Harshad Mehta is largely forgotten, but scams continue to flourish in an India where neither corporate governance nor regulatory authorities are held accountable.

In this issue

15-12-202331 STORIES

‘The Dystopian Times’ by Appupen

Goats can save us the trouble of stubble

Why burn stubble when you can get goats to chomp up the paddy stalks? This might be the most pantheistic solution yet.

In Tukaram’s earthly paradise

By offering two iterations of Tukaram’s 51 abhangas, Shanta Gokhale and Jerry Pinto invite readers to form their own interpretations of bhakti poetry.

A fearless exploration of the black hole of the mind

Manjula Padmanabhan’s Stolen Hours and Other Curiosities is filled with unpredictable, open-ended, and edgy sci-fi stories.

India’s lawless financial capitalism fosters a culture of scams

Cheered on by the state, it has infused an alarming disregard for ethical conduct and public accountability.

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Gurez Valley: Kashmir’s pristine land braces itself for a tourism surge

As more and more tourists troop in, the remote valley is poised for a cultural and commercial transformation.

Lakshmi Sankaran

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Whose Ayodhya?

The city’s cultural heritage, encompassing Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu influences, is being overshadowed by the construction of the Ram Mandir.

India’s post-COVID ‘growth’ could be a statistical mirage

It is largely fuelled by speculative bubbles caused by excessive liquidity, a trend that is inherently risky.

C.P. Chandrasekhar

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‘The Indian Cat’ is B.N. Goswamy’s ode to the feline mystique

With a fascinating gallery of images, quotes from texts, and poems and proverbs, this charming book is a cat lover’s dream.

Anusua Mukherjee

A people-first development agenda for India

Sanjay Kaul proposes a set of focus areas for the country’s development while offering a way forward to activate the recommendations made.

Uma Mahadevan-Dasgupta

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A call to action for a healthier future

Harsh Mander’s book challenges us to examine the COVID-19 pandemic and reimagine our approach to public health.

T.K. Rajalakshmi

Researcher with a keen eye for detail, B.N. Goswamy was a rarity among art writers

He could convey profound ideas in prose that approached poetry in its lyricism and simplicity.

How B.N. Goswamy energised everyone into the cult of seeing

According to the art historian, seeing was longing and not merely a passive printing of the world on the senses.

Prathyush Parasuraman

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Science & Technology

A solar cell with unprecedented power conversion efficiency

Plus the inadequacy of countries’ climate action plans, and making glass-making greener in this edition of Science Notebook.

R. Ramachandran

Who will mourn the Sundarbans?

The 7.7 million inhabitants of the largest mangrove forest in the world face a bleak future as coastal erosion and high tides consume their islands.

Shailendra Yashwant

Former Chief Ministers B.S. Yediyurappa and H.D. Kumaraswamy protest against the Karnataka government’s decision to release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, on September 27.

How JD(S)’ desperate bid to regain relevance in Karnataka has faltered

Its chances of becoming a strong regional force have significantly diminished following its electoral defeat and subsequent reunion with the BJP.

Vikhar Ahmed Sayeed

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New books on the shelves

John Grisham’s latest legal suspense thriller, two memoirs, a monograph on the idea of consent, and much more.

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Letters

Readers respond.

Indian economy’s ‘K-shaped’ recovery shows the rich are thriving, while the poor struggle

The Modi government’s claims of a new growth momentum are contradicted by rising inequality and stagnant living standards for the majority.

Sukumar Muralidharan

BJP’s Rajasthan election strategy: A micro-management model rooted in Hindutva

It has the power to swing the election in unexpected ways, and Congress has much to worry about.

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Editor’s Note: Beating the law has become aspirational

So long as everyone feeds off its flesh, the culture of illegality will thrive. And the scams will continue.

As world focusses on Gaza, Israel’s onslaught on the West Bank continues

A larger plan seems to be unfolding in the West Bank, the annexation of which has been of central interest to ultra-right Zionist leaders since 1967.

Shubhda Chaudhary

Growing number of vacant positions at Information Commissions threaten RTI Act

The transparency law faces an existential crisis due to a shortage of commissioners, regressive amendments, and a lack of political support.

Ashutosh Sharma

‘Stable government, secure environment BRS’ strengths’: K. Kavitha

The MLC believes that the BRS enjoys greater credibility among major parties in Telangana.

West Bengal’s political violence: A fight for resource control?

Violence and intimidation reign supreme in rural West Bengal, where political power means control over resources and money.

Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay

With his focus on welfare schemes, K. Chandrashekar Rao holds a commanding lead in Telangana

While the Congress aims to capitalise on anti-incumbency and unfulfilled promises, the BJP is a distant third.

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Tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand is part of a bigger problem in the Himalayas

Projects like the ill-conceived Char Dham road have made an already fragile landscape even more vulnerable to disasters.

‘Information Commissions should be in the ICU’: Aruna Roy

The social activist says that those in power continue to find ways to refuse and thwart RTI requests.

Ashutosh Sharma

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‘BRS has looted the people of Telangana’: Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka

The Congress Legislature Party leader says wealth accumulation has benefited only a few feudal individuals in Telangana.

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‘Rahul Gandhi suffers from political amnesia’: Asaduddin Owaisi

The AIMIM party president says Rahul Gandhi’s approach mirrors that of former US President George Bush: “Either you are with us, or against us.”

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B.N. Goswamy (1933-2023): Master of the art of seeing

B.N. Goswamy was a prolific author and authority on miniature painting, but above all, he was a rasika who read art to reveal its hidden meaning.

Archive

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 17-05-2024

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 03-05-2024

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 19-04-2024

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+ READ THIS ISSUE 05-04-2024

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