Special Report: Why Do 'Indo-Pak Talks' Repeatedly Fails?

By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE

India and Pakistan cancelled a high profile National Security Adviser meet this last weekend, much to the disappointment of many who were expecting to finally see a thaw in bilateral relations. 

The run-up to the cancellation was filled with much acrimony, some of which has in fact been unseen since hostilities following 26/11. Officials say that there have been as many as 52 violations of the border ceasefire so far this month. This comes at the back of repeated cross-border infiltration of terrorists into India and terror attacks in Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir.

Access To Health: Nowhere Near To Being A Healthy Nation

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SPECIAL REPORT
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The out-of-pocket health expenditure by the poor is spiraling and the government spending on public health care is reducing. The existing public health programes and insurance schemes are failing; private health care sector is not properly regulated; INNLIVE finds the health of our nation worrisome.

Despite our efforts and best wishes, our modus vivendi, work atmosphere and environment often lead to situations where we have to consult medics and get treatment. The Country Cooperation Strategy brief of the World Health Organization (WHO) informs that India accounts for 21 percent of the world’s global burden of disease.

Weekend Special: What 'Being Left-Handed' Makes Your 'Personality' More Impressive Or Shabby?

By SARAH WILLIAMS | INNLIVE

There’s no denying it. Left-handers are the odd ones out. Sure, lefties make up about 10 percent of the population -- but, frankly, it seems like society has forgotten about them. Just consider all of the right-handed gadgets, awkwardly designed desks, and cooking tools that fit comfortably only in your right hand.

What causes someone to become a southpaw? Scientists aren’t exactly sure, but research points to a complex collaboration between genes and environment.

Special Report: Land Pooling Strategy For The New Andhra Capital Could Become A Model For India's Smart Cities

By M H AHSSAN | INNLIVE

Andhra Pradesh's experiment with voluntary land pooling could provide an alternative to forcible land acquisition.

Tallayapalem is a village like many others in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district. It has lush green fields, and its prosperity is evident from the concrete houses scattered along its central thoroughfare. Somewhat incongruously, one field off the main road houses a canvas tent under which a small group of policemen has been doing 24-hour duty since June 6, 2015.

Costliest Deal: Mumbai's Penthouse Sold For Rs.202 Crore

Even as Mumbai's real estate market reels under a stressful period with slowing sales velocity and with buyers sitting on the fence, waiting for prices to drop, a one-off deal in the island city's luxury market for Rs 202 crore is making headlines.

According to confirmed reports, a sea-facing triplex penthouse measuring 17,000 square feet in South Mumbai's Napean Sea Road has been sold to a prominent industrialist for a whopping Rs 202 crore. This works out to be one of the most expensive transactions in the country as the buyers is paying Rs 1.20 lakh per square foot.

The apartment is on the 20th, 21st and 22nd floors of the Residence, being built by the Runwal Group and offers views of the the Arabian Sea and the Queen's Necklace and has 21 car-parking slots as part of the transaction.

Special Report: Despite Bengaluru’s Hi-Rise Construction Boom, Rare 'Forest Animal' Are Still Alive In Jungles!

Over the years, Bengaluru has been slowly losing its “garden city” reputation. Between 2001 and 2011, the southern metropolis lost 66% of its tree and vegetation cover as its population surged, with a construction boom fuelled by its arrival as India’s Silicon Valley.

Despite the countless new office buildings and high-rise apartments, one tiny, endangered primate species, which has always called the city and its environs home, has persisted in holding on to its corner of Bengaluru.

Special Focus: Why My Domestic Help Would Rather Send Her Kid To A Private School Than Public School?

My domestic help Ruksana has a seven-year-old daughter and a four year-old son. She enrolled them in a private school in the neighbourhood instead of the government primary school. Reason: No proper food, education and facilities. 

At the government school she could benefit from the Right to Education (RTE) Act which guarantees eight years of free, quality education to all children aged six to fourteen years. Instead, she shells out nearly Rs 800 a month for fees plus a good chunk on miscellaneous – books, uniforms, school activities, etc.

Special Report: Did Mumbai Attacks Mastermind, Pak Terrorist Hafiz Saeed Plan 'Gurdaspur Terror Attack'?

After establishing the role of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the July 27 Gurdaspur terror attack, Indian intelligence agencies are trying to pinpoint the involvement of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed.

The three terrorists killed in Dinanagar were speaking Punjabi when slain senior Punjab cop Baljit Singh had challenged them to come out in the open before they killed him. 

Wanted: 'Pregnant Decoys' To Save The 'Girl Child' Project

SPECIAL REPORT: Ignoring societal pressures, a few brave women are helping activists nab doctors who assist in sex selection. Will their numbers increase?

Dr Sarawati Munde took less than five minutes to conduct a sonography and determine the sex of the foetus, recalls Prerana Bhilare of their meeting five years ago. When the doctor wrote “16” on the case papers, Bhilare asked her about her child’s sex. “Can’t you read the paper? It is good news. It is a boy,” came the reply.

Special Report: How An Indian Tradition Is Destroying The Lives Of Young Girls In The Name Of Marriage?

“I was married at 12, I didn’t know much back then. A lot of my time was spent doing what my mother and father said I should, and after my marriage, what my husband expected of me. It was so scary. 

For a whole year after my marriage, I was always in pain, falling sick all the time. But that was a different time, and now you girls have seen more world than us. You will make better choices.” Little did my grandmother know that what she suffered nearly 65 years ago is the dogged fate of nearly one third of the young girls in our country even today.

Growing 'Nutrition Merchandise' In Indian Pharmacies

SPECIAL REPORT: Changing lifestyle has pushed the demand of nutritious supplements, seen stocked in the pharmacies nowadays. Here is a report on the growing nutrition merchandise in pharmacy retail, transforming the traditional business model.

There has been intense market competition and consolidation among providers of pharmaceutical products. In the retail pharmacy, the notable changes have been seen in closures of local independent pharmacies and growth in pharmacies located in supermarkets and mass merchandise stores.

Giant pharmacy chains like Guardian Pharmacy, Apollo, Religare and others similar to these are seen on the busiest street of Indian small and big towns. Not only do they fill prescriptions and sell OTC medicines, but are also offering wide variety of nutrition merchandise to the consumers.

Special Report: Worshiped Inside Temples, But Mistreated Outside: The Fate Of Captive Elephants In India

WEEKEND KA TADKA: I recently visited a popular south Indian Lord Ganesha temple, Kottarakara Sree Maha Ganapathy Temple. What struck me besides the scorching summer heat, was the horde of devotees thronging the sanctum sanctorum with fervour. Murmured chants and prayers lent an other worldly feel to the atmosphere. Having sought my share of the Lord’s blessings, I ventured outside to explore the premises of the temple.

Outside the main entrance stood an elephant tethered to a tree, flapping its ears serenely, munching palm leaves and bananas. It was a majestic creature, easily the largest I had ever encountered, with its long trunk and gleaming tusks. A small crowd of excited onlookers watched with awe and took pictures from all possible angles.

Special Report: This Little-Known 'Hyderabadi Studio' Made The 'Baahubali' A Visual Mega Spectacle

India’s most expensive motion picture, Baahubali, owes its world-class special effects to a very young company.

Makuta, established just five years ago, was the principal studio for S S Rajamouli’s blockbuster film, which consists of 90% computer-generated imagery (CGI) and graphics, with some 4,500-5,000 visual effects (VFX) shots.

Everything about the period drama set in medieval India appears larger than life—including the kingdom of Mahishmati, with its gigantic temples and courtyards, the landscapes comprising mystical waterfalls and mountains, and the epic battles.

Special Report: India’s Socio-Economic Census Threatens To Exclude Crores Of Poor From Social Schemes!

The census says 9 out of 17 crore rural households face no 'deprivation' despite living in extreme poverty. If the government follows this definition, all these people will be left out of country’s social safety net.

The findings of the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 have been long awaited by academics and politicians alike. Now that they are out, there is a fear that they could end up being used to exclude crores of people from the country’s social safety net.

Special Report: UAE Businessman To Spend 5000 Crore In Charity For Educating Underprivileged Students

By S A Mannan in Dubai

It's commendable effort by a UAE businessman to support the education for underprivileged students in gulf, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. 

Calling education the “cornerstone of prosperous, progressive and inclusive societies”, Al Ghurair, a UAE businessman announced the largest privately funded philanthropic education initiative.

High performing students forced to drop out of higher education due to financial constraints have been given new hope. As one of the country’s leading businessmen, Abdullah Al Ghurair, has pledged one-third of his assets to education empowerment, with many hailing the move as a “brave decision” that others should follow.Initially, 15,000 underprivi-leged Emirati and Arab students will benefit from the Abdullah Al Ghurair Education Foundation, which aims to pledge Dh4.2 bil-lion in its first 10 years.

Special Report: Has The 5-Fold Increase In 'Condom' Supply To Nashik Got A Direct 'Kumbh Mela' Connect?

By Pravin Apte in Pune

Authorities differ; AIDS body sends 5.4 lakh condoms to district against monthly demand of 1.5 lakh; more HIV testing kits too sent. In an interesting development, the Maharashtra State AIDS Control Society (MSACS) has dispatched 5.40 lakh condoms to Nashik.

The number is interesting on two counts: when Nashik's average monthly requirement of condoms is 1.5 lakh, the unusual five-fold increase in dispatch comes just a week before the Kumbh Mela. The Mela is scheduled to begin on July 14.

Local authorities insist that there is no connection between the Kumbh Mela and the unusually high dispatch of condoms.

Special Report: 'Our College Examination System Is Broken And One University Is Trying To Fix It!'

By Rupesh Kumar in Mysore

Mangalore University proposes penalising of examiners for not performing efficiently. Before the widespread protests against the new education system, which is set to replace the semester system across universities in India, could cool down, institutions in the country are faced with a new problem in the existing framework – a broken examination system. 

In Delhi University, protests have broken out against faulty mark-sheets because more than 400 final-year students failed in the sociology examination this year.

Nobody Knows His 'Real Name' Because His Dad Is A 'Terrorist' Finally, Tells His Story Makes You Speechless!

SPECIAL REPORT: Zak Ebrahim, a man who chose to change his name and was forced to hide his family history ever since they parted ways with his father, who was a terrorist, this is his story. The story of how a terrorist’s son escaped a violent heritage.

Zak’s father helped plan the 1993 World Trade Centre Bombing. The first time Zak’s father and his friends took him to the shooting range in Long Island, he was 7. After his terrorist father explained to him his target and put the rifle over his shoulder, Zak took the first shot of his life and that day the last bullet that he shot burnt the entire target into flames. To that, his uncle said to the other men — “Ibn Abu” (Like father like son) and laughed loudly.

Special Report: After 'Cashgate And Tapgate', A Full-Blown War Unveil 'Andhra Vs Telangana' Over 'Hyderabad'

By Likha Veer 
Group Executive Editor

Naidu has upped the ante by demanding that Hyderabad’s law and order be taken over by the Governor, pushing Telanagana back into a familiar agitational mode. And KCR is firm on his intentions to make the war for state with independent rights.

Things have not been the same for the Telugu Desam Party ever since its legislator from Telangana, Revant Reddy, was caught "red-handed", allegedly trying to give a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to Elvis Stephenson, an Anglo-Indian nominated MLA, to influence his vote in the Legislative Council elections.

Subsequently, an audio tape in which a voice, allegedly of Naidu, assured Stephenson of backing all promises made by Reddy, was aired on vernacular news channel.

Special Report: Do You Know Biryani At 51, Dosa For 6 And Chapati Costs 1 Rupee in Parliament House Canteen?

Do you know, all the Indians will get a subsidized food at Parliament house canteen in New Delhi as Shami kebab for Rs 14, chicken biryani for Rs 51, chapati for Re 1 and masala dosa for Rs 6. This is not a list out of 1970s menu card but the cost of food offered.

At a time when the government is intent on pruning wasteful subsidies, Parliament canteens in Delhi received a total subsidy of Rs 60.7 crore over the last five years making it possible to price food items at rock bottom rates even as food inflation has soared for the common man.