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Wednesday, July 23, 2025
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Book Excerpts

Meenakari—enamel art that travelled from 16th-century Persia to modern-day India

Apart from being used on the reverse side of kundan jewellery, Meenakari is also done on decorative objects in the shape of elephants, horses and masks.

‘One more fight, the last and the best’—How Bose planned great escape from British custody

Sanjeev Sanyal's 'Revolutionaries' documents India's struggle for Independence with a sharp focus on armed resistance against the British Raj.

From scientific fervour to social reform, a new book brings out little known facets of Hindutva

Aravindan Neelakandan uses history, sociology, politics, and science as tools to analyse the many facets of Hindutva in his 816-page book.

Bahadur Shah Zafar resented Raja Ram Mohan Roy. So he complained to East India Company

In 'The Broken Script: Delhi Under the East India Company and the Fall of the Mughal Dynasty' Swapna Liddle details the complex tussle between the last two Mughal emperors and the East India company. 

Kodaikanal’s radioactive seafood diet, how mercury was added to the menu

In 'Heavy Metal: How a Global Corporation Poisoned Kodaikanal', author Ameer Shahul explores the mercury poisoning that rocked the hill station.

India’s survival was important for US in 1950s. How it changed 40 years later

In 'Friends with Benefits', Seema Sirohi traces the India-US story with stark detail, and the transformation of their relationship over decades.

Ageing people are difficult, but they deserve to be: Romila Thapar

In ‘A Portrait of Ageing’, professor Romila Thapar writes about holding onto life in the 'last stages'.

Knee deep sewage, sea of documents—the story of two families escaping the war in Kabul

With 'August in Kabul', Walkley-award winning journalist Andrew Quilty offers a remarkable record of the US exit from Afghanistan, and the return of the Taliban.

What is Kalaripayattu? Ancient Indian martial art that has come to define Kerala

Kalaripayattu has traditionally been passed on to students through ‘vaythari’ or oral commands. It was only in 1936 that these instructions were published.

Vivekananda rejected image worship and the guru cults of contemporary Indian spirituality

In Guru to the World: The Life and Legacy of Vivekananda, Ruth Harris shows how Swami Vivekananda’s thought became a touchstone of Hindu nationalist politics.

On Camera

Air India crash report shows an institutional reform of AAIB and aviation ministry is in order

The civil aviation ministry could have recognised the enormity of the Air India crash and prepared the AAIB and its investigating team for its sensitivities.

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.

Not just AK-203, India & Russia to jointly manufacture AK-19 and PPK-20 for domestic use and export 

India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.

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.