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By lumping video games and real money games into one “online gaming” category, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology is creating chaos in the virtual world.

In this issue

05-05-202339 STORIES

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Written with rage: Review of ‘The Nemesis’ by Manoranjan Byapari

The second novel of the Chandal Jibon trilogy lacks the power of the first but is still impressive in its unflinching look at social injustice.

Abhinav Chakraborty

A ringside view of democracy: Review of ‘House of the People’ by Ronojoy Sen

That is what this “biography” of India’s Parliament gives the reader for the most part.

Ajay Gudavarthy

Simple and stirring: Review of ‘Landfall’ by Keki N. Daruwalla

Keki N. Daruwalla’s recent volume of poetry shows that he continues to be as brilliant as ever.

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Imaging the freedom tree: Review of ‘Insurgency and the Artist’ by Vinay Lal

Vinay Lal sets himself this enormous task to mark the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence.

Salt to taste: Review of ‘Song of the Golden Sparrow’ by Nilanjan P. Choudhury

This is a quick and easy read, provided its version of “history” is not taken too seriously.

New books on the shelves

A fictional telling of the history of Bangladesh, an intellectual biography of B.R. Ambedkar, and more.

Workers, peasants rise again in protest to demand government benefits

A huge protest rally in Delhi sought to highlight various issues faced by them. A universal pension and a minimum wage were among the demands.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

Maharashtra’s polarising ‘love jehad’ rallies

Aimed at garnering support for the BJP in the run-up to crucial elections in 2024, these rallies are gaining ground in Maharashtra.

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FLQ: The Frontline Quiz!

Climate change, military campaigns, fake jewelry, and more.

Sumant Srivathsan

Lonely crusaders: A common Indian phenomenon

Such individuals, who dedicate their entire lives to unusual projects, deserve our attention and appreciation.

World Bank-IMF plans to resolve global economic crises a road map to limbo

This seems to show a shift in the organisations’ focus away from the very poor towards increased participation of the private sector.

C.P. Chandrasekhar

Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre: Culture as spectacle

Culture thrives on patronage, and to participate in patronised culture is to forever remember how fraught the very desire for culture is.

Prathyush Parasuraman

Kumaon: Frozen in Time

Just as there is no free lunch, there is no journey without its hiccups.

Shikha Tripathi

Ancient bonds: Joining the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra

The crowning moment was when Tibetan pilgrims broke into age-old nyelu songs proclaiming the fraternity of all travellers on this sacred route.

Abhimanyu Pandey

Why the maths is not working out for the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir

The longer it delays the election, the more space the BJP is likely to cede to its rivals in the PAGD.

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Science & Technology

Time slits change the frequency of light

A team led by Imperial College London physicists performed Young’s experiment using ‘slits’ in time rather than space.

R. Ramachandran

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Science & Technology

New IISc supercapacitor can store and also release energy

The device can potentially be used in streetlights, consumer electronics, electric cars, and medical devices.

R. Ramachandran

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Science & Technology

Banned CFCs still increasing in atmosphere

The release of CFCs into the atmosphere is responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.

R. Ramachandran

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Editor’s Note: Gaming? Or gambling?

The gaming industry faces a double whammy with Tamil Nadu banning online gaming and the MeitY releasing the IT (Amendment) Rules 2023.

Despite Tamil Nadu Governor nod to ban online gambling, issue far from resolved

The Centre has muddied the waters with its efforts on regulating online gaming.

Ilangovan Rajasekaran

New amendments to IT Rules lack clarity, fall short in defining key aspects

While the new rules leave the definition of wagering undefined, rummy and similar games raise concerns about legality.

Families of online gambling victims in Tamil Nadu live in shame

In one case, the “loan recovery gangs” had sent morphed pictures of the victim to his friends’ WhatsApp groups.

Ilangovan Rajasekaran

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Political quagmire in Israel as Netanyahu abandons past pragmatism

The Israeli Prime Minister succumbed to pressure from his extreme right-wing partners over the proposed judicial reforms.

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Defamation and disqualification: Rahul Gandhi and his speech

When disqualification gets suspended by a stay of conviction, what purpose is served by instant disqualification?

The monkey whisperers of Delhi

After the use of langurs was banned in 2012, monkey chaser Gul Khan and his extended family evolved their craft to tackle the simian menace.

Vivan Sundaram (1943-2023): Rebel, writer, thinker, artist

Sundaram’s persona and works led to a major radicalisation of artistic concepts.

Ashish Rajadhyaksha

Project Tiger @50: Success but at what cost?

The count of tigers in India has increased but has this come at the expense of other species and vulnerable local communities.

Rajkamal Goswami,Abi Tamim Vanak

Vivan Sundaram: Inviting the world into his art

Remembering Vivan Sundaram through images of his works displayed in a 2018 retrospective at Kiran Nadar Museum in New Delhi.

Ajay Jaiman,Vaishna Roy

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How 10 young women overcome challenges in Rajasthan as Shiksha Sambal Fellows

In a life-changing experience, the women from Delhi’s outskirts taught in rural Rajasthan through the Shiksha Sambal programme.

Rama Kant Agnihotri

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Online video games vs online real money games: Not one and the same

The amended IT Rules do not seem to recognise these are two starkly different industries and call not just for separate laws but separate ministries.

Harish Chengaiah

Justice K. Chandru: ‘Governor is not umpire or referee’

The former Madras High Court judge spoke on the power equations between a Governor and the State government.

Ilangovan Rajasekaran

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‘Only the tip of the iceberg’: Dr Jayant Mahadevan on online gambling in India

Dr Mahadevan of NIMHANS feels India will see a worsening of the online gambling problem in the years to come.

Eshwar Sundaresan

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‘The changes in IT Rules are bypassing checks and balances’: Prateek Waghre

The Policy Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation called the proposal to constitute a “fact-check unit” an “unconstitutional exercise”.

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How Bihar is rapidly losing the libraries that it was once famous for

Once famous for its glorious libraries, Bihar has slowly lost many of them. Today, only 51 remain, while six districts do not have even a single one.

Syed Faizan Raza,Ali Fraz Rezvi

Where is Amritpal Singh? Drama unravels in Punjab around missing preacher

But serious questions remain: How did he escape the police dragnet? Is a scare around his persona being built to polarise Punjab?

Ashutosh Sharma

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1987 Maliana massacre verdict: Travesty of justice

As the Meerut court acquits all 38 accused, survivors blame shoddy investigation and poor prosecution.

Ashutosh Sharma

Tight contest expected in 2023 Karnataka Assembly election

The Congress seems to have an edge over the BJP despite a dispersed vote base.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

Were Ram Navami clashes in West Bengal orchestrated for political ends?

The State government’s inability to prevent the recent communal flare-up raises questions.

Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay

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China helps narrow the gulf between Iran and Saudi Arabia

The agreement brokered by Beijing to resume diplomatic ties is expected to give a fillip to regional cooperation.

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