Society & Culture Stories
Are Human+AI Cowritten Novels The Future?
The genie of AI-aided or even AI-authored books is out. A literature Nobel laureate uses AI for her ideas. Dire implications for original human creativity won’t probably reverse this trend
East Bengal, Arsenal & What Football Still Means To Us
Yes, the game is now a shiny product that’s marketed. Yes, following EPL teams shows colonisation of our imagination. But, when teams your heart beats for become champs, you still feel something that can’t be bought
Why HC called this marriage arrangement in Rajasthan “mutual hostage taking”
One woman walked away from a child marriage. Another sought divorce. Together, their cases exposed the bargain at the heart of atta-satta
- Rajesh SharmaDevyani Mohan
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Bringing Down The Last Verandah
Delhi Gymkhana was a dispensation from the state to those who ran the state. But it served a function: a place for making deals quietly. The eviction order is today’s India telling yesterday’s India, your time’s up
The quiet grief of adult friendship
Somewhere between hectic schedules, emotional exhaustion and endless digital connection, adult friendship has become one of modern life’s quietest losses. Yet some people still keep returning to each other
- Pranav Jain
- TNN
Delhi Gymkhana survived empire and Independence. Can it survive govt’s eviction order?
After more than a century on 27.3 acres of prime Safdarjung Road land, Delhi Gymkhana Club faces a June 5, 2026 eviction deadline as the Centre moves to reclaim the property for defence, governance and public-security needs.
- Rajesh SharmaDevyani Mohan
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Musical Chairs At The Gymkhana
Yes, colonial era clubs are a privilege overdue for an eviction. But then what? Do the honours simply pass on to a new elite? What citizens must ask of any reform is, now do we get to sit on the lawns?
With gaddas and gajras, mehfils are having a moment
Intimate gatherings around music, conversation and craft are drawing a new generation of audiences to floor seating and slow listening
- Mohua Das
- TNN
‘What If We Behaved Like the Japanese – Just Occasionally?’
Indian tourists find so many things amazing in Japan. Some we can and should bring back too. Here are six Japanese micro-philosophies, which we can learn, and really improve our life
Why Karnataka thinks 'cheaper' drinks will save you
It changed how it taxes alcohol, which made the 'premium' stuff cheaper — and it's supposed to be good for everyone. Is it?
- Team TOI Plus
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
Two sisters accused father of sexual abuse. One died from neglect, the other by suicide
It's a tragic story, far more common than society cares to admit, that shows just how little has changed for incest survivors and why they are mostly still left to fight alone
Pakistani man explains how he became the bully he never saw
After his post admitting he was once a bully went viral, Umar Hameed revisits childhood memories of body-shaming, sibling humiliation and classroom cruelty and asks why families and schools so often mistake emotional harm for harmless growing up
- Umar Hameed
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
When Kolhapuri went couture
After Prada’s ‘sandal scandal’, Indian footwear labels are giving the chappal a high-fashion spin with sneaker and silk makeovers, bringing fresh attention to the craft and its artisans
- Sneha Bhura
- TNN
‘Why That Man Wasn’t For Me’
There are men who believe beds make themselves & fresh parathas appear by magic at midnight. They woo passionately, but afterwards the woman plays second fiddle to MIL, cricket, and PlayStation
- Mila Supinskaya
- TIMESOFINDIA.COM
What India needs to understand to truly be a 'Vishwaguru'
India’s strength has never come from imagined civilisational supremacy or from screaming insults at 'Macaulay’s children'.
- Devdutt Pattanaik
- THE ECONOMIC TIMES
Talking death over coffee and cake
From cafes and literacy festivals to doulas and yoga circles, people are finding newer, gentler spaces to tackle loss and end-of-life care
Char Dham tourism, and the need to balance economy with ecology
As pilgrim traffic surges in the Himalayas, faith, fragile mountains and unchecked growth are on a collision course
The smart case for dumbphones
The old-school handset, with no internet and no apps, is making a comeback as users tire of doomscrolling and constant pings, fear privacy breaches
- Shruti Sonal
- TNN
Balcony Of Boundaries: Adjusting, Not Disappearing
That little place that looks out is a blessing. It doesn’t make family storms go away. It isn’t an exit. It’s about finding one’s emotional equilibrium. This can be the most loving thing to do in a crowded household
Pursuit of Buddha’s Relics
Piprahwa relics are welcome back in India. But it may alter the architecture of restitution – India invoked their return as a right, but the relics returned as part of a private collection on loan to govt