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Time Capsule

Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi: A tragic day in Indian history

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The Middle

Relativity in everyday life
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Business

DeepSeek looks fantastic but not a miracle and not built in USD 5m, panic on it seems overblown: Bernstein Report
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ThoughtForTheDay

ALBERT Einstein told the world, “Everything is relative”. A clever tweak to this truism popped up on my phone the other day: “For some people who amass power and wealth for their relatives, ‘relative is everything’.” I chuckled at this satirical jab as I recalled an incident. It happened more than a decade ago at an ATM booth located in a fuel station complex on the outskirts of Muscat, the capital of Oman, where I worked for nearly 13 years. As a white-collar professional, I had maintained a self-imposed minimum balance of Rs 50,000 (in equivalent local currency of Omani riyals) in my account, mainly to cater to emergencies like an unforeseen trip to India. However, during one month, I incurred several unplanned expenses. As I entered the ATM booth and withdrew money, I knew that my bank balance had dropped to Rs 30,000, breaching my safety net by Rs 20,000. This realisation made me uneasy as I stepped out of the booth. Just then, a young Indian expat worker in a blue coverall hesitantly approached me. “Saab, I don’t know how to operate these machines. Can you help me?” he asked, holding out his ATM card. “What do you want to do?” I asked. “I want to deposit money into my account,” he said, holding two one-riyal notes amounting to Rs 350. “This machine is for withdrawal. You’ll need a CDM — a cash deposit machine,” I explained. Watching his confused look, I quickly reassured him, “No problem. I’ll help you.” Guiding him to the nearby CDM, I deposited his money. As I handed back his ATM card, he hesitantly looked at me and said, “Saab, I need one more favour.” “What is it?” I asked, my impatience growing. “I want to withdraw five riyals from my account,” he said, his voice faltering. I was perplexed. “Withdraw five riyals — in other words, just Rs 875? Is he up to some prank on me?” I said to myself. “Then why did you deposit two riyals just now?” I asked him. His answer floored me. “The ATM doesn’t allow withdrawals of less than five riyals, and I only have three in my account. That’s why I deposited two riyals, so I can take out my entire five riyals.” Moved by his financial plight, I immediately took him back to the ATM and withdrew his five riyals for him. Driving back home, I felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Just a few minutes ago, I had felt bad for not being able to maintain a minimum balance of Rs 50,000 in my account. Now, after meeting this worker, I understood how blessed I was. Indeed, Einstein was dead right about relativity.
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Science & Technology

DeepSeek gives Europe's tech firms a chance to catch up in global AI race
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World

Memorial service to mark 80 years since liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops held in Poland
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Business

Bernstein hikes Paytm target to Rs 1100 as India's fintech sector expands rapidly
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Business

Reliance to see recovery in 2025, driven by telecom, retail and refining: Bernstein
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Health

Study finds techniques to protect neurons from harmful impact of high-fat diet on multiple sclerosis progression
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Business

Quick commerce to expand into new categories and cities in 2025; smaller cities embrace the model: Bernstein Report
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