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Friday, April 3, 2026
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The FinePrint

Covid, sanctions, war. Life’s rough for Surat’s small diamond units, salaries ‘not guaranteed anymore’

West Asia war threatens to push already fragile industry deeper into crisis. Latest disruption is playing out differently for bigger and small-scale players in Surat’s diamond industry.

The secret lives of young India in small-town gyms. Dumbbells, desire, freedom

Gyms are the new hangout spots in rural and small-town India, where young men and women can mingle without social stigma. But it’s beginning to trigger a backlash.

When did the Aryans enter the subcontinent? Lucknow’s Birbal Sahni Institute is tracing DNA

The scientists at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences are working toward finding Tajikistan ancestry through skeletons found in Vadnagar; explaining the Tibetan, South Asian and Central Asian origins of Ladakhi population.

Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala lead the way in ending the orderly system. Will North follow?

Madras High Court has ordered strict compliance with Tamil Nadu's abolition of the 'orderly system'. In ending this colonial-era practice, southern states are torchbearers of social reform.

Badshah’s men say India doesn’t get the hip-hop game. Truth is, misogyny is their normal

That Badshah is misogynistic is not a particularly illuminating observation. The misogyny is a creative condition of his music, as fundamental to it as the buzzy beat drop.

10 months, 5 hearings: Official Secrets Act case against YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra still stuck at pre-trial

Malhotra was arrested in May last year over a series of alleged communications with Pakistani intelligence operatives, including sharing photographs and videos of a sensitive location.

Amit Shah won’t lose sleep over Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Assam. Bengal is different

The scenarios in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry should explain why the BJP is so focused on West Bengal.

India must allow citizens to invest beyond its borders. It’s risk management, not luxury

The financialisation of Indian household savings is one of the most important economic shifts of the past decade. But financialisation without international diversification creates fragile balance sheets.

Punjab gangsters are shooting village sarpanches now. Moving on from NRIs and pop stars

Two out of four sarpanches killed since January were associated with AAP—a detail that has drawn quiet attention in Punjab’s political circles.

Caste, freebies, Dravidian ideology & a new player—Tamil Nadu election no longer a DMK, AIADMK duopoly

The 2026 polls are being defined by a mix of governance issues, social fragmentation & ideological clashes. What adds to the buzz is the emergence of a new player in TVK.

On Camera

Pam Bondi’s firing is good news. Now, US Senate must stand up for DOJ

Bondi’s missteps hastened her exit, but her departure offers a reset. The Senate must not rubber-stamp Trump’s pick and should demand an attorney general committed to DOJ independence.

SEBI proposes return of open market share buybacks to support stocks

Regulator seeks feedback on allowing firms to repurchase shares via exchanges after tax changes, as markets reel from war-led selloff and foreign outflows.

South Korea’s Cheongung-II missile system makes its mark in West Asia war. Here’s why

UAE has been using this defence system, which is similar to America's Patriots, against Iranian missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Gulf war exposed India’s fragilities. It’s time for navel-gazing, in the national interest

It’s easy to understand why the government can’t speak the hard truth. When this war ends, as all wars do, India’s interests will lie with both the winner and the loser.