By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Once upon a time, having children was the obvious next step in life. You got married, had kids, raised them and eventually let them decide which old-age home you deserved. Not anymore. Welcome to the era of voluntary childlessness. Where several Generation Z and late Millennials, armed with oat milk, therapy-speak…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Ah, nostalgia. It is that magic masala that makes the past look better than it probably was. Yesterday’s pav bhaji, eaten on a steel plate with questionable hygiene, somehow tastes better in memory than today’s overpriced avocado toast in a cafe that charges extra for water. Through its rose-tinted lens, the…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam There is a secret Olympic sport that many Indian households have mastered — it is called “Tube Wrestling.” It involves squeezing a toothpaste tube to its absolute death, flattening it, twisting it, rolling it and then — just when it should be given a decent burial — cutting it open to…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Public transport is a miracle of modern civilisation. It reduces traffic, saves fuel and brings diverse groups of people together in one confined, vibrating and often smelly space. But with this noble purpose comes a great peril — The unapologetic loud media consumer. We all know them. They are the ones…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam There was a time when “fast food” meant waiting 30 minutes for a pizza. You prayed it would not be cold, wrong or delivered to your neighbour. He might take a bite before realising it was not his. Today, we expect dinner in 10 minutes flat — or else. Welcome to…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam There are few joys in professional life as pure as reading the CVs of young professionals trying very hard to sound like CEOs disguised as interns. It is a roller-coaster of ambition, creativity, and pure linguistic acrobatics. Reviewing their applications feels less like recruitment and more like reading a fantasy novel…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam Travelling abroad used to be a refined experience. One dressed smartly, was served meals on porcelain plates with real cutlery, and returned home with stories, souvenirs, and perhaps a few undeveloped rolls of film. It was as much about the journey as the destination. Today, it feels more like running an…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam If patience is truly a virtue, then every employee in my office building — the venerable STC building (officially known as the Jawahar Vyapar Bhavan) on Janpath, New Delhi — should be eligible for sainthood. It is not because we have suddenly become paragons of meditation and self-restraint. It is due…

By Dr. R. Balasubramaniam A jetlagged pilgrimage through aisles of nostalgia Jetlag is a strange thing. You arrive in the US, pumped full of optimism and airplane peanuts, only to wake up at 3 am questioning your place in the universe and whether sleep is a myth designed to sell mattresses. It was during one…