News Broadcasting
BBC to celebrate life and work of Charles Darwin
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC has announced a “season of content” to mark the life and work of Charles Darwin on BBC Winter 08/09.
The season will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin which completes on 12 February, 2009. It will also mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book On the Origin of Species, which laid out the theory of evolution by natural selection. The book completes its 150th year on 24 November 2009.
BBC Vision controller Knowledge Commissioning George Entwistle said, “The key Darwin anniversaries provide an excellent opportunity for the BBC to explore in real depth this revolutionary idea, and the man behind it. The season will stretch across the BBC landscape and we’re delighted to have content from across television, radio and online. We hope it will connect our audiences to Darwin the man, as well as Darwin the scientific revolutionary. I hope this season will inspire our audiences and deliver real insight into his ideas and what they mean for contemporary society.”
“2009 and 2010 are years of great significance for science and will see a major push from the BBC in the public understanding of science The BBC has commissioned some of the biggest science landmarks we have ever done, covering some of the most important fundamentals of scientific literacy,” added BBC Vision head of Science John Lynch.
A range of BBC content from BBC Science, Natural History Unit, Religion and Ethics and CBBC will be delivered across television, radio and online wherein stories and voices about this “mould-breaking” scientific theory will be showcased.
BBC One will kick off the season with a one-off special from David Attenborough and the Natural History Unit (NHU) in Bristol.
Tree of Life will explore the origin of Darwin’s idea.
Andrew Marr On Darwin’s Legacy is a series for BBC Two, which aims to explore the radical impact of Darwin’s theory not only in science, but also society, political movements (capitalist, Marxist and fascist) and religion.
BBC Four will present two specially commissioned one-off documentaries: What Darwin Didn’t Know and Darwin: In His Own Words.
Entomologist and farmer Jimmy Doherty will recreate many of Darwin’s ground-breaking plant experiments at Down House, the Darwin family home in Kent, in Darwin’s Garden.
BBC One has also commissioned Life from the NHU, a natural history special which captures animal survival behaviours.
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
