Author: Bhakti Narayanan

In the aftermath of the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which tragically claimed the lives of 26 individuals, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers on Wednesday initiated a protest campaign in Mumbai, calling for a statewide ban on the sale of Pakistani products across Maharashtra. The protest was visibly active in several prominent markets across the city, where BJP members visited local shops and urged business owners to discontinue the sale of products imported from Pakistan — with a particular focus on food items such as spices and masalas. Protesters distributed written appeals to shopkeepers, encouraging them to…

Members of the Indian American community gathered at Times Square, New York City, to protest the Pakistan-sponsored terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The rally honored the lives of innocent tourists who were tragically killed. Participants held signs with messages such as “Hindu Lives Matter,” “Stop Killing Hindus,” and “End Terrorism.” The community urged international bodies to recognize Pakistan as a terror state and held banners criticizing media outlets like CNN, NBC, and The New York Times for their silence on Hindu victims. Leaders from Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh emphasized that similar protests are taking place across the US…

What began as disciplinary action has turned into a controversial tech success story. Chungin “Roy” Lee, a 21-year-old former computer science student at Columbia University, has co-founded Cluely, an AI startup that quietly assists users during high-pressure tasks like interviews and exams. The company has already secured $5.3 million  in seed funding. The roots of Cluely trace back to Interview Coder, a tool Lee and his co-founder Neel Shanmugam developed while at Columbia. It allowed job applicants—particularly aspiring software engineers—to receive covert, real-time assistance during technical interviews. Though some hailed it as a clever workaround, it led to the students’…

The sacred Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is making a comeback in June 2025, after being paused for five years. This spiritual expedition, deeply rooted in Hindu tradition, leads pilgrims to Mount Kailash, which is venerated as the divine dwelling of Lord Shiva. As per Hindu scriptures, Shiva resides here with his family, and the mountain is charged with his spiritual essence. Devotees believe that visiting this site helps them connect with Shiva’s energy, making it a journey of immense religious importance. Yet, the reverence for Mount Kailash transcends Hinduism. Followers of other major religions such as Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and the…

India is poised to maintain its status as the world’s fastest-growing major economy in fiscal year 2025, even though global institutions have slightly reduced their expectations. Growth projections for FY26 have been trimmed to a range between 6.2% and 6.7%, reflecting a downturn of up to 0.5% due to international uncertainties, including the ongoing tariff disputes and unpredictable shifts in US trade policy. Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have scaled back their estimates, now predicting India’s GDP will expand by 6.2% and 6.3%, respectively—lower than their earlier outlooks of 6.5% and 6.7%. Meanwhile, the Reserve…

 Spiritual leader and Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev has strongly denounced the recent terror strike in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, describing the assault as inhumane and deeply tragic. The attack, which took the lives of at least 26 innocent tourists in Baisaran, drew sharp condemnation from the spiritual figure, who emphasized the urgent need for a tough and uncompromising response. Expressing profound sorrow, Sadhguru extended heartfelt condolences to the grieving families of the victims. In his statement, he underlined that terrorism does not aim for war in a traditional sense but seeks to paralyze a society through fear, social…

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a powerful address at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, emphasized that as India undergoes significant transformation, Indian women too are stepping into new roles of empowerment and independence. Speaking during her keynote session titled “Laying the foundations for a developed India #ViksitBharat by 2047”, the minister highlighted various government initiatives aimed at promoting women’s welfare, financial autonomy, and safety. Sitharaman pointed out that maternity leave for working women has been extended to six months, a progressive step taken under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “This was done on the insistence of…

In the fiscal year 2025, the Government e Marketplace (GeM) achieved a major breakthrough by facilitating insurance for more than 13 million individuals. These beneficiaries were covered under various categories, including Health, Life, and Personal Accident Insurance. This achievement reflects GeM’s role in transforming how public sector entities procure essential services, especially in the realm of insurance. Since its launch in January 2022, the insurance services offered on GeM have been available exclusively from insurers approved by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). This streamlined structure eliminates the need for middlemen, resulting in faster issuance of policies…

A forward-thinking group of students from the Illinois Institute of Technology, including several of Indian origin, is making global waves with their groundbreaking surveillance startup, VigilAI. This innovative platform uses artificial intelligence to transform passive CCTV systems into proactive crime detection tools. Their tech venture is currently in the spotlight as they advance through the prestigious Hult Prize competition, aiming for the coveted $1 million grand prize. VigilAI stands out as an AI-based solution that processes multiple CCTV feeds in real time to identify criminal activity, detect unusual behavior, and assess threats. Unlike traditional surveillance systems, it emphasizes intelligent pattern…

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has given a major nod to Indian-origin startup Cradlewise by publicly endorsing its smart crib designed to soothe infants back to sleep. Sharing his parenting experience on X, Altman revealed that he and his partner, Oliver Mulherin, have been using the product for their newborn son, born in February. He joked, “We ended up buying tons of unnecessary baby stuff, but I’d absolutely recommend the Cradlewise crib—and trust me, you’ll need way more burp cloth than you think!” Cradlewise’s co-founder and CEO Radhika Patil responded warmly to the praise, calling Altman “the AI god” and expressing…