The year 2011 saw me at my erratic worst. The biggest reason is that developments in the economics, finance and business space multiplied to levels unforeseen — as the credit crisis continued, Occupy movements gathered momentum and finance suddenly became evil. My preoccupation with matters of money overwhelmed those of religion, which were less volatile. In any case, here are the 10 stories around religion that dominated 2011. Read more

Finally, it looks like excellent packaging to an ongoing scientific quest that began in 1905 with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity and its adjunct, 10 years later, in the form of the general theory of relativity. Read more

The announcement of Cyrus Mistry as the chairman-in-waiting for the $83 billion Tata Group has ended all media speculation about who will take charge as the head of India’s most respected steel-to-software conglomerate. The new question is: did Mistry get the job because he’s a Parsi, a community of 69,601 adherents? Read more

Sitting with senior executives of the Indian arm of one of the world’s most popular, almost omnipresent, virtually omniscient and often regarded as omnipotent company, I found myself gazing at curious eyes. Read more

When I’m asked for a bribe — and to be fair, this coercion came to me after many happy bribe-free years — my entire body revolts in disgust. Read more

Education of the mind doesn’t always destroy faith of the heart. Read more

Suicide by self-immolation is becoming a surprise tool of regime change, destabilising dictators across the Arab region. Read more

Why do celebrations mean noise? What is this need in the urban Indian that makes him want to show that he’s having a good time? Can a good time be had in silence? Read more