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Book Excerpts

OYO was the big disruptor in India’s hotel industry, forcing even Tata to take note

OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal was just 18 when he came up with the idea. Within just a few years, OYO surpassed the valuation of India’s oldest hotel company.

Not just by modern-day yoga fans, Patanjali was misunderstood even in history

In his new book, Alistair Shearer traces the origins of Maharishi Patanjali's 'Yoga Sutra' and writes why modern postural yoga is missing the big point.

Odisha’s Jagannath temple was at the centre of British govt decision to go secular in India

It was not the 1857 Mutiny that set British India on a course towards secularism, but an 1833 letter of instructions from Court of Directors.

How Subedar of Bengal, Bihar & Odisha enlisted East India Company’s help to keep out Germans

As far as the Germans were concerned, they were simply not welcome in Bengal. The EIC did everything to discourage their attempts to trade.

Sardar Patel’s one comment proved all was not well between Nehru and Constitution in 1950

Astute politician that he was, Sardar Patel clearly had insights into Nehru’s thinking, which informed the advice he gave the PM on sticking to the Constitution.

Delhi Ridge: How it went from a colonial forest to murder scene to morning-walk garden

After Partition, refugees were resettled in Delhi by clearing the Central and Southern part of the Ridge. The Southern Ridge was further eaten into to establish JNU.

Mushrooms & moss: All students should be taught science like in this Uttarakhand village

There is not a person in Uttarkashi’s education network who has not heard of SS Kharola and his science and maths classes.

How Maximum City Mumbai became epicentre of illegal kidney trade with 100 transplants a month

In the early ’90s, kidney trade had a turnover of Rs 40 crore in Mumbai alone. There were several reports of people who were kidnapped and had their kidneys removed.

Tamil Brahmins were the earliest to frame merit as a caste claim, and it showed in IITs

Studies on the Indian diaspora in the US can lead one to conclude that caste largely vanishes beyond boundaries of India. The story of IIT students suggests otherwise.

How a young KPS Gill’s life was changed when his mother gave him two swords in Lahore

In his book, The Fragility of Order, Ajai Sahni writes about former Punjab police chief Kanwar Pal Singh Gill and the security challenges the world faces right now.

On Camera

No insult to Ayurveda. AIIMS an attempt to bring good standards of medical education—Amrit Kaur

On 18 February 1956, 'Rajkumari' Amrit Kaur, India's first health minister, moved the Bill in Lok Sabha for the establishment of AIIMS in Delhi. She wanted it to have the powers and functions of a university because it will 'probably make revolutionary changes in curriculum as well as in modes of teaching'.

Cash-strapped Karnataka hikes fuel tax by Rs 3/l, could earn Rs 2,500-3,000 cr more per yr

Move to bring down differences in commodity prices with neighbouring states, says government. Oppn, dealers blame it on welfare, Congress's guarantees.

With an eye on China, IAF expands taxi track at Leh airport, new shelters being built

Expanded taxi track is smaller than those meant for civilian operations, but is long enough for fighters & military transport aircraft to operate.

Sangh wants BJP to know it’s not dispensable. It’s a rap on the knuckles, nothing more

Occasional lovers’ tiffs have marked history of RSS-BJP relations. To think that Nagpur will bring about any change in leadership is a misreading of both its intent and its power.