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Sunday, November 23, 2025
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Book Excerpts

Much before Punjab & Maharashtra Bank, there was the BCCI – Bank of Crooks and Criminals

In ‘Corporate Frauds’, Robin Banerjee writes about the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, which had accounts of Jimmy Carter, James Callaghan, Saddam Hussein, and arms traders.

What made Jacinda Ardern, Michelle Obama, Sanna Marin successful? Imposter syndrome

The traditional thinking around confidence is that the more you have of it, the better. In 'Strong Female Lead', Mahdawa shows that isn't true.

‘India is First World nation with Third World govt’—an American scholar’s one-liner for India

In 'Let Me Hijack Your Mind', Alyque Padamsee says Indians are the 'slaves of the media and the government. And that America agrees.

After Kohli-Kumble spat, I spoke to Tendulkar. He was conscious of the disquiet

In my conversations with the captain and team management, it was conveyed that Kumble was too much of a disciplinarian and the team members were not too happy.

NASSCOM realised brand India Inc. was the real problem. Then it changed the India story

In 'The Maverick Effect’, Harish Mehta writes that India was just not ready to do business with the world – it was a branding disaster till NASSCOM stepped in.

Pakistan’s just a Kabuki theatre. Army calls shots when politicians dare to align with India

In 'Crunch Time', Sreeram Chaulia calls Pakistan a textbook case of a ‘national security state’ where army has reigned supreme in relations with India.

The strange politics of planet JNU: How I got introduced to ‘Leftist intolerance’

In 'JNU: Nationalism and India's Uncivil War' academic Makarand R. Paranjape presents a ringside account of the problems of JNU and its implications.

How the average Indian’s emotional dependence on food is fueling widespread obesity

In 'Generation XL', one of India's leading bariatric surgeons, Dr Sanjay Borude explains how India's passion for food leads to a generational predisposition to obesity.

How dating apps exploit India’s loosely formed definition of ‘personal information’

In 'What Privacy Means', Siddharth Sonkar explains how an Indian citizen’s privacy is hardly ‘private’.

Khadi, cash, chauffeurs: How a Malayali queen impressed Gandhi

In 'Destiny's Child', Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat write about Parukutty Neithyaramma, wife of the king of Cochin, who refused to live in her husband's shadow.

On Camera

Is Indian skincare better than Korean, French, Japanese products?

Indian skin is pigmented, photoreactive, and prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Formulations must prioritise barrier support, gentle brightening, and photo protection.

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.

From a small Kangra village to Tejas cockpit: IAF fighter pilot Namansh Syal’s journey cut short

Wing Commander Namansh Syal is survived by his wife, their 6-year-old daughter and his mother. Back in his native village, relatives and neighbours wait for his remains for last rites.

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.