Author: Urvasi Sirasikar

A 44 foot-long Japanese style handscroll painted by a famous Indian blind artist nearly 100 years ago has resurfaced and gone on public display for the first time in the city of his birth, Kolkata. Benodebehari Mukherjee, born in 1904, was blind in one eye and severely myopic in the other. He lost his vision entirely at 53. Mukherjee, who died in 1980, created trailblazing works as a painter of landscapes and frescos. He was also a sculptor and muralist and came to define modern art in 20th Century India. In July, the scroll – which is just six inches…

The monitoring group reported that a field camp for 8,000 people had been set up in Belarus, probably, “Wagnerites” would be accommodated there. Source: monitoring group ” Belarusian Gayun ” Literally: “A camp for about 8,000 people. A field camp has been built near Osipovichi, where, possibly, the Wagner PMC will be located.” The BBC Verify edition received the latest satellite images of the territory of the former HF No. 61732 in the village. Target (Osipovichi district, Mogilev region) for June 30, 2023″. Details: The footage clearly shows that the construction of the field camp has been completed. The monitoring group calculated that there are about…

India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has met people affected by the violence that has engulfed the north-eastern state of Manipur. On Friday, the Congress leader visited relief camps in Moirang town and met displaced families, the party said. Mr Gandhi, who is on a two-day trip to the state, also visited a relief camp in Churachandpur district on Thursday. He travelled there by helicopter after his convoy was stopped by the police, who cited security concerns. Mr Gandhi is scheduled to meet leaders of civil society groups on Friday in the state capital, Imphal. For the past two months, Manipur has been…

Indian carrier IndiGo has made a record order for 500 Airbus A320 aircraft – the largest single purchase agreement by any airline in commercial aviation history. The deal, announced on the first day of the Paris Airshow, is worth roughly $55bn (£43bn) before any bulk-order discounts. IndiGo now has an order book of 1,330 aircraft with Airbus. It is expected to mean a stream of deliveries between 2030 and 2035. The new deliveries will help budget carrier IndiGo lower its operating costs and improve fuel efficiency, the company says. India is a burgeoning aviation market, with some analysts saying it…

Tributes are pouring in for Indian advertising guru Sylvester daCunha who created the iconic Amul girl advert. He died on Tuesday night in the western Indian city of Mumbai but Amul announced his death on Wednesday. He is credited with designing the Amul girl campaign in 1960s – a popular mascot that has since become the face of the dairy brand. Amul, a dairy co-operative based in the western state of Gujarat, is one of the largest milk producers in the world. On Wednesday, Jayen Mehta, Amul’s managing director tweeted about daCunha’s death, saying “the Amul family joins in mourning this sad…

A man in India has allegedly managed to stay in a five-star hotel in the capital, Delhi, for close to two years without paying the bill. Police received a complaint by managers at the Roseate House near Delhi airport after they discovered the apparent scam – 603 days into the man’s stay. He allegedly owes the hotel over 5m rupees ($70,000; £55,000). The complaint alleges the man colluded with staff who helped hide the mounting bills. No-one has been arrested. Though the case was reported to Delhi police on 24 May, details have only recently emerged in the local media.…

Watching yourself portrayed on screen in a popular show is something communities around the world are keen to see. And Never Have I Ever – which is currently in Netflix’s top 10 – has been praised for giving fans that feeling. “There is a fulfilment, a feeling you’re not alone and you’re reflected somewhere,” Poorna Jagannathan tells BBC Asian Network. She plays Nalini, the mum of main character Devi Vishwakumar. The show, which released its fourth and final season this month, is about Devi’s teenage journey (if you haven’t caught up, this article contains minor spoliers). But each character gets “given…

Nagaland joined the global observation of the World Day Against Child Labour with focus on the theme “Social justice for all, end child labour” on Monday. At an event organised by the Ferrando Domestic Workers Alliance (FDWA) in alliance with Childline Kohima at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School in Kohima, it was revealed that the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act of 2016 remains ineffective as the state has not amended the Act at the Legislative Assembly. Childline Kohima official, Pelezanuo Elizabeth, who graced the event as the resource person said that Nagaland has not made amendments for the Act. This means that…

The University of Central Asia’s School of Arts and Sciences (UCA-SAS) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) organized the EcoKyzdar (EcoGirls) Hackathon on “Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability” at UCA Campus in Naryn on 15-16 April 2023. The Hackathon welcomed 49 girls from diverse backgrounds across Kyrgyzstan including students from UCA and other universities as well as members of UNICEF’s “Girls in Science” programme. Nestled amidst the splendid Tenir Too mountains, a group of young women aged 17-21 gathered for this Hackathon to deepen their understanding of climate change, build new friendships, and collaborate on addressing various environmental issues. At…

Universities Australia (UA) chief executive Catriona Jackson has just completed a week-long visit to Washington to further integrate Australian universities into US-led war preparations against China. Central to her talks with US national security officials were plans for universities to play a critical role in Australia’s acquisition and development of nuclear-powered attack submarines, hypersonic missiles, cyber warfare and other weaponry for use in a war with China. All of this is proceeding under AUKUS, the militarist pact between Australia, Britain and the US. According to UA, a management body representing Australia’s 39 main universities, Jackson’s trip has “cemented the role…