The deaths in Kota are not a new malaise, but only the latest symptom of a deeply diseased education and social system.

In this issue

06-10-202331 STORIES

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Letters

Readers respond.

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New books on the shelves

A 1967 Hindi novel about women’s choice and agency, a trailblazing book about India’s women wildlife biologists, and much more.

We don’t need this education

A flawed education system that treats students as numbers, not minds, is taking a toll on adolescent mental health. Do we have a solution?

Is ‘One Nation, One Election’ really feasible?

The Centre’s proposal for simultaneous general and Assembly elections has raised concerns about its impact on federalism.

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Namakkal: A Kota in the making?

The erstwhile industrial town in Tamil Nadu is a bustling hub of NEET/JEE coaching institutes now.

Saatvika Radhakrishna

A cry for help that goes unnoticed

Mental health issues, academic pressure, and social stigma are driving India’s students to suicide. What can we do to prevent it?

Shreevatsa Nevatia

Blank mark sheets in Uttar Pradesh leave over 30,000 students in limbo

The students have been issued blank mark sheets for their class X examinations. Now they are unable to enroll in colleges or apply for scholarships.

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India’s pressure-cooker education system

The relentless pressure to excel in exams like JEE and NEET drives students to the brink. But that’s just one side of this tragic story.

Frontline Bureau

Disasters in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand point to flawed development model

Indigenous communities in the two ecologically fragile Himalayan States are routinely excluded from this narrative that fuels reckless growth.

Members of the All India Confederation of Commercial Taxes Association protesting in New Delhi against the Central government taking away a major share of revenue from States under the GST Act.

How the Modi government is dismantling India’s federalism, politically and fiscally

States’ access to resources is seemingly conditional on having a “double-engine sarkar”, even as governments’ space for economic policy is shrinking.

C.P. Chandrasekhar

Villagers travelling on a country boat along with their motorbikes at Kharinasi ghat in Kendrapara district, Odisha.

India cannot be reduced to one narrative, one order, one analysis

The country’s diversity and plurality means such an attempt is likely to end in the realisation that the opposite is as much valid.

A fan performs rituals for a cut-out of the actor Shah Rukh Khan during the celebrations on the day of release of the film Jawan in Kolkata.

Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Jawan’ is all fandom, no film

In a brave departure from traditional filmmaking, Jawan pushes the boundaries of art and audience.

Prathyush Parasuraman

Emerging into the light: Review of ‘Furies’

This collection of short stories to mark 50 years of the feminist press Virago is a riotous celebration of women in all their infinite variety.

True lies: Review of ‘Quarterlife’ by Devika Rege

This debut novel is thickly packed with ideas that threaten to clog its flow until the narrative changes gear towards the end, saving the day.

Abhinav Chakraborty

Half a love: Review of ‘The Sufi’s Nightingale’ by Sarbpreet Singh

This historical novel about a pair of male lovers from 16th-century Punjab seems unable to accept the story’s history.

Maratha reservation issue takes a troubling turn

Police crackdown on Maratha protesters in Antarwali Sarati ignites a fierce political battle, putting the government on the defensive.

Tight race in Maldives between India-leaning Solih and Muizzu, who is supported by China-backed PPM

The outcome of the September 30 run-off will have far-reaching implications for the Maldives’ future, both domestically and internationally.

R.K. Radhakrishnan

A map to expansion: Understanding China’s ‘cartographic aggression’

As China’s territorial ambitions grow, its use of maps to stake claims is becoming increasingly provocative. This must be countered.

‘The Dystopian Times’ by Appupen

Samadharma: Periyar’s idea for India

More than a criticism of religion, samadharma is a commitment to equality and to a secularism that can guarantee it.

Karthick Ram Manoharan

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Decoding Dalit politics: Review of ‘Maya, Modi, Azad’ by Sudha Pai and Sajjan Kumar

This is a must-read for understanding why Dalits are attracted to the Hindu right wing.

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Portrait of a poet in exile: Review of ‘The Bharathi I Knew’ by M.K. Yadhugiri Ammal

A biographical account of the visionary Tamil poet Subramania Bharathi during his exile in Puducherry.

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Strange and unsatisfying: A review of ‘Homeless’ by K. Vaishali

Readers get almost no chance to look at the world the narrator inhabits through a lens that is not inflected by uncertainty and fuzziness of distress.

Dakshayini Suresh

India’s cheetah project: A costly diversion from more pressing priorities

The project, hailed as a saviour for abused ecosystems and endangered species, now faces scrutiny over its suitability, transparency and feasibility.

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Science & Technology

How NASA is making autonomous rovers for the moon

Mini-moon rovers, how earth has seen its warmest summer yet, a solution for the “wild boar paradox”, and more in this edition of Science Notebook.

R. Ramachandran

How the Global South seized the spotlight at G20 summit in New Delhi

The summit scored its greatest win by placing concerns of developing and poor countries front and centre, challenging the dominance of Western powers.

Editor’s Note: Boycotting hate speech anchors not an attack on press freedom

Media’s role in inciting communalism and violence must be called out.

Article 370 in Supreme Court: Will Kashmir’s special status be restored?

The ruling, anticipated around November-December, will be a critical moment in India’s constitutional history.

At Rs.51.75 crore, ‘Gestation’ puts S.H. Raza at the highest level of Indian art

Raza’s painting made history in the same year that the Pompidou in Paris celebrated his centenary.

Shreevatsa Nevatia

Jayanta Mahapatra: A master litterateur who created a language uniquely his own

The interplay of Mahapatra’s careers as a poet and translator resulted in a rich diction.

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Remembering Habib Tanvir, the master of modern Indian theatre

Tanvir’s unwavering commitment to his craft and his refusal to bow down to censorship continue to serve as an inspiration.

Sudhanva Deshpande

Archive

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 01-12-2023

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 17-11-2023

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 03-11-2023

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 20-10-2023

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