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Wednesday, November 12, 2025
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The FinePrint

Like the Prophet in Pakistan, holy cow has killed many in India. Modi isn’t the problem

Cow-vigilante killings, often linked to Hindu nationalism, highlight an ongoing fracture in Indian society shown by riots of 1893 and others that followed.

1800s Kolkata is key to Modi’s Act East policy. It needs imagination, not just bureaucracy

A globalised India is a project of imagination. It must model itself after 19th century Kolkata, as it seeks to integrate with the economic powerhouses to its East.

America, your Natural History museum has a problem. ‘Hall of Asian Peoples’ is a hall of shame

Every day, the New York City’s American Museum of Natural History, a popular school trip destination, exposes children to racist depictions that enable hate crimes against Asian Americans.

‘Our cases mustn’t be forgotten.’ Wives of men killed by gau rakshaks stitch their lives back

Parmeena has retreated into a shell of silence, Sajida has found her voice. She has opened a shop now and leads the legal battle for victims of Hindu cow vigilantism.

Cabinet & home secretaries to CBDT & IB chiefs — Modi govt’s penchant for extensions to top officials

Since 2nd term, Modi govt has retained top civil servants beyond retirement for ‘continuity in policymaking’. But extensions are also being seen as service rule violations & demoralising.

How Buddhists lost out to Brahmins in Nalanda. Even before the Turks came

Nalanda started losing importance by the 11th century, with rulers determining that Brahmin settlements were far more useful than Buddhist monasteries. Brahmins were willing to work as a state cadre, whereas Buddhist monks would not.

Delhi’s tanker mafia begins from Jal Board borewells—pipes, profits, politics

Delhi's private tanker mafia is exploiting every avenue to meet the rising demand. Siphoning water from Jal Board is less risky than extracting it from Yauma or diverting it from canals in Haryana.

The Imperial Prime Ministership is beginning to seem much less Imperial these days

BJP leadership is smart enough to recognise how vindictive CBI arrest of Arvind Kejriwal or Delhi L-G permission to prosecute Arundhati Roy looks. But it doesn’t care. The message is clear: will come after you and will get you somehow.

On ground zero in Italy, voices rise against ‘Capo’ system after death of farm worker from Punjab

Satnam Singh who entered Italy illegally died after his arm was amputated by machine while at work. His employer has been accused of gross negligence that led to his death.

I worked to reform CBSE’s testing system. NTA can learn from it—Anil Swarup

CBSE has more than 16 full-fledged regional offices in the country manned by permanent employees. These regional offices monitor every aspect of exams, from transportation to selection of exam centres, custodians, invigilators, and evaluation.

On Camera

This era has made journalistic independence harder than ever: New York Times publisher

Journalist Arthur Gregg Sulzberger delivered the Reuters Memorial Lecture on 4 March last year.

India’s factory data may get reality check in MoSPI’s new IIP plan, defunct factories to be dropped

MoSPI proposes to remove closed factories from IIP sample, aiming for truer picture of India’s industrial health in upcoming 2022–23 base series. Plan open to public feedback until 25 November.

‘Let them see’: Putin says new nuclear-powered missiles in the making, in message to Washington

At a ceremony felicitating Russian military engineers, Putin highlights Moscow’s 'parity' in defence technologies for the next century.

Bihar is where politics moves, and everything else stands still

Bihar is blessed with a land more fertile for revolutions than any in India. Why has it fallen so far behind then? Constant obsession with politics is at the root of its destruction.