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The FinePrint

Tablighi case over, but 5 years of stigma linger. ‘Did it happen because I’m Muslim?’

‘We kept asking what our crime was, but there was no answer,’ said Shafiquddin Malik, one of 70 men cleared after five years in the Tablighi Jamaat case by the Delhi High Court.

Working at Rikers Island prison taught Tillotama Shome more than acting school

Improvisational work at Rikers Island prison taught her more than any acting school could have, she said. It toughened her and made her resilient

Embassy of Westarctica: The unreal life of a fake diplomat & his grand illusion in Ghaziabad

This week, UP STF raided Harsh Vardhan Jain’s rented bungalow in Ghaziabad, which he'd been successfully passing off as embassy of ‘Seborgia, Poulbia, Lodonia and Westarctica’ for 8 yrs.

Prada’s Milan misstep can bring Kolhapuris back on their feet. Chappal Gali has new hope

Kolhapuri chappals have long battled low demand and dwindling artisan numbers. A case of cultural appropriation is now offering the craft a possible chance at revival.

Pakistani accomplices, shootouts, sealed chargesheet—how the 7/11 blasts case fell apart

After 19 years, the Bombay High Court finally held what governments and intelligence services have long known: The men sentenced for their role in the bombings had nothing to do with it.

Rise & rise of Rajeev Shukla—Kanpur reporter & ‘everyone’s best friend’, next in line to lead BCCI

Shukla has friends across party lines, boardrooms and dressing rooms. Such is his ability to be photographed at all the right moments that the Congressman is now part of popular culture.

DTC’s lost decade—model fleet to mess. Electric overhaul is the new hope

The new BJP govt in Delhi is pitching itself as DTC’s saviour. In four months, 400 DEVI buses have rolled out, depots upgraded, new routes planned.

Bihar mimics 19th-century American South. Citizenship is now weaponised to exclude voters

Disenfranchisement by institutional fiat is profoundly undemocratic. The effect of the ECI's new documentary process in Bihar will tilt the scales in favour of the BJP.

Dalit women reclaiming Punjab’s farmlands. ‘We are born on this land, have a right to it’

In village after village in the Malwa region, Dalit women have won the right to farm common land. They are now protesting and courting arrest to demand a new casteless settlement: Begumpura.

A heritage law left homeowners at ASI’s mercy. Now, Modi govt plans to ease it

The AMASR Act bars construction within 100 to 200 metres of protected monuments, leaving people living nearby stuck. An amendment is now finally set to be tabled in monsoon session of Parliament.

On Camera

Maharashtra’s language war reaches West Bengal. Actor Prosenjit Chatterjee is the first victim

While the language war in other states is targeting those who can't speak the local language, in Bengal, even those whose mother tongue is Bengali have to constantly prove their Bengali-ness.

India-US set to ink mini trade deal soon, reach understanding on agricultural & dairy products

Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.

DRDO successfully tests latest version of UAV-launched precision missile, ULPGM-V3

Capable of being fired in plain and high-altitude areas, it has day-and-night capability and two-way data link to support post-launch target, aim-point update.

Modi’s Bharat vs Indira’s India: 11-yr report card of politics, diplomacy, economy, nationalism

As Narendra Modi becomes India’s second-longest consecutively serving Prime Minister, we look at how he compares with Indira Gandhi across four key dimensions.