Laasya Shekhar

Chennai

Principal Correspondent at Newslaundry

Special Correspondent @ The South First. Bylines: TNIE, Mongabay India, Citizen Matters, Newslaundry, Deccan Chronicle. Pluviophile. Fantasiser. Story teller.

Articles

FIITJEE crisis: Centre closures, unpaid salaries, and legal troubles leave students and parents stranded

1 week ago | thehindu.com | Laasya Shekhar

In less than five days this month, two cases – one at Chandigarh and another at Chennai – have been registered against FIITJEE’s management, adding to at least four existing cases on the coaching giant. On May 5, the Economic Offences Wing of Delhi Police, which registered a case in March for criminal breach of trust, cheating, conspiracy and common intention, questioned three FIITJEE officials in connection with the case.
Pahalgam attack casts a shadow over Jammu and Kashmir students outside State

1 week ago | thehindu.com | Laasya Shekhar

On Thursday, Himanshi Narwal, wife of Indian Navy Lieutenant Vinay Narwal killed by terrorists in Pahalgam, made an appeal for peace and unity, urging the public not to direct anger or hatred towards Muslims or Kashmiris. Among those who have faced hostility are students from Jammu and Kashmir. The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association has documented 18 such incidents so far, concentrated in states such as Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra.
Explained: Delhi’s new law to control private school fees and hidden charges

1 week ago | thehindu.com | Laasya Shekhar

On April 29, the Delhi cabinet approved the Delhi School Education Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees Bill, 2025, aiming to regulate fee structures across all 1,677 private unaided and government-aided schools in the capital. The Hindu examines why such legislation is crucial—and why it must avoid the fate of many existing laws that remain unenforced.
As heat waves sweep India, cities shockingly short of long-term response measures

1 month ago | thefederal.com | Laasya Shekhar

A heatwave is sweeping across North India with states like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat expected to see temperatures soar above 40 degree Celsius. The country is bracing for a harsh summer ahead – the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that the summer of 2025, spanning April to June, will experience above-normal temperatures across most parts of India.
Inside Tamil Nadu's Bid to Save the Glorious Hornbills of Western Ghats

1 month ago | thequint.com | Laasya Shekhar

Tamil Nadu has announced the establishment of a first-of-its-kind Centre for Excellence in the Western Ghats to conserve hornbills, magnificent yet vulnerable birds known for their fascinating nesting habits. Western Ghats is home to four species of Hornbill: the Great Hornbill, the Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Malabar Pied Hornbill, and the Indian Grey Hornbill. The population of at least two of them are fast depleting due to habitat loss and degradation.
Non-BJP States Lack Funding Despite Medals

1 month ago | thequint.com | Laasya Shekhar

Tamil Nadu produces more top athletes than any other state. Yet, the state lacks basic infrastructure. At the time of writing, Tamil Nadu had won 24 gold medals at the ongoing Khelo India Para Games, currently underway in New Delhi. The state ranks second—both in terms of gold medals won and overall medals earned. In the 2024 Olympics, Tamil Nadu sent six athletes in 4 x 400 metres relay, who gave the season’s best performance. That was the highest number of athletes for any state.
Khelo India, but Not All Are Invited: Non-BJP States Lack Funding Despite Medals

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Laasya Shekhar

7 hours ago Mob in janitor uniform storms Chennai YouTuber's home, dumps human excreta in vicious attack CHENNAI: A mob in sanitary workers' uniforms barged on Monday into the Chennai residence of YouTuber Savukku Shankar, dumping buckets of slush, … 4 hours ago The Hindu Morning Digest: March 25, 2025 I won’t apologise, I don’t fear this mob: Kunal Kamra Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who is in the eye of the storm over a joke he made on Maharashtra … 2 hours ago MeT office forecasts rise in...
Chennai’s last lung space: Nanmangalam Lake faces an ecological emergency

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Shobana Radhakrishnan |Laasya Shekhar |a Bachelors

Catching a glimpse of the Indian Eagle Owl is not a rarity for birders and nature enthusiasts who frequent the Nanmangalam Lake and the surrounding forests. Yet, this privilege is under threat as the lake’s once-thriving ecosystem faces severe environmental degradation. Fed by rainwater from the hillocks of the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest, the lake — spread over 200 acres — is now ravaged by encroachments, illegal water extraction, sewage and garbage disposal.
Winter pollution crisis in Indian megacities: What the CSE report says

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Laasya Shekhar

You and every citizen frustrated by potholed roads, air pollution, garbage—in short our broken cities. Citizen Matters is India’s leading Civic Media Platform. We dig into the “why” and “how” behind issues plaguing our cities and neighbourhoods—and spotlight solutions. But we go further. We focus on citizens driving change and their strategies and bring you a playbook for better cities.
From awareness to action: SSTCN's fight to save Olive Ridley turtles

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Laasya Shekhar

What started as a cool activity in the 1970s—a group of college students going on night walks to protect freshly laid turtle eggs—has, half a century later, evolved into a crucial conservation movement. The Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) now plays a key role in the conservation of the Olive Ridley turtles along the Chennai coast. Their awareness efforts have been so impactful that these night walks are flooded with people of all ages, particularly children and young adults.