The state government’s much-publicised ‘copy-free examination’ mission during the February-March 2026 SSC and HSC board exams has suffered a major setback, with at least 14 malpractice cases detected across the state and 103 staff suspended, our report stated. According to official records released by the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education on […]
Colours of Mumbai: Are the city`s iconic shades fading into concrete monotony?
Recently, while on a visit to Kolkata, this columnist ended up scouring the city. In the process of the extensive travel across the large metro, I spotted endless views where brick red facade buildings were in full view, in all its corners. It made me arrive at the conclusion that it might perhaps be the […]
Mumbai needs a lot more planned parking than available
The Mumbai Police recently issued an order, declaring all 27 Mumbai Metro Aqua Line-3 station entry and exit gates ‘no parking zones.’ In an official traffic notification, Mumbai Police said Metro Line-3 (Aqua Line) is fully functional and operational, spanning 33.5 km. It has 27 underground stations and each of it has entry/exit gates at […]
Every city needs a few lions
It has been a few decades since I visited the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo in Byculla. My first and last trip was managed by my school (in what feels like another life) and the idea of stopping by that beautiful venue has never crossed my mind in all the years since, presumably […]
Outstanding cricket by humble champions!
India`s loss to South Africa in the first game of the Super Eight stage of the ICC T20 World Cup is the perfect example of the kind of wake-up call champions need to get rid of any complacency and tighten up their game for the next rounds. It happens in individual sports too, where a […]
Temple gopurams as royal defiance
Most of the tall gopurams we see in South India today were built by Nayaka kings of Telugu origin. Most are three to four centuries old, built during and after the Vijayangar period. Nayaka rulers reimagined Ram and Krishna as political and theological answers to the Islamic and Indo-Persian imperial culture that shaped North and […]
Lobo Lobo goes cylindrical
Lobo Lobo wasn’t in the best of moods. “Arre men Dikuna, tenshun tenshun tenshun, wot to say, she’s eating my head, full bheja fry men. She toh told me to, ufffff men, sumtimes I tink, I should have married anudder dame,” my cable technician said, completely distraught. “Slow down Lobo Lobo, what’s happened and who […]
Waivers won’t wipe out farmers’ woes
Farmers may welcome the proposed farm loan waiver, but the relief comes at a time when another concern looms large, the possibility of an El Nino year that could disrupt the monsoon and affect rainfall. For farmers dependent on the monsoon, even a slight shift in rainfall can make the difference between a decent harvest […]
Hope fencing is first step in Garib Nagar clean-up
The Western Railway began installing a three-metre-high railing along a 150-metre stretch near Garib Nagar in Bandra East to prevent garbage dumping and trespassing on railway tracks. Our report stated how the fencing covering 37 route metres has been completed, and planned progress. Bandra East has long been a dense slum pocket along the railway […]
LGBTQ+ community deserves equal treatment
The annual poster contest for the 17th Kashish Pride Film Festival 2026 has a new winner in a Mumbai-based designer. The annual film festival platforming Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) films is set to be held in the city from June 3 to 7. This festival is preceded by a poster competition with people […]










