Rule of Ransom

As the spate of kidnappings in Bihar rises, the question of failing law and order under President's Rule comes to the fore. India Today's Farzand Ahmed discusses the debate.

MORE WEB FEATURES

  COVER STORY: STEM CELL BANKS

Banking on Wonder Cells

Cord stem cell banks are fast becoming the latest means to defend against debilitating diseases like leukaemia and thalassemia. But it is still unchartered territory.

FULL STORY

  NATION: BUREAUCRACY

First Among Equals

The Union Cabinet's decision to extend the tenure of four select posts goes against the concept of equality in the bureaucracy and threatens to block promotion avenues in the civil services.

FULL STORY

  GUEST COLUMN: BUREAUCRACY

Favouritism at Play

Assigning a two-year tenure to five top official posts makes them more equal than others.

FULL STORY

  STATES: GUJARAT

Sweet Returns

A number of dams being built along the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts is not only saving the land from salinity but also creating huge water reservoirs and an opportunity for eco-tourism.

FULL STORY

  NEIGHBOURS: PHOTO ESSAY

The New Tibet

With China eager to put Tibet on top of the tourism map, the land of the Dalai Lama has undergone a drastic transformation in its image and outlook.

FULL STORY

  GUEST COLUMN: ASHLEY TELLIS

Enriching Agreement

The nuclear pact with the US could mark the end of India's nuclear apartheid.

FULL STORY

  BUSINESS & ECONOMY: BROADBAND

High Speed, Low Cost

Video chats, e-commerce, online gaming and stock trading-nobody doubted the benefits of broadband. Now better availability at a low price is turning the virtual dream into a reality.

FULL STORY

  SPORTS: GOLF

Babes With The Woods

Drawn by the huge prize money which awaits a pro and the high social profile of the game, an increasing number of Indian youngsters is heading for golf academies in the United States.

FULL STORY

  SOCIETY & THE ARTS: BOOKS

Romancing The Ghats

A lavish field guide to the Sahyadris-from monsoon-drenched hills to microphotographs of insects.

FULL STORY

  SOCIETY & THE ARTS: CHILD ACTORS

Lights, Camera, Playtime

Talented, focused and professional. As the entertainment industry changes, a new breed of actors makes its mark and plans for the future, refusing to fade away like some of its predecessors.

FULL STORY

  COVER STORY: IVF BABY

Singular Achievement

For the first time in India, a single man fathers a child with the help of in vitro fertilisation but controversy rages around the baby's birth with several medico-legal issues cropping up.

FULL STORY

  NATION: POLICE

Uniform Demand

Though still a tiny minority, women in the police force are finally making themselves heard and demanding a makeover in their professional careers.

FULL STORY

  STATES: BIHAR

Hostage To Anarchy

The kidnapping of another schoolchild in Bihar snowballs into a major election issue even as the court takes the state police to task and angry schoolchildren hold protest marches.

FULL STORY

  NEIGHBOURS: THE PEACE PROCESS

Damage Control

After the downturn in New York, Natwar Singh's visit to Pakistan reduces differences between the two neighbours, especially on the vexed Siachen issue.

FULL STORY

  DIPLOMACY: INDIA-CHINA TIES

The Dalai Dilemma

Even as India makes concessions on Tibet to China, Beijing shows no signs of reciprocating. It instead adopts an aggressive border strategy and puts off the opening of the Nathula route.

FULL STORY

  DEFENCE: THE NAVY

Leaking Ship

After facing the biggest embarrassment of commercial espionage in its war room, the navy prepares to punish the officers who hawked confidential information.

FULL STORY

  BUSINESS & ECONOMY: STOCKMARKETS

Making Markets Safe

There isn't any smell of a scam yet, but the Finance Ministry is watching out for any potential trouble spot in the market.

FULL STORY

  SOCIETY & THE ARTS: ADVERTISING

Adding To The Mix

The Hindi film industry's young hotshot directors with their box office appeal are cashing in on the success of their films and dipping into the advertising industry's rather generous booty.

FULL STORY

  SOCIETY & THE ARTS: BOOKS

Anatomy of Desire

Surgeon-writer Kavery Nambisan plays on the body motif as her novel winds through a complex village life and cadavers in medical school.

FULL STORY

  SOCIETY & THE ARTS: CINEMA

Hollywood Dreaming

After Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen joins the band of Indian actors looking to cross over in an Indo-US production.

FULL STORY