Shekhawati Havelis: How Rajasthan’s Global Diaspora Could Help Save Its Painted Heritage Rajasthan is planning to conserve 662 historic havelis and develop a heritage tourism circuit across Shekhawati. With the region’s painted towns now on UNESCO’s Tentative List, a dedicated December meeting offers overseas Rajasthanis…

The Language They Carried Across the Oceans: How Girmitiya Descendants Preserved Indian Heritage in Fiji and Trinidad When Indian indentured labourers left the subcontinent for distant plantations during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, they carried more than personal belongings. They carried songs, prayers, stories,…

Mahila Housing Trust: How India’s Women-Led Climate Model Could Help Cool Cities Worldwide Named a 2026 Earthshot Prize finalist, India’s Mahila Housing Trust is combining reflective rooftops, heat-triggered insurance and women-led community action to protect vulnerable households. Its next challenge is scaling an approach that…

The New Cost Calculus for Indian Students For Indian families, studying abroad is becoming a more careful financial decision—not simply a route to an overseas job or permanent residency. A ₹20-lakh budget can work for some programmes, but the country, course length, tuition rules, city…

How Indian Shipyards Are Changing the Navy’s Future There was a time when an Indian Navy warship usually came with an interesting footnote: “Built with foreign assistance.” Today, an increasingly common description is rather different: Designed in India. Built in India. Armed increasingly with Indian systems. That change is one of the most consequential developments in India’s defence-industrial story. India’s naval modernisation is no longer just about buying more ships. It is increasingly about creating the industrial capacity to design, build, maintain and eventually export sophisticated warships. And the shipyards are getting very busy. Project 17A: the frigate programme becoming a manufacturing lesson The clearest example is Project 17A, India’s Nilgiri-class stealth frigate programme. The programme comprises seven advanced multi-mission frigates, being built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. By 2026, the programme had moved substantially from construction into induction. INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri, INS Udaygiri and INS Taragiri had already entered service, followed by INS Dunagiri in June 2026 and INS Mahendragiri in July 2026. INS Vindhyagiri remains the final ship of the seven and is still under construction. These are not merely larger floating pieces of steel.

Novak Djokovic Retirement: The Decision Belongs to the Champion, Not the Crowd Editor, Doonited News There is a particular cruelty in watching a sporting legend struggle with the one opponent nobody can defeat forever: time. Novak Djokovic’s first-round exit from the 2026 US Open has reopened an increasingly familiar question — should the 39-year-old Serbian champion retire? The question is legitimate. But the decision is not ours to make. Djokovic’s defeat to Argentina’s Mariano Navone was extraordinary by the standards of a career built on extraordinary consistency. Navone won 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 after four hours and 36 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was Djokovic’s first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since 2006. More concerning than the result was what happened physically. Djokovic struggled with nausea and vomiting and battled cramping and pain involving his back and shoulder. He eventually lost control of the match after taking a two-sets-to-one lead. In his own account after the match, he indicated that physical problems had been following him through much of the season. That makes the retirement debate understandable. But understandable does not mean decisive. The body is asking a difficult question At his peak, Djokovic’s greatest weapon was

India at Asian Games 2026: A Record-Sized Team Carries the Momentum of Hangzhou to Japan The next chapter of India’s Asian sporting story begins in Japan. The 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, officially open on September 19 and run through October 4, bringing together athletes from across the continent in one of the biggest multi-sport competitions before the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. For India, there is an additional layer of significance. The country is arriving after its greatest Asian Games performance ever. At Hangzhou, India won 107 medals — 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze — and finished fourth in the overall standings. Now comes the difficult part of sport: Doing it again. India sends 503 athletes to Japan India’s final delegation has grown to 503 athletes — 269 men and 234 women — according to the Olympic Council of Asia’s September update. More than 300 members of the athlete contingent are making their Asian Games debut, according to India’s Sports Ministry’s send-off information. That is more than just a number. It indicates both experience and renewal. There are established Olympic and Asian Games medallists heading to Japan, but alongside them is a substantial group entering the continental

How an Old Hindi Song Became a New Diplomatic Moment Diplomacy normally has a familiar soundtrack: formal statements, handshakes, carefully negotiated phrases and microphones that seem to multiply whenever a leader enters a room. But in New Delhi this week, diplomacy briefly found a different rhythm. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim picked up a microphone and sang Kishore Kumar’s “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat,” the evergreen Hindi song from the 1965 film Teen Devian. The moment, captured on video, quickly travelled far beyond the room where it happened. The accompanying pianist was Indian musician M. Rehman, and the performance took place during a gala dinner associated with the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi. Within days, the clip had become one of those rare diplomatic moments that ordinary social-media users could enjoy without needing a briefing note to understand it. There was no complicated communiqué to decode. Someone was simply singing a beloved Hindi song. Anwar and Kishore Kumar — not exactly a new acquaintance The viral performance may have surprised viewers who knew Anwar primarily as Malaysia’s prime minister, but his connection with Indian music is not new. During an earlier India visit, Anwar had already performed

Brian Lara’s Imran Khan Appeal: When Cricket’s Respect Crosses Political Borders Cricket has always been more than a game in South Asia. It creates rivalries, national emotions and unforgettable sporting memories—but it can also create a shared language between people who otherwise stand on opposite sides of political boundaries. That dimension returned to the spotlight on September 5, 2026, when West Indies cricket great Brian Lara publicly expressed concern about the treatment of former Pakistan captain and former prime minister Imran Khan, calling for proper medical care and dignity while Khan remains in prison. Lara made his appeal through his official Instagram account. He recalled that he and Khan had crossed paths only a handful of times on the cricket field, but said the respect he developed for the former Pakistan captain was immediate and lasting. The significance of the intervention lies not simply in the identity of the person speaking, but in the language he chose. Lara deliberately separated his appeal from politics, describing the issue as one of basic humanity and asking that Khan receive independent medical care and the dignity due to every human being. From cricket captain to political prisoner Imran Khan occupies a unique place

Beyond Butter Chicken: Indian Diaspora Chefs Take Regional Cuisine to Europe’s Dining Tables For decades, many European diners encountered Indian food through a relatively narrow restaurant vocabulary: familiar curries, naan, tandoori dishes and adapted versions of North Indian cooking. These dishes remain popular, but they…

Thailand Takes Diwali Beyond Bangkok: Month-Long Indian Festival Brings Seven Celebrations to Three Cities Thailand is taking India’s Festival of Lights beyond the traditional boundaries of its Indian community. The Amazing Thailand Grand Diwali Festival 2026 will bring seven celebrations to Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket…

Reema Nanavaty: How Women’s Livelihoods Became a Global Development Story From women-owned cooperatives in India to international discussions on economic security, SEWA director Reema Nanavaty’s 2026 Hillary Rodham Clinton Award highlights a development model built around workers’ collective power, ownership and access to markets. Reema…