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The FinePrint

Modi govt’s push for EC Bill shows BJP is convinced it will rule India till 2069

On the face of it, it may look like a move to ‘strengthen’ the ECI. But in reality, it’s just the opposite.

Hindi cinema is ‘fixing’ its Punjab on screens. No more Yash Chopra’s mustard-tinted fantasy

Kohrra, CAT, Tabbar, Amar Singh Chamkila, Dunki, and Chamak—this latest wave of Punjabi content is taking an unflinching look at the lingering wounds of militancy, caste, drugs, and police brutality.

‘Want to buy peace’—Narendra Jain can’t get Salman Rushdie to end a 5-decade legal battle

Narendra Jain has received stony silence from author Salman Rushdie, whom he wants to acknowledge the 1970 sale of 4 Flagstaff Road bungalow in Delhi's Civil Lines.

Urdu’s popularity in Devanagari is a lesson for Muslims—acceptance lies in Indianisation

Today, Urdu literacy is lowest among the Ashraaf and highest among the lower classes who are educated in madrasas. But it’s the Ashraafs who claim to live the ‘Urdu culture’.

Smart Bangladesh or Sharia — For Hindus, it’s Hasina or an abyss this election

It is for Hasina to show the world that even though the State religion is Islam, Hindus can live in peace in Bangladesh.

JNU comrades, Kamal Nath’s cold feet, Gehlot’s insecurities—tales about Congress meltdown

Beyond BJP's victories in the three states lie untold stories of the several mini-wars that played out in the Congress party’s backrooms.

New Ramjas teachers ‘quote Ramayana, dislike Marxist historians’—students miss academic rigour

The history department at Ramjas is a microcosm of how the teaching is changing across DU, claim several permanent and former ad hoc teachers at Ramjas and other colleges.

Modi is following Indira Gandhi playbook—election wins are personal triumphs, CMs don’t matter

Modi's charisma and vision for India is the only mandate for elections. Local leaders become no more than facilitators. They are not expected to win votes in their own names.

Manichaeism worshipped Jesus, Buddha. This Silk Road religion’s strength became its weakness

Manichaean icons and ideas trickled into the art of Tibet and Japan, with Mani and Jesus represented as Buddhas.

Myanmar crisis has put India in a difficult situation. Can it balance competing interests?

Ever since the Myanmar military regained control of the State in 2021, India—like China and other nations in Southeast Asia—has seen its power as a kind of necessary evil.

On Camera

India’s TRP ecosystem needs a reset. Time to end BARC monopoly

A ratings monopoly in India has led to lack of technological variation, resulting in sluggish systems detached from market dynamics.

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.