Online communities to swap, share or exchange seeds and plants are on the rise
The Hindu
Instead of buying at nurseries, gardening enthusiasts are trading plants and seeds via Facebook groups
“They are my prized possessions.” Mumbai-based Mamta Sukhija Joseph is talking about the Dendrobium nobile orchid, a double-petalled red azalea and a cherry plum in her terrace garden. She got them from Darjeeling in exchange for a gulmohar bonsai from her collection. The pride of place in Sunita Hooda’s garden in Gurugram, Haryana, goes to Sansevieria cylindrica, a snake plant variety, which she got from a grower in Chennai after she swapped her pink syngonium (arrowhead plant) for it. “I sent the person crinum lilies too because while my plant costs ₹30, sansevieria is usually priced at ₹800-900. Also, he might have spent quite an amount on packing and transportation as well,” says Sunita.
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.










