The next big question: After school, what?

Thousands of students across the country routinely panic at the prospect of decisions about career streams. Add to that the intense competition to secure admission to good colleges, peer pressure and parental injunctions about the need to make something of their lives, and most children end up confused and anxious. But, can this confusion be avoided?

Click here to read the answer.

In the Tiger Tamer's den

It's been exactly one year since the Sri Lankan forces defeated the LTTE in one of the bloodiest civil wars fought in recent times. For Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, it is probably the best of times -- he is basking in the glory of taming the Tigers and enjoying unprecedented powers after being re-elected in January this year. Indeed, his presence seems to be all-prevading -- his photographs line the airport in Colombo and huge cut-outs are visible across the city. A few days after the victory anniversary, I met Rajapaksa at his residence, Temple Trees, for what turned out to be a wide-ranging chat -- on LTTE, Indo-Lanka relations and why he likes 'My Name Is Khan.'

Click here to read the full interview.

Click here to read my blog post in The Times of India blog.

India's caste gene

Everybody knows that ours is a caste-based society. But is caste really that relevant for the urban, upwardly mobile Indian? Many would assume it's not. But, surprisingly, there are enough examples in our day-to-day conversation and actions which show that casteist tendencies and biases exist in our subconsciousness.

Click here to read about India's caste gene.

Legacies of the Raj

The British general elections just happened, but did anyone care in India? More that sixty years after the British left the country, what is the influence of the Raj in India? What are the elements of the legacy that still thrive and which are the ones that have barely managed to survive? Also, how has India utilized this legacy in its journey as the world's largest democracy?

Click here to know the answers.

How the spy game is changing

An interesting case came up recently, when Madhuri Gupta, a 53 year old Indian woman diplomat, posted in Islamabad, was caught while spying for Pakistan. The case brought into focus the world of spies. We all think it is full of subfertuge, sex, spies and cash. Is it really true, or have things changed? I wrote the following article to understand how the spy world has evolved over the years.

Click here to read.