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Captains’ court

IPL 2025 is off to a flying start! Get into the thick of the action with this interactive wordsearch.

Summer means many things, but the most exciting of them all is the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 2025 edition takes over the imagination of the country from March 22 to May 25, providing plenty of thrills. As 10 star-studded teams take on each other in the chase for the crown, loads of epic shots, fiery spells, and unforgettable moments are in store.

Do you know who the captains of all the teams are? Out of the 10 skippers this year, nine are Indians and only one is an overseas player. The names are: Ruturaj Gaikwad (Chennai Super Kings), Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals), Shubman Gill (Gujarat Titans), Ajinkya Rahane (Kolkata Knight Riders), Hardik Pandya (Mumbai Indians), Sanju Samson (Rajasthan Royals), Rajat Patidar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Pat Cummins (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Shreyas Iyer (Punjab Kings) and Rishabh Pant (Lucknow Super Giants).

Wordsearch for you! Can you find the names of all the captains in the grid below?

Photos: Ragu R, Vijay Soneji, Murali Kumar K, AFP, PTI, Reuters, Getty Images

A deadly perfume trail

A tree, a fungal infection and a fragrance… read on for the strange story of agarwood.

Have you every thought about cities named after trees? Vadodara (Baroda) is named after the Vad (Banyan) and Neem ka Thana, the administrative headquarter of Rajasthan’s Sikar district, is named after a large neem that was at the centre of the original settlement. Then there’s Agartala, the capital of Tripura in India’s north east. There are different explanations for the exact meaning of ‘tala’ but the Agar come from the tree of the same name. There’s a very strange story attached to this tree. Read on to know more.

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Water colours

Find out why seas in many parts of the world are named after colours and see if you know where they are located.

Red Sea, Black Sea, White Sea… did you know that water bodies have names of colours? Before learning more about them, try your hand at this game. Drag and drop the name of the sea to the correct spot.

Now that you are done, check out the reasons for the names.

Nature’s gift

With International Day of Forests being celebrated on March 21, find out more about the theme of Forests and Food.

Have you ever wondered where the rice on your dinner plate or the wheat in your chapati originally came from? Most people would say, “from the farmers’ fields”. But where did the first farmers get the seeds of rice, wheat, millet, tomatoes, grapes and all other veggies and fruits?

Yes, it was from the forests that humans collected seeds and began to cultivate when they changed from being hunter-gatherers to pastoralists. Forests are crucial for the world’s food security. They serve as a gene bank for all varieties of foods. What if all the paddy being cultivated in our fields suddenly succumbed to disease? We would have to collect the seeds of new strains from the forests.

Besides being a reservoir for food, what are the other ways in which forests benefit us? Think about this: We need them to cure diseases, to fill up our lakes and reservoirs, to reduce our carbon footprint, to slow down all the drastic changes in global temperature and climate, to provide shelter and to express our thoughts through word or art.

Now here’s an activity for you. This is a Wordoku with the word being FOREST. Can you solve it?

How to play

It’s just like a Sudoku, but instead of numbers from 1-6 you have the letters F-O-R-E-S-T. Fit these letters in the grid so that each letter appears only once in each row, column and 2*3 grid.

Now that you’ve finished, here are some fascinating facts about forests in India.

One breath at a time

We all know that we need oxygen to live and we get that from the air around us. But how does that process work?

One breath at a timeFeatured Video Play Icon

Watery woes

This World Water Day, think about how you can implement lifestyle changes to reduce water pollution and conserve water.

Think of the various products we use to clean ourselves and our homes. Toothpastes, shampoos, soaps, dishwashing soaps and more. Did you know that all of these contain chemicals that pollute the water you use daily? Where does this polluted water go?

Once drained through your washbasin and bathroom, the dirty water — known as sewage — travels for many kilometres through a big network of pipes to specialised buildings known as treatment plants. Here, massive tanks treat millions of litres of water per day, using cleaning chemicals and the power of tiny dirt-eating bacteria. After this, the water is released into rivers and nearby water bodies. All good, right?

Not really. In India, only half the sewage water is treated. This means truckloads of polluted, untreated sewage enter our rivers daily … threatening river ecology and biodiversity.

Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Sewage contains two major pollutant types: food waste and chemicals from our homes. Soap water with huge quantities of nitrogen, fluorine and phosphorus compounds from untreated sewage damages the chemistry of river water.

This “chemical overload” leads to the overgrowth of tiny plants called algae that cover the surface of water bodies entirely. Algae eat up so much oxygen that the fish underwater hardly get any!

Water hyacinth is another quick-growing plant that chokes rivers and stops their flow. Also, food waste is eaten by fast-growing bacteria that consume the river’s oxygen, further cutting down the oxygen supply for riverine insects and fish. Soon, underwater life dies off, killing the river. Sadly, many urban rivers and lakes in India suffer this fate due to sewage pollution.

What you can do

Do not lose hope! We can reduce this toxic pollution, starting from our homes. This World Water Day, implement these changes in your lifestyle and product use to preserve our ailing water bodies.

Use chemical-free products: Today, we have chemical-free, plant-based soaps (made with herbs, lemons, aloe vera and so on) for dishwashing, bathing and floor-cleaning. These are eco-friendly and safer for our lakes and rivers.

Reduce water use: Did you know that filling a bucket of water to bathe saves more water than taking a shower? If you see a leaking tap, ask your parents to get it fixed. This helps save many litres of water per day.

Reuse water: While washing vegetables in the sink, ask your parents to put a big bowl or bucket under the tap and place a strainer or muslin cloth over it. Leave the water till the dirt settles at the bottom and pour the clear water into a watering can. Use it to water plants.

Task for you! The below grid contains words from this article. Can you place the words in the grid correctly so they all fit in?

Crack the case

Do you like solving mysteries? Well then, a career as a forensic scientist might appeal to you. Read on.

Do you fancy becoming a detective who solves crimes and uncovers the truth? You could explore the option of becoming a forensic scientist when you grow up. Forensic scientists use Science to uncover clues about a crime and analyse evidence. If you like Science and solving puzzles, this might be an interesting career option for you.

Scroll through the slider to find out more about what a forensic scientist does.

A treat for the senses

When we think ‘architecture’, we think buildings. But planning gardens is also a part of architecture. Read on.

One of the most distinct elements of Mughal architecture were their gardens with streams, fountains and flowers that were meant to symbolically represent ‘paradise’. Emperor Babur, who arrived in India from Uzbekistan in the 16th century CE introduced Mughal gardens in India, as he wished to recreate the beauty of Persian paradise gardens in the subcontinent’s hot environment.

The design was a pattern called charbagh, where four channels of water intersected in a plus shape forming a large pool in the centre. Water was the soul of the Mughal garden, reflecting the beauty of the skies and Nature. Hydraulic engineering systems like aqueducts, wells and cisterns brought water to the garden from the nearest water body.

Mughal gardens were meant to be a treat for all the senses, with fragrant flowers like roses and marigolds, fruit trees, sounds of flowing water, and birdsong. The emperors loved the outdoors and the gardens were used not just for pleasure but also for business, as the kings held meetings and talked strategy.

Here are some examples of famous Mughal gardens, with one technically not being a Mughal-era one. Click on the image to know more about the garden.

Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore, Haryana, was built in the 17th century by the Mughal governor of Punjab, Fidai Khan, as a summer retreat for his foster brother Emperor Aurangazeb.Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar, Kashmir, was built in 1619 by Emperor Jahangir and was extended in 1630 under his son Shah Jahan. With three terraces, it was linked to Dal Lake to water its channelsRoshanara Bagh, New Delhi, is one of the biggest gardens in the city with a huge variety of plants. It was built by Roshanara Begum, the second daughter of Emperor Aurangazeb.Qudsia Bagh, Delhi, was built in 1748 for Qudisa Begum, mother of emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur.Pari Mahal, Srinagar, Kashmir, is a garden with seven terraces built atop the Zabarwan mountains on the orders of Mughal prince Dara Shukoh.Mehtab Bagh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, lies behind the Taj Mahal. An octagonal tank reflects the Taj in the moonlight from the other side of the Yamuna.Khusro Bagh, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is a walled garden the tombs of Shah Begum (wife of emperor Jahangir), her son Khusrau Mirza, and her daughter Nithar. The fourth tomb is empty.Chashma Shahi, Srinagar, Kashmir, was built in 1632 by Ali Mardan Khan on the orders of emperor Shah Jahan as a gift for his eldest son Dara Shukoh.Aram Bagh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, was built in 1526 by emperor Babur. This is the oldest Mughal garden in India.Amrit Udayan, New Delhi, known as Mughal Garden till 2023, was actually designed for Rashtrapati Bhavan by English architect Sir Edwin Luteyns, who drew inspiration from the Mughal gardens of Kashmir.

The good, bad and ugly

Everybody has good qualities and bad ones. It is just that in some the bad is more predominant than the good. What about you?

A story with a villain is more exciting and gripping that a story without one. This is because villains create conflict, drive the plot and provide a foil for the protagonist, forcing them to grow and change. This is what makes the story a compelling read.

We feature below six deadly villains that are unforgettable characters.

Agatha Trunchbull from Matilda by Roald Dahl

Miss Agatha Trunchbull is the tyrannical headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School. She is known for her cruelty, abusive nature, and physical dominance over the children.

Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Bellatrix Lestrange, is a fanatical Death Eater and one of Lord Voldemort’s most loyal followers. She is a cruel and sadistic witch known for her brutality and unwavering dedication to the Dark Lord’s cause.

Cruella de Vil from The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith

Cruella de Vil is a wealthy woman who loves fur clothing. She admires two Dalmatians and wants to have a Dalmatian-skin coat.

Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket

Count Olaf is a criminal and a mastermind who plots to steal the Baudelaire fortune, often disguising himself and using associates to achieve his goals.

Bill Sikes from Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Bill Sikes is a brutal and violent criminal and a member of Fagin’s gang, known for his cruelty, alcoholism, and involvement in crimes like burglary, robbery, and murder.

General Woundwort from Watership Down by Richard Adams

General Woundwort is the fearsome, cruel, and power-hungry leader of the Efrafa warren. He is the main antagonist who demands absolute control.

Now that you are familiar with these ace villains, take this for-fun-only quiz to find out who you are most like. Though the villains are all bad guys, it might be possible that they have some good qualities too. Or do they? Do you? Find out.

Build a little birdie

This World Sparrow Day, get creative and craft your own little chirpy friend. Get started now!