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Thursday, July 24, 2025
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Book Excerpts

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.

Indira Gandhi vs Morarji Desai: How JNU was at the centre of battle to capture academia

Under Indira Gandhi, JNU turned a deep shade of red because of curricula and faculty chosen by Education Minister Syed Nurul Hasan from a pool of pro-CPI teachers.

On Camera

Defence, tech, education—Modi’s visit will boost India-UK ties

Given the immediate challenges on India’s borders, cooperation in the defence sector with partners such as the UK has achieved greater importance.

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.

Indian firm sets up titanium, superalloy plants to meet global need. Safran, Dassault, BAE line up

PTC Industries is investing Rs 1,000 cr in 4 manufacturing plants in UP, has already started supplying titanium parts to BAE Systems for its M-777 howitzers that India also uses.

Strategic partner one day, tactical nightmare the next: India’s learning Trumplomacy the hard way

Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.