india

The notable accomplishments of seventeen-year-old Malvika Raj Joshi didn't end when she got a scholarship to MIT after having left school to be homeschooled, or "unschooled" as it's referred to in India. After years of hard work while homeschooling, she was noticed by MIT for having won three different metals (two silver and a bronze) in a Programming Oympiad contest against traditionally-schooled competitors.

However, if you read the coverage of her scholarship win as written by Indian newspaper "The Indian Express," her greater accomplishment is over the sexism and traditional social mores that plague that area.



So we wish Ms. Joshi good luck on her computer science studies at MIT, and GREATER luck fighting that uphill battle against the establishment.



Get yours, girl.

This young woman exemplifies bravery.

Laxmi (only goes by her first name) survived an acid attack over a decade ago. The depraved soulless perpetrators, an older man and his friend, poured acid on her face and arms after she turned down the older man's marriage proposal.

She was 15 years old dude.

After trucking through a series of hefty priced medical treatments and a few surgeries, Laxmi has come out as an impressive activist; and acts as the literal 'face of courage' for a new fashion campaign in India.

Her public interest litigation catalyzed the landmark judgment in 2013, when the Supreme Court called for restrictions on the sale of acids and also greater compensation for any victims. Just a heads up—there are around 1,000 acid attacks in India every year, and these victims face massive, almost crippling social taboo as result.

To this day, Laxmi continues onwards with her campaign through the Chhanv Foundation and Stop Acid Attacks. She was awarded the International Women of Courage Award by Michelle Obama in 2014.

India's set to kick off it's 2016 film year on an edgy, controversial note.

Two Bollywood comedies, both starring the same actor, are slated for release within a week of one another.

The films, Maastizaade (see still above) and Kya Kool Hain Hum 3 are set for release to the public after facing notable resistance from India's censor board. The films were originally barred a certificate from the famously hypercritical censor board, which was the same board to cut back on the kissing sequences in the latest James Bond flick, 'Spectre.'

The films will debut with their respective 'adult' certificates, but the censorship trivialities continue to endure.

India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry demands to know the reasoning behind censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani's decision to pass the films. Nihalani validates his contested decision as one born of a 'Catch-22 situation.'

"When we strict with the vulgarity content, were were called prudes... So, we certified some films with scenes and dialogues that we would otherwise have never passed as they went against our guidelines," Nilhalani said.

We've all been there, buddy.

This terrifically sad sight is a thirsty wild leopard that wandered into a rural Indian village and proceeded to get his feline face stuck in a pot.

Don't worry, there's a happy ending.



The Guardian has more details:

The thirsty feline got into a spot of bother when it got its head trapped in a metal pot after venturing into a North Indian village looking for water.

For six hours the leopard stoically endured the unwanted utensil as curious villagers looked on, unable to help the cat out.

Eventually, forest officials managed to tranquilize the leopard and free it from its potty prison.

It was then released back into the wild.

And yes, there is a video of the poor cat

Does anyone else think of this?

We live in a very intense world, people.

The India Express is reporting that a mob of Hindus, the majority religion in India, pulled a Muslim man out of his home Sept. 28. They proceeded to beat him to death.

The cause? They heard rumors that had eaten beef.

Six people were arrested in connection with the attack, around 45 km from Delhi, sparking protests that led to police firing, damage to vehicles and injuries to a 20-year-old welder who works for the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) facility in the area.

Police said they have sent samples of meat taken from Akhlaq's home "to the forensics department for examination". Akhlaq's daughter, Sajida, said the family had "mutton in the fridge" and not beef.

Since then the story has taken on a life of its own and the hashtag #Dadri trended on Twitter, sparking an intense debate about religious tolerance and the societal schisms in India.

#Dadri incident a reminder: You could be an upstanding citizen, your son may serve in the Air Force but if you eat beef, you will be lynched

— Abhinav Vishnoi (@abhinav_vish) September 30, 2015

@PMOIndia gives wonderful speeches on religious freedom, but fails to explain the same to his own partymen ! #Dadri pic.twitter.com/6RhUk9E5gy

— कोमल :) (@Komal_Indian) September 30, 2015

@RanaAyyub I am hindu-bhramin and I eat beef! Come kill me #beef #dadri

— Ramkrishna (@ramkrishnap) September 30, 2015

The Washington Post provides some context to the crazy crime.

The attack on Monday night in the northern Indian city of Dadri has shocked the country, but it wasn't exactly a surprise. For the past six months, meat has been a matter of major debate in India.

Eighty percent of the country's of 1.3 billion inhabitants are Hindu — who avoid beef for religious reasons. Roughly 250 million Indians are not. That tally includes almost 25 million Christians and up to 140 million Muslims, like Akhlaq.

The issue has raged in India for years. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power last May, however, incidents have increased, as they tend to do whenever a conservative government has been in power.

You think you've seen and heard it all, Harry Potter fan. Well, you are wrong.

You must check out this Indian version of some of the most notable songs from the Harry Potter movies. It's really something striking that makes the whole of John Williams' themes seem even more magical.

According to the video's description:

This Indian fusion covers five beautiful scores from the Harry Potter Movie Series-

A Window To The Past : Harry Potter and the Prisoners of Askaban,Harry Potter Main Theme, Hedwig's Theme : Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Face of Voldemort : Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Epilogue - Leaving Hogwarts : Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The Indian Jam Project is a collaborative platform where different musicians come together to play Indian Adaptations of Western TV Show Theme Songs/ Movie Scores. The adaptations are arranged and composed by Tushar Lall (Founder), and are performed together with some insanely talented set of musicians.

This Indian boy had a worse day at school than you, we promise.



According to The Daily Mail:

Ritvik Ankush Tarte, from Ahmednagar, in Maharashtra, Western India, was taking part in school archery practice when he stepped into the 'No Entry Zone' and was hit by a flying arrow.

The arrow pierced the schoolboy's skull from the right and exited on the other side.

Teachers at Trimurti Pavan Pratisthan Shaikshnik Sankul school rushed him to Manik Hospital and Research Centre, in Ahmednagar, where neurosurgeon Dr Jeevan Rajput performed a craniotomy in a three-hour operation to remove the arrow.

Dr Jeevan Rajput said:...'The arrow pierced the skull on the right side in the right perianal region and exited on the left side through the parenchyma, which is the frontal lobe and in very close proximity to all-important structures. We removed the arrow and debris successfully from the brain tissue with an endoscope.

...Ritvik was soon discharged from hospital to recover at home -and intends to return to his archery classes next month.

Big ouch.

Look at his head x-rays, you can see how the arrow went all the way through.

There is at least one man who can feel this poor boy's pain:

Rapper Sofia Ashraf took to YouTube to protest how one company's work practices have hurt the small Indian city of Kodaikanal.

In a video backed by Nick Minaj's Anaconda (AKA Sir Mixalot's Baby Got Back), Ashraf calls out Unilever and a local thermometer factory for damaging the health of workers and polluting water used by the city's citizens with dangerous levels of mercury.

The chorus states:

"Kodaikanal won't
Kodaikanal won't
Kodaikanal won't back down until you make amends now."

The video points viewers to a petition that asks Unilever CEO Paul Polman to clean up the pollution caused by the thermometer factory. It summarizes the plight felt by workers at the factory and its neighbors.

The factory operators did not give its workers any protective equipment or information about the disastrous impact that mercury has on health.

The factory owned by Hindustan Unilever also dumped toxic mercury around their plant, and this has not been cleaned up in the 14 years since this plant was shut down. The contamination continues to impact forests and groundwater.

The workers cannot afford private healthcare. They have been fighting for Unilever to clean up the toxic contamination and compensate them for their medical expenses as a result of mercury for many long years. They need us to stand with them now, more than ever.

The creators of the petition hope to gather 15,000 signatures and have received half that number so far.

If you (somehow) disagree with the politics, you can at least appreciate a very talented rapper making some good music.

Disclaimer: Some adult language.

This is what led up to the slap:

Teena: Inhone kaha hai mai brahman ka beta hun, brahman ki jativad ki rajniti to aap hi kar rahe hain. (They have said I am son of Brahman, they are only doing casticism politics.)

Anchor: Bilkul!
(Absolutely)

Ijaz: Dekhiye...
(Look..)

Teena: ????? ???? saath yahi kehte hai ki mai brahman ka beta hun, yeh rajniti to aap hi kar rahe hain. Fir dono partiyon se aap kaise...
(They only say that I am son of Brahman, they are only doing this politics. Then how can you with both parties...)

Ijaz: Dekhiye aap mujhe jawaab dene dengi ya beech me bolengi,
(Look, will you let me answer or speak in the middle,)

Teena: ????...

Ijaz: ya aap ye rona royengi...
(or will you cry this cry)

Woman: JUST SHUT UP!

Ijaz: AAP, AAP TAMEEZ SE BOLIYE!!!!! AAP BADTAMEEZI KAR RAHI HAIN!!!!!!!
(YOU, YOU SPEAK WITH MANNERS!!! YOU ARE MISBEHAVING!!!!)

[Silence]

Anchor: Mai chahungi ki in dono logon ko audit out kar diya jaye... Teena mai maafi chahungi is tarah ka bartaav aapke saath kiya gaya lekin Aam aadmi ke neta ya fir kisi bhi karya karta ko is cheez ki izajat bilkul bhi nahi di ja sakti ki woh ek mahila ke saath is tarah ki abhadrata kare. Ijaz apko iske liye maafi mangni hogi. Ijaz.
(I will want these both people be audited... Teena I apologize for this kind of behaviour met out to you but Aam Aadmi leader or any worker is not allowed to do such a thing that he does such indecency to a lady. Ijaz for this you will have to apologize. Ijaz.)

Ijaz: Ye zabardasti hai...
(This is coercion...)

Anchor: Izaz aapko maafi maangni padegi.
(Ijaz you will have to apologize.)

Ijaz: Maine koi galat shabd istemaal nahi kiya hai...
(I have not used any wrong word...)

Anchor: Aap TV channel pe baithe hue hain, aapke beech kamre mei yeh behes nahi ho rahi hai. Izaz aapko maafi maangni hogi.
(You are sitting on a TV channel, not debating in your room. Ijaz you will have to apologize.)

Ijaz: Maine ek shabd nahi kaha. ???? ??? ??? jaise shabd istemal kiye hain (slap)
(I have not uttered a single word. ??????? has used words like ????? )

The Root Bridges of Cherrapunji refer to bridges that are woven from the roots of living rubber trees in the Cherrapunji rainforests of Meghalaya, India. Some of them are more than a hundred feet long, grow over decades and withstand the weight of fifty people. Not only are they environmentally friendly, the bridges are also quite utilitarian since the roots grow stronger over their lifespan. For more info, check out this BBC video.