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Just before the Covid-19 pandemic paralysed the whole world, Cat Jarman arrived in Gujarat to begin her first visit to India. A bioarchaeologist whose day job involves sifting through ancient skeletons to understand human history, the Norwegian-born British researcher was looking for a certain kind of bead first made more than a thousand years ago somewhere on the western coast of India. The discovery she was about to make was not on the Indus Valley civilisation that crafted these colourful decorative beads. It was about the unknown history of the Vikings. This new history of the Vikings was the subject of the first physical session of the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) held on March 10. Postponed from its traditional January schedule, JLF was held during March 4-14 in a hybrid format. Among the prominent speakers were Jarman, making only her second visit to India after her eventful journey to Gujarat three years ago. “It was a very quick trip just before the pandemic,” recalls Ja...

Scottish historian, critic and curator William Dalrymple’s Indian ties are as strong as his love for Indian history. Dalrymple, who has authored books on Indian history like  The Anarchy  (2019),  White Mughals  (2002),  The Last Mughal  (2006) and  Return of a King  (2012), is also one of the directors of the recently concluded Jaipur Literature Festival. He feels that JLF’s 2022 edition was a deeper dive into Indian culture and literature as Indian authors dominated the festival. Since there were some delays in the issuing of visas due to the pandemic, a number of authors from other countries could not make it to the festival. This resulted in Indian authors and works taking centrestage. “On one hand we lost international flavours, but on the other, we were strongly Indian this year. There were great history sessions on the Cholas, Pallavas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, besides contemporary art sessions,” he says, adding, “Indians are interested in...

March is celebrated as Women’s History Month. While globally there’s much talk of women emancipation and empowerment, the pandemic and its aftereffects have continued to impact the lives of women in urban cities. On one hand, women were constantly counting on family members and peers for a happy work-life balance, but a certain section of society lacked access to good health and nutrition. The GOQii Women’s Health Matters report 2022 states that women with menstrual problems have increased in 2021, to an average of 38.8% as against an average of 32.8% of female health issues in 2020. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) at 31.2% has increased by 9% from 2020. There is a need for constant dialogue and interaction to improve access to many essential services, especially for adolescent girls in urban slums deprived of basic health and education services. The pandemic forced them to stay indoors; many were deprived of basic health and education services or access to services like phone for o...

Dr Yash Gulati Work from home usually meant working from beds or arm chairs instead of proper desks. How has this affected posture for most people during the pandemic? Work from home not only restricted our movement, but also led to extended working hours, where people ended up sitting in one position for long hours. This not only causes stiffness in the body but also leads to soreness and rise in cases of hunch shoulders. When at work, small activities like walks to the water cooler and lunch breaks ensured enough mobility, flexibility and seamless blood circulation in the body. However, the format of work from home took that away. Consequently, increased screen time and lack of proper workstations have put immense strain on the spine, causing prolonged discomfort. In the long run, increased upper body tension can lead to us being bent out of shape. What are the areas of concern for bad posture and problems arising due to it, especially concerning neck, shoulder, head, back and arm...

Just a few days after winning the doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2022 Australian Open, Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios said he had “suicidal thoughts” and dealt with depression and abuse of drugs and alcohol in the past. “I know that day to day life can seem extremely exhausting, impossible at times. I understand that you feel if you open up it may make you feel weak, or scared. I’m telling you right now, it’s OK, you are not alone,” Kyrgios, 26, took to his verified Instagram account on February 24 this year to make this confession. “I’m proud to say I’ve completely turned myself around and have a completely different outlook on everything, I don’t take one moment for granted. I want you to be able to reach your full potential and smile. This life is beautiful,” he adds. Kyrgios might have been lauded for speaking publicly and frankly about his mental health, but when it comes to men, not many are willing to do so, even though the health concern is assuming alarmin...

High commodity inflation will dent the operating margins of the air-conditioning segment, which are likely to remain under pressure in the current financial year ending March, as well as in the next financial year. The forecast of a scorching summer and pent-up demand from the last two years is expected to result in higher sales of air-conditioners in the coming summer season. However, it will take a few quarters for companies to pass on the recent commodity price inflation onto the customers, which will impact the margins. The prices of the key inputs such as copper, aluminium, steel and plastics have increased sharply over the past 18 months. The industry was mulling a price increase in the range of 4-5% in January to offset the commodity price inflation seen in 2021. However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has further pushed up aluminium and copper prices by 54% and 18%, respectively year-to-date. “We estimate this will require another 3-5% hike with some efficiency on production, t...