Author: xorance@gmail.com

Inflation, one of the most closely watched macroeconomic indicators, is something that most people feel in daily life in their routine household expenses. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) captures this reality by tracking the prices of goods and services that households regularly consume, turning everyday experiences into an official measure of inflation. For the common man, the CPI is like a quiet mirror of daily life capturing, inter alia, the changing cost of basic needs such as food on the plate, rent for the roof over the head, and fuel for the journey to work.More than a simple numberThough it…

Will Jacks delivered a fiery all-round performance as England overcame a spirited Italian fightback to beat them by 24 runs and seal their Super Eights berth, in their T20 World Cup Group C clash at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata on Monday (February 16, 2026).Opting to bat, England rode on Jacks’ scintillating unbeaten 53 off just 22 balls (4×6, 3×4) to pile up 202 for 7 — their first 200-plus total of this edition.In reply, debutants Italy put up a spirited display and threatened twice in the chase through Ben Manenti’s breathtaking assault (60; 25b) and a late flourish from Grant…

The origins of Yaanam, Kerala’s first travel literary festival, organised by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, date back to 2017, when the festival curator and author, Sabin Iqbal, pitched a festival, Books on the Beach, in Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, to promote the coastal town. Unfortunately, for some unforeseen reasons, the idea was shelved. The Department has revived the concept, calling it Yaanam (meaning travel in Sanskrit). It is curated by Sabin and themed Of tales, trails and travel. The festival will focus on various aspects of travel, including writing, technology, opportunities, challenges, and more. It will be held at…

The poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar wrote,“क्षमा शोभती उस भुजंग को, जिसके पास गरल हो।उसको क्या जो दन्तहीन, विषरहित, विनीत, सरल हो।।”It is only the strong who can truly be forgiving; the forgiveness of the weak is meaningless.This is a lesson that India has learnt in fits and starts through its nearly eight-decade independent history. This is a lesson that echoes through the significant increase in defence expenditure proposed by the budget this year.STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADIndia’s Union Budget 2026 significantly boosts defence outlay to ₹7.85 lakh crore, a 15 per cent increase from ₹6.81 lakh crore last year, addressing…

Data and AI experts take part at a session, titled ‘Data Privacy as a Pillar of Resilience: Building Trust in a Digital Age’, at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026 in Chennai on Friday | Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj In a world where data are extracted from individuals with or without informed consent, data and AI experts have called for building awareness and underscored the importance of extracting only relevant data at The Hindu Tech Summit 2026, hosted by The Hindu, presented by VIT, and co-presented Sify Technologies, in Chennai on Friday.The session, ‘Data Privacy as a Pillar of Resilience: Building…

Representational image. File. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee | Photo Credit: PTI West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday (August 11, 2024) called up her Odisha counterpart Mohan Charan Majhi and requested him to look into alleged incidents of assault on labourers from the state there, a senior official said on Sunday (August 11, 2024).Ms. Banerjee also told him about such incidents, he said.”Several people have gone from West Bengal to Odisha to work. There are reports that they are being beaten up and tortured by locals suspecting them to be Bangladeshis.”The Bengal CM spoke to her Odisha…

Retail inflation as per the new series of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 2.75% in January 2026. As this is the first data release from the new series, a historical comparison is not yet possible.The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Thursday 9February 12, 2026) released CPI data for January 2026 based on the new series of the index in the presence of MoSPI Secretary Saurabh Garg, Chief Economic Advisor V. Anantha Nageswaran, and other officials of MoSPI. This new series incorporates an updated base year of 2024 from the earlier 2012, wider coverage of goods and…

Karnataka skipper Devdutt Padikkal en route his double hundred. | Photo Credit: R.V. MOORTHY Uttarakhand’s mesmerising run in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy experienced a sobering reality check as Karnataka buried it under a mountain of runs on day two of the semifinal at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Monday.From an overnight 355 for two, the eight-time champion finished on a mammoth 689 for six, with skipper Devdutt Padikkal smashing his maiden First Class double century (232, 330b, 29×4, 3×6) and R. Smaran his fifth ton (121 batting, 191b, 11×4).Karun Nair would be gutted for not capitalising on the great…

CS Chandrasekaran (67), Venkata Subra Maniam Raju (65), and Krishnan Venkatesan (65), three friends from Chennai, are just back from an expedition to the Arctic. In July this year, they embarked on a luxury cruise (Swan Hellenic), sailing through the remote Svalbard archipelago, North of mainland Norway to the breathtaking vistas of the Arctic region. Swaddled in layers of warm clothing and gliding through icy fjords, taking in jaw-dropping views of snow-dusted peaks, it was a journey that inspired awe. “The beauty and the silence were sublime — a reminder of how small we are in Nature’s grand design,” says…

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”, said Marcellus in Hamlet. It indicated the collapse of Denmark’s social and moral order. Sounds familiar?But first, Silence of the Lambs.“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”When Hannibal Lecter uttered the line that has since gained cinematic immortality, the audience would have broken into a cold sweat and felt a chill trickling down their spines. Thankfully, you are unlikely to encounter the cannibalistic serial killer, who lacked any shred of remorse or guilt for his action, beyond the pages…