Chintu has become a household name ever since a start-up backed by major angel investors began flooding Indian digital media with advertisements promoting coding for kids. I was astonished to see these kid-focused coding start-ups become overnight success stories, which inspired me to write about this alarming trend. The overwhelming…
१८०० रुपयांची आकडेमोड कि जगण्याची धडपड?
सध्या एका कामवाल्या काकूंचा १८०० रुपये हिशोबाचा व्हिडिओ सोशल मीडियावर चांगलाच फिरतोय. बऱ्याच लोकांना हा व्हिडिओ मजेशीर वाटला. काहीजणांनी तर कामवाल्या काकूंच्या समर्थनार्थ सरकारने १८०० रुपयांची नोट बाजारात आणावी म्हणून प्रतिक्रियात्मक व्हिडिओ सुद्धा बनवले. खरतर माझ्याकडून तो व्हिडिओ संपूर्ण बघवला नाही. त्या काकू ज्या तळमळतेने त्यांची बाजू मांडत होत्या…
Understanding Post-COVID Electricity Bills in Maharashtra
As if the post-COVID reality wasn’t challenging enough, electricity consumers in Maharashtra faced a new hurdle: shockingly high post-COVID electricity bills. In June 2020, many residents, businesses, and industries received inflated bills despite their premises remaining closed for much of the billing period. Complaints poured into the offices of distribution…
COVID-19: An Incentive for Power-Hungry Leaders?
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus first identified in China, has thrust public health to the forefront of national agendas worldwide. Lockdowns and social distancing have become universal tools to combat the spread of the virus. In exercising emergency powers, governments have revealed not just their…
Floatovoltaics in India: Shaping the Future of the PV Industry
Since the launch of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in 2010—and its ambitious revision in 2015—India has made remarkable progress in solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption. Through policy innovations such as the e-reverse auction mechanism, the country has successfully developed a domestic market for large-scale solar developers. Over the…
Commentary on the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020
On April 17, 2020, the Ministry of Power released the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020 and invited public feedback within 21 days. The bill has stirred intense debate among power sector stakeholders, largely due to its timing—amid the national struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic—and its introduction of a new…
Explained: Electric Grid Security during Sunday Night Blackout
On the morning of April 3, 2020, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation with a special message. He invited every Indian to switch off lights at 9 PM for 9 minutes on April 5 and light a Diya or candle. The gesture was meant to symbolize…
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell: A Journey Through the 20th Century in Stories
I encountered Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking through a recommendation by my Ph.D. supervisor, who suggested it as light reading during leisure hours. Among the suggested titles, I selected Blink by Malcolm Gladwell purely based on the intrigue of its title. The phrase “thinking without thinking” piqued my…