Explainer, 2 min read
How to check a viral WhatsApp forward before you share it
Seven quick checks — from reverse image search to reading the date — that catch most fake forwards in under five minutes.
Explainers
Original guides from the The Headline Update explainer desk on elections, the RBI, UPI, the monsoon, the RTI Act, online fraud and more, updated when the facts change.
Explainer, 2 min read
Lost money to an online fraud? What to do in the first hour
Speed matters. The order in which to call 1930, block your bank access and save the evidence.
Explainer, 1 min read
IMD weather warnings decoded: what green, yellow, orange and red really mean
The colours are about what to do, not just how much it will rain. A guide for every season.
Explainer, 2 min read
Repo rate explained: how an RBI decision reaches your home-loan EMI
The Monetary Policy Committee changes one number. Here is how it travels to your bank, your loan and your fixed deposit.
Explainer, 1 min read
Why June rains move markets: the monsoon and India’s farm economy
How IMD measures a “normal” monsoon, and why a few weeks of rain shape prices, jobs and company sales.
Explainer, 1 min read
How a Lok Sabha election works, from nomination to counting day
543 seats, one vote each, and a long chain of checks in between. A step-by-step guide.
Explainer, 1 min read
UPI, explained: what happens in the seconds after you tap Pay
A plain-language guide to India’s favourite way to pay, and the one rule that stops most UPI frauds.
Explainer, 2 min read
Reading the Union Budget: ten terms that decide where the money goes
Fiscal deficit, capex, cess, devolution — a jargon-free glossary for Budget day.
Explainer, 1 min read
How to file an RTI application online, step by step
Ten rupees, thirty days and the right question: a practical guide to the Right to Information Act.