Meet the auto driver from Chennai whose passengers include dogs, birds and the occasional calf
The Hindu
N Basker is an auto driver. But on most days, his passengers are furry four-legged creatures. The Chennai auto driver is an animal lover and comes to the rescue of pet parents, when autos and cabs refuse to carry animals.
“In such a situation the pet owner is often distressed. Especially in the case of an injured animal, there is bound to be blood and waste matter. I have no qualms about these issues or cleaning up and I gladly ferry them to and from their destination,” says the 42-year-old, who started the pet auto service in 2019. Over the years, his service has picked up momentum, and aiding the process is Help Voiceless, his Facebook page which people reach out to in times of need.
In October this year, India announced its intention to build Maitri II, the country’s newest research station in Antarctica and India’s fourth, about 40 forty-odd years after the first permanent research station in Antarctica, Dakshin Gangotri, was established. The Hindu talks to Dr Harsh K Gupta, who led the team that established it

How do you create a Christmas tree with crochet? Take notes from crochet artist Sheena Pereira, who co-founded Goa-based Crochet Collective with crocheter Sharmila Majumdar in 2025. Their artwork takes centre stage at the Where We Gather exhibit, which is part of Festivals of Goa, an ongoing exhibition hosted by the Museum of Goa. The collective’s multi-hued, 18-foot crochet Christmas tree has been put together by 25 women from across the State. “I’ve always thought of doing an installation with crochet. So, we thought of doing something throughout the year that would culminate at the year end; something that would resonate with Christmas message — peace, hope, joy, love,” explains Sheena.

Max Born made many contributions to quantum theory. This said, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for physics in 1954 for establishing the statistical interpretation of the ____________. Fill in the blank with the name of an object central to quantum theory but whose exact nature is still not fully understood.










