Making of a nation

In 1947, very few people gave independent India an outside chance of survival. But the doomsayers were all proved wrong, thanks to the leaders who built our institutions

CASH AND CRAFT

In its preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has clubbed its deep pockets with sound strategy and smart engineering

SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS

THERE ONCE LIVED A FEROCIOUS SHARK IN JAISALMER

MONUMENTAL MURMURS

Hidden tales of some of the most iconic buildings in Lucknow

BENGALURU BLOOMING

Thanks to favourable climate and government support, India’s tech capital is also its rose basket

The vaccine prince

Adar Poonawalla dreams of making India self-sufficient when it comes to vaccines

Beauty queen

Falguni Nayar helms India’s only female-led unicorn—Nykaa

General Bipin Rawat - Bold, Outspoken Military Reformer

Bold, outspoken and sometimes controversial, General Bipin Rawat will be remembered as the man who initiated India’s biggest military reform

India should clarify position on reincarnation of Dalai Lama

Penpa Tsering, sikyong (president) of the Dharamshala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), has plans to expose the growing Chinese belligerence along the Indian border. The hawkish leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile has ordered his ministry of state security to prepare a report on the activities of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the Tibetan plateau, which he plans to present to the Chinese embassy in Delhi.

Need immediate vaccine mandating

We are back to counting cases and variants as the spectre of Omi-cron haunts the world. But the responses, including many in India, have been short-sighted, full of counterproductive panic and reminiscent of some of the early mistakes of 2020.

STRONG AND STEADY

President Vladimir Putin’s Delhi visit may have been brief, but it has shown that India remains a key priority for Russia

Divine rollbacks

The Narendra Modi government’s withdrawal of the three controversial farm laws showed that even strong governments blink under pressure. Pushkar Singh Dhami was in a more vulnerable position in Uttarakhand, so it is not surprising that he, too, has blinked by withdrawing a legislation aimed at bringing temples under state control.

Absent ambassadors

Domestic politics and procedural wrangles hold up President Joe Biden’s diplomatic appointments

LONG HARM OF THE LAW

With the massacre of the innocent in Mon district, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act has once again come under the scanner

THE DOCTORS TO DOCTORS

The pandemic made him wear several hats—doctor, yes, but also a public health expert, a crisis manager, even a media and PR manager. Officially though, Dr Balram Bhargava heads the Indian Council of Medical Research. And, he has managed all his roles with elan, thanks to his decision-making abilities. Bhargava now adds another feather in his cap—THE WEEK’s Man of the Year 2021

RICE? NO DICE!

Telangana farmers in a lurch as Centre and state refuse to buy paddy sown this rabi season

WAR BY OTHER MEANS

Ideological tussle, geopolitical rivalry and technological competition will dominate US-China relations in the foreseeable future

Sam's Untold Stories

Apart from being the brilliant soldier who led India to its most famous military victory in the Bangladesh war in 1971, Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw was also a loving husband, an indulgent father, a doting grandfather, a gracious host and a caring friend

The team exceeded my expectations

Ravi Shastri, former head coach, Indian men's cricket team

Wistful about the ‘80s and ‘90s

Still have goosebumps from watching the trailer of Kabir Khan’s ’83. I have seen it four times already, and every time I watch, I am 12 again, experiencing that miraculous final unfold with my entire family in the living room of my grandfather’s old house, all of us huddled around our pot-bellied Weston TV with our hearts in our mouths.

Magdalena's many problems

History was made. This country got its first woman prime minister. That is ho-hum news everywhere, except if it had happened in the US, Russia or China. Sri Lanka elected the world’s first woman PM in 1960, then came Indira Gandhi, Golda Meir, Benazir Bhutto, Khaleda Zia, Sheikh Hasina….

MARVELLOUS MS MACARON

Pooja Dhingra, who first popularised the dainty French confection in India, is out with a new book

Mamata and Kejriwal are political tourists

PRAMOD SAWANT, 48, is one of the youngest chief ministers in the country. He was handpicked for the post in March 2019 after the demise of then chief minister Manohar Parrikar, and has had less than three years to make a mark.

Helping The Healer

The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone, more so on health care workers. There have been increasing cases of burnout and mental health issues among the medical staff. What does it mean to take care of oneself even as one is in charge of the well-being of others?

POLITICS TO PAGE TURNER

Smriti Irani kept you hooked on to the TV screen, as an actor, and later in Parliament, as an orator. Now she has you booked, with her debut novel, a thriller

Lost lament

Chandrababu Naidu’s allegations of personal attacks by the YSRCP are unlikely to translate into political gains

Future shock

Greenwashing solar and wind energy today could lead to heavy payback tomorrow

REPEAL AND REPAIR

Withdrawing the farm laws alone will not douse the ire against the BJP

Reviewing past progress, towards a New Journey

To understand today’s China, we must first get to know the Communist Party of China (CPC). The sixth plenary session of the 19th central committee of the CPC held recently is such a golden opportunity.

The healing touch

THE WEEK honoured hospitals that extended affordable and quality care