'It was the Mughals who first established standard units of measurement and maintained offices of meticulous record keepers and auditors, departing from the more haphazard methods of earlier regimes.' 'By the end of the 16th century, their revenue and judicial administrations exhibited an obsessive preoccupation with order, the efficient management of time, and a spirit of rational self-control -- all of them characteristics of early modernity,' point out Sheldon Pollock and Benjamin Ellman.
Breaking his silence, India-born David Davidar, the former CEO of Penguin International, on Monday claimed that he had a "consensual, flirtatious relationship" with his ex-colleague Lisa Rundle, dismissing her accusation of sexual harassment.
Unlike the Germans, Britons began to face the hard truths about their colonial empire only recently.
Abhishek Mande interviews Bhavna Chauhan, ex army officer and first-time author, about her new book, Where Girls Dare, part of the Metro Reads series from Penguin Books.
'We can make all the noise we want to about being a tolerant society, but the reality is in front of us.'
'I have grown up in an environment where the dominant narrative of Indian sporting achievement was -- We can't.' 'These achievers have fought hard, built on each other's body of work and knowledge, and have today changed the script to -- We can,' notes Rahul Dravid,cricketing legend.
A must-read excerpt from former RBI governor and former Rajya Sabha member Bimal Jalan's India: Priorities For The Future.
'There is hardly any boy who thinks he can jump from a high rise building and bash up 50 people. I really wanted people to believe it. That was the starting of my ****up.'
As the world grapples with extreme weather events and climate change becomes the buzzword of contemporary times, author Amitav Ghosh says the crisis has been in the making since the 17th century and it is imperative to take into account history before beginning to tackle the issue.
Before you write off Indian street food as unhealthy and unhygienic, you should read this!
I remember a showbiz wedding during which guests had to sit through several painstakingly rehearsed but awkward dances performed by the bride's and groom's relatives. When Karan rolled his eyes, I smiled and said to him, 'You started it, now you suffer it.' An enchanting excerpt from Anupama Chopra's A Place In My Heart.
There are several books that Aakar Patel wishes were being written but aren't. Fortunately, there's plenty coming up this year that he's eagerly awaiting.
'Will it lead to a full-scale war? I doubt it.' 'But I do think there will be some kind of limited conflict.'
"We condemn the attack on press freedom in #Maharashtra. This is not the way to treat the press. This reminds us of the emergency days when the press was treated like this," the minister tweeted.
Each region in India has its own culinary narrative that speaks through its distinct dishes. Each cuisine packs within itself, textures, layers, ideas and historical nuggets so that all of Indian food cannot be pigeonholed together to say that there is one Indian cuisine. A fascinating extract from Sonal Ved's Whose Samosa Is It Anyway?.
documentary March of the Penguin. The actor who is in Paris wrote on his blog that he may give his consent to the project which will be made in English.It will be produced and directed by the french makers who made March of the Penguin. The new film will be set in India and France.Perhaps work starts next year end.
Amitabh Bachchan launched Dr Jaishree Sharad's second book in Mumbai.
'Sridevi was known as this elusive movie star, but there was a ticking brain there that I don't think she got enough credit for.'
'It is in the form of the nava shaktis that Durga or Adi Shakti lives inside everyone.'
Here's what your favourite Bollywood celebrities are tweeting.
'Through the use of technology, the GSTN will tip the balance in favour of compliance rather than tax evasion, lowering the barriers for entry into the tax payment system while making it much harder to cheat on payments,' says Nandan Nilekani.
Yamini has superpowers that help her intercept souls headed to heaven or the afterworld or for reincarnation and spirits them away, on another course, to those in need.
'He destroyed many of our tanks, and finally, it was just the two of us left facing each other with our tanks just 200 m apart.' A tale of valour excerpted from Rachna Bisht Rawat's 1971: Charge Of The Gorkhas And Other Stories.
Prime was the first to grab streaming rights for seven titles for an estimated Rs 300 crore.
'It is advisable for Indian interlocutors to follow the Chinese tactic of repeating the Indian position, both for the record and to test the Chinese negotiator's resolve and intentions.' A riveting excerpt from former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale's The Long Game: How the Chinese Negotiate With India.
'Is there any harm in studying the history of India? This is not a regressive stand. The Vedas and Upanishads should be included in our textbooks,' says Dinanath Batra.
In any controversy, the participants cannot decide who is right or wrong. A democracy has a process in place to settle these disputes: the judiciary. Dinanath Batra in true democratic fashion availed of that opportunity citizen and Penguin's decision was the outcome of a legitimate legal battle, says Vivek Gumaste.
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam believes India can transform herself into a developed nation by the year 2020. The young people of India, headed by a creative leader, can help us reach this goal, says the former President.
'He believes in his destiny and says "naseeb accha hai, chalne do".'
The world feels like complete panda-monium right now. But thanks to the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, we can all take a brief break from the news cycle and focus on otter things -- like pictures of animals being complete goofballs. The animals were pictured by photographers competing in the sixth annual Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, which saw thousands of pictures entered, taken around the world. As well as providing a smile, the competition works alongside the Born Free Foundation to highlight a more serious matter -- the importance of conserving our planet's beautiful wildlife. We share a selection of the best finalists' photos...
Count among The Light of Asia's many, many admirers over 132 years: Gandhi, Tagore, Vivekananda, Nehru and Ambedkar, Tolstoy and Kipling, Yeats and Eliot, Alfred Nobel, Dmitri Mendeleev and C V Raman. Jairam Ramesh reveals why he decided to write a book on Edwin Arnold, who wrote The Light of Asia.
To make a truly significant impact in the world, every Indian should shoulder more responsibility to build a healthy India, said the Dalai Lama on Saturday. "Every individual Indian should think about how to build a healthy India to make an impact in the world," said the Dalai Lama. He asserted that India can create a significant impact in the world because of its size and history.
In life, you always need that someone who directs you to the right path, who shows you the way. In my case, I was very fortunate it was Aditya Chopra.
'You've got to be a doer to be re-elected.' 'You don't have to be a great communicator or an orator any more because voters want to see action and development on the ground.' 'And they want a doer rather than just an orator.'
'Absolute non-violence is not only sinful, but immoral.' 'This doctrine of non-violence benumbed the revolutionary fervor, softened the limbs and hearts of the Hindus, and stiffened the bones of enemies.' A revealing excerpt from Vikram Sampath's Savarkar (Part 2): A Contested Legacy, 1924-1966.
'It is the regional parties and their leaders who are the ones we have to watch.'
The book will be released on 12-12-12, the day the Tamil Superstar turns 63.
'I didn't know exactly how to move from a world of gray back into a world of vibrant colour, but one day I figured out one simple thing I could do: I could stop hiding and re-engage with life.'
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