Pottery isn’t just about making functional or decorative products but also an avenue to heal and create beauty. Two potters weigh in. By Shweta Bhandral Digging your hands in clay, spinning the potter’s wheel, and finally dipping your pieces in colourful glaze to form creative designs. Pottery is not just a source of livelihood but […]
Author: shweta
The Story of India’s Community Libraries – Spurned by State, Struck by Lockdown
Public libraries have been low on government priorities in the past few years; now COVID is threatening our few brave community libraries too. By Shweta Bhandral There was a time when India had a robust system of public libraries. However, in the past few years, more than 5000 public libraries have shut shop. Maintaining a […]
Survey Result: Did Relationships Become More Equal at Home During Lockdown?
By Shweta Bhandral The COVID lockdown created unprecedented crises in people’s lives. Naturally, intimate relationships have been impacted as well. With families constricted within homes for long periods, domestic helpers unavailable, schools closed and children stuck indoors, and adults working from home, the load of housework has also gone up. eShe conducted an online survey last […]
Cheer Up Your Home During Lockdown with Ideas from These 4 Instagrammers!
Lockdown has kept us all home, so why not use the space to express one’s creativity? These four Instagram influencers have some brilliant ideas! By Shweta Bhandral These four interior designers and Instagram influencers have cool ideas to brighten up your home and add a bit of creative fun to Lockdown 2020! KRUTI BADIANI, NOIDA […]
5 Couples give #CoupleGoals
What’s the biggest test of any marriage than to be stuck together for months during a pandemic, re-negotiating relationship rules and personal boundaries? Five couples tell us how they fared. By Shweta Bhandral While HR managers focused on team-building exercises to keep the work wheel moving from home during lockdown, most did not incorporate ‘home’ […]
LOOKING FOR ANSWERS IN EDUCATION
With education going online parents now are becoming equal partners in teaching their children. It is challenging for a lot of them. On the other hand, Teachers have lost that physical connection and opportunity to build a repo with every child. I share my experience and ideas of how we can win over these challenges. […]
The IRS Officer Who Feeds the Poor When Off-Duty
When she isn’t at work, Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai, Dr Megha Bhargava organises health camps, food and school kits for underprivileged kids. By Shweta Bhandral The 35-year-old Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai, Dr Megha Bhargava radiates enthusiasm and energy. Having cleared her first civil service exam while working as a doctor, she […]
Meet Women Pilots on Evacuation Mission
Meet pilots Daisy Chacko and Aakanksha Verma who are part of India’s unprecedented worldwide evacuation operation Vande Bharat. By Shweta Bhandral The frightening possibility of contracting COVID-19 did not deter Daisy Chacko from standing up for duty. She grew up with the ambition of becoming a fighter pilot. Indian Air Force had not yet opened […]
“There Is Polarisation, Intolerance… It’s the Best Time for Humour” – Satirist Naomi Datta
Former broadcast journalist Naomi Datta used her snarky, irreverent online persona to launch her own brand of satire. By Shweta Bhandral Radiant smile, quick wit and her one-liners on everything from politics to Bollywood – these are what one remembers after meeting Naomi Datta, author of How to Be a Likeable Bigot – A Handy Guide […]
School @ Home: The Pros and Cons of Online Schooling
With online classes becoming the new normal in education around the world, parents, students and teachers weigh in about the challenges and opportunities. By Shweta Bhandral “Someone has entered the group, they are removing kids from the class, you have to come here,” Sasha, my 11-year-old, shouted for me to check what was going on […]