Kasmin Fernandes

In the wake of the #metoo explosion in India, we explore the sexism debate. Sexism exists in women as well as in men; it has no respect for individual aspirations, potential or abilities. In obvious and subtle ways, it influences the outcomes of a myriad of life situations the world over. The concept of gender...

Punishment for its own sake is pointless if it doesn’t transform the mindsets and attitudes of offenders. A prison can become a dangerous breeding ground for criminals, fuelling the very activity it seeks to deter. Incarcerated individuals have little control over their circumstances or future. Years of confinement result in greater loss of self-worth, a...

On the occasion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are turning our gaze to this deadly condition. Cervical cancer and breast cancer are the most common cause of cancer deaths among women in India, but early detection and proper treatment can improve this prognosis and can make cancer curable. A study conducted by E&Y and...

What does it actually mean to be an LGBT person? How much do young people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans have in common? Even if the terms LGBT and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) are used to refer to the LGBTQ community as a whole, it is important to remember...

The transgender community has been assimilated into Indian society as hijras, long before transgender people started finding acceptance in the rest of the world. In April 2014, the Supreme Court made it official by recognizing hijra and transgender, eunuchs, intersex people as a 'third gender' by law. The nation’s association with the community has...

As part of our series on the LGBT community, today we are putting the spotlight on pansexuals. The term is back on the radar, after American singer Janelle Monae publicly came out as pansexual. Whether in music videos, television, film or books, pansexuality features in popular culture now more than ever. Depending on which social...

The Supreme Court’s dilution of Section 377 is sweeter news for the gay community than it is for lesbians. Bisexual women and lesbians will continue to be misunderstood. This faction of LGBTQ is largely perceived as sexually titillating rather than as a group fighting for equal rights. The first thing men think of when...

India is a country of opposites. However, the paradox in entrepreneurship is rather inconspicuous. What is alarming is however is that while Indians are inherently entrepreneurial, they find it very difficult to set up and run businesses with ease. Access to technical knowledge, finance, market and poor entrepreneurship capacities inhibit enterprise development. Only 22% of...

India of the ancient times was labelled the Golden Bird. We had gathered immense wealth not limited to monetary gains since our real wealth lay in the gamut of practical, spiritual and philosophical knowledge. From the time of Nalanda University in the 5th Century C.E., India attracted scholars, students and thinkers from around the...

We've dealt with cybercrimes, cyberbullying and mobile safety in our series on digital frauds. We're ending this leg of the series with a quick guide to online scams. The amount of money lost in fake financial opportunities is increasing. Increasingly, scammers, enabled by social media, are getting in on the act. Celebrity endorsements are...

We tackled scam calls, cybercrimes against women and how to spot identity theft. Today, we put the spotlight on a specific cybercrime: cyberbullying. While online socialising has opened a whole new dimension of ways to communicate, it has some unpleasant effects, too. Cyberbullying is one example that has had devastating outcomes on our youth....

In the dark web, there is a big demand for stolen information that can be used to commit identity theft. Criminal outfits specializing in identity theft will go to great lengths to get their hands on your personal information, such as your bank accounts, credit card numbers, or date of birth. Identity theft is a...