Poor families in India, struggling to eke out a living, see the girl child as a burden. Often, girls are the victims of infanticide and child marriage. According to UNICEF, one in every three child brides in the world is from India. In 2014, Shree Cement initiated a project as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to find out if they can uplift the lives of girls from impoverished families and provide incentives that can prevent child marriage while also empowering women to stand on their ..

THE encounter of the four rape accused in the Hyderabad incident may have garnered mixed responses from different quarters, with some sections even condemning the incident calling it extra-judicial and illegal, but one thing that goes unmissed is that this is completely a new thing in the history of Indian criminal addressing system and will be remembered for long for the swiftness with which the action was taken. In a democratic society, questions can and will always be raised on the justification ..

‘Make hay while the sun shines.’ This simple advice about life full of opportunities coming right from our farms has marched through quite many twists and turns so much so that even the sun does not know what all people make while it shines or while it is still dark. People have learnt to make their hay with or without sun. Amazing, isn’t it? The little problem, however, is that when everybody is making hay, there is lot of hay. But more pertinent is the question as to who, then, is taking care of ..

Mornings can be a bit chaotic as you fight the clock to get out the door on time. This is especially true if you have a big family. Wouldn’t it be nice if rather than feeling like a stressful race, your morning routine was something you actually looked forward to? Starting your day on a high note is simple when you adopt some tips and tricks for simplifying your morning routine. You’ll save time, be more efficient and really learn to cherish the first part of the day. Select clothing the evening prior ..

Eating nutritious food is not an option, it’s a necessity for a healthy life. With majority of the world’s population suffering from one or more kind of nutritional deficiency, it becomes even more important to make sure your food has all the essential nutrients in sufficient quantity. For a healthy and nutritious diet, you need to cook your meals..

 By Dr Pragya Mathur Kumar :  Awkward as it may sound, this question is meant for all parents who have high expectations from their children. We constantly needle the kids with inputs that compare them to their peers, that put them on the defensive and very often, send a message “you’re not making us proud”. The behaviour and academic performance of kids is in the limelight at all times. In just about every aspect of their life, they feel the heat. At school, the PTM is ..

 Non-fiction writer and entrepreneur Rashmi Bansal was the guest at An Author’s Afternoon presented by Shree Cement Ltd and organised by the Prabha Khaitan Foundation in association with Taj Bengal Kolkata recently. As Bansal launched her new book Shine Bright, the author shared stories of several successful people who found mention in the book. IBNS correspondent Souvik Ghosh brings excerpts  How different is your new book Shine Bright? It's little different from the previous books. ..

 By QUAID NAJMI: This backbencher dish has been an all-time favourite of Shah, who has been relishing the concoction prepared by his mother and grandmothers for years.  Guess what dish turns on Jitendra Shah, a Mumbai-based tour operator-turned-restaurateur? Something that turns off most people -- the humble and dismissively prepared Khichdi. This backbencher dish has been an all-time favourite of Shah, who has been relishing the concoction prepared by his mother and grandmothers ..

 By Siddhi Jain: For Christies India Managing Director and art specialist Sonal Singh, collecting artefacts began at the age of four with a coin album and a stamp book. Steering the business operations of a leading global auction house now, and handling Indias modern and contemporary art firsthand, she observes how the Indian art market is gaining ground and what our culture budget should not overlook. “Collecting has been a long-established legacy in India, instilled by the royal ..

 By Shahnaz Husain: Believed to have originated in South Africa, Watermelons are best during summer months. Watermelon, the coolest fruit needs no introduction. It has been on our list of favorites since we were kids, and it will continue to remain. The cool fruit require temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius or above in order to grow is available all the year on streets on Rehris in diverse varieties - sweet, bland, and bitter. Watermelon known as a super juicy fruit in summers is commonly ..

 By Biraj Dixit:   Madam Finance Minister. It is absolutely heart-warming to address you thus. It is like a long-cherished dream fulfilled. To add a ‘madam’ to the revered position of finance minister, absolutely wonderful! Some may ask why create such a fuss when we already had a Madam President, Madam Prime Minister and even a Madam Defence Minister. But this would be like taking over the last-male-held bastion. For, all those talks of breaking the glass ceiling, ..

 By DR Manoj kutteri:  A weight loss journey doesn’t come to an end with you attaining certain weight loss. This is where it begins. And there is nothing truly explaining this idea more than YOYO diets. You lose some pounds after following a very strict diet like Keto or GM diet. But the failure to translate the diet into lifestyle leads to you gaining weight all the way back. The on and off journey of fancy fad diets continue with no healthy changes in your life. YOGA, on the other ..

 By Biraj dixit:   “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” - Ambrose Bierce YES, Yes, Yes…We know that to be so true - a lot of it from first-hand experience. Yet angry words are all over – in homes, in offices, on streets, in traffic jams, on television, on radio, on internet, in public and private spaces, in smiles, in tears. We are angry people with regretful speeches. Some people got angry over death of a loved ..

 By BIRAJ DIXIT: Oh, the heat is simply too much to bear! It is not fair that one nation should be bombarded with so much hot matter. Of course, the resilient Indians can bear a lot of heat, but that does not mean their patience should be put to test every now and then. They need respite. They also need cool comforts of easy and happy thoughts. The temperature, of course, is up to its usual summery blitzkrieg and is thinking of nothing while gaining in degrees. But that is the usual hot-as-hell ..

 By shahnaz husain: These days, skin infections are becoming quite common due to the ever-increasing problem of pollution, over exposure to sun, irregular sleep, hectic life style and hormonal imbalances Skin pigmentation is a common issue faced by most of us in form of sun spots, age spots, freckles, sun damage, or melisma making skin look dull, lifeless uneven and ruins its texture completely. It also starts drying out the skin making it darker and patchy. It is caused by overproduction ..

 By Biraj Dixit:   ‘Mother’ - the word, the person, the institution, the tradition - will soon get inundated on a particular day with applaud for being what it has been for ages. In the world where it is getting rarer to acknowledge what one truly sees, one full day of acknowledgement and eulogy is indeed wholesome and lovely even for the high office of a ‘mother’. Soon enough mothers would reclaim their position as most special. Salutations would smile ..

 By sumit paul:  Bengal’s creamy gift to the gourmets  There’re certain dishes which have such phonetic vibrancy and efficacy that you’re sure to fall in love with them just by hearing their mouth-watering names. Bengal’s Prawn (Chingri in Bengali) Malai Curry is one such culinary wonder that the very mention of it can warm the cockles of connoisseurs’ hearts. Sea-food lovers simply swear by prawns and its other species viz, shrimps, lobsters, prawnzilla ..

Preparing for a romantic dinner, a gala event or a charity ball? Here are some tips and must-dos to help you look your best for that special occasion...   It could be an anniversary dinner, a gala ball event, a wedding dinner to attend, or perhaps it’s your own wedding day - here are some tips on primping and making yourself look your best for that special occasion! Clear your work & schedule some time to relax: The last thing you’ll want is to stay up all night before your ..

  Skin care regimes adopted in our teens no longer remain relevant in our 20s. Similarly, the products we use and the time we spend on taking care of our skin in our 20s changes in our 30s.  Failing to recognise the subtle changes in our skin's needs could leave us baffled when skin problems start emerging despite our best care. When it comes to your skin, knowledge can truly be powerful. Skin expert and co-founder of Epique (manufacturer of skincare products), Divya Mehta, suggested ..

   The properties of aloe vera make it one of the most useful and magical ingredient for health care. Its daily use has proven to improve overall health as well as help you lose weight. Start your journey towards a healthy lifestyle with our finest tips on how to use aloe vera for weight loss. It’s amazing how aloe juice can help in speeding up metabolism which in turn will promote proper digestion. Improved metabolism means that your body burns calories and fat much faster than ..

  By shahnaz husain,  Looking your best doesn’t have to be expensive or unnatural. Being more beautiful and attractive is easy when you make a few small changes to your beauty regime . One needs to be ambitious and focused to turn into a more beautiful and confident person inside out. Sometimes we just want to feel like we look our best but there is no easy way to look better instantly. Swapping out some daily habits and being more aware of other lifestyle factors can enhance ..

  Now that the holiday season is here, you’ll likely be attending more parties, gatherings and social events than normal. After all, this is the season for celebrating with friends and family, while also meeting fun new people. As you relax and socialise, you’ll also want the confidence that comes with looking your best. Recent research suggests we make first impressions in one-tenth of a second, and often faces are the first thing we notice. “Our eyes settle on features ..

     By Biraj Dixit,     Memories - a flood, whose raging waters often inundates parched souls and fills the living with life! It can light up dim corridors, clear hazy rooms, open tightly shut windows, and flutter back pages of long forgotten notebooks. It can bring to life mirth and laughter, zing and zest, frolic and fortitude and can also awaken ghosts of despair and despondency, time’s many tirades, life’s many tests. Of late, I myself ..

  By sharmilee agrawal kapur,  A woman’s priority list will always have her family at the top, followed by work, her friends and then her. All these aspects of her life demand so much time from her that she's often left wishing for that 25th hour just so she can have that extra hour for herself! Unfortunately, while the present is a gift; and time is precious, we need to make sure we gift ourselves some ‘time’ in this ‘present’ moment… and create ..

    By shahnaz husain Dull,  dry, lusterless skin is result of regular exposure to dirt, dust and pollution in environment which accumulates toxins in deep pores. While washing and cleansing help get rid of superficial build up on face but misses out dead skin cells, blackheads and whiteheads. Face scrubs are must to clear dead cells and remove toxins from deep within pores for radiant, clear and flawless skin. Packed with the goodness of natural ingredients and essential ..