Manoj R Nair

The dispute over script still endures among Sindhis

There is no unanimity among scholars about the original script used by Sindhi speakers

Why a Mumbai group is retelling the story of a little-known freedom fighter

Kaka, or Joseph Baptista, was a lawyer and a contemporary of Lokmanya Tilak.

Controversy over entry rules at new Navi Mumbai fire temple

Run-up to the inauguration, however, has been marked by a debate among Parsi-Zoroastrians about the rules of entry into the fire temple

Maharashtra should be encouraged by Kenya’s plastic ban success

In August 2017, Kenya banned a wide range of plastic products. Nearly a year later, results are promising

Railways are phasing out asbestos, a suspected health hazard

Asbestos manufactures say that the alarm over asbestos is unwarranted, as only some products made from the material are dangerous to health

Is a local study needed in Maharashtra to understand how plastic devastates the environment?

Plastic manufacturers, have moved the Bombay high court against the state-wide plastic ban, demanding an environment impact assessment study to find out how plastic affects environment.

Will Maharashtra’s plastic ban reduce monsoon flooding?

In July 2005, when record rains and floods killed over a thousand people in the city, environmentalists and urban planners said plastic bags that choked drains were one of the reasons for the disaster.

Population changes might have led to fall in primary school numbers in Maharashtra

Number of children attending Class 1 to 8 fell from 16.17 million in 2014-15 to 15.91 million in 2017-18

Can Mumbai repeat its success at garbage reduction for its plastic ban plan?

There is scepticism whether the state’s ban is implementable – in the absence of a cheap and sustainable alternative to plastic

The decade-long fight for a Sindhi language television channel

The community was disappointed when the ministry informed them in July 2011 that Doordarshan, the national broadcaster, was not in a position to start a channel due to financial and staff shortage.

Disputes from the past discussed in Bohra succession case

The dispute arose when Qutbuddin, the half-brother of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the 52nd Dai or head of the sect, claimed the title after the latter’s death in January 2014.

Why Mumbai’s native Christians are doing a population count

The estimates of their numbers vary from 200,000 to 500,000, but the national census includes them under the broad category of Christians and the estimates are not reliable.

In India, female genital mutilation is not just restricted to Bohras, says study

The survey says that the custom also exists among certain Kerala Sunni families.

Parsis want clarity in Kemps Corner community hospital deal

Filthy railway lines gets attention, but a permanent solution needed to keep it clean

It is not surprising that none of Mumbai’s railway stations made it to the top ranks of a survey that listed over 400 stations across the country on the basis of their cleanliness.

Parsis’ petitions to retain matrimonial court juries

Mumbai’s Parsis are divided in their opinion on whether the delegate system should continue

Is the sari a Hindu garment? Ask Mumbai’s native Christians

The author of the NYT article calling the sari a Hindu garment has been accused of ‘prejudice’ and ‘ignorance’, and rightly so

Maharashtra’s ban on plastic bags should not be an end in itself

Maharashtra’s proposed ban is more a reaction to reports that carelessly thrown plastic trash clogs drains and causes flooding, rather than to any serious thought about the environment

Christian groups’ decade-long fight for a cemetery in Mumbai

Mumbai, like other cities, is running out of burial space, forcing communities to change funeral practices

A two-decade-long urban conservation movement is winning accolades for Mumbai

A few Mumbai buildings were recently restored from a near-derelict state.

Should Mumbai ban vehicle horns?

Visitors to Mumbai have remarked that the city is incredibly noisy and one reason for this is the incessant honking by vehicles.

Can we practice yoga, Catholics ask their church

Catholic groups in Mumbai are debating about yoga’s compatibility with their religious beliefs.

Politicians obstruct ideas that can make our festivals safe

When the Supreme Court banned sale of fire crackers this month in the National Capital Region and Delhi, Mumbai residents, who have been campaigning for a cleaner Diwali, were hoping for similar relief.

Why experts doubt municipal data on Mumbai’s infant deaths and garbage

Parsi-only Ripon Club’s plans to give full membership to women, faces protests in Mumbai

Currently, non-Zoroastrian guests, who want to eat the club’s fabled Parsi food, have to be accompanied by Parsi members

India’s Anglicans ready to vote, don’t know if they can

The elections are significant because they will be the first to be held in decades

Why experts are questioning municipal data on infant deaths in Mumbai

Mumbai experts said such a large drop in infant deaths is more likely to take place over a decade than a year

Will banning bags in Maharashtra solve our plastic waste problem?

Plastic may be convenient and one of the greatest discoveries of the twentieth century, but it is devastating natural environments

Mumbai needs to restore flood plains of its rivers at the earliest

A flood plain is a low-lying area of land along a river which acts as a natural spillway for floodwater during spells of heavy rain

Mumbai’s railway tracks are among the filthiest in the country, here’s why

Mumbai’s railway tracks are among the filthiest in the country