Innholdsfortegnelse for 20 October 2025 i India Today

IDENTITY AND CASTE ARE COMMON CURRENCY DENOMINATIONS in Uttar Pradesh—for the privileged as much as for casteemancipatory politics. The government has now issued a directive that outlaws a central piece of that vocabulary: the public invocation of caste. Columns for ‘caste’ in FIRs and arrest memos are to be replaced with parental names. Two, and of far more import, there are to be no political rallies around caste identity. Thirdly, displays signalling community pride on vehicles and streets will be subject to fines or removal. In the three domains, the act is loaded with different kinds of value. Caste-free police recording is liberating, being a relic of colonial-era policing. The other two are more ambiguous in terms of what they signify. Politics of social justice and collective bargaining by less…

India is once again confronting a grim and recurring public health scandal—the contamination of children’s cough syrup. At the centre of the latest episode is Coldrif, manufactured by Sresan Pharma in Tamil Nadu, which several states have banned after official tests confirmed diethylene glycol (DEG) adulteration in a batch linked to clusters of acute kidney injury and child deaths in Madhya Pradesh. Rajasthan has faced a parallel tragedy. As the bleak news reports streamed in, families of four deceased children linked the incidents to government-supplied dextromethorphan syrup. In MP’s tribal Chhindwara and Betul districts, 20 children under six have died over the past month after being prescribed the cough syrup for fever, cough and cold. Another nine children with similar kidney-related illnesses are under treatment. After Tamil Nadu’s Food and…

If you believe that history is a guide, you will always find periods of market volatility, marked by dramatic swings both down and up. As much as you look back in history to draw out examples, it is a fact that uncertainty in markets makes investors jittery. Stock markets are volatile because nobody knows how policy changes or global events will affect a company’s ability to generate profits. A little over a year ago, on September 26, 2024, the BSE Sensex recorded its all-time high of 85,836.12 points. As expected, market optimists predicted that the Sensex could reach the 100,000 mark by the end of 2024. Market players and several participants are perennial optimists, and understandably so, as stock markets tend to move upward in the long run. However, in…

Buying your first home is an exciting experience, but it can also be overwhelming. The average homebuyer visits at least a dozen properties before settling on one. The final choice isn’t driven by price alone. Several factors, such as peace of mind, emotional satisfaction, status symbol and peer pressure, play a significant role. Yet, one should consider factors such as affordability, the builder’s reputation, the loan tenure and any other financial benefits that can be gained from owning a house, rather than living on rent. In recent years, the appeal of home purchase and repayment as a means to save on income tax has diminished with the introduction of the new tax regime. Therefore, taking a home loan now depends solely on individual needs. Depending on the type of home…

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, A LITTLE-KNOWN MOVIE SPAWNED FOOTAGE OF AUDIENCES WEEPING IN THE THEATRE, folding their hands and overwhelmed by an action spectacle so good that walking out they felt it was a worthy rival of Hollywood superhero movies. The story was about gods and demons, heretics and devotees, tapping into the audience’s beliefs about what the world needs at a time of civilisational collapse—saviours, messiahs, heroes. Mahavatar Narsimha was the name of the animated movie, and tells the story about the half-lion, half-man incarnation of Vishnu who takes birth to defeat a demon who has been tormenting the god’s devotees. The film didn’t begin with a bang, but within a week it shot to the top of the box office and, in its Hindi dub, made more…

“While you still live under our roof, you must obey us, and be a good girl,” says Sundari (Shanthipriya) to her teenage daughter Ramya (Anjali Sivaraman). The reprimand, which sounds like a plea, comes after Ramya’s dalliance with a classmate is exposed and she’s expelled from school. Ramya, though, has other plans. “I will do as I like and deliberately do things that you dislike,” she retorts, as she goes on to defy, to love and to fail, but always live life on her own terms. Writer-director Varsha Bharath’s female protagonist is less a rebel without a cause and more Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, a young woman who wants to break free from the shackles of her family and society, and find herself. Only Varsha takes us on a longer,…

THE INDIAN RUPEE IS STEPPING ONTO THE GLOBAL STAGE. The Reserve Bank of India’s intentions are clear: on October 1, following the monetary policy announcement, governor Sanjay Malhotra unveiled fresh measures to promote wider use of the rupee in international trade, cross-border investments and financial transactions. These steps are part of the central bank’s strategy to gradually internationalise the currency. The goal is to reduce reliance on dominant foreign currencies such as the US dollar. The RBI’s latest announcements also need to be seen in the context of the BRICS nations’ push to lessen their dependence on the dollar—a move that US President Donald Trump has been resisting, even threatening trade penalties against countries pursuing such efforts. Malhotra has put forward three measures to globalise the rupee. First, authorised dealer…

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), spread across Panvel and Ulwe, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8. Built to take the pressure off Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, NMIA is slated to begin commercial operations in December. Developed under a public-private partnership, the project is jointly operated by Mumbai International Airport Ltd (a subsidiary of Adani Airport Holdings) with a 74 per cent stake and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) with 26 per cent. In its first phase, NMIA will handle up to 20 million passengers a year with one terminal and a single runway. Over time, it will grow to four terminals and two runways, scaling up to 90 million passengers annually. The complex will also include a maintenance, repair…

IN 1998, WHEN THE BJP’S UNINTERRUPTED REIGN OVER GUJARAT began, 25-year-old Jagdish Panchal had joined the party’s booth management team in Ahmedabad’s Thakkarbapanagar assembly seat. A day after Dussehra 2025, all of 27 years later, he was elected unopposed as Gujarat’s BJP president; the three-time MLA from Ahmedabad’s Nikol was the only candidate. It’s a two-year-long search that has finally ended with this articulate grassroots figure. Outgoing president CR Paatil’s first three-year term had concluded in 2022, but divergent opinions on a suitable replacement had delayed the succession. The hunt had resumed in full earnest last year after Paatil took over as the Union cabinet minister for water resources. “This was a rare instance of the party being unable to come to a consensus over a candidate. It had to…

THE BANNER UNFURLED BY THE OPPOSITION in the Kerala assembly, during question hour on October 6, just about sums up the sordid controversy that has kept the state’s media in a tizzy the past week or so. ‘Ayyappan’s gold stolen by ambalam vizhungikal (temple gobblers)’, it said, not aiming for much subtlety. The dramatis personae of this low piece of drama apparently include Unnikrishnan Potti, a sometime junior priest at Sabarimala temple, one of the most popular (and richest) Hindu religious pilgrimage spots in south India. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the quasi-autonomous body that manages the hilltop temple along with some 1,300 others in the state’s southern parts, is not the only entity at the centre of what has become a whirlwind of allegations. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front…

The role of an all-rounder in cricket is gaining popularity, particularly in the shorter formats of the game. These players excel in both batting and bowling, making a noticeable impact and contributing immensely in each role. More teams are increasingly relying on these versatile players for success. Similarly, in the world of mutual fund investments, flexi-cap funds play a comparable role. According to SEBI guidelines, flexi-cap funds are equity funds that have the flexibility to invest across different market capitalisations, provided they allocate at least 65 per cent of their assets to equity and related instruments. Fund managers have the discretion to allocate across large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap stocks, allowing for a dynamic and flexible asset allocation. Investors seeking growth through equities will understand that this asset class has its…

A financial plan is a blueprint, a roadmap that shows your financial situation, your goals and the approach you need to take to achieve those goals. The goals could be to save money for a house, secure a retirement or fund your daughter’s education. Just as the pyramids have stood the test of time, so has the utility of having a pyramid structure to your financial plan. The pyramid could be made of financial products or involve situations that we all face. Typically, a financial plan is prepared by a qualified financial planner, who assesses your risktaking ability, existing financial situation, future financial goals and ways to achieve them efficiently. The planner doesn’t just run numbers; they also evaluate your expectations and may be able to spell out what is…

Thirty-four years ago, Dhoomimal, one of India’s oldest art galleries, started an initiative to champion young artists through an annual exhibition and awards. The late gallerist Ravi Jain, after whom they are named, believed that the art movement could only thrive with an ongoing infusion of fresh talent. Under the stewardship of his son Uday Jain, director of Dhoomimal Gallery, the initiative continues to foster new talent each year. “The exhibition and the awards carry forward my father’s vision of nurturing talent and building a vibrant ecosystem for art in India. Every year, we receive over 600 entries from across India, reflecting the rich diversity of contemporary art through paintings, printmaking, sculptures, video installations and digital creations,” says Jain. This year, the exhibition has a total of 120 artworks on display, two…

As educators, we are perpetually advised that our theoretical and somewhat traditional orientation must incorporate novel and innovative pedagogical interventions. Sonam Wangchuk is a shining example of a real-life educational innovator. He has also been a vocal political activist and late last month he was detained under the National Security Act (NSA), 1980. There certainly might be differences of opinion as to Wangchuk’s alleged activities as well as the demand for extending the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh. But no one can deny that frequent invocation of the NSA and preventive detention is a matter of serious concern. Unlike ordinary criminal proceedings that follow the principle of nulla poena sine lege (no punishment without law), preventive detention allows authorities to curtail individual liberty based on anticipated future conduct rather than allegations…

DUOPOLY New Congress state chief Rao Narendra Singh with ex-CM Hooda HARYANA’S POLITICAL MAP HAS TILTED a bit. Wrenching itself free of its singular reliance on ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s Jat overlordship, the Congress on September 29 named former minister Rao Narendra Singh as state president. Hooda will still head the legislative wing, CLP. The dual leadership is aimed at enabling a broader coalition spanning Jat, Ahir and Dalit votes, the fracturing of which had cost the party heavily in the 2024 assembly election. The BJP had swept southern Haryana: the Ahirwal belt, Rao’s home turf. But a year on, the BJP exudes a sense of drift, sans a permanent state chief. Rao’s elevation ends months of speculation and factional lobbying. Opting to have a counterweight to Hooda is no…

OCTOBER 16 VRUSSHABHA A bombastic, mega-budget period fantasy action drama. Malayalam megastar Mohanlal leads this juggernaut, shot and to be released in Telugu and Malayalam. Dubbed versions in Hindi and Kannada to be out as well. This is a story of generational conflict, destiny and myth told through two timelines focusing on the relationship between father and son. The promos promise grand visuals, spectacular battle sequences and royal scenery. Perfect for Diwali season. OCTOBER 21 THAMMA The latest instalment in Maddock Films’ monstrously profitable horrorcomedy universe, Thamma tackles vampires. The previous films in this world include the Stree franchise and Munjya. The plot follows a present-day historian obsessed with vampirism in Indian folklore. Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Rashmika Mandanna, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Paresh Rawal OCTOBER 10 SEARCH: THE NAINA MURDER CASE Konkona…

Tangerine begins as the story of a liberal, English-speaking journalist who stayed at a distance from organised religion. The very title of the book tells us this—the owning of the colour saffron under the alternative ‘tangerine’; the promise to people like her that this journey is not something weird and you don’t have to give up coffee or whatever you fear giving up! But Namita Devidayal is also someone nourished by her cultural roots—mythologies where plants and animals take centrestage, and the philosophical wisdom of mother figures and teachers. Later in the story, when she unapologetically makes a shrine for herself, she does so as a full “United Nations of benevolence” with images of Shiva, Durga, Christ, Zarathustra, Guru Nanak… and her god of music, Alladiya Khan. Like innumerable seekers…