Once Feared Extinct, the World’s Smallest Pig Is Now Thriving in Assam, Thanks to Conservation Efforts

Deep in the grasslands of Assam lives a creature that is easy to overlook but impossible to ignore in the story of wildlife conservation the pygmy hog the world s smallest and one of the rarest wild pigs For years conservationists feared that the species had disappeared forever Then in a small group was rediscovered in Assam after taking shelter from a grassland fire That discovery sparked a conservation journey that continues to this day Earlier this year captive-bred pygmy hogs were released into the wild marking another important step in efforts to rebuild their dwindling population From Captive Breeding to the WildThe rediscovery of the pygmy hog led to a partnership between the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust the Assam Forest Department and the Ministry of Environment and Forests The goal was simple but ambitious bring a small number of pygmy hogs into captivity and establish a breeding programme that

10 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

His Eyes Live On: Grieving Parents Donate Son’s Corneas, Giving Others Hope

For a family struggling to accept the sudden loss of their young son grief could have been the only thing left to hold on to Instead Arpit s family made a deeply selfless choice After the -year-old lost his life in the Satya Niketan PG building collapse in south Delhi his family donated his corneas Through their heartbreaking decision they hoped that someone else would one day see the world through the gift their son left behind His father Bhupendra said the decision gave the family some comfort that their son could in a way continue to see the world even after his death A Young Life Cut ShortArpit a second-year student at Delhi University s Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College was from Dewas in Madhya Pradesh He had returned to Delhi on Sunday morning after spending Rakshabandhan with his family It was supposed to be the beginning of another

9 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2026: Lucknow Tops India’s Clean-Air Rankings With 198 Points

Lucknow has emerged as India s No city among million-plus cities in the Swachh Vayu Survekshan scoring an impressive out of points The result is significant for a rapidly growing city where traffic construction activity and road dust have long been everyday concerns Lucknow narrowly edged out Indore which scored points while Jabalpur finished third with Bhopal and Agra shared fourth place with points followed by Surat So what helped Lucknow reach the top Here are a few measures that made a difference Electric Vehicles Take the RoadOne of the biggest changes has been the shift towards electric mobility Around electric vehicles are being used for door-to-door garbage collection reducing emissions from the municipal fleet The city also has electric buses operating on its roads To support this growing electric fleet Lucknow has established charging stations with charging points The Indian Express reports that the city is also moving towards

8 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

This Teachers’ Day, Meet the Woman Whose Classroom Has No Walls, But Whose Lessons Have No Limits

On most days Balaji Park in Delhi s Dwarka may look like any other neighbourhood park But for more than a decade it has been the classroom of Namita Chaudhary a woman who decided to use her time to change young lives Thirteen years ago Namita began teaching five children from families of migrant workers and daily-wage earners She had no fancy classroom no elaborate setup and no grand plan She simply had a desire to help Today more than children are part of the initiative nbsp With Teachers Day being celebrated on September Namita s story is a reminder that teaching does not always happen inside four walls Sometimes it begins with compassion and the willingness to show up every day A Teacher Who Saw More Than MarksAs reported by India Today Namita s inspiration came from a simple question what could she do with her time that would

5 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

He Missed an IIT Madras Trip. Now, This Teen With Cerebral Palsy Is an IIT Madras Student

Sometimes a dream begins with something as simple as listening to friends talk about a school trip For -year-old J Santhosh it began when his classmates returned from a visit to IIT Madras He could not join them because of his disability but their stories made him wonder what it would be like to study at one of India s premier institutions Today he no longer has to wonder Santhosh who has lived with cerebral palsy since birth and has a spinal muscular disability has secured admission to the four-year BS programme in Data Science and Applications at IIT Madras He cleared the programme s qualifying examination on his second attempt The institute celebrated his achievement with a message Dreams don't always follow an easy path but determination can take you where you aspire to be When One Door OpenedSanthosh initially hoped to prepare for JEE but his health challenges

4 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

She Hopped 400 Metres to School on One Leg. Now Help Has Reached 7-Year-Old Ragini

Seven-year-old ragini is a picture of determination and resilience Until a few days back the Class student from Ranipur village in Uttar Pradesh s Ballia district had to travel nearly metres to her school often hopping on one leg Some days the journey became so difficult that she broke down in tears Yet Ragini kept going Her determination to study remained stronger than the challenges she faced She attends Digheda primary school located about metres from her home in the Manier area Ragini suffered a severe leg injury in an accident when she was just six months old Although the family sought treatment at several places her leg could not be saved Their financial circumstances also made it difficult to pursue better medical care I Want to Study Too Ragini was inspired by the sight of other children walking to school with their bags She would often tell her mother

3 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

At 17, She Turned Plastic Waste Into Homes for Endangered Hornbills—and Won Global Awards

For Yanin Proud Tangkaravakoon the journey began with a school trip When she was in fourth grade Proud visited Khao Yai National Park in Thailand and became fascinated by hornbills the striking birds known for their distinctive bills and important role in forest ecosystems Her fascination soon turned into concern when she learned that of the hornbill species globally were experiencing population declines driven by threats including deforestation habitat loss and poaching At just she decided she wanted to do something about it That idea became Homes for Hornbills Giving Plastic a New PurposeHornbills do not build nests They depend on naturally formed cavities in large trees to breed but as forests disappear suitable nesting spaces are becoming increasingly difficult to find To find a solution to the dwindling population Proud worked with the Thailand Hornbill Research Foundation THRF and began developing artificial nests that could provide safe and durable

3 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

One “I Miss You” Text, a 14-Hour Journey and a Father’s Heartwarming Surprise

Sometimes love does not arrive with grand gestures Sometimes it simply shows up at the door That is exactly what happened when a woman known on Instagram as apple kaivalya messaged her father one night to tell him that she was missing him She probably did not expect much more than a reply Instead the next morning when she opened her door her father was standing there with a backpack He had travelled for hours without telling her simply to spend a few precious hours with his daughter Hours of Travel for Eight Hours TogetherThe father s journey was not just long it was remarkably selfless He had travelled for hours and would travel another hours back all for just eight hours together Even after the exhausting journey he did not simply rest He helped wash her dishes took her out and made sure she got to enjoy all her

3 Sep 2026

Positive Reads

From India to Venice: 29 Makers Showcase the Best of Indian Craft at Homo Faber 26

India is arriving in Venice with something extraordinary a monumental carpet woven by Indian artisans and designed by celebrated British artist Es Devlin For the second time Jaipur Rugs has been selected to participate in Homo Faber the prestigious international exhibition celebrating exceptional craftsmanship The fourth edition takes place at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini on Venice s island of San Giorgio Maggiore from September to At the heart of Jaipur Rugs presentation is Rainbow of Forms commissioned by the Michelangelo Foundation and designed by Es Devlin Created by artisans across India the carpet brings together traditional skill and contemporary design on a monumental scale From Jaipur to the Halls of VeniceThe journey of the carpet is almost as compelling as the finished work The completed piece was first brought together on the roof of Jaipur Rugs finishing centre near Jaipur where the artisans who helped create it could finally experience

2 Sep 2026

Positive Reads