Admissions will be highly objective

INTERVIEW | M. Jagadesh Kumar Chairperson, University Grants Commission

THE PARADOX OF CHOICE

With the sudden windfall in opportunities, it is an exciting (and confusing) time to be a college student in India

A Kalinjara story

LAST WORD

Agnipath: Count the Gurkhas in

PMO BEAT

Watering his plans

Ashok Gehlot is trying to convert a stalled canal project into a win-win political situation

Math comes full circle

A math teacher and a unique programme are changing children’s perception about the dreaded subject

POST-PANDEMIC BLUES

As the world moves back to normalcy, the poster boys of the ‘new normal’ are facing their big reality check

Domestic revival

The changing domestic tourist kept Rajasthan’s tourism sector afloat during the pandemic recovery period

Grilling The Gandhis

It will be a long battle ahead for the Congress’s first family, but the ED questioning Sonia has pushed the party out of its comfort zone and on to the streets

The Naked Truth

I tried to deconstruct India’s ambiguous attitude towards nangapan (nakedness) to a BBC correspondent who was writing a report on actor Ranveer Singh’s recent nude photo shoot for an international publication.

India Can Fill Brexit Gap

A remarkable transformation is taking place in the UK. It chose to exit the EU and regain its sovereignty, but has had a difficult time securing post-Brexit arrangements with erstwhile companions.

Monkeypox : Take Care, Don't Scare

Behaving responsibly and avoiding stigmatisation could contain monkeypox

Celebrating President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu is the face of new India. She was the first tribal woman to become governor of a state, and, now, she is the first tribal woman to hold the highest constitutional position in the country. She is the first president of India to be born in independent India and also the first person to attain a bachelor’s degree in her village.

COCKPIT DREAMS

Soorarai Pottru director Sudha Kongara is flying high after her film won five national awards

This was the medal missing from my kitty

THE DAYS AHEAD of a major competition tend to be rather mundane for Neeraj Chopra. At least that is how it appears from the outside. But, as the day of the event nears, Chopra gets into his zone.

THE REBOUND MAN

Ranil Wickremesinghe has moved fast to consolidate power. He now faces the difficult task of preserving it in the face of challenges

WAR OF THE ROSES

The Aragalaya movement, which ousted a bungling government, is helping heal wounds of the civil war

Right click

Stock trading platforms and advisers leverage technology to make it easier for investors

FIZZ’S WITH LIZ

With her support among grassroots Tories, Liz Truss has the edge in the leadership race

A MIDSUMMER BATTLE FOR NO 10

The British public seems ready for Rishi Sunak, but the Conservative base prefers his rival, Liz Truss

Meanings in the raw

Why exactly has Ranveer Singh shed all his clothes, slicked himself with oil, and lain himself down into that curiously defenceless, needy, side-sprawl upon a Turkish rug for Paper magazine? It can’t be for media attention— because he gets enough of that already.

Border disorder

Manipur on edge and Indian security on alert following the killing of two Indian Tamils in Myanmar

Divide over diversity

The BJP is claiming the high ground for bring-ing diversity in national politics through the presidential nomination of Droupadi Murmu.

Tina Brown On Queen Elizabeth's Dysfunctional Family

Tina Brown's new book on the British royals is deeply researched and filled with delicious anecdotes

WHEN A MOCKINGBIRD KILLS

Indian Predator: The Butcher of Delhi is a gripping tale of a serial killer who dared to taunt the cops

THE MAN & HIS MAGIC

India’s most famous man is also its most polarising. He also makes for great copy. No wonder then that there has been a proliferation of books on Narendra Modi— from hagiographical to bitterly critical—ever since he became prime minister in 2014. The latest tome comes from senior journalist Ajay Singh, who writes about the pragmatic party builder behind, as his fans would call him, the haloed statesman.

A day with the Santhals

Simple folk, they are known for their nature worship and colourful culture

Disjointed front

Opposition unity seems to be a pipe dream, especially after the coup in Maharashtra

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CHAPTER IS OVER FOR ME

Viswanathan Anand is back home in Chennai after a hectic tour to pro-mote the Chess Olympiad that Mahabalipuram will host from July 28 to August 10. He also recently played the Leon Masters in Spain, which included a field of Boris Gelfand, Andrey Esipenko and Jaime Santos. That is Anand at 53; he picks and chooses events, with enjoyment being the main criteria. He is not ready yet to retire, but he now has other chess-related things to do and enjoy. One of these was setting up the Westbridge Anand Chess Academy, where he mentors some of India’s most promising talents. He is currently world number 13, but rankings do not matter to him anymore. He now wants to ensure that the next wave of Indian chess players breaches the top 10; the highest-ranked Indian after Anand, right now, is P. Harikrishna at 25. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Anand looks at the chess he is currently playing, the next generation of Indian players, his plans for the coming years and the different demands on his time. Excerpts:

THE GOOD BAD

The feral joy of watching Vijay Varma as flawed, devious and all too human