Rabindranath Tagore is our National Poet, just like the peacock is our national bird. He wrote our National Anthem, the ‘Jana Gana Mana’, and we sing the first stanza only because it’s too long for anyone else to remember. He also wrote ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’, the Naitonal Anthem for Bangladesh. He opposed the Partition of Bengal. He was the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize. This happened because he translated ‘Gitanjali’ (a really fat volume of poems) so others could read him in English. Basically, the translation (which isn’t very good), got him that prize. The British made him a Knight (so grown-up people could also call him ‘Sir’ and not just his students), but he renounced it to protest against the Jallianwala Bagh massacre by writing a nice but rude letter to the Viceroy. He wrote it at night because he was an insomniac anyway.

Click here to read Tagore's letter to the Viceroy >>

In his late teens, Rabindranath fell in love with his sister-in-law (who committed suicide). He had a

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This one’s for the enthusiasts. If you wonder how on earth a 1.2 litre engine is going to impress an enthusiast, digest this: the new Polo GT is powered by a turbo-charged direct injection TSI petrol engine that develops a mighty 105PS and 174 Nm of torque, offering better performance than the discontinued 1.6 litre Polo. Those who cribbed about the Polo 1.2 being underpowered and the 1.6 being defunct would both find solace in the new Polo TSI.

Design

We love the Polo for its classic, sober design and there are not many changes that make the new Polo different from its predecessor. However, on the exterior, the new Polo TSI gets headlamps with black finish, GT badging on the front grille, new alloy wheels and GT TSI badging on the boot lid as well as the C pillar.

The interior gets a more serious makeover that reflects the car’s sportiness. Seats get a new black and grey fabric combination and are supportive, too. The steering wheel, gearshift knob and the handbrake lever are

Read More »from Road Test and Review: Volkswagen Polo GT 1.2 TSI

Hyundai is on a roll. It has recently achieved another milestone of 1.2 million i10s sold across the globe. What better way to celebrate this accomplishment than with a special edition i10. Called the i Tech i10, the special edition comes with a host of new features.

The i Tech i10 can be distinguished by sporty ‘i Tech’ body graphics outside and dual tone red and beige upholstery seats with red dashboard and door armrest inserts inside. The most beneficial add-on is the rear-view parking camera with electro-chromic function on cabin rear view mirror, which is a first-in-segment feature. It also gets a steering-mounted Bluetooth device. The special edition i Tech i10 can be yours if you shell out an extra 15000 rupees than the standard i10.

Well, the celebrations didn’t end there. Hyundai organized a cross-country drive called ‘i Drive India’ to showcase the durability, performance, reliability and fuel efficiency of the i10. Selected automobile journalists got a chance to spend two

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Indica has been an important car for Tata. Ever since its launch in 1998, the car has evolved into a capable and practical hatchback that always stayed on top of sales charts. Now in its latest Vista D90 avatar, Indica has shifted the goal posts to another pitch. Powered by a specially tuned Quadrajet diesel engine, the new Indica is a completely different animal that delivers 90PS of raw power. However, does it live up to the hype? I recently spent two days behind the wheel of the D90 to find that out.

Design

Tata has thrown in some new design elements that reflect the sportiness of the car. However, the new bumpers and an aerodynamic rear spoiler seen in the pictures are not part of the original D90, but a body kit that you may purchase from the dealership. What come as standard are just a contrasting roof and the D90 badge at the rear.

When it comes to the interiors, the D90 receives major changes. The Manza-inspired dashboard looks pretty neat and thankfully the centre-mounted

Read More »from Road Test and Review: Tata Vista D90

Rahul Gandhi's average speech at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was slammed by his critics and even by some of his admirers, rather secretly. In an attempt to save face, the Congress party, surprisingly, has shifted the blame on Rahul's speech writers.

A source within the Congress stirred the hornet's nest when he informed the media that writing an ordinary speech such as this takes a lot of guts and is the work of a "himmatwaala" (courageous one).

Taking cue from the source, the media immediately rushed to Bollywood filmmaker Sajid Khan, who recently has been censured for his latest film, Himmatwaala and its outrageous dialogues.

On Friday morning, a frustrated Sajid Khan was seen eschewing a number of media personnel surrounding him outside his Mumbai house, pestering him with a number of questions about Rahul's CII speech and its relation to his film.

There was only one question that the reporters were constantly shooting at Sajid - "Did you write Rahul's speech?"

"Yes, I

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The Indian government has come up with an interesting proposition to form a new state ‘Baniya Pradesh’ for the ever-increasing number of banned people and groups in the country.

Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde made the stunning revelation in a press conference. “In the view of growing number of people getting banned in the country, the Indian government is mulling to form a separate state to maintain decorum in the country,” he said. “We have decided to send such a prohibited population to this new state, which, if formed, would be known as ‘Baniya Pradesh’. Let these banned men and women exercise their Freedom of Expression here, thereby ensuring peace and order in the rest of India.”

The Home Minister admitted that the Indian government has been meek in acting against the morale police in the country who have been announcing bans left, right and centre. “However, with such a new state formed to represent banned people, we can ensure that there is peace and order in the rest of

Read More »from Indian government to form ‘Baniya Pradesh’ state for banned people

There’s good news and there’s bad news. The bad news is that there is no diesel and will not be for the foreseeable future.  The good news is, CR-V is now being assembled in India and prices have gone down by a whopping 2.7 lakh rupees. Well, that’s incentive enough to show some love for a petrol SUV, so let’s find out if the new price and features make it a good bargain; also how far the fourth generation CR-V has departed from the model it replaces.

Design

While the new CR-V’s structural design stays true to its roots, it flaunts a more sculpted body. Major changes are up front – the old-fashioned grille has made way for a more contemporary one. The three-bar grille flanked by swept-back HID headlamps lends the car a younger and distinct stance. Changes in profile are subtle, although the large ten-spoke alloy wheels and bold fender flares create a rugged presence.The vertical tail lamps, which have been a design fixture of the CR-V for many years, get a more three dimensional

Read More »from First Drive Review: The New Honda CR-V

It was the day after Saraswati Puja. One January morning in the late 1970’s, a new-born was brought home from the nursing home. The family was getting ready to take the idol out for immersion. And the baby was me. I was just on time to see the Goddess of Knowledge depart from the household. It was a telling omen. I got plenty of chances to chase the illusion of wisdom later in life, and I guess am still on the trail.

The fifth day of the month of Magh by the old lunar calendar is celebrated in India as Vasant Panchami, marking the arrival of spring. On this day, Goddess Saraswati is venerated and girls deck up in Basanti or yellow saris. Yellow is supposed to be the color of spring, energy and regeneration. Saraswati herself wears white, as a symbol of purity. She is beautiful and severe, and as a child, I always wondered why she rides a swan. In my limited imagination, these birds were the large ungainly creatures waddling around a nearby swimming pool, honking tunelessly, and nibbling

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