A few days ago, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Biswabhusan Harichandan, gave his approval to two bills AP Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions and AP Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bills. The same Bills were earlier sent to a select committee by the Legislative Council of which I am a member. The Andhra Pradesh High Court has also ordered a status quo on the shifting of offices away from Amaravati. The Governors decision has created an uproar in the state, bre

Music The initiative covers three different countries India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and the content is being curated by the British Council. Anjana Shekar Political people are portrayed to be loveless and protest culture is projected to be an angry movement. But if you look at it, protest culture comes with a very rich heritage, begins Tenma, musician and co-founder of the path-breaking band The Casteless Collective (TCC). When you listen to people like Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, and Marvi

Obituary Dr Rajani, who passed away on August 7, edited five books on Womens Writing, and conducted several literary festivals and seminars. Dr V Rajagopalan Dr P Rajani, retired Professor of English, Madras Christian College, passed away last Friday at 5.10 p.m. That he is no more with us reminds me of the words of Arthur Schopenhauer: Every parting gives a foretaste of death As a mark of respect to the beloved departed soul, Im attempting an obituary for him. Can I present the complete man? Il

Popular Instagrammer Prapti Elizabeth mixes fun and facts in this four-minute video in Malayalam, comparing the EIA draft to an arranged marriage. Cris With her classical coy expressions, popular Instagram user Prapti Elizabeth has put out a short video explaining why one should reject the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) draft 2020, which would replace the existing EIA. In all of four minutes, Prapti makes a point in her trademark fashion mixing fun with fact, in accent-free Malayalam.While

Madras Week Ardent lovers of Madras are finding ways to carry on with the tradition. Anjana Shekar File photo from one of Thirupurasundari Sevvel's heritage walk Come August every year, Chennai residents are faced with a tad trifling-yet-foremost predicament of having to choose between what heritage walk to sign up for or whose session to attend or what performance to show up for. This involves hours of meticulous planning, syncing calendars with friends and with heritage-walk acquaintances and

Books Kottayam Pushpanath, who passed away in 2018, wrote more than 350 novels of horror and crime fiction, mostly serialised in Malayalam magazines. Cris Kottayam Pushpanath in his writing room Nobody was allowed in that room. Kottayam Pushpanath would close the door when he got in every morning and stay there for hours, churning out novel after novel. Hed get out for lunch but go back in again. The only person who could go in there without creating a ruckus was his grandson Rayan who grew up i

History The who's who of Bengaluru at the time had gathered to usher in a new era. Prajwal Bhat Photographs provided by Mansoor Ali The time was 6.30 pm and it was the first week of August in 1905. The who's who of Bengaluru at the time had gathered near the Delhi Gate (close to present day Victoria Hospital). JW Mears, the electrical adviser to the government of India, Colonel PH Benson (after whom Benson Town is named) and Dewan PN Krishnamurthi, the then dewan of Mysore, were among those

Social Media Sai has been posting 99-second videos of people, places and ideas on his video-blogging project called On The Ground since July last year. Anjana Shekar Sai Sethu believes that to tell a good story, just 99 seconds is sufficient. Its short, its not 100 (laughs). People will think Oh, this is just 99 seconds, I can watch it. I just tried to play around with that idea, he begins. Sai has been posting 99-second videos of people, places and ideas, as he puts it, on his video-blogging pr

Coronavirus Bar soap is assumed to be contaminated by many, and they have switched to liquid soap. Mask-wearing has divided the country, but hand-washing one might think is something virtually everyone would agree on. Hand-washing, after all, is one of the most critical parts of preventing the spread of infectious disease. But many millennials have washed their hands of bar soap, so to speak. They claim its contaminated with germs. Instead, they use liquid soap. So whats best bar or liquid? D

When we started getting ready to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, little did we know that it was going to be with us for the long haul. By the third week of March, we were ready to handle people who came for testing to our laboratory. However, preparations began about two weeks earlier. The first step in all of this was to create an awareness about the infection amongst the staff, clearly explaining to them the risks involved. All the staff who were willing to be f

Interview Kannan's Instagram pictures have blown away fans who find the resemblance to celebrities like Nayanthara and Shriya Saran striking. Anjana Shekar Kannan Raajamanickam is better known as Magical Touch Kannan by folks in Malaysia. The reason behind this becomes evident if you scroll down his Instagram profile. The 31-year-old professional make-up artist from Malaysia has turned heads for his ability to transform young women into celebrity lookalikes. Kannan, who is a third generatio