In spite of a three-tier process of selection – prelims, main exams, and interview or personality test – there have been repeated incidents like that of Puja Khedkar. The competition is, figuratively speaking, and sometimes literally too, killing.

Admittedly, the Punjab farmers and the tribal women farmers of Orissa are two different species, but nevertheless Orissa's Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation experiment offers important lessons.

The Bommai government's move raises two questions: Is this secularism, as envisaged in our constitution? And, is the need of the temples greater than that of the backward classes?

India is not alone in being obsessed by the renaming mania, though the reasons elsewhere, at least currently, go beyond religion, politics and political ideology.

The insufficient public spending on higher education needs to be supplemented, not with for-profit private investment, which does not consider educational standards and quality, but rather with genuine philanthropy.

For centuries now, ill-gotten wealth has been donated for social good – as well as social acceptability.

Unlike Ivy League schools, many of which were funded by slave trade profits, Ashoka's source of philanthropic money is clean. Yet, there is hesitation to use it boldly to uphold liberal principles and ideas.

Unlike Ivy League schools, many of which were funded by slave trade profits, Ashoka's source of philanthropic money is clean. Yet, there is hesitation to use it boldly to uphold liberal principles and ideas.

Some may consider it fanciful and far fetched, but to my mind, the coronavirus is in fact the tenth avatar, meant to save humanity from itself and to take us into a new epoch.

Web gatherings cannot provide for the kind of networking that occurs on the sidelines – which is often of more value to participants than the actual discussions.

Is it fair to use funds given in good faith for risky ventures, rather than safer social infrastructure projects like colleges and hospitals?

For instance, how safe will women be if metro rides are indeed made free?

The Modi government has opted for the stick over the carrot. This will not automatically result in companies becoming good corporate citizens.

With a nudge and push from the party in power, money that might be better spent on literacy, health and technology is funding pet projects at pet locations.

Mere financial contributions are not enough to make companies more responsible.

In the face of growing inequality, we need not just compassionate and creative capitalism, but also one which recognises the ethical core of reciprocity.

With a number of NGOs losing their licenses on allegations of non-compliance and malpractice, or for differing with the government and its policies, new legislation is required to regulate the sector.

Plays written during the freedom movement highlight how the theatre community evolved creative stratagems to overcome political intolerance – something we could learn from today.