Renowned English Poet Thomas Gray (1716-1771) wrote in 1742 in the proverbial line Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise as part of the poem “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” with the message that lack of knowledge results in happiness; it is more comfortable not to know certain things….

The feature of exploring possibility of life on the nearest to earth planet, Mars, focussing on water as well as oxygen in its atmosphere seems to have not been bestowed adequate attention to these two life-supporting gift of nature on earth, may be because of its presence in abundance. Facts such as 75 per cent…

The ensuing national event of election of members to the country’s Parliament (Lok Sabha) is marked by many unique features. The set of facts relating to the event as expressed in numbers is not only awesome but also has no parallel in any other country across the world. The members numbering 543 are to represent…

An often-quoted verse taken from Manusmriti, Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata, yatraitaastu na pujyante sarvaastatrafalaah kriyaah translates as: Where women are honoured, divinity blossoms there, and where women are dishonoured, all action no matter how noble remain unrewarded. The numerical shortfall of females in the country’s total population by an estimated nearly five per…

The already yawning gap between the myriad kinds of resources that people are greedily grabbing to satisfy their short-term happiness and the rapidly rising scarcity of most of the same resources doesn’t seem to have prompted the present generation of humankind all over the world to slow down consumption even as the demon of consumerism…

The top brass in the Government has rightly, though belatedly, taken the initiative on skilling the economically productive sections of the country’s human resources. Identifying the faculty of talent and nurturing it to blossom are equally rewarding pursuit, earlier the better. The rich stock of sculptures and frescoes across the land that have endured over…

The term family has these not-so-fascinating meanings: 1) A social group made up of parents and their children; 2) A group of people who come from the same ancestor; 3) A group of people living together: household; 4) A group of things sharing certain characteristics. The second meaning may rattle many when told the ape…

People’s President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (1931-2015), the nation’s President during 2002 – 2007, known for his humility, had expressed a wish to be remembered as a teacher. The distant past era, marked by the feature of schooling and education as synonymous, unlike in our times, hosted teachers fondly remembered by their wards as friends,…

The expression doing rounds in the circle of officials of the State Government that the day of retirement, virtually the D-Day as a certainty sounds like an adage. They are a mix of those who look forward, reasonably gleefully, to that happening, some who take it as a fait accompli and the rest dreading the…

Grandma knows best what is best for grandpa. After years, nay decades of togetherness, marked by mutual caring, the duo recollects with mixed feelings, the ups and downs faced in their long journey of life. Their dismay is at being not included in the family fold, particularly in urban spaces witnessing predominance of nuclear families,…