NEW DELHI: A young office worker, Rewa Shukla, living in a slum on the outskirts of New Delhi, one of India’s most densely populated cities, can’t remember a time when his family did not have a newspaper delivered to their home. Even when home was a single room in an overcrowded, worn down apartment complex without indoor plumbing. Even when his father was working long hours and was the only person bringing in an income to provide the family basic necessities- food, water, clothing and shelter.

The newspaper was what Rewa’s father believed would open the world of opportunity for his three children. And now, families like his, are the reason why there is such high growth of regional newspaper being printed in India. Regional newspapers are being printed in the major languages spoken in India, such as Hindi, but they’re also being printed in the many regional dialects.

Everything about this business is illegal: the holes dug without permission, the trucks operating without permits from the government, the water sold without testing or treatment.

Men doing this kind of illegal work are of great importance in Delhi. The amount of water supplied falls short of the city’s needs by at least 207 million gallons each day. One in four of Delhi’s households live without running water in their homes; most of the rest receive water for only a few hours each day. So people in the city have come to rely on private truck owners… even if the water they're buying is illegal.

So why does illegal activity like this exist? Why doesn’t the government provide enough water to its citizens? As the large urban areas of Delhi become more and more densely populated, the government is worried about, and refuses to, provide water to meet the needs of the people for a couple reasons. ​

The government worries they might run out of groundwater for future generations. They also think that certain areas where millions of people have set up slum communities did so without government permission, therefore, the government doesn’t feel responsible to provide them services.

The water mafia business will continue to thrive as long as the government and the people can’t come to a final agreement on water supply.

Great Britain used to own India as a colony, so when the British went to India to rule, they brought their own culture with them, including a popular sport called “cricket.” The first cricket match in India happened in 1721, when British sailors started playing while on break. 300 years later, cricket is one of India’s most popular sports and cricket players are some of the wealthiest people in India!

Cricket is a game played between two teams of eleven members with a bat and ball. The cricket bat is flat on one end and bulged on the other, like a baseball bat. The ball is as big as a baseball and is usually red. It is played on a large, oval-shaped field with three boundaries marked out. The goal of the game is to score points against the other team by running from side to side on the field before the play ends.

Marriages in India: Who Knows Best? You or Your Parents?

​Traditionally, in India, parents choose – arrange - the wife or husband (spouse) for their child. Parents consider various factors when selecting a spouse for their child. Here are some important features Indian parents consider to make a good match: (1) having the same religion, (2) having the same economic/social class (the other person and family has, at least, the same amount of money & education), (3) the spouse and family has a well-respected reputation (they share the same language and eating habits/diets), and (4) they are a good personality and attractiveness match.

In American culture, love marriage means a marriage based on the two individuals finding each other, dating, falling in love, and choosing to marry. The couple decides for themselves if they want to marry each other. In these types of marriages the couple may or may not consider the other person’s education level, religion, family compatibility, economic class, etc.

Families may have an opinion about the couple being a good match or try to influence their decisions; but ultimately, the two individuals will choose for themselves if they want to marry. This type of love marriage is gaining popularity in India, but has a reputation for leading to higher divorce rates.

​Some couples try to compromise between love marriages and arranged marriages. Often, in this type of marriage, the couple has met on their own and agreed they would make a good match. In other instances, the parents will find a number of possible good matches and their son or daughter can choose to accept/reject that person. It is very popular for people to use on-line match making sites to help find a suitable match. Once the two find each other and feel they are ready to begin the marriage process, they often go through many of the same rituals and ceremonies as in an arranged marriage; such as, the two families meet, they begin openly dating, they have an engagement ceremony, and marry. These types of marriages are sometimes looked down upon in traditional Indian culture because “love” alone isn’t considered a solid enough to last over time.