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In a self-effacing moment, author and columnist Chetan Bhagat pointed the finger at his own work and himself when he was asked about the most overrated book ever written.

Speaking on the sidelines of NDTV’s Creators’ Manch on Friday, Mr Bhagat also spoke about the authors he admires, whether AI can replace writers, and why writing in the mountains is not his cup of tea. 

On the most overrated book ever written, the author was given the option of skipping the question, but he said, “I’m thinking… It’s mine. If I say someone else’s, I’ll get beaten up.”

“Any specific book?” he was asked, and he replied, “You know, I’m overrated. I’m overrated… It’s okay, it’s good, but I don’t know… the reality is that there are better writers.” 

As the banter continued, Mr Bhagat was asked if there are Indian authors he is jealous of and he said, “Not jealous, but admire. Like Gulzar, Javed Akhtar. There’s no question of jealousy; they are very senior. But I really admire them. When I see some of their work, I wish I had done it.”

The woman, in her plea, argued her son had, without consulting family members, in his consent forms agreed to have the frozen semen discarded if he dies.The Bombay High Court, in an interim order, has directed a city-based fertility centre to preserve the frozen semen of a dead man pending hearing of a petition by his mother who wants to use the fluid to continue the family line.

The woman moved the HC after the fertility centre refused to release the frozen semen to her as the man, in his consent forms, had sought for the sperm carrying fluid to be discarded post-death. The man had chosen to freeze his semen when he was undergoing chemotherapy, a cancer treatment.

A bench of Justice Manish Pitale on June 25 noted that if the frozen semen of the dead man is discarded pending hearing of the plea, then it would become infructuous. The court posted the petition for further hearing on July 30.

“In the meanwhile, as an interim direction, the fertility centre is directed to ensure safe-keeping and storage of the frozen sample of the dead, during pendency of the petition,” the court ordered.

The bench noted that the petition raises important questions with regard to the manner in which the semen of a person is to be preserved after his death under provisions of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021.The court pointed out that in the present case, the man was unmarried at the time of his death in February.

The woman, in her plea, argued her son had, without consulting family members, in his consent forms agreed to have the frozen semen discarded if he dies.

After his death, the mother sought the Mumbai-based fertility centre to provide access to transfer the sample to a Gujarat-based IVF centre for future course of action

In an extraordinary stroke of luck, a woman from Laurel, Maryland, won a $50,000 (Rs 42,78,125) lottery prize after using numbers from her horoscope, . The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, told Maryland Lottery officials that she felt a strong intuition to play the numbers 25569 revealed to her through her daily horoscope.

Acting on her hunch, she purchased a Pick 5 ticket from the Sandy Spring Exxon located on Sandy Spring Road in Laurel. To her amazement, the numbers aligned perfectly, earning her a $50,000 windfall, according to UPI News.

“I had a hunch and followed it,” she told Maryland Lottery officials. “Pay my bills and save. I want to be responsible with it,” she added, sharing her plans to use the prize money wisely. But she’s not stopping there.

The lucky winner revealed that she’s already manifesting her next big win: “I’m manifesting $1 million. And you better believe I’ll be back to claim a bigger prize!”

This is not the only incident when somebody has won a huge amount in the lottery. A few days back a man from Washington County, Maryland, won $100,000 (about Rs 86 lakh) by sticking to his usual lottery strategy – buying scratch-off tickets in pairs. The lucky winner told Maryland Lottery officials he was tempted to break his habit when he spotted a $50 $5,000,000 Fortune ticket at Wooden Keg Liquors in Hagerstown.

A Maryland woman won $50,000 by using numbers from her horoscope to play the lottery and plans to keep manifesting bigger wins.

In an extraordinary stroke of luck, a woman from Laurel, Maryland, won a $50,000 (Rs 42,78,125) lottery prize after using numbers from her horoscope, . The woman, who chose to remain anonymous, told Maryland Lottery officials that she felt a strong intuition to play the numbers 25569 revealed to her through her daily horoscope.

Acting on her hunch, she purchased a Pick 5 ticket from the Sandy Spring Exxon located on Sandy Spring Road in Laurel. To her amazement, the numbers aligned perfectly, earning her a $50,000 windfall, according to.

“I had a hunch and followed it,” she told Maryland Lottery officials. “Pay my bills and save. I want to be responsible with it,” she added, sharing her plans to use the prize money wisely. But she’s not stopping there.

The lucky winner revealed that she’s already manifesting her next big win: “I’m manifesting $1 million. And you better believe I’ll be back to claim a bigger prize!”

This is not the only incident when somebody has won a huge amount in the lottery. A few days back a man from Washington County, Maryland, won $100,000 (about Rs 86 lakh) by sticking to his usual lottery strategy – buying scratch-off tickets in pairs. The lucky winner told Maryland Lottery officials he was tempted to break his habit when he spotted a $50 $5,000,000 Fortune ticket at Wooden Keg Liquors in Hagerstown.

The most I usually spend on a scratch-off is 20, but I decided to splurge,” he said. “The problem is that I always, always, always buy two of the same game. Every time.”

With 100 in hand, he followed his instinct and bought two tickets.

“I’d been thinking about it for a couple of days, so I was ready,” he said.

He won his money back on the first ticket, but it was the second that brought the real surprise.

“I kept uncovering 5,000 matches. There were so many of them. They just kept adding up,” he recalled.

The second ticket ended up winning him a total of $100,000.

A new study suggests that climate change could be triggering minor earthquakes in the Alps, raising broader concerns about global warming’s impact on seismic activity. Researchers from ETH Zürich have found that intense glacier melt, driven by rising temperatures, can infiltrate underground fault lines and increase the risk of tremors.

The study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, focuses on seismic activity beneath Grandes Jorasses, a glacier-covered peak in the Mont Blanc massif. Seismic records showed a sharp increase in small earthquakes following a 2015 heatwave. Researchers detected over 12,000 previously overlooked micro-earthquakes since 2006. These tremors coincided with glacier meltwater percolating into deep rock layers, a process that weakens geological faults.

Lead author Verena Simon and her team observed that the strongest heatwaves led to more frequent and stronger earthquakes, though often with a one- to two-year delay. This indicates that meltwater gradually builds pressure along fault lines until a “triggering point” is reached.

Scientists have long known that pressurised water can trigger seismic activity. Similar mechanisms are seen in fracking and geothermal energy operations. The new study adds weight to the theory that climate change is influencing natural seismicity, not just in the Alps but potentially in other glaciated regions such as the Himalayas.

A new study links climate change-induced glacier melt in the Alps to a surge in minor earthquakes.

A new study suggests that climate change could be triggering minor earthquakes in the Alps, raising broader concerns about global warming’s impact on seismic activity. Researchers from ETH Zürich have found that intense glacier melt, driven by rising temperatures, can infiltrate underground fault lines and increase the risk of tremors.

The study, published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, focuses on seismic activity beneath Grandes Jorasses, a glacier-covered peak in the Mont Blanc massif. Seismic records showed a sharp increase in small earthquakes following a 2015 heatwave. Researchers detected over 12,000 previously overlooked micro-earthquakes since 2006. These tremors coincided with glacier meltwater percolating into deep rock layers, a process that weakens geological faults.

Lead author Verena Simon and her team observed that the strongest heatwaves led to more frequent and stronger earthquakes, though often with a one- to two-year delay. This indicates that meltwater gradually builds pressure along fault lines until a “triggering point” is reached.

Scientists have long known that pressurised water can trigger seismic activity. Similar mechanisms are seen in fracking and geothermal energy operations. The new study adds weight to the theory that climate change is influencing natural seismicity, not just in the Alps but potentially in other glaciated regions such as the Himalayas.

A healthy gut is essential for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. Nutrients from food support physical development, improve cognitive function and keep the immune system strong.

A healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract helps break down food, generates energy and supports nutrient absorption. Therefore, ensuring gut health in children is crucial for their overall health and development.

A healthy gut is essential for proper digestion and nutrient absorption, which are fundamental during growing years. Nutrients from food support physical development, improve cognitive function, keep the immune system strong and help keep bones and teeth healthy.

A balanced gut microbiome supports a robust immune response, helping children fight off infections and illnesses. Furthermore, a healthy gut may contribute to reduced risks of conditions such as allergies, asthma, and even mental health issues.

Diet plays a crucial role in maintaining gut health. In an Instagram post, Dr. Saurabh Sethi popularly known as the gut doctor, a gastroenterologist trained at AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, shared 5 best foods that can help boost gut health in children.

Best gut health foods for kids

“Parents, this is what I recommend for healthy guts in little ones,” he wrote in the post.

1. Banana

2. Sweet potato

3. Oats

4. Plain yogurt

5. Berries

Jyothi Lakra, 41, was once part of a Naxalite group before abandoning the Left-wing insurgency in 2002. Today, he runs a fish feed mill that earned him Rs 8,00,000 in net profit last year under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme.

“There were no shops selling fish feed nearby. Villagers had to travel 150 km to buy fish feed,” said Lakra, who received Rs 18 lakh grant to set up his mill in Gumla district’s Basia block. “So I decided to set up a fish feed mill,” he told PTI.

The PMMSY scheme, launched in 2020-21 with joint central and state implementation, has trained 157 individual beneficiaries in Gumla district over four years. About 25 per cent of the 8,000-9,000 families in the district now engaged in fish farming were former Naxalite supporters or participants, according to District Fishery Officer Kusumlata.

Gumla district was removed from the Union Home Ministry’s list of Naxalite-affected areas in May 2025, alongside Ranchi district, marking a significant decline in Left-wing extremism in the region.

Former insurgents in eastern Jharkhand are trading guns for fishing nets under a central government scheme that has helped transform a once violence-torn region and contributed to its removal from a list of Naxalite-affected areas.

Jyothi Lakra, 41, was once part of a Naxalite group before abandoning the Left-wing insurgency in 2002. Today, he runs a fish feed mill that earned him Rs 8,00,000 in net profit last year under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme.

“There were no shops selling fish feed nearby. Villagers had to travel 150 km to buy fish feed,” said Lakra, who received Rs 18 lakh grant to set up his mill in Gumla district’s Basia block. “So I decided to set up a fish feed mill,” he told PTI.

The PMMSY scheme, launched in 2020-21 with joint central and state implementation, has trained 157 individual beneficiaries in Gumla district over four years. About 25 per cent of the 8,000-9,000 families in the district now engaged in fish farming were former Naxalite supporters or participants, according to District Fishery Officer Kusumlata.

Gumla district was removed from the Union Home Ministry’s list of Naxalite-affected areas in May 2025, alongside Ranchi district, marking a significant decline in Left-wing extremism in the region.

The transformation is stark in areas where “eight out of ten families” once supported what they called a “revolutionary” way of life, according to local officials. Deserted villages have been repopulated, schools and hospitals reopened, and agricultural activity resumed.

Ishwar Gop, 42, another former Naxalite who joined the anti-Maoist Shanti Sena group, now harvests eight quintals of fish annually worth Rs 2,50,000 from a government pond he leases for Rs 1,100 per three-year period.

“I make a profit of Rs 1,20,000 after expenses,” said Gop, who owns 25 acres of farmland but found fish farming more profitable than traditional agriculture.

The fish farming initiative began in 2009 when State Fishery Extension Officer Mugda Kumar Topo was posted in the region despite security concerns.

“It was difficult to enter Basia block of Gumla district as Naxal activities were at their peak,” said Topo, now based in state capital Ranchi. “After speaking to 50-odd families, a pilot was launched.” The government leased 22 tanks to interested families, including one in a remote forest area that required convincing a former Naxalite to operate due to security fears.

Om Prakash Sahu, an active Naxal supporter until 2007, now operates six fish ponds and harvests 40 quintals annually. In 2024, he received assistance for three ponds with advanced Recirculatory Aquaculture System technology.

The scheme has created a “three times multiplier effect” in local employment generation and helped reduce migration from the region, according to government data.

Lakhan Singh, 51, a former Naxal supporter with 150 acres, shifted from paddy cultivation to fish farming across five ponds on his property.

“Fish farming is much better than paddy cultivation. Each pond is a revenue generator to pay for my children’s school education,” Singh said.

The district has about 4,000 privately owned ponds and 360 government-owned ponds across 12 blocks.

While Gumla and Ranchi have been removed from the Naxalite-affected list, West Singhbhum remains the most-affected district in Jharkhand. Districts, including Bokaro, Chatra, Garhwa, Giridih, Khunti, Lohardaga, and Seraikela-Kharsawan are considered partially affected.

The Naxalite insurgency, also known as Left-Wing Extremism, has affected parts of eastern and central India for decades, with insurgents claiming to fight for the rights of tribal communities and against economic inequality.

The success in Gumla demonstrates how targeted development programmes can provide economic alternatives to insurgency, contributing to broader counter-terrorism efforts in the region.

Jyothi Lakra, 41, was once part of a Naxalite group before abandoning the Left-wing insurgency in 2002. Today, he runs a fish feed mill that earned him Rs 8,00,000 in net profit last year under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme.

“There were no shops selling fish feed nearby. Villagers had to travel 150 km to buy fish feed,” said Lakra, who received Rs 18 lakh grant to set up his mill in Gumla district’s Basia block. “So I decided to set up a fish feed mill,” he told PTI.

The PMMSY scheme, launched in 2020-21 with joint central and state implementation, has trained 157 individual beneficiaries in Gumla district over four years. About 25 per cent of the 8,000-9,000 families in the district now engaged in fish farming were former Naxalite supporters or participants, according to District Fishery Officer Kusumlata.

Gumla district was removed from the Union Home Ministry’s list of Naxalite-affected areas in May 2025, alongside Ranchi district, marking a significant decline in Left-wing extremism in the region.

The transformation is stark in areas where “eight out of ten families” once supported what they called a “revolutionary” way of life, according to local officials. Deserted villages have been repopulated, schools and hospitals reopened, and agricultural activity resumed.

Ishwar Gop, 42, another former Naxalite who joined the anti-Maoist Shanti Sena group, now harvests eight quintals of fish annually worth Rs 2,50,000 from a government pond he leases for Rs 1,100 per three-year period.

“I make a profit of Rs 1,20,000 after expenses,” said Gop, who owns 25 acres of farmland but found fish farming more profitable than traditional agriculture.

The fish farming initiative began in 2009 when State Fishery Extension Officer Mugda Kumar Topo was posted in the region despite security concerns.

“It was difficult to enter Basia block of Gumla district as Naxal activities were at their peak,” said Topo, now based in state capital Ranchi. “After speaking to 50-odd families, a pilot was launched.” The government leased 22 tanks to interested families, including one in a remote forest area that required convincing a former Naxalite to operate due to security fears.

Om Prakash Sahu, an active Naxal supporter until 2007, now operates six fish ponds and harvests 40 quintals annually. In 2024, he received assistance for three ponds with advanced Recirculatory Aquaculture System technology.

The scheme has created a “three times multiplier effect” in local employment generation and helped reduce migration from the region, according to government data.

Lakhan Singh, 51, a former Naxal supporter with 150 acres, shifted from paddy cultivation to fish farming across five ponds on his property.

“Fish farming is much better than paddy cultivation. Each pond is a revenue generator to pay for my children’s school education,” Singh said.

The district has about 4,000 privately owned ponds and 360 government-owned ponds across 12 blocks.

While Gumla and Ranchi have been removed from the Naxalite-affected list, West Singhbhum remains the most-affected district in Jharkhand. Districts, including Bokaro, Chatra, Garhwa, Giridih, Khunti, Lohardaga, and Seraikela-Kharsawan are considered partially affected.

The Naxalite insurgency, also known as Left-Wing Extremism, has affected parts of eastern and central India for decades, with insurgents claiming to fight for the rights of tribal communities and against economic inequality.

The success in Gumla demonstrates how targeted development programmes can provide economic alternatives to insurgency, contributing to broader counter-terrorism efforts in the region.