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"I am a portfolio guy"


Ashwin Mahesh talks to the former Infosys CEO, now an author for the first time.




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Keep up the pressure, says former IB operator


Maloy Krishna Dhar is the author of Open Secrets, a book about the Intelligence Bureau and his 30-year career in it. He spoke with Susheela Menon on terrorism, changes needed in the IB, and the power of the people in bringing about changes.




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"If anyone speaks about Hinduism, he is branded as a fundamentalist!"


Sir Mark Tully spoke recently in Bangalore on How certain should we be? The problem of religious pluralism. Revathi Siva Kumar caught up with him for this exclusive interview.




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Salvager of India’s dying temple heritage


"In the Varadaraja Swamy Temple in Kanchipuram, I saw with my own eyes, just a year ago, how the late 17th-century murals were literally disintegrating. As you watch, they are going. It has happened in temple after temple". David Shulman talks to Lalitha Sridhar .




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Of sports, passion and reality


Meet M B Santosh, one of India's only three FIFA-accredited referees, who drives an auto-rickshaw and works as caretaker of an apartment in Kottayam, Kerala to support a family of five. Here, he shares the incredible story of his life and passion with P N Venugopal.




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A culture of deference and sycophancy


In a candid conversation with India Together, eminent scholar, author and historian Ramachandra Guha shares his thoughts on leaders of the past and present and their legacies for the future of India.




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The Telangana prophecy: Will more states mean more conflict?


With the government clearing Telangana as India's 29th state, long-standing demands for separate states in other parts of the country have gained fresh momentum. This could be a foretelling of many more states to come, but would that necessarily augur ill for the unity of India? Noted historian Ramachandra Guha shares his thoughts.




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Punished for being the victim


Suzette Jordan was labelled a prostitute and an anti-government conspirator when she alleged rape in a moving car on the streets of Kolkata. Her frank conversation with Vinita A Shetty reveals why the atrocity of abuse is not the only thing that shatters the life of a rape victim.




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Better, not just different


The distinction between making government work, and making government change, is an important one, and groups following the two approaches need not be at odds, says Subramaniam Vincent




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Unshackle FM radio


Compelled by civil society and the courts, New Delhi recently took steps on opening up the airwaves to the non-commercial sector, but not quickly or broadly enough, says Subramaniam Vincent.




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How they fool us, the outraged


As long as we engender a society that allow law enforcers to get away with their own crimes, law breakers will only be emboldened. We must make Police Complaints Authorities around the country meaningful, says Subramaniam Vincent.




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Why I will not fall for the ‘Vote for PM’ trick


As India votes in the midst of a rising campaign crescendo that pits one individual against the other, Subramaniam Vincent urges the electorate to prioritise a 'better parliament.'




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Technology Transforms Rural Women


Shruti Gupta on a project in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkand that uses technology to enhance income generation opportunities through productive use of natural resources.




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Kids steeped in hunger, while officials fiddle


Around 80,000 children in Madhya Pradesh are suffering from severe malnutrition. So stark is the situation that one evaluation report has said that even if the children were saved, they may go blind due to lack of vitamin A. Sachin Kumar Jain chronicles continuing negligence in government departments in M.P.




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Scuttling the law, officials evict tribals


Why did police use force and evict tribal villagers in Ghateha, M.P. on 19 April, when it was clear by all accounts that their land claims had not yet been legally settled by the state government, one way or other? Aparna Pallavi investigates, even as villagers remain absconding for fear of persecution.




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Maid to suffer


Madhya Pradesh may be fast emerging as the trafficking hub of the country, with thousands of girls having vanished from the tribal-dominated areas over the last five years. Those rescued are living with the horrors of having been trafficked. Shuriah Niazi reports.




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The other side of the dam


With the damming of the rivers has come a great wave of unaccountable administration. Waters are held back without warning, and released without warning. In both cases, there is little time for the affected communities to react. Shripad Dharmadhikary writes.




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CAG: Compensatory afforestation a hoax in M.P.


The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) carried out a comprehensive performance audit on the diversion of forestland for non-forest purposes in Madhya Pradesh. The result: exposure of significant cases of violations and the virtual non-execution of compensatory afforestation measures. Himanshu Upadhyaya has more.




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Scamming the law, pretext of inability


In late August, the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered a judicial inquiry on allegations of large scale corruption in distribution of compensation to families affected by Sardar Sarovar/Narmada Project. Himanshu Upadhyaya tells the continuing story of a scam.




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The futility of hope


When Madubhai first heard that a big dam 150 km away would control the waters of the river he revered, he didn't believe the news. He never knew that its waters would one day drown his little world. Neeta Deshpande reports.




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Equal compensation for equal loss


The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled that excluding canal oustees from the R&R policy applicable to its dam projects is discriminatory and unconstitutional. Shripad Dharmadhikary reports.




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A lifetime's harvest


Sitaram Patidar fights on for the land which means everything to him, now lost to the Narmada dam. At the ripe age of seventy, the end of this road of struggle is still not within reach. Neeta Deshpande reports.




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What Digvijay Singh forgot to tell the PM


Beneath Jairam Ramesh's recent turnaround on a 400 MW MP hydel project, was a series of interventions by Digivijay Singh with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Himanshu Upadhyaya digs deeper.




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Competing effectively in MP panchayats


Panchayats of Madhya Pradesh provide reservation of up to 50 per cent for women, but the participation of women in governance has gone beyond such new roles. Shirish Khare reports on how women leaders are transforming the very traditions and symbols of grassroots politics.




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Turning a full circle


The situation that Maheshwar Project is in, brings sharply into focus the issue of accountability of those responsible for the decisions that impact millions of people, involve thousands of crores of rupees and vast natural resources. Shripad Dharmadhikary hopes that Maheshwar would also offer a chance to demonstrate how those liable for the mess can be held accountable.




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More stories of Parivartan


Delhi's Right to Information Act (RTI) is increasingly being used by citizens to pressure offiicials into delivering on projects and services says Arvind Kejriwal.




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No wasteful business this!


Varupi Jain traces the life of household and other waste in India and Germany, and finds both hope and apprehension.




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Fast, smooth, and affordable - but when?


Delhi's High Capacity Bus System promises enormous gains, but has been a long time coming. Dr. Geetam Tiwari of the IIT-Delhi sheds some light on the project and the difficulties in the making it happen.




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Flower power


The flower industry suffers from logistical bottlenecks and inadequate post-harvest infrastructure, but government support has focussed mostly on the growers. Varupi Jain starts at Delhi, India's apex flower market, and travels back the supply chain.




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Fighting for a better, cleaner world


Employees of the Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have been celebrating recently. The Padma Shri award, the Stockholm Water Prize and the Chameli Devi Jain award have come in quick succession. Ramesh Menon tracks the growth of CSE and Sunita Narain, its director.




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Discrimination in the name of inclusion


25 per cent of the seats in Delhi private schools are reserved for poor students, to be provided free. But this provision is dodged in numerous ways; schools claim ignorance of the law, that they can't find poor students, that poor students have to be educated separately even if admitted, and so on. Deepa A reports.




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Be safe, don't exist


The Delhi Police's booklet containing tips for women from the Northeast to be safe in the capital exposes only their own need for sensitivity training. Not surprisingly, many northeastern students in Delhi are incensed at being portrayed as responsible for their own problems, writes Kalpana Sharma.




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When I'm sixty-four


In Delhi, it is not just private old-age homes that have people queuing up, despite the relatively steep rates. Government-run old-age homes, which are far more modest, are also filled to the capacity. Swapna Majumdar reports on a changing society.




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From Busway to BRT


Compared to other bus corridors world-wide, the Delhi effort is a very limited one. The current design is only a busway, and the government must push forward to build a full-fledged Bus Rapid Transit system, say Dario Hidalgo and Madhav Pai.




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Music of the monsoon


Monsoon reawakens Vasundhara Chauhan’s senses as she soaks in the smell and sound of rain, irresistible mangoes, pakodas, and what not.




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Fear in the city


We now have data that establishes that due to the fear of violence and harassment many women do not have the autonomy to freely move in a variety of public spaces, writes Kalpana Sharma.




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Delhi is designed for rape


It will require a change in the DNA and design of the city for a reduction in the number of rapes in Delhi. Addressing the structural problems of Delhi is a critical component of improving the situation, argues Jacob John.




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Delhi is designed for rape


It will require a change in the DNA and design of the city for a reduction in the number of rapes in Delhi. Addressing the structural problems of Delhi is a critical component of improving the situation, argues Jacob John.




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A tipping point for Indian democracy


The translation of support for the Aam Aadmi Party into votes in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2013 augurs well for the Indian democracy, long struggling to break free from a corruption-ridden, archaic political establishment, writes R. Balasubramaniam




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Leading from the capital


As Delhi prepares to choose its leaders for the 16th Lok Sabha, Navya P K presents a look at the leaders who represented the key urban constituencies in the last session of Parliament.




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Delhi’s big battle in figures


As Delhi readies for the fiercely contested Assembly elections, here are a few details beyond the din of the campaigns that we bet you didn’t know! S Venkatraman captures them in an infographic.




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Daily wage-earners in Delhi find little cause to cheer for AAP


The AAP manifesto may have talked at length about “a flexible and fair labour policy” and regularisation of contract workers, but for a vast section of daily wage-earners, such promises hold no meaning. Devanik Saha talks to one to find out why.




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A futile struggle for the right to trade


Legislation for street vendors mandates registration of all vendors and allocation of spaces for them by the state in designated zones. Navya P K’s interaction with street vendors in Delhi reveals a reality that is in stark contrast to what the law holds.




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A man for all times


One hundred and seventy years after his passing, the life of Raja Ram Mohan Roy has much to offer a world full of religious conflict. Melanie P Kumar looks back.




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“What about our dreams of a free Tibet?”


The Election Commission of India has ordered states to include children of Tibetan refugees born in India between 1950 and 1987 in the electoral rolls. Ramesh Menon finds that even as they acknowledge India’s gesture, the right to vote leaves them with mixed emotions.




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A scheme for a better parliament


Though the quality and calibre of our representatives in Parliament, and consequently its functioning, has often come under a cloud, options for induction of apolitical talent in Parliament are limited. P V Rajeev envisions a scheme that could make it possible.




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Homecoming election for Harvard professor, courtesy Mamata


Historian and author Sugato Bose is taking a break from his position at Harvard University to contest the Lok Sabha elections from a key urban constituency in West Bengal as a candidate of the ruling Trinamool Congress. He speaks to Amrita Mukherjee on his plans for parliament if elected.




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“I want to learn the mainstream language of cinema”


The multi-faceted Gulzar, revered equally in intellectual literary and mainstream film circles, was recently bestowed the 45th Dadasaheb Phalke Award. In this interview with Shoma Chatterji, the venerable Gulzar Sahib speaks of his art, his career in Indian cinema, and the changes he has seen over the years.




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The value system of the ruling elite is a threat to India: Xerxes Desai


Hailed for his stewardship of Titan Industries where he built a premium brand from scratch and won for it international renown, Xerxes Desai naturally has one of the keenest perspectives on Indian industry. But his equally deep insights into Indian society and development become apparent through this interaction with Christopher Lopaze.




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Subramaniam Vincent receives John S Knight fellowship for journalism innovation


Every year the Knight fellowships program at Stanford University awards eight international fellowships for journalism innovation. This year, one of the eight is your own newsmagazine’s co-founder.