The brazen murder of Atiq and Ashraf Ahmed while in police protection points to a state striding wilfully towards lawlessness.

In this issue

19-05-202337 STORIES

Music

‘Encounter Pradesh’ model of instant justice indicates terror may become state policy

The Adityanath government has ushered in an era of unapologetic state vigilantism in Uttar Pradesh.

Ashutosh Sharma

Politics

Rift in Rajasthan Congress between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot out in the open

Pilot’s protest was against the Congress government’s failure to take action on corruption charges against BJP leaders when they were in power.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

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India

Encounter killings and the strongman phenomenon

The legitimacy of extrajudicial police action grows when a “strongman” emerges as leader, promising to rid society of gangsters and gangs.

Peter Ronald deSouza

India

Editor’s Note: Impunity for the state means impunity for the mobs

To replace a slow-paced and seriously flawed judicial system with “instant” justice via vigilantism is to stare into the abyss of anarchy.

Vaishna Roy

India

Assam under the scanner after rise in encounter deaths since 2017

Since 2017, Assam registered 50 cases of encounter deaths, 18 of which were in 2021-22. The police have been accused of “fake encounters”.

Sushanta Talukdar

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India

Torture, custodial killings continue to haunt lives in Jammu and Kashmir

Immunity for security personnel has dimmed prospects of free and fair justice for the victims of extra-judicial killings.

Anando Bhakto

India

Failure of governments to investigate encounter killings as murder rankling

Hardly any government complies with the National Human Rights Commission’s circular on encounter killings. How can police action be made accountable?

K. Chandru

Columns

No concrete outcomes at IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings

The lack of progress is attributed to the unwillingness of the institutions to reform themselves.

C.P. Chandrasekhar

Columns

Despite the NCERT’s shocking move, Gandhi lives on

The decision to drop the Gandhi assassination from the NCERT’s history textbook just cannot extinguish the Mahatma’s memory.

Ganesh Devy

Columns

The elusive idea of grace

Is grace that feeling of being swept into and receding from something, as in an Odissi recital?

Prathyush Parasuraman

Human rights

Atlas of Impunity: A report that ranks global lawlessness

A new report ranks countries on the basis of how poorly they have performed in terms of not adhering to the rules or the rule of law.

Anupama Katakam

Travel

The emerald lands of Kodagu

Footloose in Kodagu, where the mercury still hovers around 20° Celsius.

Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta

Books

Self-help books: Of little help?

A critical look at how such books thrive in a capitalistic culture and often end up confusing rather than helping the reader.

Deepansh Duggal

Science & Technology

Bacterial ‘syringes’ for drug delivery in humans

The system could potentially deliver gene therapies and cancer therapies in a safe and efficient way.

R. Ramachandran

Science & Technology

Hydrogen route to steel production

The use of hydrogen as a reactant to produce steel is potentially more environmentally friendly than using carbon, but an industrial-scale switch to u

R. Ramachandran

Fig. 3_IceCube Neutrino detector at Anarctica.jpgl

Science & Technology

Power-packed neutrinos as supernova detectors

As a star collapses, its iron core disintegrates, producing vast numbers of neutrinos that stream outwards in unimaginable quantities.

R. Ramachandran

India

Trade unions’ steely resolve to prevent Vizag Steel from being privatised

Workers keep up the fight against any attempt to allow private players’ participation in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Ayesha Minhaz

Gender

How underprivileged women in a Delhi slum are breaking the glass ceiling

Women at Tajpur Pahari discover the power of having information at their fingertips and find out how to use technology to empower themselves.

Ismat Ara

Arts & Culture

Dismantling the gaze

This volume traces the evolution of photography in South Asia from the 19th century to the present and challenges our conditioned habits of viewing.

Rahaab Allana

Conservation

‘We can easily reach 10,000 tigers’: Dr K. Ullas Karanth

The leading tiger expert sheds light on aspects on the finer nuances of tiger conservation.

Shekar Dattatri

Politics

Will the Karnataka election result in a decisive mandate?

The Congress looks better placed than the BJP and the JD(S) in the last leg of the campaign, as corruption, caste, and development take centre stage.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

Politics

Supriya Sule: ‘People will decide the NCP’s future’

The Nationalist Congress Party MP focussed on a possible nationwide opposition alliance with a common minimum programme.

Amey Tirodkar

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Politics

Contract killings on the rise in West Bengal

The frequency of such incidents highlights the changing face of politics in Bengal, from ideology-driven politics to muscle power politics.

Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay

World Affairs

Sudan plunges into yet another period of volatility as armed conflict erupts

The complexities of the Sudan conflict are such that the crisis is unlikely to abate anytime soon.

John Cherian

World Affairs

China’s diplomatic moves in West Asia could ripple beyond

China’s rising involvement in West Asia has implications not just for the US but also for Israel, Iran, and India.

Manoj Joshi

Arts & Culture

The essential Geoffrey Bawa: Celebrating the works of an architectural great

An exhibition on the renowned Sri Lankan architect at the NGMA marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka.

Malavika Karlekar

India

Hakki Pikki: The global nomads of Karnataka

A large number of them are now stuck in different parts of Sudan where an internecine conflict rages.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

Leading the Debate Since 1984

In this issue

A currency called Kumarji: Celebrating the centenary of Kumar Gandharva

Gangs of Gujarat: Review of ‘The Bandit Queens’ by Parini Shroff

New books on the shelves

FLQ: The Frontline Quiz!

‘My Wedding’: A Kannada story in translation

The forgotten teacher: Review of ‘A Matter of the Heart’ by Anurag Behar

Body doubles: Review of ‘Cursed Bunny’ by Bora Chung

Letters

An intellectual feast: Review of ‘The Sweet Salt of Tamil’ by Tho Paramasivan

Cops and criminals: Brothers in arms

‘Encounter Pradesh’ model of instant justice indicates terror may become state policy

Rift in Rajasthan Congress between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot out in the open

Encounter killings and the strongman phenomenon

Editor’s Note: Impunity for the state means impunity for the mobs

Assam under the scanner after rise in encounter deaths since 2017

Torture, custodial killings continue to haunt lives in Jammu and Kashmir

Failure of governments to investigate encounter killings as murder rankling

No concrete outcomes at IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings

Despite the NCERT’s shocking move, Gandhi lives on

The elusive idea of grace

Atlas of Impunity: A report that ranks global lawlessness

The emerald lands of Kodagu

Self-help books: Of little help?

Bacterial ‘syringes’ for drug delivery in humans

Hydrogen route to steel production

Power-packed neutrinos as supernova detectors

Trade unions’ steely resolve to prevent Vizag Steel from being privatised

How underprivileged women in a Delhi slum are breaking the glass ceiling

Dismantling the gaze

‘We can easily reach 10,000 tigers’: Dr K. Ullas Karanth

Will the Karnataka election result in a decisive mandate?

Supriya Sule: ‘People will decide the NCP’s future’

Contract killings on the rise in West Bengal

Sudan plunges into yet another period of volatility as armed conflict erupts

China’s diplomatic moves in West Asia could ripple beyond

The essential Geoffrey Bawa: Celebrating the works of an architectural great

Hakki Pikki: The global nomads of Karnataka

Archive