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Tuesday, November 25, 2025
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Book Excerpts

India now has a death care industry. Organising funerals to feasts, everything is costly

In 'The Final Farewell: Understanding the Last Rites and Rituals of India's Major Faiths', Minakshi Dewan explores the many ways in which some of the country's major faiths treat the dead.

Gandhi was once inspired by Vivekananda’s prescription of ‘beef, biceps, Bhagavad Gita’

In 'Sacred Cows and Chicken Manchurian', James Staples talks about how bovine issues became noteworthy once again in India in the colonial period.

This chef had a Maharashtrian menu set for the Gandhi family. But Sanjay wanted Chinese

In ‘Sweets and Bittersr’, Satish Arora recounts his time from his family kitchen to becoming the world’s youngest executive chef of Taj Mahal Hotel and then revamping Air India’s on air meals.

Samsonite was a classic American success story. How private equity firms strip-mined it

In 'These Are the Plunderers', Gretchen Morgenson writes it took a decade for Apollo to gut this once-thriving and iconic American luggage maker.

How BCCI weeded out dissent—Kapil to Shastri and Srikkanth

The Lords of Wankhede explores the evolution of Indian cricket in the 28 years between the two World Cup successes.

Sachin Tendulkar thought of retiring in 1997 after this Test match against the West Indies

Shom Biswas and Titash Banerjea write on Indian cricket's journey through the years, at a time when India has become the nerve centre of the world game.

I used my disability as a cheat code—a one-size answer to every uncomfortable question

In 'The Grammar of My Body', Abhishek Anicca talks about how being disabled makes it easy for you to lie to yourself.

Starbucks, Kalyan Jewellers, Pepsi — how big brands fell victim to ‘culture jamming’

In 'Fake News: Spot It, Stop It', Gaurav Sood explains what 'culture jamming' is and how big brands lost millions due to it.

Pranab Mukherjee’s accent was mocked by elite Delhi. ‘Keep a tutor’, Indira Gandhi told him

In 'Pranab: My Father', Sharmistha Mukherjee recalls how the former President's thick Bengali accent became the butt of the jokes in Lutyens' Delhi.

Mata ni pachedi is Gujarat’s tribute to goddesses. It tells vibrant stories on fabric

In mata ni pachedi, the figure of the goddess has a commanding presence. She is flanked by worshippers, musicians and animals.

On Camera

Worker exploitation powers the firework industry in Tamil Nadu’s Sivakasi

For an industry globally classified as hazardous, protections such as health insurance and a provident fund for workers are necessities. In Sivakasi, they remain elusive.

172 countries & counting, India looks to hit new record in rice exports. But there’s a flip side

The industry forecasts exports are set to grow 16% in 2025-26, boosted by surplus domestic production and a drive to push into 26 underserved global markets with strong potential.

India and France to jointly manufacture HAMMER air-to-surface missile

Indigenisation level will progressively increase up to 60 percent with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally.

A tribute to Tejas. India’s delay culture is the real enemy in the skies

It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.