Articles by Abhishek Asthana
Across the border: An army’s rising desperation
Pakistan is still fighting ghosts. The only thing going for it, and why it is still dangerous, is that its army is suicidal
Updated on Apr 26, 2025 08:47 PM IST
The quintessential Indian, value-maximising parent
Parents always regret that they couldn’t transfer their most prized skill — value maximising — to their kid
Published on Apr 12, 2025 09:07 PM IST
Bringing up innovators, inventors and scientists
Now is the time to prepare a launch pad for the next generation who won’t be satisfied by repurposing an idea or importing a generic drug
Updated on Mar 29, 2025 08:14 PM IST
A bookmark for your memory called cricket
As we grow old, we learn the concept of emotional investment. It’s like keeping it in a vault rather than investing it around small-cap stocks
Published on Mar 15, 2025 07:05 PM IST
Learning linear algebra, courtesy the local salon
Indian parents selecting barbers for their children meant the latter got haircuts that were so unattractive that they killed any prospect of youthful romance that could distract from studies
Published on Mar 01, 2025 07:15 PM IST
The changing tracks of romance of trains
People who lived near the tracks surely must get a bit poetic. It’s like seeing thousands of faces every hour, faces that you will never see in your life again
Published on Feb 15, 2025 08:06 PM IST
Absent in the “work 90 hours a week” debate
We don’t have meaningful work that requires 90 hours a week. Most work is repetitive or dependent on others.
Published on Jan 18, 2025 08:15 PM IST
Christmas in London, seen with Indian eyes
A sudden development of thick skin is a unique trait of Indians who migrate overseas — or even those applying for a tourist visa
Updated on Jan 04, 2025 08:27 PM IST
Intolerable cruelty of sporting careers
Cricket careers can be harsh, ending abruptly after years of dedication, leading to struggles with identity and purpose post-retirement.
Updated on Dec 21, 2024 07:56 PM IST
Why does it take so long to gain wings?
Modern education delays life milestones, leaving many feeling unprepared. We must reconsider if traditional paths are the best way to achieve our goals.
Updated on Dec 07, 2024 08:08 PM IST
Pain in the present, future will be bright
Don’t make your daily life an intense preparation for an imaginary final exam many years later and miss out on the present, whether it is finances or fitness.
Published on Nov 16, 2024 08:10 PM IST
WhatsApp groups are starting to mirror life
The family chatgroups give elders the feeling of being in a joint family. A digital equivalent of peeling potatoes on a terrace with three other family members, subtly bitching about the (n-1)th generation
Published on Oct 05, 2024 08:57 PM IST
Abhishek Asthana
Why I love LinkedIn, and LinkedIn stories
LinkedIn is like Pragati Maidan these days. There’s always a trade fair going on, and every post on your feed is a stall to sale
Published on Sep 07, 2024 09:17 PM IST
Abhishek Asthana
Wins, losses and longing in the Olympics season
The day an Olympic defeat has a similar shelf life of public despair, the day when we can actually criticise an erring athlete freely — that’s the day we show we actually care.
Published on Aug 03, 2024 09:30 PM IST
Abhishek Asthana