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Friday, October 31, 2025

Afterword

A breath of fresh air in studying Indo-Pak nuclear crisis management

Modern conflict cannot be viewed in a bipolar framework. International relations expert Moeed Yusuf’s new book provides a much-needed alternative.

India played US-versus-Soviets to get development aid, but gave up state power

The Price of Aid by David C. Engerman is a fascinating account of how the economic cold war shaped the first 25 years of independent India.

Arshia Sattar takes Hindu mythology beyond an Amar Chitra Katha-type narrative

Her wonderful writing and Ishan Trivedi’s colourful illustrations make ‘Garuda & the Serpents’ come alive for children as well as adults.

Madeleine Albright’s warning about fascism draws on simplistic analogies 

Former US Secy of State sidesteps historically rooted definition and examination of fascism in her book, which doesn’t offer compelling arguments. In 1939, Madeleine Albright the...

How the nexus of business and state gave birth to the East India Company

Rupali Mishra’s new book describes how licencing, permits, rights etc. fetched gains for people close to power.

From Mao to Xi, a peep into the minds of China’s great strategists

Sulmaan Wasif Khan’s ‘Haunted by Chaos’ tells the story of how China’s leaders shaped its destiny through their distinct ideologies, traumatic pasts and disparate visions.

For espionage buffs, ex-Raw chief Vikram Sood’s ‘The Unending Game’ is a fascinating read

The book is neither a memoir nor an insider’s account of the organisation. It's more of a primer, written by that rare intellectual among...

Young Muslim women fight to control their own stories in Ghazala Jamil’s new book

In 'Muslim Women Speak: Of Dreams and Shackles', activist-scholar Jamil tries to find these women's real voices, instead of just presenting them as victims.

Devil’s advocate Karan Thapar fails to acquit himself

In his rather salacious memoir, the journalist doesn't offer a nuanced perspective about the personalities and events that shaped India. 

Chidanand Rajghatta’s book combines memories of Gauri Lankesh with cultural controversies

‘Illiberal India’ is an eminently readable narrative, and is as close to a biography of Gauri as there is likely to be in English.

On Camera

India’s defence acquisition framework is designed to prevent wrongdoing, not deliver outcomes

Vivek Rae committee highlighted the deficiencies that persist even today: Fragmented authority, weak accountability, and the absence of dedicated acquisition cadres.

What the MiG-21 taught me

Consumer Price Index gets up to date. Airfare, OTT plans, e-commerce prices in new basket—MoSPI secy

New CPI series will take 2024 as base year, will provide more accurate measure of inflation, spending on digital services. Expected to enhance representation and reliability, says Saurabh Garg.

France keen to make Rafale jets in India, boost not just defence but people-to-people ties, says envoy

In a chat with ThePrint newsroom, French Ambassador Thierry Mathou indicated talks are on between French firm Safran & Indian govt for joint design & manufacture of AMCA engine.

Deepfake on duty: when I asked AI to read Op Sindoor citations

On 21 Oct, a buzz went up that the govt had released full list of gallantry award recipients along with Op Sindoor citations. I put an AI caddy on the job. It took me into a never-ending rabbit hole.