Poornima Dasharathi travels back in time to bring alive the adventures, sights and sounds in the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore under Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan, as recounted in the memoirs of two English prisoners of war.

Stone quarries, brick kilns, sand mining and silk weaving are stealing SC/ST children out of school in Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts of Tamilnadu. Krithika Ramalingam reports on the hard reality these children face.

Almost one in every two children under three years of age is hungry. This is the invisible half of our population, people who disappear from our consciousness until they die in large numbers, writes Kalpana Sharma.

India's food security bill is on top of the negotiating agenda for the forthcoming WTO Conference at Bali. Devinder Sharma explains why the likely compromise in the face of posturing from developed countries could have serious ramifications for food security and self-sufficiency.

E-governance is governance first and electronics next. Though administrative improvements brought about through the use of technology are welcome, the real goal should be enhanced governance. We cannot also ignore the great risk that mere technocratic e-government may sharpen the stark inequalities of our society. The India Together editorial.

On 3 May, the Ministry of Environment and Forests cancelled its earlier approval for commercial cultivation of three varieties of transgenic Bt cotton seeds in Andhra Pradesh. How must one read the decision of the GEAC? Kanchi Kohli says the developments may only be a breather.

Genetically engineered foods are blurring the line between acceptable and taboo sources of food for many people. This advance of technology is taking place without the informed consent of the consumers, and additionally raises questions about the safety of such foods and the labeling standards that ought to be adopted, writes Suman Sahai.

How does one countenance a regulator that does not adhere to the law of the land and is also unable to protect the interest of one group against another? The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, says Bhaskar Goswami, itself needs to be regulated to ensure it plays a balanced role.

In the arid west of Gujarat, there are still those who place their faith in the Sardar Sarovar project, and its promises of water for their region. The government has paid little attention to the local water resources in the region, but this has not deterred them. Himanshu Upadhyaya reports on a petition before the Supreme Court.

Thanks to voluntary water harvesting measures by a few, as well as legislation-led RWH by the others, many of Chennai's open wells have sprung back to life. The bountiful rains of 2005 showed that where conservation efforts are in place, even a single season's rainfall can largely restore water security. Shree Padre reports.

The MoEF's assessment of the environment, which should be the foundation for strategic planning in the ministry, is highly inadequate, and is a poor second to similar efforts by environmentalists themselves, writes Shripad Dharmadhikary.

The government's agenda for water privatisation has relied heavily on the supposed success of the chosen model in Chile. A new book reveals we may be learning the wrong lessons. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.

The uncertainty of the nature and extent of climate change impact on the water sector calls for adaptive and flexible measures. Shripad Dharmadhikary quotes from a recent report of a Working Group within the IPCC to explain why.

An Andhra Pradesh federation is aiming to transform the state's panchayats and municipalities into genuine Local Governments.

When Executive Engineer S K Nagarwal reported corruption in railway track laying in West Bengal, his saga with colluding officials and contractors began. Now, supported by the S K Dubey foundation, a citizens' forum has sprung up to protect Nagarwal and other whistleblowers. Varupi Jain reports.

Tamilnadu's foray into e-governance has not yet lived upto potential because policy makers may be implementing top-driven projects with little public participation. Still, the state does have its own examples of how things could work. Krithika Ramalingam reports.

One month ago, on June 27, Vadodara and surrounding areas received the first monsoon rains after a 15-day delay. Citizens spent the first two days of rains in jubilation. On the third day, things went wrong. Surekha Sule assesses the recent floods that devastated one of Gujarat's leading cities.

Held in Geneva last month, the Rotterdam Convention was attended by 500 participants from 140 governments, UN organisations, and NGOs. India sided with Canada and few other nations to prevent the listing of chrysotile asbestos, a known carcinogen. R Sridhar has more.

Modi has raised a serious issue. But he has also let loose the argument that a well-off state does not now need the Centre or other states. This is the shape of conflicts that will haunt the Indian Republic in the years to come, writes Pratap B Mehta.

A permanent solution should be sought to defend ships and their crew who, refusing to be party to unscrupulous trade, end up being eliminated, with their deaths portrayed as suicides, writes Shabeena Zaheer who lost her son.

Six years ago the Supreme Court issued a detailed order listing the steps needed to insulate police work from politics, and to make it more accountable. But the progress since then has been slow. Navya P K reports.

Over the past few years, demands for change have been getting louder in India. But when you have a political system which is not willing to run with this new tide, the cost of this transition is going to be much higher, says Pratap Bhanu Mehta, calling the Congress party a monarchy and the BJP a church.

Governments have taken to announcing monetary compensation for victims' kin in cases of criminal acts as well, but it hardly masks their failure to impose the rule of law or bring about systemic improvements, says Harish Narasappa.

A complete and accurate database of dams and rivers in the country is the first pre-requisite for analysing hydrological issues and safety, but an analysis by Himanshu Thakkar shows that the authority entrusted to maintain such records clearly has a long way to go.

The initial euphoria over its emphatic electoral win over, the focus is now on realities within which the AAP will have to deliver on its promises. T R Raghunandan explores if the party can realise its vision of ‘swaraj,’ living up to the true ideals of decentralisation.

While Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has managed to push centre-stage the key concerns of 'universal literacy' and 'elementary education for all', a spirited pitch for its implementation is necessary to ensure that it does not remain floundering in India's most populous state. Puja Awasthi reports.

If you keep water standing in a glass for a while here, it causes a stain around the rim. Pamela Philipose describes the tribulations and ordeal of women in Mamana village of Uttar Pradesh, as they fight to collect potable water everyday.

Voluble among themselves, these women are less comfortable in speaking up at civic meetings when men are present. Policy interventions can only initiate social change, but change itself takes time to unfold. Ashima Sood continues her diary series on Chingrajpara slum, Chhatisgarh.

Former Golden State Warrior Andre Iguodala talks to WSJ's Lee Hawkins about being an active tech investor, his commitment to opening doors for other athletes and people of color, and the benefits of having a "strict" mother.

Fashion designer Eileen Fisher tells WSJ's Veronica Dagher how she discovered that money isn't the answer to all of life's problems, why she's committed to sustainable fashion and what motivates her to meditate on death.

Malaysian palm-oil producer Felda Global plans to raise $3.2 billion this month in what's likely to be this year's second-biggest IPO. Leslie Josephs reports on Markets Hub. Photo: Reuters.

WSJ Heard on the Street's Miriam Gottfried visits Mean Street to shed light on how Viacom and CBS, since splitting into two companies in 2006, have experienced a role reversal in terms of growth. Photo: Getty Images.

Teenage girls are hardwired for drama, according to Family therapist Colleen O'Grady, author of "Dial Down the Drama." But there are key ways daughters and mothers can find common ground. She offers tips for keeping the peace on Lunch Break with Tanya Rivero. Photo: iStock

Diane Tuft shows the front line of climate change, in her new book "The Arctic Melt: Images of a Disappearing Landscape." Diane joins Lunch Break's Tanya Rivero to discuss her disturbingly beautiful images. Photo: Diane Tuft

Amazon.com opened a bookstore in Manhattan this May, but are young people interested in visiting it?

Wall Street Journal investigative reporter John Carreyrou recounts some of the more unusual experiences he had while uncovering the story of Theranos's business practices.

The Wall Street Journal's first Financial Inclusion Challenge in the U.S. concluded with three finalists facing a panel of judges to answer questions about the impact and sustainability of their work. Hope Credit Union, based in Jackson, Miss., received the evening's top honors for its efforts to provide banking services in underserved regions of the American South. Video/Photo: Clara Ritger for The Wall Street Journal

LinkedIn's co-founder Reid Hoffman talks to The Wall Street Journal about the best way to run a meeting, his biggest business challenge, and which of the "PayPal Mafia" would win at Settlers of Catan. Photo: Chloe Aftel for The Wall Street Journal

The Massachusetts governor struck a deal for N95 masks from China, but he needed a way to transport them. The New England Patriots plane ended up making the delivery. Photo: New England Patriots

Tim Draper is putting his celebrity to work as a venture investor. The billionaire investor, who starred in the reality TV show Startup U and tried to make Silicon Valley its own state, has raised $190 million for a seed fund.

Huawei is headed to battle against Apple and Samsung Electronics in the smartphone arena, and its weapon of choice is a camera.

Researchers say they've found a way to make people eat less-by fooling their minds. As the WSJ's Yoree Koh explains to Jake Lee, what you eat may not be the same as what you see in Japan.

Goldman Sachs has seen senior-level management changes in Asia amid falling deal volume in the region. The WSJ's Deborah Kan speaks to Asia finance correspondent Alison Tudor about the latest changes.

Senior Editor Jack Hough looks at the latest issue. About 90% of market volume is money pouring into index funds and formula-driven funds. What that means for ordinary investors. Oil could be headed to $60. We have stock picks for energy investors. And how to invest electric cars while avoiding risk? Consider shares of Borg Warner.

While it is true that the overall situation worsened and the state got deeper into the quagmire of backwardness during the RJD regime, yet the party bags many credits for bringing about a fundamental change in Bihar's society and politics as well.

There's more to being elected from Calcutta North than the ability to turn a phrase around different consonants at the same time, and Mohammed Salim is keenly aware of this fact.

Pollsters say Jayalalithaa will sweep Tamil Nadu, but in Tuticorin she may bite the dust.

The Left party workers are keenly aware that the election for the 15th Lok Sabha is the severest test for the party ever since it took power in Bengal 32 years ago.

Karat's magnificent effort to launch a national third alternative may simply fall apart. If the Third Front refuses to hold after May 16 and if the CPI-M fares badly in both Bengal and Kerala, the party will substantially lose its bite. If the CPI-M stands firm, however, Karat's party will roar like a lion in Delhi's concrete jungle.

Bengal's picture-perfect villages have been home to the hammer-and-sickle for an astounding three decades, but now that the rural idyll is cracking, the Left Front is being forced to confront the sight of the three-petalled symbol of the Trinamool Congress and the sounds of rebel voices rising against its perceptible clout.