Ashoka Chakra Recipients 2000-2009
Ashoka Chakra Recipients 2000-2009

Ashoka Chakra is the highest honour a security personnel could get for his or her valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield. This civilian award is equivalent to the wartime Param Vir Chakra (Award for the Greatest Valour). The official citation calls this "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice." Started in 1952, 83 bravehearts have received this award till 2019.

Large Power Plants
Large Power Plants

India has an installed power base of 375,322MW with about 24% of it as renewable energy. While India is pushing heavily to get most of its power via renewable sources, currently the largest provider is thermal. More than 62% of the country’s electricity demand is met through its coal reserves. Hydro-electric plants produce about 12.2% of India’s needs. Nuclear production is the smallest source with only 1.8% of total energy production.

Imperial Capitals of Ancient India
Imperial Capitals of Ancient India

In this map, we highlight the distinguishing features of the pre-1200CE Empires of India together with their capital cities. The Mauryas are known for their statecraft, the Chalukyas for their fierceness, the Eastern Gangas for their heroism, and the Western Kshatrapas for processed agriculture. A young Solanki queen united feudal kings to defeat a barbarian invader, a Kamarupa ambassador forged an imperishable alliance with Emperor Harshavardhana, a battle-hardened Maurya General formed the Shunga Empire and revived the fighting spirit in the Indian heartland, and how a young Mahameghavahana king masterminded the construction of a metropolis. Ujjayini was known for its science, Kanchipuram for its philosophers, Pratishthana for its industrialists, and Kanyakubja for its travellers.

The Sabarimala Case
The Sabarimala Case

While almost all Hindu temples admit men and women of all ages to pray, the Sabarimala Temple is unique in that Lord Ayyappā has manifested himself in a form of a Naishtika Bramhachāri (A determined bachelor). Out of respect for this stringent vow, it is tradition for women of childbearing age to not pray in the Sabarimala Temple. Certain women’s rights and human rights groups took offence to this and filed Public Interest Litigations. Following a legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled that women of all ages should be allowed to pray in the Sabarimala Temple. Hindu women and devotees of childbearing age continued to prefer to respect Lord Ayyappās vow by not going to the Sabarimala Temple. However, various non-devotees and anti-Hindu forces were determined to enter the Sabarimala Temple. This hurt the sentiments of Hindus. Over time, it became increasingly clear that the Sabarimala matter was not about women's rights at all, but rather the agenda of various anti-Hindu forces to assert their dominance, and the determination of Hindu forces to protect their rights. Subsequently, review petitions were submitted to the Supreme Court. The Court accepted the review petitions and referred the matter to a larger bench.