Author: Deshwale Editorial Desk

Before We Even Talk About Marriage Prenuptial agreements are not part of India’s legal vocabulary, and in a country where marriage is still treated as a sacred social contract rather than a civil one, the very idea sounds, to many ears, deeply unromantic. Almost transactional. Suspicious, even. That discomfort is understandable. It is also, in the cold light of courtroom reality, becoming very difficult to justify. India does not have a statutory framework for prenuptial agreements. There is no dedicated legislation. Courts have occasionally treated such contracts as being against public policy. What exists instead is a sprawling, contradictory body…

16 March has witnessed moments that altered the course of nations, rewrote political boundaries and created landmarks that still echo today. From ancient sieges to modern sporting history, the date carries a remarkable range of events across continents and centuries. Here is a chronological look at ten of them. Babylonians Capture Jerusalem – 597 BC In 597 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II captured Jerusalem following a prolonged siege. King Jehoiachin surrendered and was deposed, with Zedekiah installed as a puppet ruler in his place. The fall of the city marked a turning point in Jewish history and set the…

Every year, Mumbai makes the same promise to itself. This year, before the rains arrive, the Mithi River will be cleaned. And every year, in some form or another, that promise gets complicated. This time, the complication is sharper than usual. With the monsoon roughly three months away, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) finds itself with no contractor willing to dredge the Mithi River. Not one. The civic body has extended its tender deadline to March 17, 2026, and in a significant concession, has relaxed eligibility norms to allow contractors with no prior desilting experience to apply. The decision reflects…

India has 300 million cattle, 62 million tonnes of untreated waste, and a flagship scheme to turn all of it into clean energy. It also has Meena Devi, a Musahar woman in Gaya district who wakes at five every morning and walks to the forest edge to gather wood, because she has no cattle, no land, and no access to the biogas plant three kilometres from her door. The Gobardhan scheme was announced as a revolution. For the poorest women in India’s poorest villages, it has been a ribbon-cutting ceremony they were never invited to attend. This is the story…

March 14 has left a quiet but considerable mark on history. From a battlefield in northern France to a golf course in Calcutta, the date carries moments that shaped nations, industries, legal systems and sporting records. Here is a chronological look at ten of those moments. Henry IV Defeats the Catholic League at the Battle of Ivry – 1590 French King Henry IV secured a decisive victory over the Catholic League at the Battle of Ivry. The win was a turning point in the French Wars of Religion and strengthened Henry’s claim to the French throne. His cavalry charge became…

India doesn’t have a menstrual leave problem. It has a cost-allocation problem. Everything else, the Supreme Court’s hesitation, the employer’s reluctance, the woman’s silence follows from that single, unresolved question: when a female body needs accommodation at work, who pays? Until India answers that question honestly, every menstrual leave debate will end exactly the way this week’s Supreme Court hearing ended with a reasonable-sounding observation that amounts to telling women their biology is too expensive to protect. The Court Was Right About the Wrong Thing Chief Justice Surya Kant’s concern was genuine and, within its own logic, correct. Mandating menstrual…

India’s young artists once again demonstrated the power of creativity as the latest edition of the Youva Masterstroke drawing competition concluded successfully. Organised by the student stationery brand Youva from the house of Navneet Education Limited, the nationwide initiative has now completed its 22nd edition. Over the years, the competition has grown into one of India’s most recognised school-level art platforms, encouraging children to explore imagination and express their ideas through drawing. Held between August and December 2025, the competition invited participation from students ranging from kindergarten to Class 10. This year’s edition witnessed a remarkable response, with more than…

From ancient battlefields to frozen outer planets, 13 March has produced moments that altered the course of science, politics, sport and everyday life. Here is a look at ten events that took place on this date across the centuries. Muslim Forces Win Decisive Victory at Badr – 624 The Battle of Badr stands as one of the defining moments in early Islamic history. Muhammad led a smaller Muslim army from Medina against a larger Meccan force and secured a decisive victory. The outcome strengthened the political and spiritual authority of the Muslim community and shaped the expansion of Islam across…

March 12 has left its mark across fifteen centuries of human history. A Byzantine general secured Rome. Lenin packed up a revolution and moved it east. Coca-Cola found its way into a bottle. Bombs tore through Mumbai. From ancient battlefields to modern city streets, this date has shaped empires, nations, industries and lives in ways that still echo today. Rome Held: Witiges Retreats – 538 After a gruelling siege of Rome that had lasted over a year, Ostrogoth King Witiges abandoned his position and withdrew to Ravenna on 12 March 538. The Byzantine general Belisarius had held the city with…

March 11 has left its mark on nearly every corner of human experience. From the fall of empires to the rise of tech giants, from natural disasters to political turning points, the date carries an extraordinary weight of history. The ten events below span more than twelve centuries and touch six continents – proof that some dates simply accumulate significance in ways that are difficult to explain. Constantinople Restores Sacred Images – 843 In 843, the Byzantine Empire drew a line under decades of bitter religious conflict when icon veneration was officially reinstated at the Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople.…