RajivBuzz

A new legal research paper argues that Indian courts have become a central arena for what its author calls the "Hindu majoritarian project" to convert historic Muslim places of worship into temples, through a pattern of civil litigation that departs from established legal principles.

Nine out of India's ten hottest cities globally are located within the country's borders, with the majority concentrated in Uttar Pradesh and the surrounding plains, according to climate and energy expert Soumya Dutta, who has spent three decades studying climate change, environment, rivers and energy issues while working with communities across the world. In a recent detailed discussion, Dutta sought to explain why Indian and South Asian cities are becoming unbearably hot and who bears the brunt of this crisis.

  DigiLocker has been functioning in rather strange ways, at least in my experience over the past year. For quite some time now, I have been trying to retrieve various documents from the Government of India's official app, but every attempt ends with an inexplicable "mismatch" error. I even lodged a complaint through its official email ID, explaining that I was unable to retrieve or download essential documents such as my PAN card , driving licence, and the registration certificates of my car and scooter. The response has remained the same: the system refuses access on the grounds of a so-called mismatch.

In an important development for intellectual and social activism in Gujarat, a comprehensive memorial book titled "Ek Kiran - Rationalismnu" (A Ray of Rationalism) has been released at a formal function at the Ahmedabad Management Association. The book compiles the definitive thoughts, analytical writings, and lifelong contributions of the late Kiran Nanavati , a pioneering figure who spearheaded the rationalist and humanist movements across the state from the late 1970s until his demise. 

Years ago, when the Soviet Union existed, a joke used to poke fun at the authoritarian system prevailing in the country. Two persons, one Russian and another American, were arguing about the freedom of speech prevailing in their countries. The American said, "Anyone can shout slogans against the US president standing in front of the White House, and it's perfectly normal. Nobody would stop him doing it." The Russian replied: "Same in Moscow. You can shout slogans against the US president standing in front of the Kremlin, and you wouldn't be stopped."

Currently in Los Angeles, the other day I was taken to the sprawling Swaminarayan temple, about an hour's drive from where we live. We were asked to reach there around elevenish, just ahead of the time of daily aarti. After passing through the reception, we were taken to the main temple, whose inside, I was told, was made of snow-white Italian marble, exported to Rajasthan, where expert artisans had meticulously carved out its different parts before being sent to Los Angeles for assembling them for the temple. Must have been pretty costly, I surmised!