Cricketer AB De Villiers inaugurates 'Library Junction', a first' of its kind reading corner, at Churchgate Railway Station, on Friday. | Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: The train commuters can have leisure time reading books at Churchgate Station as western railway started the library junction which will be the first of its kind in Mumbai. The initiative was taken by The Project Mumbai, an NGO known for public service. Now, the passengers can kill the travel time by reading boo

From Kenya to Nepal, a digitally native generation is challenging the ideological foundations on which modern politics has long rested. Between 2024 and 2026, across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, a series of rapid, leaderless political uprisings erupted, fundamentally driven by citizens under the age of thirty. Commonly dubbed as the ‘Global Gen Z uprisings,’ these movements systematically unseated ruling regimes, dismantled political dynasties, and forced constitutional r

Mumbai: Barely a week into his new assignment as Maharashtra’s Commissioner of Food & Drugs Administration (FDA), no-nonsense IAS officer Tukaram H. Mundhe has started cracking the whip. In an unprecedented surgical strike following the Pune spurious liquor tragedy that claimed 18 lives, Mundhe moved with his characteristic speed. Hours after the disaster, FDA teams swooped on the godown of Rex International, a Bhiwandi-based supplier of industrial methanol allegedly linked

Recent tragedies have renewed scrutiny of the pressures facing social-media influencers AI generated image Mumbai: On Thursday, a popular Instagram influencer Rohini Paradhye, 25, ended her life following uneasiness over some dispute. She was known as a reel star in her home town Solapur. Rohini’s suicide shocked the social media influencers as her case was a repetition of a similar case that took place in Jalgaon two years ago. An influencer Vicky Patil had reportedly ende

Mumbai: Mumbai is to get the Mumbai Metro Region’s largest metro corridor, Metro Line 5, at 34.21 km, following the approval of its extended phases. At the same time, Phase 1 of the project is progressing towards the CMRS inspection stage. This can be seen as a major boost to regional connectivity across the MMR. Extension of Line 5, which is Metro Line 5A, will increase connectivity across Thane, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Ulhasnagar and surrounding growth centres. Earlier, Metro Lin

From late meetings to delayed projects, India’s casual attitude to punctuality carries an invisible national cost. AI generated image My earlier article on the W2K problem argued that our working weeks are limited and should not be wasted casually. This article takes that idea further and looks at a larger social habit: the culture of not valuing time seriously. Timekeeping began with shadows, stars, sundials and water clocks. Today, however, a second is defined with extraor

Use of biomass wood stove helped in reducing high cooking cost Mumbai: When the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) decided to hold a 21-day training camp in Jalgaon in the first week of May one of the biggest concerns for the organisers was availability of fuel. The organisation needed two LPG cylinders of 19 kg each for making three meals for 255 participants and 50 managers daily. It would have cost them Rs 6,000 daily and the cost for 21 days on meals on would have touched

Mumbai: A senior RSS functionary Ram Lal on Saturday said that the people of India should stay united as some parties are trying to divide people on various topics like languages and region. “The RSS ideology is about keeping people together,” he said. Ram Lal was addressing the RSS members as the chief speaker at the closing ceremony at a 15-day training camp in Kurla. Total 136 swayamsevaks participated in the camp. They demonstrated their skills in Dand prayog, Niyudh (k

Mumbai: The chaotic, dirty, and filthy slums were just a depressing sight for many travellers who travelled from and through the Bandra East station. But for young Arif Isaak, it was a place where he played cricket with his friends and devoured biryanis and sivaiyas during Eid. For him, Garib Nagar was a place where he lived with his Ammi and his loved ones. For him, it was a home. A place like no other in the whole world. A place that was loaded with memories and the warmth

CPRO says better travel experience on the card Mumbai: The Western Railway has decided to utilise the space vacated after demolishing the illegal structures at Garib Nagar in Bandra (East) for creating better infrastructure such as an integrated Railway Complex and facility for more cars. “This demolition will also reduce the traffic congestion and chaos that people experienced before. The new infrastructure will be built to enhance the travel experience for the people,” said

Most people have heard of the Y2K problem. But recently, I found myself thinking about a different problem altogether. I call it the W2K problem. W2K stands for a surprisingly simple but unsettling idea: the average person may have only around 1800 to 2000 truly productive working weeks in an entire career. At first, the number sounds absurdly small. But the arithmetic is straightforward. A person who begins serious professional work around the age of twenty-five and retire

Retired headmistress donates life savings of Rs 1 crore to the Indian Army Kolhapur: A 84-year-old retired school teacher from Thane, Vijaya Hari Vaidya, has delivered a powerful lesson in patriotism through action rather than rhetoric. She donated her entire life savings – nearly Rs 1 crore accumulated for financial security in old age – to the Indian Army. Vaidya retired from Shiv Samarth Vidyalaya in 1998. Over the years, she had accumulated savings from her service, retir

Mumbai: The Western Railway started one of the biggest four-day long anti-encroachment drives in Garibnagar slums of Bandra east to clear the illegal occupation of its land bordering the eastern sides of Bandra suburban station. The Garibnagar slums had shot to global spotlight after the filming of the 8-Oscar winning superhit “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008) after it emerged that at least two of its young Rubina Ali and Azharuddin M. Ismail were residing here. Later, after the f

In an age where our phones rarely stay silent and our minds are constantly occupied, focus has become one of the most valuable skills a person can possess. We live in a world designed to capture attention-notifications flash, messages demand replies, social media feeds never end, and entertainment is available at every second. In such an environment, staying focused is no longer just a good habit; it is a competitive advantage. Distraction has quietly become the default state

While we have gained privacy and independence, we have lost the ease and warmth of everyday connection. As I look around at life in today’s high-rise buildings, particularly in a dense and fast-moving city like Mumbai, one thing becomes increasingly and unmistakably clear—our homes have grown taller and more vertical, but our connections, in many ways, have grown quieter and more distant. We live stacked floor above floor, often separated not just by concrete walls and closed

What nature takes centuries to build can be destroyed in years and once lost, it is rarely recovered. If you think the battle for land belongs to history, think again. In ancient times, kingdoms and nations fought wars over territory because land meant power, survival, wealth and control. That struggle has not disappeared; it has simply changed form. In Goa, the fight for land continues without armies or swords. Today, paperwork, zoning changes, permissions, speculative deals

Kolhapur: Even as the state government clears the first tranche of Rs 1,500 crore under an ambitious Rs 5,000-crore plan for the development of Kolhapur as a major pilgrimage centre, the ground reality for devotees tells a far less reassuring story. Each month, the temple’s donation boxes swell by an estimated Rs two crore, while crores more lie parked in bank deposits earning interest. Yet, for the thousands who arrive daily to seek the blessings of Goddess Ambabai, the jour

On May 6, 1929, a child was born in Cavel, between Kalbadevi and Girgaum, Mumbai, who would later inspire confidence in policing and make a difference to people's lives. He would instil fear among Mumbai's underworld, communal rioters in Gujarat and terrorists in Punjab with his strategic planning and tactics. That is Julio Francis Ribeiro for you, who will now turn 97 years. After his studies at St Xavier's School, Mumbai, he completed B. Com at Sydenham College of Commerce

Heat, mangoes, quiet afternoons, and small lessons in growing up—this is what gives a Mumbai summer its meaning. Summer in Mumbai arrives with its familiar mix of complaints and comforts. The rising mercury, humid air, and relentless sun often leave us feeling drained, weary, and irritable. Afternoons seem longer, energy runs lower, and tempers can wear thin. Yet, amid the oppressive heat, there is always a sweet silver lining—mangoes. The king of fruits brings a sense of joy

From young girls in cars to grandmothers in electric autos, women are quietly reclaiming the road—and with it, a deeper sense of freedom. There is a profound, poetic justice in the sight of a woman behind the wheel. For generations, the "driver’s seat" was the ultimate symbol of masculine autonomy—the one place where a man was the undisputed captain of his journey. But in 2026, that seat is being reclaimed by those who have always known how to navigate the most complex journe