Dear Readers,
A very happy 75th Independence Day to all of you!
Our country has come a long way in various fields…be it medical, IT or sporting events. The recently concluded 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw India win seven medals. While the world went into lockdowns and the Olympics were put on hold for a year – this wasn't the case for the athletes for whom representing their country was their main goal. Among the cohort of athletes who journeyed to Tokyo were some incredible female Olympians who broke every boundary, made history and smashed records. According to the International Olympics Committee (IOC) press release, almost 49% of the athletes that participated were women, and this was the first gender-balanced Olympics in history. With women coming from all over the country, right from Mirabai Chanu to Lovlina Borgohain and PV Sindhu to Aditi Ashok, history was created. Read our Special Feature on how well the Indian women athletes fared in the men's sport-dominated world!
On the Cover, we have Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic medal in a track-and-field discipline. Read our Cover Story to know more about him!
Independence Day is about recognising the great strides this country has made since our founding and working towards making progress for that which still lies ahead. Women play a crucial role in every field, including armed forces. While the role of women in the Indian army began in 1888 when the "Indian Military Nursing Service" was formed during the British Rule, since then, they have served in all combat roles alongside male colleagues. Although gender equality is still a paramount challenge in the armed forces, there are some strong women who have achieved many accolades and created history. Turn to our Feature Story to find out more about them.
Stopover at People in Focus, where we clue you into Eshika Agarwal’s work. The young entrepreneur has been carefully planning to join and expand her business for the past decade now — making sure each career step taken along the way would bolster her future and embolden her expertise. She talks to us about her company, Jaydurga Décor, her business ideas and future projects.
After trying out her hand at various dishes, Padma Penamatsa thought of making a palatable dish that would last a while in our homes while we fight this pandemic. That's when she tried out a couple of pickles and decided to share her food with the rest of the world. Oorinchè Foods that literally translates to mouth-watering foods focuses on Indian pickles and gets it bang on right. Check In the Spotlight to know more about her and the delicious pickles she makes!
And in Wedding Moments, we give you a peek into Amir and Alfia's lavish wedding ceremony at the Taj Falaknuma Palace. It was truly a star-studded celebration.
And tell us what you think. If you have any suggestions, comments or queries, please e-mail me at publisher@you-and-i.com.