1+ hour, 9+ min ago (139+ words) "Just as a tiny seed contains within it the essence of an entire tree, a few luminous verses can reveal the heart of a vast sastra." It is with this insight that Nithin Sridhar approaches the Manusmriti in his Chatuh Shloki Manusmriti. A particularly illuminating section of the book is Sridhar's explanation of dharma. Instead of confining it to legal or moral definitions, he engages with the term through an expansive lens informed by classical sources such as the Mahanarayana Upanishad, Mahabharata, Vaisesika Sutra, and Parasara Smrti. This passage brings out sastra's role as a normative guide for human conduct. Sridhars commentary follows the traditional bhasya style of interpretation deeply rooted in classical Indian exegesis, yet he does not shy away from contemporary debates. (The writer is an author and columnist); views are personal Page generated in 0.1618 seconds....

8+ hour, 26+ min ago (300+ words) Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu as cyclone Ditwah sweeps past the western Indian coast.The minimum distance of the centre of the cyclone from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 80 km. It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to Three people have lost their lives in rain-related incidents in Tamil Nadu as cyclone Ditwah sweeps past the western Indian coast.The minimum distance of the centre of the cyclone from north Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts is about 80 km It is very likely to move nearly northwards parallel to North Tamil Nadu-Puducherry coasts and weaken into a deep depression during the next 3 hours." the bulletin issued by the Met office said on Sunday evening The cyclone is moving at a speed of 5 kmph and it is expected to be with in a minimum…...

11+ hour, 59+ min ago (214+ words) A PIL filed in the Delhi High Court has sought urgent steps to control hazardous air pollution levels in the national capital. The plea said over the past several years, the ambient air quality in Delhi has deteriorated drastically, with AQI frequently entering the "very poor, "severe and "hazardous categories, especially during winter. The increased pollution has resulted in persistent and serious health issues among residents, including children, senior citizens and persons with pre-existing ailments, it said. The petition has been filed by Greater Kailash-II Welfare Association, which has urged the court to order urgent, effective and scientific measures, both immediate and long-term, to control the city air pollution. The plea said the authorities, which remained "virtually inactive" as the air quality steadily deteriorated, chose to issue "Stage III - steps to be taken" only after the AQI had crossed its…...

14+ hour, 47+ min ago (302+ words) Pakistan on Sunday rejected UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk's concern about the 27th constitutional amendment as "ungrounded and misplaced apprehensions. In a statement issued in Geneva on Friday, the human rights chief said the latest constitutional amendment, like the Pakistan on Sunday rejected UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk's concern about the 27th constitutional amendment as "ungrounded and misplaced apprehensions" In a statement issued in Geneva on Friday, the human rights chief said the latest constitutional amendment, like the 26th amendment last year, had been adopted without broad consultation and debate with the legal community and wider civil society He added that the "hastily adopted" amendments undermined judicial independence and raised concerns about military accountability The Foreign Office in a press release said that "like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation as well as any amendment to the constitution…...

16+ hour, 22+ min ago (618+ words) Let us begin with the reasons that are not responsible for the almost spectacular 8.2 per cent GDP growth rate in the second (July- September) quarter of 2025 26. What has not triggered this higher-than-expected rate is the impact of the GST 2.0 regime. Sure, there were anecdotal reports in the Let us begin with the reasons that are not responsible for the almost spectacular 8.2 per cent GDP growth rate in the second (July- September) quarter of 2025 26 What has not triggered this higher-than-expected rate is the impact of the GST 2.0 regime Sure, there were anecdotal reports in the last week of September about how the day the new GST slabs were introduced on the first day of Navratri, 25,000 Maruti cars were booked and sold Similar figures emanated from other manufacturers across a few sectors However, one needs to remember that the second quarter ended…...

16+ hour, 28+ min ago (282+ words) In a relief to Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, the Tamil Nadu-based tax authority has dropped the demand of tax and penalties totalling ?266.3 crore from the company. In a regulatory filing, Dalmia Bharat said, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, had earlier In a relief to Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, the Tamil Nadu-based tax authority has dropped the demand of tax and penalties totalling ?266.3 crore from the company In a regulatory filing, Dalmia Bharat said, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, had earlier received show cause notices under Section 74 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, Tamil Nadu Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, from the Sales Tax Officer, Lalgudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu The show cause notices pertained to "some differences observed in taxable turnover and amount of ITC for the AY 2019-20 and…...

17+ hour, 30+ min ago (304+ words) A Chinese man allegedly attempting to cross illegally into Thailand from Cambodia was injured on Saturday when he stepped on a land mine, the Thai army announced, reiterating its charges that Cambodian forces have been planting the anti-personnel weapons in territory claimed by both countries. Army A Chinese man allegedly attempting to cross illegally into Thailand from Cambodia was injured on Saturday when he stepped on a land mine, the Thai army announced, reiterating its charges that Cambodian forces have been planting the anti-personnel weapons in territory claimed by both countries A statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Thailand did not name the man but described him as being in stable condition Land mine explosions earlier this year along the border that wounded Thai soldiers helped spark five days of intensive fighting in late July Disputes over exactly where…...

1+ day, 2+ hour ago (312+ words) The Russian lower house of Parliament is set to ratify a crucial military pact with India ahead of President Vladimir Putin's state visit on December 4-5 for the 23rd bilateral summit, according to reports. Signed on February 18, 2025 in Moscow by the Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and erstwhile The Russian lower house of Parliament is set to ratify a crucial military pact with India ahead of President Vladimir Putin's state visit on December 4-5 for the 23rd bilateral summit, according to reports. Signed on February 18, 2025 in Moscow by the Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar and erstwhile Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS) is to enhance military cooperation between the two strategic partners The State Duma has uploaded the RELOS in its ratification database along with the Russian Government's note and said that "the Russian Government believes that the ratification of…...

1+ day, 3+ hour ago (373+ words) Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, a hospital reported, marking the latest deaths of Palestinians as a shaky ceasefire with Hamas held. The two brothers, aged 11 and 8, died when an Israeli drone struck close to a school sheltering displaced people Israeli fire killed two Palestinian children in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, a hospital reported, marking the latest deaths of Palestinians as a shaky ceasefire with Hamas held The two brothers, aged 11 and 8, died when an Israeli drone struck close to a school sheltering displaced people in the town of Beni Suhaila, according to staff at Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the killings At least 352 Palestinians have been killed across the territory since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect on October…...

1+ day, 4+ hour ago (376+ words) The Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, which was made public on Friday, has indicated that 13 to 15 per cent of the total collected water samples have uranium contamination. Released under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Central Ground Water Board's (CGWB) report is based on around 15,000 samples collected across India in 2024. It revealed that of the 86 monitored locations in Delhi, on several parameters, the samples exceeded Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drinking water limits. "Overall, the study shows that while most groundwater in India is safe, certain regions face rising uranium levels, emphasising the need for regular monitoring and local mitigation measures to protect drinking water quality and health," the report said. It added that of the 83 total samples analysed, 24 were found to be exceeding uranium parameters, which is roughly around the range of 13.35 per cent and 15.66 per cent of the…...