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Saturday, November 22, 2025
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Book Excerpts

Why report on Capt Rajendra Nath’s 1952 expedition to Aksai Chin is classified to this day

In ‘Red Fear’, Iqbal Chand Malhotra writes that former Army chief Gen Cariappa had sent a recon mission to Aksai Chin. Nehru govt never made findings public.

Russia is global master of deep fakes, but don’t expect China to be clumsy for long

In ‘Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse’, Nina Schick explains how China so far has exploited the internet against its citizens, but is now looking beyond its borders.

China trying to build soft power, but its voice outside is brittle and wooden

In ‘The Ultimate Goal’, former R&AW Chief Vikram Sood writes on how Chinese leaders presume the main method of exercising soft power is through state institutions.

Saeeda Bano, first woman Urdu news reader who got marriage offers and ‘go to Pakistan’ letters

Saeeda Bano landed the job of news broadcaster for All India Radio’s Urdu service with some help from Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, a keen supporter of women’s rights.

China’s comrade billionaires: Even Jack Ma must pledge loyalty to CPC to do business

People in the West still argue that the Communist Party’s role in China’s private companies is merely a formality. But in the Xi Jinping era, nothing could be further from the truth.

Modi is India’s ‘salesman-in-chief’ in the world, authoritarian at home

In ‘Brand New Nation’, Ravinder Kaur writes about how PM Modi promised to replace red tape with red carpet, but India is now in a permanent state of anticipation.

Models, Nokia phones, DJs, $50 million hotel — Mohammed Bin Salman’s secret parties

In ‘Blood and Oil’, Bradley Hope and Justin Scheck write about Mohammed Bin Salman’s ruthless quest for power, his toys, and a 2015 party.

How Instagram went from hipster favourite app to must-have by Pepsi, Playboy and Snoop Dogg

In ‘No filter’, Sarah Frier chronicles Instagram’s rise as a photo-sharing app that competed with Facebook and Snapchat & how it shaped influencer culture.

Time poverty is making Indian women lose more money than ever

In ‘Labouring women’, economist Jayati Ghosh writes about what Indian policymakers are getting wrong in their measure of poverty.

Hindutva and idea that ‘Hindus are in danger’ were born in Bengal

In ‘Mission Bengal’, Snigdhendu Bhattacharya traces Hindu nationalism, hurt and anger to 19th-century Bengal.

On Camera

Trump’s 28 points for Ukraine add up to a no-go at peace

Two questions are pertinent: Why does the Trump administration keep making the same mistakes on the peace proposal? And what does a hurried peace plan mean on the ground?

At Charcha 2025: Local entrepreneurship, not just big IT, will drive next wave of distributed AI work

While global corporations setting up GCCs in India continue to express confidence in availability of skilled AI engineers, the panel argued that India’s real challenge lies elsewhere.

Tejas fighter aircraft crashes at Dubai Air Show, IAF confirms pilot’s death

This is the second such incident after a Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas had crashed into a hostel on the outskirts of Jaisalmer in March last year.

INDIA has a Congress-sized hole. And the fix begins with a little humility

Without a Congress revival, there can be no challenge to the BJP pan-nationally. Modi’s party is growing, and almost entirely at the cost of the Congress.