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In the 8 odd years I spent in the Indian Police Service, I hardly saw anyone saying 'No, sir.' The 'Yes, sir' behavior went all the way to the top. In fact, a junior IPS officer might still occasionally say 'no.' But often, the top brass would not only say 'yes' but...

Digital distraction is the new diabetes. And it is no less deadly. Let me explain. Diabetes, obesity, and hypertension happen for a simple reason: A million years ago, in the forests, sugar, fat, and high-calorie food were life-savers for our ancestors. Hence,...

Two decades ago, along with a small group of policemen, I was chasing an elephant that had run amok. At that time, I was posted as an Assistant Superintendent of Police in south Kerala. Traditionally, in Kerala, elephants are extensively used for local festivals, and...

There is no hack to become rich or fit or well-read. There is no viral hack for your marketing. There is no easy way to master any subject or become an accomplished musician or a standout athlete. In short, there are no shortcuts. Of course, some people may get lucky....

A bag is heavy only if we carry it on our shoulders. If we put it down, it has no weight at all. Most of our mental worries are baggage our mind can't put down. That is also why we become so busy and overwhelmed. It is not the length of our to-do list but the mental...

A decade ago, while running on Marine Drive in Mumbai, I saw a somewhat familiar face. But because of his sunglasses, I couldn't place him. I then saw that the guy running next to him was a cop (the bulge of a pistol in his jacket gave it away). Since he was probably...

If you visit the Trivandrum Zoo, you will see a name on a granite stone in front of each enclosure. And no, it is not what you think - it is the name of the politician who inaugurated the enclosure. This means each enclosure was inaugurated with fanfare and the names...

During my training with the Indian Police Service, we were taught how to hit with a club/lathi during lathicharge, in a step by step, almost comical manner. Interestingly, this training answered a question I always had: Why do humans keep doing stupid and outdated...

During my stint with the Kerala police, we once faced a massive protest in which the opposition parties vowed to blockade the State Assembly to prevent the budget presentation. This has never happened anywhere in India. Naturally, we could not allow this and made a...

Bollywood produces mediocre movies not because we don't have the cameras, or the technology. We just don't care - period. In an upcoming movie, Anil Kapoor dons the uniform of an Air Force officer (Air Commodore) but wears it with the finesse of a headload worker. He...

One evening in 2008, in our small two-bedroom house in New Jersey, standing on the staircase with a colorful plastic ball, my daughter asked me, 'Papa, let us play.' I brusquely told her, 'No, I am very tired.' She accepted it and did not badger me further. At that...

Some of us are checking Slack/Microsoft Teams every 5 minutes to 'stay on top of things'. How about an occasional break to get to the 'bottom of things'? Remember: Being busy did not save Yahoo or Blackberry. Nor will it save you or me. So, slow down. Step back. Take...