The Mumbai Couple Suing for Their Right to Die
Eighty-seven-year-old Narayan Lavate, and his wife, Iravati, 78, say they are “leading unproductive and obsolete lives.”
The Bright Future of Bangladesh: Researching The Storm
An interview with Arif Anwar, whose debut novel covers sixty years of Bengali history in five love stories.
When the Elderly Poor Are Left Behind
In Japan, elderly people are committing crimes just so they can go to jail and feel cared for. A similar situation has played out in India, where the elderly have been left out of traditional social support networks.
The Connections Between Coffee and Biodiversity
A new study from the Western Ghats suggests that coffee cultivation does not interfere with bird biodiversity, regardless of what type of bean is grown.
Running On Rice Husks—How One Entrepreneur Brought Electricity to His Village
In the rural Indian province of Bihar, Husk Power Systems is converting leftover rice husks into biofuel. Now they're building mini-power plants around the country, and expanding into Tanzania.
Why Saris are Indian Material Culture
Between 1996 and 2003, a folklorist studied the connection between handlooms (technology), sari makers (producers), and sari wearers (consumers) in the ancient city of Banaras.
The Cautionary Tale of India’s Private Hospitals
In 1985, a writer in Economic and Political Weekly saw the beginning of private hospitals in India and warned of the dangers of their mismanagement.
The Extremely Un-British Origins of Tea
Tea is bound up in the nation's history of colonial expansion. British tea drinkers preferred Chinese tea at first, and had to be convinced on patriotic grounds to drink tea from India.
Are There Other Silicon Valleys?
The phrase "Silicon Valley" conjures images of a crowded mini-metropolis in California, and a barrage of familiar Western brands. That's about to change.
Why India Once Led The Fashion Industry
India led the fashion world in the 16th and 17th centuries through cotton fabric, design motifs, and its customer-centric market system.