Monthly Archives: January 2011

The drumroll performance of our MPs

Posted on January 31, 2011 | Leave a comment

Recently PRS (a website where you can track your MPs) published its list of activity of the MPs in Lok Sabha. They evaluate the performance of our MPs on the basis of the number of debates they have participated in, number of bills introduced by them and the number of questions they have raised. Here is the entire downloadable document. This document reflects how much interest our leaders take in local or national problems. The results are intriguing, indeed. Continue reading →

Blasphemy and Islam

Posted on January 30, 2011 | 1 comment

The global perception of Islam in the subcontinent has changed significantly. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh are looked down upon as undeveloped and undemocratic societies because of the issues they face. Many believe that Islam has not gone through any reforms, unlike the other religious and civil societies. This view is now acquiring global acceptability with the recent blasphemy issues in Pakistan. Well, to understand Islam in the subcontinent, we must understand the context in which Islam was perceived by a common man in the history. Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture, Philosophy

Notes on Sushruta

Posted on January 29, 2011 | Leave a comment

Considered the father of Indian medicine, Sushruta was born near Bihar. He, and many sages who lived and practised medicine using local and empirical knowledge they gathered over time, are today considered masters of ayurveda. Although there is very little evidence to prove otherwise, Sushrata was probably the first man to practice surgery, rhinoplasty or nose job, and cataract surgery. Continue reading →

Rockets in medieval India

Posted on January 27, 2011 | 1 comment

Rockets as an early weapon of destruction were invented in China in the 11th century and the Mongols took them to Europe. Mughals used rockets in the 15th and 16th century, but these fell into disuse with the increasing accuracy and power of the artillery. This article focusses on an interesting episode of the re-emergence of rockets in India in the 19th century. Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture, Technology

Celebrating 154 years of Calcutta university

Posted on January 26, 2011 | 3 comments

A few days back, the university of Calcutta celebrated its 154th anniversary. Simple it may sound, but this university is a living testament of the glory the city Calcutta holds. The University of Calcutta is the oldest of the modern universities in India. It has produced 4 Nobelists, more than any other Indian university- Ronald Ross, Rabindra Nath Tagore, C. V. Raman and Amartya Sen. Continue reading →

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Posted in Culture, Economy, Education, Philosophy, Politics