Innholdsfortegnelse for 10 November 2025 i India Today

India is not short of dynastic stories, but this one carries a special note of fascination. For, Tejashwi Yadav, the protagonist, is the son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was a mould-breaker in terms of his personality as well as his politics. Tejashwi was a four-month-old infant when Lalu first took power as Bihar’s chief minister, inaugurating a long reign around the radical and disruptive slogan of Mandal. Thirty-five years later, the son is the closest he has ever been to occupying the same chair. Anointed as the chief ministerial candidate of the Mahagathbandhan (MGB), he is the face of the campaign against an entrenched incumbent, the Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). To make the last mile, the young Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief has armed himself with a strategic…

Early on October 29 morning, clad in a beige shirt sporting his party’s election symbol, the lantern, Tejashwi Yadav boards a waiting VT-JSF helicopter at Patna airport en route to addressing seven rallies that day, including one in Samastipur. The de facto chief of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and chief ministerial candidate of the Opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance is racing against time and geography to reach as many voters as possible. His rallies are not assemblies but dense, kinetic gatherings of young voters waving smartphones like torches of affirmation. It is no different in Samastipur. Near the stage, young men in the party’s green colours jostle for space, phones raised high, eager to capture a breathless fragment of their leader. Tejashwi’s speeches, often extempore, deftly weave unemployment, migration and dignity…

On the NDA campaign: Well, Prime Minister Modi came, Amit Shah came, central ministers are coming, but no one has explained how they will free Bihar from poverty, migration, unemployment…increase Bihar’s per capita income, and how, they might take Bihar to among the top states. Even now, they are in the field campaigning, but not a single word is being said about Bihar’s progress. In fact, Shah has said factories and industries can’t be set up here due to land shortage…he has clearly stated factories and industries can’t be set up in Bihar. Also, remember the 2015 election, when PM Modi had promised to make Bihar an IT hub. Ten years have passed, what happened to the IT hub? And now Shah is saying they will build an AI hub.…

↘ On September 19, Assamese singer and icon Zubeen Garg died while swimming off Singapore’s St John’s Island. He had been partying on a yacht with about a dozen people, including his manager, a police officer cousin, and several Assamese expatriates. He was in Singapore to attend the Northeast India Festival ↘ His sudden death triggered massive outrage in Assam. Many blamed Northeast Festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta (left) and Zubeen’s manager Siddhartha Sharma (right) for taking an ailing Zubeen to Singapore and letting him swim, despite medical advice against aquatic activities following two years of seizures ↘ Opposition parties and social media influencers alleged that CM Himanta Biswa Sarma was shielding Shyamkanu because of his family ties ↘ Shyamkanu is the brother of Assam Information Commissioner and former DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta…

Bruce Lee Mani, guitarist and vocalist of Bengaluru rock band Thermal And A Quarter, explores new creative ground with Kayaka—a collaborative project with singer and actor M.D. Pallavi that reimagines 12th-century Vachanas in a contemporary soundscape. “The idea really began at the Azim Premji Foundation, with whom I have been associated for about two and a half years, scoring music for their podcasts. They focus on promoting constitutional values like unity, equality and social justice. The Vachanas, which were part of the Bhakti movement, resonate deeply with these principles,” he shares. “For our Thermal And A Quarter projects, we have always tried to create socially relevant music, so this collaboration felt like a natural extension of that.” What began as an improvised jam session for a university podcast soon evolved…

The charming USP of the Indian speculative fiction anthology Between Worlds Vol. 1 is that half the writers are debut authors. SF author Gautam Bhatia edited the collection from open submissions. This welcome faith in fresh voices is also what makes the collection wobbly; some of the stories display the amateur’s fumbling in the dark. Good then that a sequel is promised, where much can be improved. The speculative fiction supragenre includes science fiction, alternate history, fantasy, et al. The first principles of reality themselves become speculative. So most of these stories have strong hooks. Ajay Patri’s ‘The Last Projectionist’ is a banger opener. It is an oral history of one Jayalakshmi, who can mentally project moving images in early 20th century British India. I chuckled at the writer’s irreverence: there’s…

For sharp analysis on topical issues by the editors of india today, log on to www.indiatoday.in/india-today-magazine-insight SPOTLIGHT: SIR CREEK India’s wargame, Pakistan’s rhetoric set to spark fresh face-off? By Pradip R. Sagar The coming weeks will test the balance of power along this volatile frontier, where strategy, ambition and national pride converge in the shifting waters of Sir Creek https://shorturl.at/TVwwZ FROM THE STATES: RAJASTHAN Why Rajasthan let its camels walk free again By Rohit Parihar After 11 years of an inter-state transport ban, which had crippled herders and shrunk desert fairs, the state has lifted restrictions to revive camel culture and livelihoods https://shorturl.at/BKuLr FROM THE ARCHIVES: REMEMBERING PIYUSH PANDEY Piyush Pandey: The man who rewrote Indian advertising By Anjali Doshi Piyush Pandey, who has died at the age of 70,…

The National Human Rights Commission has asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the health ministry for a statewise action taken report after finding “widespread” reuse of cooking oil by roadside vendors and eateries—a practice it calls a serious threat to public health. The notice highlights the reuse of dark, foamy or overheated oil and demands tighter checks on how such oil is being disposed of or reintroduced into the food chain. Science strongly supports these health hazard fears. A 2023 study in peer-reviewed international journal Foods found that reheated oils generate harmful aldehydes and trans fats that trigger oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver and blood vessels. Another 2023 paper in Environmental Science and Pollution Research reported that repeatedly heated oil elevates markers of…

EARLY LIFE Born on November 9, 1989, Tejashwi studied in Delhi before leaving school in his teens to pursue cricket CRICKET CAREER Represented Delhi’s age-group sides and was briefly part of the Delhi IPL franchise, though he never played a main-series match. A middle-order batsman and right-arm bowler, he appeared in one first-class game for Jharkhand before retiring from cricket in 2013 POLITICAL DEBUT Entered active politics in 2015 and soon emerged as political heir of Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi. Won from Raghopur in both 2015 and 2020 IN OFFICE Served as deputy CM twice—from Nov. 2015 to Jul. 2017 and again from Aug. 2022 to Jan. 2024—holding several ministerial portfolios. He has also been leader of the Opposition twice, from Jul. 2017 to Aug. 2022 and again since…

WHEN INFLUENCER REVANT HIMATS-INGKA, BETTER KNOWN AS FOOD-PHARMER, RAN AN INSTAGRAM POLL IN MARCH 2024, asking “what’s missing from your diet?”, over 70 per cent of the 2,974 respondents came up with the same answer: protein. Once a staple of gym-goers trying to bulk up, millions of consumers are now watching their protein intake and asking for healthy products without compromising on taste. While growing health awareness and rising disposable incomes are driving the trend, influencers and celebrities gushing on social media about how they have made a higher protein intake a part of their lifestyle is fuelling its expansion. And it’s not just health food startups like Yoga Bar, Troovy, The Whole Truth, SuperYou and Protein Chef who are supplying the goods, legacy players in the food and beverage…

SENTIMENTAL VALUE (Norway) Joachim Trier’s last film, Worst Person in the World, was much beloved by the Academy, scoring two nominations. His latest, a drama about an estranged father reconnecting with his two daughters, won the Grand Prix award at Cannes. It’s favoured to bag nominations for best screenplay, best actress and supporting actor too. IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (France) The Iranian government has imprisoned director Jafar Panahi repeatedly but he’s mastered the art of making sublime films amid censorship. The Cannes Palme d’Or winner is an early frontrunner, with many seeing the Oscar as a way to honour his impressive oeuvre and moxie. THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB (Tunisia) Kaouther Ben Hania’s docu-drama about the killing of 5-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab by Israeli forces is likely to resonate…

NOV. 9 | Plenary Hall, Bharat Mandapam, NEW DELHI India Dream: Niladri Kumar Following its acclaimed Mumbai premiere, India Dream arrives in Delhi with a visionary concert by sitar maestro Niladri Kumar. Blending ancient ragas with modern expression, the production explores India’s vast musical heritage, from its spiritual roots to contemporary innovation. Featuring exceptional guest artists and Kumar’s signature electric Zitar, this immersive performance redefines Indian classical music for the modern age. Expect a mesmerising journey of sound, emotion and discovery, celebrating India’s musical soul. NOV. 1 | Phoenix Marketcity, Whitefield, BENGALURU KAILASH KHER & KAILASA LIVE Experience the raw energy and soul-stirring voice of Kailash Kher as he performs timeless hits like ‘Teri Deewani’ and ‘Allah Ke Bande’. With his band Kailasa, Kher’s earthy vocals and poetic lyrics promise an unforgettable…

How did a master’s degree holder in physics become one of the most pertinent figures of Indian cinema in the immediate aftermath of the country’s independence? Radha Chadha’s account of Jagat Murari, principal of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) from 1961 to 1971, a filmmaker with a prolific stint at the government’s Films Division, the official entrusted to start the National Film Archive of India—and, coincidentally, Chadha’s father—is about the rise and rise and subsequent fall of a man who spent a sizeable chunk of his life battling red tape to lay the foundation of FTII, still considered India’s leading filmmaking institute. Though this is a daughter’s account of her father’s long—and at times fun, but mostly fraught—journey, the book is surprisingly low on personal details about the man. Instead,…

Q. In your new book, you say women shouldn’t settle for routine ‘dal-chawal’ sex and men need to “put in more effort”. What keeps so many people—especially women—hesitant about exploring their desires? A woman risks losing her partner if she articulates her sexual needs, or voices disappointment in bed. Men definitely need to wake up and smell the ittar. Q. Has India become more open about discussing sex, or are we still trapped in hypocrisy and double standards? There has been a radical change in India. Sex is no longer a dirty word. Conversations around it are far more candid. But double standards and hypocrisy still exist. ‘Dudes’ can enjoy sex anywhere, anytime, with anyone. No questions asked. That’s not so with young girls who want the same freedom. Q.…

MAHAGATHBANDHAN ↘ One government job per family: This will be completed within 20 months of forming the government ↘ Jeevika Didis: Govt employee status, with Rs 30k monthly salary, for 14 mn community mobilisers. Insurance cover, loan relief for SHG women ↘ Land for landless: Three decimals of land in urban areas, five decimals in rural areas for all landless ↘ Health: Free health insurance up to Rs 25 lakh for BPL people, emergency ICUs in all subdivisions ↘ Village boost: Double honorarium, insurance, pension for members of panchayat/gram bodies; honorarium, hiked margins for PDS distributors ↘ A step forward: 50% quota cap to go. EBC quotas in urban/village bodies to be hiked from 20% to 30% ↘ Prohibition: Lift the ban on tari (toddy), review Prohibition Act. Immediate relief…

“DON’T VOTE FOR US IN 2026 IF WE FAIL TO DELIVER JUSTICE FOR ZUBEEN GARG.” With that one line, delivered barely a week after the death of musician Zubeen Garg on September 19, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma turned mourning into a political gamble. What began as collective grief over the untimely demise of a wildly popular cultural figure had morphed into protests and conspiracy theories. Sensing the mood, Sarma tied his own fate to a probe that could yet prove to be his undoing. Sarma’s critics accuse him of politicising grief; his supporters say he’s been forced into damage control by an Opposition doing the same. The truth likely resides in between. Six months before Assam votes, its most adored artiste has become a political fault line. On…

What is protein? It is a large biomolecule made up of chains of smaller amino acid molecules. Along with carbohydrates and fats, it is one of the three essential nutrients the body What does it do? ↘ It is critical for the structure, function and regulation of tissues and organs ↘ It is the building block of cells and tissues, including muscle, bone, skin and hair ↘ It also fights viruses, breaks down nutrients in food, speeds up chemical reactions within cells, transports molecules (e.g. haemoglobin and some hormones) ↘ Protein deficiency causes muscle weakness, a weakened immune system and reduced energy How much protein does one need? ↘ According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a healthy adult person needs 0.83 gram of protein per kg of body…

In 1925, A NEW ARCHITECTURAL MOVEMENT WAS BORN AT THE Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris. In October, a first-of-its-kind twin-city celebration marking 100 years of the Art Deco movement called Art Deco Alive! kicked off in Miami in the US and will continue in India in Mumbai in November. It links the cities through their shared architectural legacy—Miami has the world’s largest collection of Art Deco buildings, and Mumbai comes a close second. The American celebration, from October 8-31, included an exhibition titled From Ocean Drive to Marine Drive: Mapping a Century of Art Deco that explored its evolution from Paris to Miami and Mumbai through archival drawings, design objects and photographs. This was supported by leading preservation institutions, including the Miami Design Preservation League and Art…