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Monday, August 11, 2025
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Book Excerpts

A billionaire from nowhere: The over ambitious journey of diamond mogul Nirav Modi

Nirav Modi’s is a story of how one man’s drive to succeed at all costs can jeopardise an entire ecosystem.

India’s ranking in world Fragility Index continued worsening after Modi govt came to power

India ranked 79th among 178 countries in overall fragility in 2013, the last full year when Congress was in power, increasing thereafter to 72nd rank in 2018.

What Agha Ashraf Ali said when I asked about Kashmiri Muslims who chant ‘Pakistan Zindabad’

Former J&K chief secretary Moosa Raza writes in his book about a conversation he had with the educationist to seek answers for Kashmiris’ disenchantment with India.

Millions of women absent from India’s workforce capable of adding Rs 30 lakh crore to GDP

Nearly 120 million Indian women are unable to join the workforce with safety & mobility issues and gender norms hampering their entry.

Rocket science: How small ‘sounding rockets’ scripted ISRO success story

The PSLV is by no means the most powerful rocket in the world, or even in ISRO’s armour. Yet, the story of PSLV is, in a sense, the story of rocketry in ISRO.

The Indian political leaders of today who come closest to Akbar, Ghiyasuddin, Aurangzeb

Akbar was unconventional, Ghiyasuddin believed in the divine right of kingship and Aurangzeb was a darling of the orthodox.

When Lal Bahadur Shastri sent Nehru his resignation & set a gold standard for politicians

As railway and transport minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri sent his resignation twice to Nehru after train accidents. Only once he was persuaded to take it back.

How al-Qaida outpaced ISIS in Bangladesh by tuning into youth anger & conservatism

Modern Bangladesh is a textbook breeding ground for ‘ressentiment’. And new strains of Islamist terror—ISIS and Al-Qaeda—are showing through.

Gandhi goal behind courting Hindu leaders & groups was to make them more malleable to Muslims

Gandhi was a great enthusiast for cow protection but refused to use it as a bargaining chip for his support to the Khilafat Movement.

Why Pakistan doesn’t have to choose between traditional ally US and newer friend China

Pakistan must learn to live in South Asia without becoming a vassal of surging India. Otherwise, it risks becoming an asterisk in future atlases.

On Camera

Rahul’s ‘vote chori’ attack on EC is a political dead-end. He still has a point

The ECI needs to respond to Rahul Gandhi’s accusations professionally and transparently. Else, it will end up giving him the ammunition he is desperately seeking.

How mining, manufacturing & power sectors weighed on India’s industrial output since January 2024

India’s industrial output growth saw a 10-month low in June, with Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growing by mere 1.5% as against 1.9% in May 2025.

‘Next war may come sooner than expected, will require whole-of-nation approach’—Army chief

Gen Dwivedi framed Op Sindoor not just as retaliation to Pahalgam, but as demonstration of India’s capability to fight multi-domain conflicts with integration between services & agencies.

Modi’s ready to risk it all for farmers. Farm reform can answer Trump with new Green Revolution

Standing up to America is usually not a personal risk for a leader in India. Any suggestions of foreign pressure unites India behind who they see as leading them in that fight.