General

How the Vegetarian Thali Got Its Signature Round Bottom Plate

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

Explore the history behind the iconic round-bottomed thali plate, from banana leaves to stainless steel, and why its shape endures in Indian dining.

Health

Ayurvedic Nasya Drops Show Partial Evidence Against Chronic Sinusitis

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

A 2021 RCT of Ayurvedic Nasya drops for chronic sinusitis showed 30% greater symptom reduction versus placebo. But small samples and lack of long-term data temper the promise. We examine the evidence.

Health

Gujarat Cotton Mill Workers Show Hidden Lung Scarring by High-Resolution CT

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

High-resolution CT reveals interstitial lung abnormalities in Gujarat cotton mill workers, often missed by X-ray. General practitioners need better screening tools.

Health

Heat Exposure and Kidney Decline in Chennai Construction Workers

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Chennai construction workers face hidden kidney risks from repeated heat stress. Evidence supports screening and simple interventions, but policy gaps persist.

General

Your LPG Cylinder Doesn't Belong to the Company You Paid

By Priya Iyer / May 28, 2026

In India, when you pay for an LPG cylinder, you only buy the gas inside. The metal cylinder remains the property of the oil company. Here's how the system works and what it means for you.

General

How India's Marriage Registration Rules Differ by State

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

India has no single marriage registration law. From compulsory states to varying fees and documents, here's how each state's rules differ and what couples face.

Health

Mumbai Suburban Adolescents Show Hidden Depression Missed by School Screenings

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

School screenings in Mumbai suburbs miss most adolescent depression. Community studies show 12-15% prevalence, but tools like PHQ-9 are underused. Evidence supports CHW-led screening and tiered referral models.

General

How the Colonial-era General Post Office Still Moves Your Court Summons

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

Explore how India's colonial-era General Post Office still delivers court summons, the legal reliance on registered post, delays, and the slow shift to digital alternatives.

General

Why Your Metro Ticket Includes a Refundable Deposit You Never Claim

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

Every metro ride in India includes a refundable deposit on your ticket—usually ₹10. Most commuters never claim it back. Here's how the system works and why millions go unclaimed.

Health

Mumbai Slums Correct Breastfeeding-Weaning Myth With Cohort Data

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

An ICMR-funded cohort in Mumbai slums found that most mothers delay weaning past 6 months, leading to high anemia. A Dharavi pilot using the data improved timely feeding practices.

Health

Mumbai Dockworkers Show Hidden Leptospirosis Risk in Serosurvey Cohort Data

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

A serosurvey of Mumbai dockworkers reveals an 18% leptospirosis seroprevalence, with many cases missed. Evidence on doxycycline prophylaxis and municipal response.

Health

Dengue's New Geography: Bangalore's Peri-Urban Poor Miss Early Care

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Bangalore's peri-urban residents face delayed dengue diagnosis due to poor surveillance, lack of testing, and long travel distances. A look at the gaps in early care.

General

How Delhi’s House Numbering System Traces Back to a 1911 Map

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

Delhi's confusing house numbering—duplicate blocks, same letters across colonies—traces back to a 1911 imperial map. An origin story of a system that still baffles residents and delivery agents alike.

Health

HPV Vaccine Coverage in Rural Assam Corrected by Cohort Follow-Up Data

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Routine surveys underestimated HPV vaccine coverage in rural Assam. A cohort follow-up study found actual coverage was 73%, not 38%, correcting a long-held myth.

General

How India's Railway Waiting List Actually Moves

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

An explainer on how Indian Railways waitlist works: berth quotas, chart preparation, RAC vs waitlist, and practical tips to get confirmed tickets.

General

Why Your Local Train Platform Has an Unmarked Food Delivery Zone

By Priya Iyer / May 28, 2026

How an unmarked patch of platform near the stairs became the default food delivery zone on Indian railway stations, and why the unwritten rule works better than any official policy.

Health

Kerala Schoolchildren Show Silent Anaemia Missed by Clinical Exam Alone

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

A 2024 study of 1,200 Kerala schoolchildren finds clinical pallor checks miss nearly half of mild anaemia cases, urging portable haemoglobinometers in primary care.

Health

Ashwagandha for Chronic Stress in Urban Men Awaits Trial Confirmation

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

Ashwagandha sales have surged among urban Indian men seeking stress relief, but large trials confirming its efficacy for this demographic are lacking. This article examines the evidence gap and what a proper study would need to show.

General

The PDS Subsidy That Reaches You as Groundnut Oil

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

How India's PDS groundnut oil subsidy works: eligibility, ration card types, fair price shop realities, workarounds, and state success stories. A detailed walkthrough.

Health

Andhra Pradesh Paddy Farmers Show Silica-Induced Lung Fibrosis Missed by Chest Camps

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

Andhra Pradesh paddy farmers develop silica-induced lung fibrosis that chest camps routinely miss. GPs need new clues as women farmers face higher risk.

Health

Rural Wells Test Safe but Household Water Storage Drives Childhood Diarrhoea

By Meera Nair / May 29, 2026

In rural India, wells often meet safety standards, yet childhood diarrhoea persists. The culprit is household storage: contamination during handling, not the source. Evidence from NFHS-5 and field studies points to simple behavioural fixes.

General

The 1860s Stamp Duty That Still Decides Your Rental Agreement

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

A colonial-era stamp duty on rent agreements still forces Indian tenants to pay 1% of total lease value upfront. Here's how it works, why it survives, and the workarounds renters use.

Health

Sewage Workers in Bengaluru Show Chronic Lung Damage Missed by Free Health Camps

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

Free health camps in Bengaluru miss chronic lung damage in sewage workers. A study finds 44% have restrictive patterns on spirometry, yet few have ever had a lung function test.

General

India's Number of Official Languages Is Twice What You Think

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

Most Indians learn there are 22 official languages. But counting Union, state, and scheduled languages reveals the true figure is around 40. Here's how the confusion started and what it means.

Health

Rural Karnataka Postpartum Depression Misses Screening Despite Trial Evidence

By Meera Nair / Jun 4, 2026

Despite trial evidence supporting routine screening, postpartum depression remains largely undiagnosed in rural Karnataka. Systemic bottlenecks and stigma block implementation.

General

The Land Survey That Still Decides Your Property Dispute

By Priya Iyer / May 28, 2026

How a 19th-century British land survey still shapes property disputes in India. Walk through the colonial records, tehsildar offices, and workarounds buyers use today.

Health

Rural Assam Tea Workers Show Lung Decline Missed by Portable Spirometry

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

Portable spirometry misses early lung damage in Assam's tea workers. A 2024 study finds high-resolution CT reveals hidden decline from biomass smoke and tea dust.

General

How Temple Trusts Manage Land Donated Centuries Ago

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

Explore how centuries-old land donations to Indian temples are managed today, from legal ownership by deities to bureaucratic oversight and modern challenges.

Health

Rural Madhya Pradesh Neonatal Sepsis Missed by Clinical Exam Alone

By Meera Nair / Jun 5, 2026

In rural Madhya Pradesh, clinical exams miss up to 40% of neonatal sepsis cases. Simple tools like the NEOSC score and smartphone apps could halve mortality, but access remains limited.

General

How Ration Shop Computers Changed Your Neighbourhood Grocery Bill

By Priya Iyer / May 29, 2026

Discover how the computerisation of ration shops transformed India's Public Distribution System—from paper ledgers to biometric scanners—and how it affects your grocery bill.