared to 21 in 2000. Heat stroke or pesticide poisoning is the hot topic of debate. Read on ...

Making Light of Darkness

Even five decades after independence, the Male Kudi tribals live without electricity. But having decided on self-help, they have lit up their village in the most ingenious way. Read on ...

From Kitchen Cabinet to State Cabinet?

A couple of weeks ago, Lakshmi Parui, a widow in her late 50s was just a domestic help in West Bengal. Then she decided to contest the State assembly elections... Read on ...

Injured Right Arms

The college authorities found it very strange that so many students seemed to have injured their right arms just before the exams. It was a case of one arm not knowing what the other was doing! Read on ...

These Bold Police Women

A dreaded outlaw is on the run because of a young police woman, Priyanka Mishra, in India's notorious Chambal Valley. This has become a trend in India - seemingly 'untouchable' outlaws, brought to their knees by doughty police women. Read on ...

Welcome Rains?

It has been a welcome shower for many people sweltering under the fierce summer heat in north India - excepting for the farmers. Most of the crops, which they had been all set to harvest, lie destroyed. Read on ...

The Hospitality of a True Blue Nawab

Nawab Mir Jafar Abdullah knows how to entertain his guests in style. So what if the guest has to pay a little money in the process? Read on ...

The Faithful Dog

Big snakes and elephants are known to fight wild cats. Recently a dog fought and killed a panther when it attacked his masters. But the panther is an endangered species... Read on ...

A Problem, Naturally!

On April 1, 2001 Delhi was to have become environment friendly as all public transport was to run on compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of diesel. Delhi became a Capital mess... Read on ...

When Everyone Counts

The head count for the next 10 years has finished. The government is now tabulating the data collected and soon we will know how many Indians there are in India! Read on ...

Rani Hindustani!

She earns her living by doing something which few women would dare to do - drive a truck. But daring to be different has always been Poonam Hindustani's forte. Read on ...

They See!

Among the relief workers who rushed to Gujarat after the quake, was 26-year-old Sudha Patel, a village headwoman. She is visually impaired and one among the many members of the Ahmedabad-based Blind People's Association who did so. Read on ...

Death Threat

Despite being an endangered species, Olive Ridley turtles are being routinely fished in Orissa and sold for meat. Are these ancient creatures set to be extinct soon? Read on ...

This Bird Paradise Stinks!

Plastic waste floating on its surface, noxious smells from the chemicals in the fields around it, the Yamuna river is still sought after by many varieties of birds. But for how long? Read on ...

The Boy Who writes with His Feet

Sujit Dawn was born without hands, but has mastered the art of writing with his feet. This bright student, who is the life of all social gatherings, has one ambition: to become a teacher. Read on ...

My Country is a Land of Plains!

They had only read descriptions of India as a land of cows, rivers and dusty plains. In a recent visit to Delhi, 30 Ladakhi children got a chance to see that India as well as elephants and zoos for the first time. Read on ...

The Law versus the Dhoti

After debating for six hours, the Rajasthan High Court has allowed lawyers to argue their cases in court wearing the dhoti. The traditional lower garment worn by men in India has scored a point! Read on ...

All for One

When the teacher of the only government school in Lakshapur village beat up a girl student, the villagers decided they had had enough. From now on they were going to call the shots. The result - a new school run by the village council. Read on ...

5000 Years Old Quake-proof Town

One of the few towns to have survived Gujarat's devastating earthquake is 5000 year-old Dholavira, which was once part of the famous Harappan civilisation. All of its structures are still standing. Read on ...

A Debt Repaid

Over sixty years ago, India had offered shelter to a group of Polish orphans fleeing the German invasion of Russia during World War II. It is in gratitude that the Polish government has sent a team to India, to help in the Gujarat quake. Read on ...

Animal Sense

What science has still not been able to determine with any accuracy, the behaviour of animals can predict with uncanny foresight: the arrival of an earthquake in a region. Read on ...

The Circle of Life

A group of young rescuers has been single-mindedly helping save precious lives in the quake-ravaged Bhachau town, in Gujarat. Each one in the group was orphaned in the 1993 quake that devastated Latur, in Maharashtra. Read on ...

Building a Giant Lie

One of the most striking features of the recent Gujarat earthquake was the phenomenon of giant skyscrapers crumbling to the ground, killing most of those inside. It happened because few safety measures were followed while constructing them. Read on ...

Little Heroes

Twenty-three youngsters received the National Awards for Bravery, 2000, from the Prime Minister, this year. Sitting atop caparisoned elephants, they were proud participants at the Republic Day parade. Read on ...

The Case of the Stonemasons

Some stonemasons from Rajasthan are very happy men. They have won a case against a British company for not paying them adequately for their work. Read on ...

Winter Guests

A colourful lot arriving from very far away, these winged guests flock to the Delhi Zoo for some 'warm' hospitality every year. Read on ...

UFO Landing

UFOs caused life on earth? Incredible? Then again, maybe not. A team of Indian scientists has launched a balloon into space to prove that the theory is no flight of fancy. Read on ...

The Misfortunes of Kera..la

Thoughtless state policies have brought the coconut or kera tree down from the position of importance it enjoyed in Kerala till recently. Read on ...

Made to Order

A group of Indian scientists is working towards developing the anti-drought seed, which does not guzzle too much water. If this experiment succeeds, they will develop similar seeds with made-to-order characteristics. Read on ...

A Syllabus for Harmony

A new syllabus for primary school students in Kashmir will now emphasise on themes of love and cooperation. Authorities feel it's the only way to ensure children's awareness of the harmonious aspects of the violent-ridden state. Read on ...

Historic Station Soon to be History

A historic railway station in Jammu is soon going to be demolished to make way for a state-run art complex. Except that it is quite complicated to people what the complex will preserve. Read on ...

Alcoholics Beware!

The womenfolk of a little village in Maharashtra are pulling out all stops in their fight to end their husbands from becoming alcohol addicts. Even if it means sending them to jail. Read on ...

Camel's Milk and Pet Registration

What villagers in Rajasthan had known for generations, has just been reinforced by a recent Supreme Court verdict: camel's milk is nutritious. And if you have a camel at home in Delhi, better get it registered. The Delhi Municipality has ordered so. Read on ...

The Brightest of Them All

Indian-born children in Britain are doing much better in senior school than British children, and are better placed to go to university, says a research study in Britain. The credit for it goes to their parents, it adds. Read on ...

The Long and Short of It

Constables of some districts in Andhra Pradesh may soon wear shorts instead of trousers. The uniform cloth being supplied to them is enough only to reach their knees, they complain. Read on ...

Roy of Light

India's Bunker Roy has shown that it is possible to electrify villages using solar energy and alternative fuels. His Barefoot College trains rural folk to become solar engineers and has just won a prestigious German-based award for nuclear-free solutions. Read on ...

History was Made Here

It was at Mumbai's JJ Hospital that two European scientists discovered the tuberculosis and plague vaccine respectively. The rooms in which they worked are a picture of neglect today. Read on ...

Riding into a Promising Future

Over 60,000 shiny new bikes rolled out of workshops to the homes of poor village girls in Gujarat, this year. They were the state government's gift to these girls. Now the girls can ride to their schools, situated far away. Read on ...

Camp of Co-existence

It is strange but true: carnivorous jackals and hyenas have been living amicably with hens, ducks, cows and buffalos in relief camps for the flood affected in West Bengal for some time now. In an amazing development, the hunters are practising 'a live and let-live' policy with the hunted. Read on ...

Villagers go Online

The internet is connecting the lives of 20,000 villagers living around Pondicherry, with the world outside. And in the process, it is changing them forever. Read on ...

The Empire strikes back

Indian teachers specially hired to teach, among other things, English to the English! Strange, or wonderfully fitting? Read on ...

Taming the Boors

Six-footer Lakshmi Singh, a young woman police officer in Lucknow, has done what her male colleagues failed to do. She has tamed the boorish and ill-mannered male students of Lucknow University, who had made life miserable for the girls in the campus. Read on ...

Duped Again

Poor tribals of Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh are supposed to be rich from owning sandstone mines. In reality though, they helplessly watch while powerful miners walk away with their share of profits from the mining business. Read on ...

Origamist Whizkid Sivaram

The 12-year-old child artiste is the flagbearer of the ancient Japanese art form of Origami, in India. He folds a single sheet of paper more than 100 times to make fascinating creatures and even gods. So good is he that he was the sole Indian delegate at this year's annual Origami Convention in New York. Read on ...

The Magic Carpet

Initially, Sheikh Tayyab Mahajan wanted to weave the longest rug in the world to get into the Guinness Book of Records. Now, with a rug that is already 900 feet long, he wants to weave into it the diverse cultural patterns of India. Read on ...

Coaching, Anyone?

Despite hating the thought, most children have to go to coaching class every day to brush up on their studies. These classes, which have sprung up everywhere promise them good marks in school examinations. But, can they be trusted? Read on ...

The South Indian Sikh

Kerala, the land of the snake-boat race and backwaters is also home to Sardar Bhupinder Singh, the last living Malayalee Sikh of his generation, who converted to Sikhism during a historic phase of India's freedom struggle. Read on ...

Silence that Voiced a Thousand Protests

All villagers of seven Maharashtra villages observed complete silence for an entire day. They were protesting a twenty-five year old wait for jobs promised to them by the state government. Read on ...

Tiger Target

On the heels of the death of over a dozen tigers in an Orissa zoo, the murder and skinning of a year-old tiger in the Hyderabad zoo has left authorities shaken. As the government gropes for answers, the hunted tiger teeters on the brink of extinction. Read on ...

Swimming for the Record

A team of four Indian swimmers recently caused quite a sensation in Spain. They braved bad weather and sharks to swim across the 26 km long Strait of Gibraltar to get into the Guinness Book of Records. Read on ...

Quizzically Yours

Ramesh Chandra Dubey has just won Rs 50 lakh (5 million) in India's most popular quiz show. He says it's all because of his coach - his daughter, eight-year-old Neha. Read on ...

Schools of Failed Teachers and Students

All students of 12 government schools in Hyderabad have flunked the important school leaving exams. The reason is that neither teachers nor students bother to attend school. Read on ...

Teachers' Day

September 5, the birth anniversary of a great teacher, Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, India's second president, is celebrated as Teacher's Day. But today, strangely, teachers ask, "where are the students?" and students ask, "but where are the teachers?" Read on ...

Films for Kids -- By Kids

While students of a Delhi school are eager to see a film they have made get screened at the Japan film festival, an 11-year old American is also getting ready to direct a film on his own. Read on ...

IMAX the High-Tech Theatre

Watching a movie in an IMAX theatre is fantastic. The screen is big, the image is big and puts each person in the audience in the centre of action. An IMAX theatre is coming up in Mumbai. Read on ...

Eastward Ho!

India was always considered backward and underdeveloped. No longer. Britain wants Indian help to modernise its railways. And British patients are coming to India for surgery. Read on ...

The Little Magician

Little fingers danced over a handkerchief and suddenly the coin beneath disappeared. For the five-and-a-half-year-old Bhagyanath, already a veteran of 300 magic shows, it was just the beginning... 21-08-2000 Read on ...

Teachers who Ticked Correct Answers Wrong

Teachers of a college in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, attributed India's national song to the composer of the national anthem. The students were the ones to point out they were wrong. 19-08-2000 Read on ...

Latecomers Out!

Notorious for their unpunctuality, the politicians of Surat, Gujarat, are no longer invited to school functions. This has happened because 60 schools have taken up a project to promote punctuality. 19-08-2000 Read on ...

Talkie Star from the Silent Era

Starting with silent films, P Jairaj went on to become one of the first talkie stars in Indian cinema, in a 60-year career. The 91-year-old actor, who passed away recently, was a recipient of the highest Indian honour in cinema - the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. 19-08-2000 Read on ...

The Girl Who was Failed for Being Too Smart

Sujee was a smart girl. She passed every exam with honours, except the one that her heart was set upon -- the IIT entrance exam. And that was for no fault of hers. Read on ...

This Time Teachers are the Students

The government of West Bengal recently reintroduced English from classes II to V. But the teachers had forgotten their English. They had to be taught first, only then could they teach. Read on ...

Rat Menace

A strange fever was killing people across Mumbai. Tests showed that rats were the culprits. With few rat catchers of their own, and no Pied Piper in sight, the Mumbai Corporation hit upon a novel way to deal with the rat menace… Read on ...

The Day it Rained Fish

While residents of a port town in Britain saw the sky rain fish last weekend, residents of Calcutta couldn't find any fish to buy in the markets. Read on ...

Little Ali's Heart

The Haider family was worried sick. Their baby had a hole in his heart. Their Pakistani doctors had no cure. Then they were told about the heart institute that could cure him. But it was located across the border, in India… Read on ...

Man Who Could Make The Taj Disappear

This magician's wand has sent tremors down the spine of the Indian government. He has a simple wish: he wants to make the Taj Mahal disappear… Read on ...

Who's Stealing the Doctors' Clothes?

Surgeons in Lady Hardinge's Hospital are an angry lot. Some thieves are regularly stealing their clothes while they are inside the operating rooms. So they have gone on strike. Read on ...

The Tiger Cubs who Lost their Parents

Sukant, Durga and their three cubs were a happy family of white tigers living in Orissa's Nandankanan Zoo until Durga died in an epidemic. Sukant became the most caring father around. Sadly, the good times did not last. Read on ...

The Mail Carrier

Karrappan is the mail carrier. He walks through dark forests and lively villages, covering more than 20 km on foot everyday. And he carries a heavy bag on his head.

Read on ...

The Slum Hero

Arputham Jockin lives in Mumbai's Dharavi, the largest slum in Asia. On August 31, he will be awarded the Magsaysay award for the work he has done for the slum dwellers. Read on ...

The Beggar who is a Money Lender

She begs for a living. But, she is called Sethani, or rich woman. She has so much money! Read on ...

Computer Whiz Grans

They were embarrassed that they didn't know computers. And sad about losing touch with their grandkids. Now, they are Pune's most enthusiastic lot of computer students. Read on ...

Truant Teachers

If teachers do not attend classes, and college principals shirk work, would students be far behind? That is the case in the prestigious Delhi University. Read on ...

11-year-old Eco-ambassador

Delhi girl, Somya Ahuja, wrote an essay on the way people treat their environment. The essay won her a place in a United Nations conference of 800 young delegates from 110 countries -- all 10-12 year olds in England. Read on ...

A World for Children

Besides cartooning, K Shankar Pillai, one of India's best-loved cartoonists, had another great love - children. His dream of creating many worlds where children would learn to play with love, will finally be fulfilled. Read on ...

A Memorial to Children

Three years ago, a school bus skidded off a bridge and fell into the Yamuna river below, in Delhi. Now there is a plan to build a memorial to those children. Read on ...

Aruna Roy -- Voice of the People

She was once an officer of the Indian Administrative Service or the IAS, which often is as remote from the people as possible. Today, she has won the Magsaysay Award for public service for daring to question this attitude. Read on ...

Assam's Star Boys Shine in Asian Cricket

Two young Assamese boys are the pride of their state today. One is Asia's best batsman and the other is Asia's best bowler in the under 15 category. Read on ...

The Boy who Became a Golfer by Accident

Eighteen-year-old Ashok Kumar is a golf champion in the making. But barely six years ago, he was accused of stealing at the same club where he plays winning game after game, today. Read on ...

The Woman who Jailed Bihar's Dons

Superintendent of Police Shobha Ohatker is known as 'hunterwali' or the woman who cracks the whip, in Hazaribagh Bihar. She has put most of the dreaded mafia dons in the coal mine area behind bars. Read on ...

Q is for Queue and not Queen any more

Delhi's government schools have realised that their children will be able to learn English faster if each letter of the alphabet shows them something they are able to recognise easily. Read on ...

Creating Light from Garbage

The state of Punjab has decided that it will not let waste go waste. It plans to convert its garbage and solid waste into electricity. Read on ...

Where is Sirisha?

An anxious Hyderabad-based 'father' appeals to the American investigative agency, FBI, to locate his eight children. Read on ...

The Famous Five

15-07-2000 Read on ...

Marriage in Prison

A jail warden in Lucknow married a prisoner. Read on ...

Operation Clean Up

The bricks came a tumbling. And the concrete made a rumbling. Leaving behind a huge crowd of human beings. With tears in their eyes. There houses were gone. And along with it their children's schools. Read on ...

Earth Heroes

They have fought many battles. With authorities who don't care what happens to animals. With poachers who don't respect laws and hunt animals. They are earth heroes. Read on ...

Lenses for Dogs

There is hope for dogs with problems of eyesight. Life will not be dark anymore. Read on ...

English and Indlish

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Correct English has has 2,500 Indian English words. Read on ...

Chattering Kids and Teacher's Tape

A teacher could not control a bunch of children. She thought of an innovative idea to do it. She taped their mouths. Read on ...

Polite Police

Disappointed with the police force and its rude ways of dealing with the public, the Ministry of Tourism proposes to have its own polite police force. Read on ...

Conquering without Seeing

Yahya Sapatwala climbed the 12,000-feet Beas Kund mountain in Manali. The only regret was that he could see the snow capped mountains he conquered. Read on ...

The School that Built Many Lives

When the school started in 1973 in a remote part of tribal Maharashtra, nobody was willing to send their children to school. This year's state topper in the Board exams is a tribal girl from this school. Read on ...

Robbing the Rich for Rain

The Bhil tribals believe that the monsoon clouds are trapped in the treasure chests of Jain traders. So they loot the traders just before the monsoon. Every year. Read on ...

Injured Deer Lands on Chief Minister's Plate

Some villagers in the Champhai district of Mizoram found an injured deer in the forest. They gave the deer to Hranleikapa, a leader of the Mizo National Party, to hand it over to the zoo in Aizawl. But... Read on ...

Protesting in the Nude

Children in Andhra Pradesh attended a gram sabha (village meeting) completely naked to protest against the hike in power tariff. Read on ...

Swimming in Trouble

At a National Swimming Championship in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, recently, participants found themselves competing with frogs. Read on ...

Lucknow Students Win Robotics Trophy in Canada

The team had very little time to prepare, but won five golds, four silvers and a bronze medal. What's more, they even defeated Mark W. Tilden, the man who started the robotic games! Read on ...

Street Cricket in Calcutta: Out, Caught!

A Calcutta High Court judge has passed an order disallowing street cricket between 4 and 11 pm. What is it all about? Read on ...

The Green Magician

Fifteen-year-old Kruti Parekh has been a magician for 10 years, with 1,500 performances to her credit. She uses her tricks for the cause of the environment. Read on ...

Orissa Police's Feathered Force is Dying

It is the only police force in the country which still makes use of pigeons to carry messages. As many as 35 of them died a "mysterious" death recently. Read on ...

From Prisoners to Teachers

Prisoners in Delhi's high security Tihar Central Jail will soon have a new identity -- that of teachers. Read on ...

A Tale of Two Wonders

One boy studies at home in the US in the home schooling system. The other makes parothas for a living in Tamil Nadu. Both made it to the top -- entirely on their own grit and determination. Read on ...

The Sweet Taste of Success

Stories of children who come from poor backgrounds but have the passion to do well in life and Board exams... Read on ...

Friendly Neighbourhood Bank: For Kids Only

The Sarjan Bank in Ahmedabad is run by kids for kids between 3 and 12, many of whom insist on depositing even 25 paise in their savings account. Its manager is a 15-year-old who studies in standard nine. Read on ...

Women's Army of Blood Donors

In a country like India, the lives of people are often lost because there is no help at hand. Many people think of it as fate and do nothing. But a group of poor village women have shown the way to the people of the southern state of Kerala. Read on ...

India's first Underwater World

India's first underwater world or oceanarium, will come up in Mumbai soon. An undersea transparent tunnel, dolphin and penguin shows - the oceanarium will have it all. The fish will not look bored any more. Read on ...

Children's Museum Says No to Dolls, Yes to e-games

The Nehru Children's Museum in Calcutta has a wonderful collection of dolls from 88 countries. But, it has been closed down now... Read on ...

They Make you Swallow a Fish for a Herbal Cure

It is a unique medicine for asthma patients. And, it is given at a annual fair in Hyderabad. Those who have tried it say it works wonders. Read on ...

Puppets on a String

At a magical puppet festival in Delhi, recently, children and adults watched with open mouths as fairies danced in the air and tall giants walked the earth.... Read on ...