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Institutions That Shaped Modern India DRDO
The end of colonial rule was an important milestone worth celebrating, but what lay ahead was a long journey towards the making of modern India. The narrative of ‘modern India’ would be incomplete without the stories of institutions that helped shape India as we know it today. This volume, part of a series on institutions that shaped modern India, gives an in-depth introduction to one such institution—the defence research and development organisation (Dr do). it engagingly tells the story of Dr do from its inception to present times. Capturing its history and its evolution, dotted with several remarkable achievements and some equally critical challenges, and offering thought-provoking suggestions too, this book is an ode to an institution that has been a crucial contributor to India’s defence needs, equipping it with state-of-the-art indigenous defence technologies, and has played a seminal role in nation-building.
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Chandrayaan-3 : India on the Moon
On 23 August 2023, India scripted history as Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the Moon’s South Pole. India became the first and only country to reach this remote lunar region, a milestone that has elevated India to the ranks of the United States (US), Russia and China—the only three other nations that have reached the moon. But these were not the only records Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made that day; it also garnered over 8 million concurrent views of the live moon landing on YouTube, highest ever in the history of the platform. This book offers an overview of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and covers the evolution of India’s Moon programme. It traces India’s journey to the Moon, starting from its inception during the early 2000s.
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The Long Game
Adalyn Reyes has spent years perfecting her daily routine: wake up at dawn, drive to the Miami Flames FC offices, try her hardest to leave a mark, go home, and repeat. But her routine is disrupted when a video of her in an altercation with the team’s mascot goes viral. Rather than fire her, the team’s owner—who happens to be her father—sends Adalyn to middle-of-nowhere North Carolina, where she’s tasked with turning around the struggling local soccer team, the Green Warriors, as a way to redeem herself. Her plans crumble upon discovering that the players wear tutus to practice (impractical), keep pet goats (messy), and are terrified of Adalyn (counterproductive), and are nine-year-old kids. To make things worse, also in town is Cameron Caldani, goalkeeping prodigy whose presence is somewhat of a mystery. Cam is the perfect candidate to help Adalyn, but after one very unfortunate first encounter involving a rooster, Cam’s leg, and Adalyn’s bumper, he’s also set on running her out of town. But banishment is not an option for Adalyn. Not again. Helping this ragtag children’s team is her road to redemption, and she is playing the long game. With or without Cam’s help.
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A Gentleman In Moscow
On 21 June 1922, Count Alexander Rostov - recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt - is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely. But instead of his usual suite, he must now live in an attic room while Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval. Can a life without luxury be the richest of all?
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From Space To Sea : My Isro Journey And Beyound
In 2008, with the successful launch of Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to the Moon, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) joined an elite space club. The foundation of this achievement, however, was laid decades ago by a small group of people, one of whom was Dr Abraham E. Muthunayagam. Handpicked by Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Muthunayagam was the chief architect of rocket propulsion in the country, directing the project that developed the Vikas engine, which sent many Indian rockets into space, including the one that took Chandrayaan-1 to the Moon. In From Space to Sea and Beyond, Muthunayagam looks back at the nascent phase of the Indian space programme, the breakthroughs, international collaborations, and professional rivalries and jealousies that were the highlight of his years at ISRO. Though he was eventually transferred from the organization, it did not signal the end of his career. Just like propulsion systems land up in the ocean after completing their missions in space, Muthunayagam too joined, and subsequently transformed, the Department of Ocean Development. A riveting mix of memoir and history, this book is an inspiring call to young Indians to carry forward the spirit of enquiry.
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Roman Stories
In 'The Boundary', one family vacations in the Roman countryside, though we see their lives through the eyes of the caretaker's daughter, who nurses a wound from her family's immigrant past. In 'P's Parties', a Roman couple, now empty nesters, finds comfort and community with foreigners at their friend's yearly birthday gathering-until the husband crosses a line. And in 'The Steps', on a public staircase that connects two neighbourhoods and the residents who climb up and down it, we see Italy's capital in all of its social and cultural variegations, filled with the tensions of a changing city: visibility and invisibility, random acts of aggression, the challenge of straddling worlds and cultures, and the meaning of home. These are splendid, searching stories, written in Jhumpa Lahiri's adopted language of Italian and seamlessly translated by the author and by Knopf editor Todd Portnowitz.
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Common Yet Uncommon
Meet these people: Bundle Bindu, so named because he likes his truth with a little embellishment, Jayant the shopkeeper who doesn't make any profit, and Lunchbox Nalini, Sudha Murty herself, who brings her empty lunchbox-to be filled with food-wherever she goes! Written in Sudha Murty's inimitable style, Common Yet Uncommon is a heartwarming picture of everyday life and the foibles and quirks of ordinary people. In the fourteen tales that make up the collection, Sudha Murty delves into memories of childhood, life in her hometown and the people she's crossed paths with. These and the other characters who populate the pages of this book do not possess wealth or fame. They are unpolished and outspoken, transparent and magnanimous. Their stories are tales of unvarnished humans, with faults and big hearts. Testament to the unique parlance of a small town, Common Yet Uncommon speaks a universal language of what it means to be human.
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Idols : Unearthing the Power of Murti Puja
Why do people worship idols? Why does idol worship stubbornly persist despite many centuries of prejudice, bigotry and violence against it? Can such worship help us find our true purpose in life and ultimately attain peace and prosperity? In Idols, a companion volume to the bestselling Dharma, your favourite fictional characters are back, along with some new ones, to explore the essence and true meaning of murti puja. In this insightful and thought-provoking book, Amish and Bhavna tackle burning questions about idol worship through simple, varied and astute interpretations of myths and religious texts. They unearth the symbolic essence of Ishta Devata, dive into the benefits of bhakti and tackle the importance of religion for people and society. In the process, they reveal the expansive philosophy behind the practice and how it can lead us to experience—intellectually, ideologically and, most importantly, in our hearts—the Oneness of God, through transformation, acceptance and love.
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Madam Commissioner:The Extraordinary Life of an In
The incredible memoir from one of India’s most uncompromising police officers. Meeran Chadha Borwankar graduated from India’s National Police Academy as the sole woman of its 1981 batch. From there, she would go on to investigate a long string of sensitive and controversial cases, fighting crime together with corruption and discrimination, never compromising on her integrity. Meeran’s steadfast efforts saw her become Maharashtra’s first female district police chief as well as its first woman police commissioner. She also held senior roles at the Central Bureau of Investigation and Mumbai’s crime branch, eventually retiring as Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development and the National Crime Records Bureau. All through she remained unafraid to critique the country’s criminal justice system, challenging even those in the highest echelons until the rule of law prevailed. In this candid account of her thirty-six years in Indian law enforcement, Meeran details the sensational cases that defined her career: from the Jalgaon sex scandal to jewellery heists, highway dacoities to communal riots, brutal murders to gang rapes, port thefts to financial frauds, and brushes with notorious criminals such as Chhota Rajan and Dawood Ibrahim’s sister Haseena Parkar. As the state prisons chief, she navigated intense media and government pressure while overseeing Sanjay Dutt’s imprisonment and the executions of Ajmal Kasab and Yakub Memon, thereby outlining both the significance and challenges of donning the khaki. Gripping, thought-provoking and always inspiring, Madam Commissioner is as honest a memoir can get about life as a woman officer of the Indian Police Service. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the uniform and indeed for concerned citizens everywhere.
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Going Viral
Going Viral records the encouraging story of tackling the pandemic in India and the efforts of all who have worked tirelessly to keep us safe. The COVID-19 pandemic caused enormous suffering across the globe. All countries irrespective of their economic, social and health infrastructure or cultural status plunged into unimaginable devastation. India also went through its share of despair and agony. As a nation, we fought this pandemic bravely with the all-round support of the government, scientific agencies and the public and came up with customized solutions to save the nation. The biggest among them was the development of an indigenous vaccine in record time. Going Viral is an honest attempt to take readers through the journey of India’s homegrown vaccine as seen through the eyes of Dr Balram Bhargava, a medical scientist and the director general of India’s apex medical research organization, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Starting with the report of a mysterious pneumonia-like illness from Wuhan to the detection of the first case, Bhargava shares his own experience while fighting the health crisis of the century. From the development of a robust laboratory network, diagnosis, treatment and serosurveys to new technologies and vaccines, the book touches upon the intricacies of science and challenges faced by our scientists during the fight against COVID-19.
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12 Months to Live
'A gutsy heroine. A ticking clock. A breathless pace. Wow! This one had me reeling' JANE CORRY 'Compelling' Crime Monthly Her name is Jane Smith. But to friends and foes, she's Jane Effing Smith. Why? Because she's the best criminal defence attorney in the Hamptons - the elite world of New York's rich and infamous. Because she's as good an investigator as she is a lawyer. Because she's tough. She's strong. As Jane is preparing to defend a high-profile client accused of a triple homicide, she's also hired to revive a cold case - a cluster of unsolved murders. Then another bombshell lands. A devastating medical diagnosis. Terminal. She's got a year to live. But for now, she has a trial to win. Unless one of her many enemies kills her first.
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Alex Cross Must Die
The thirty-first instalment in James Patterson's globally bestselling series. When an American Airlines plane explodes in the sky, detectives Alex Cross and John Sampson are first on the scene. They don't hear the gunfire. At first. It soon becomes clear that the plane was taken down by a rare, stolen machine gun. The list of people who could operate the weapon is short. And time runs even shorter. But this isn't the only case the pair must solve. They're also tracking a serial killer who's ambushing young men in what the media are calling the 'Dead Hours' murders. With two killers and two different motives, Cross and Sampson are in a deadly race against time . . .
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You Must Be Kidding
The only clue that could lead to the arrest of a homicidal killer is a golf ball button, torn from the jacket the killer was wearing, and found next to the horrifyingly mutilated body of a young hooker. There are four owners of jackets with golf ball buttons living in the city. When Detective Tom Lepski of the Paradise City Police checks out these jackets, suspicion falls on Ken Brandon, an insurance agent. But just when Lepski is sure he has his man, two more horrifying killings occur, and he is faced with the trickiest case he's ever had to solve.
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The Armour of Light
The grand master of gripping fiction is back. International No.1 bestseller Ken Follett returns to Kingsbridge with an epic tale of revolution and a cast of unforgettable characters. Revolution is in the air 1792. A tyrannical government is determined to make England a mighty commercial empire. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte begins his rise to power, and with dissent rife, France’s neighbours are on high alert. Kingsbridge is on the edge Unprecedented industrial change sweeps the land, making the lives of the workers in Kingbridge’s prosperous cloth mills a misery. Rampant modernization and dangerous new machinery are rendering jobs obsolete and tearing families apart. Tyranny is on the horizon Now, as international conflict nears, a story of a small group of Kingsbridge people - including spinner Sal Clitheroe, weaver David Shoveller and Kit, Sal’s inventive and headstrong son - will come to define the struggle of a generation as they seek enlightenment and fight for a future free from oppression. . . Taking the reader straight into the heart of history with the fifth novel in the ground-breaking Kingsbridge series, The Armour of Light is master storyteller Ken Follett’s most ambitious novel to date.
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Traitors Gate
4 hours to stop the crime of the century The race against time is about to begin… THE TOWER OF LONDON… Impenetrable. Well protected. Secure. Home to the most valuable jewels on earth. But once a year, the Metropolitan Police must execute the most secret operation in their armoury when they transport the Crown Jewels across London. SCOTLAND YARD… For four years, Chief Superindendent William Warwick – together with his second-in-command Inspector Ross Hogan – has been in charge of the operation. And for four years it’s run like clockwork. THE HEIST… But this year, everything is about to change. Because master criminal Miles Faulkner has set his heart on pulling off the most outrageous theft in history – and with a man on the inside, the odds are in his favour.
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Saturday Stories
From the bestselling author of Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish and Follow Every Rainbow, comes a set of sparkling stories that explores the full gamut of human emotions, vulnerabilities and truths, and captures the distinct spirit of our times. Deceptively simple in their telling, and occasionally laced with dark humour, the short glimpses of life in Rashmi Bansal's first foray into fiction will take readers by surprise, and by turns inspire, move and entertain them.
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The Great Indian Conspiracy
Saffron terrorism. Is it a fact? Or, is this a myth? After all, do we know enough? The shocking blasts of Malegaon and Samjhauta were projected as 'saffron terrorism'. A new theory, terrorist attacks were tainted as such till, a few years later, Kasab's confession offered solid proof of Pakistan's role in the 26/11 attacks. Though the police had concluded a Pakistani hand for the earlier blasts, it was saffron terrorism which prevented the perpetrators of these attacks from being brought to justice. As a theory, saffron terrorism is not just hurting Hindus sentiments but is also an obstacle to fight real terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and Islamic states. The term was coined by the erstwhile UPA government to garner minority votes and manipulate the vote bank. After all, why were the Malegaon-accused SIMI activists let off? Why did certain politicians declare not to oppose their bail? What was truly behind Aseemanand's confession? The reliability of these confessions was questionable given the police brutality that the National Investigative Agency exposed. Journalist Praveen Tiwari explores saffron terrorism and reveals through exclusive interviews of senior National Investigative Agency officials, undercover agents and politicians how vote bank politics can compromise ethics and national security. Should the real masterminds behind the blasts be allowed to go scot-free? Should the manipulators of the Samjhauta Express bombings not be held accountable? Should we not investigate those who had exonerated Pakistan of its guilt? An extensive research on communal politics, the book offers indisputable evidence of the 'saffron terrorism' theory as the Great Indian Conspiracy.
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Srilaaji
The untamed, incandescent and battle-ready Srilaa grows up in her wealthy Marwari family’s palatial house in Calcutta. After suffering her first heartbreak at the hands of a potential suitor, she is married and packed off to Bombay to live with her new husband. There she experiences womanhood and confronts her sexual curiosities, misgivings and desires, but continues to hope daringly and love fearlessly—refusing to live her life by the unrealistic standards society often sets on unconventional women. The young and vivacious Srilaa slowly but assuredly becomes the inimitable Srilaaji! And each time life starts crumbling around her, she manages to pick herself up. And from the ashes of an uncertain life, a phoenix rises. Told with Shobhaa De’s matchless blend of candour, humour and seductive earthiness, Srilaaji captures the soul of an indomitable spirit . A book that simmers and erupts at will, and presents us with one of the most unforgettable protagonists in years - the utterly delicious Srilaaji.
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The Shortest History Of China
**‘A fascinating, enormously dynamic portrait of a superpower. Essential reading’ JULIA LOVELL ‘A fast-paced and witty survey of China’s past ... Iconoclastic, informative and more attentive to female figures than comparable works’ JEFFREY WASSERSTROM ‘Succinct, lucid and with a keen eye for detail, this slim book is an indispensable primer on China’ LOUISA LIM** **A PACY HISTORY OF CHINA THAT CAN BE READ IN AN AFTERNOON, BUT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR PERSPECTIVE FOR A LIFETIME. ** From kung-fu to tofu, tea to trade routes, sages to silk, China has inf luenced cuisine, commerce, military strategy, aesthetics and philosophy across the world for thousands of years. Chinese history is sprawling and gloriously messy. It is full of heroes who are also villains, prosperous ages and violent rebellions, cultural vibrancy and censorious impulses, loyalists, dissidents and wits. The story of women in China, from the earliest warriors to twentieth century suffragettes, is rarely told. And historical spectres of corruption and disunity, which have brought down many a mighty ruling house, continue to haunt the People’s Republic today. Modern China is seen variously as an economic powerhouse, an icon of urbanisation, a propaganda state or an aggressive superpower seeking world domination. Linda Jaivin distils a vast history into a short, readable account that tells you what you need to know, from China’s philosophical origins to its political system, to the COVID-19 pandemic and where the PRC is likely to lead the world.
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Rishi Intelligence
Ravi Singh Choudhary has a natural gift for explaining things in a simple and crisp manner. A gift that is of crucial importance in bringing out the wisdom of Hindu Rishis. This wisdom has layers of space (geography) and time (antiquity). To separate this wisdom from wasteful speculations is not an easy task. Ravi has been successful in this endeavor because of his close connection with nature and his success in keeping himself away from the snobbery of puerile and clueless discussion of academia. Grab this book. Read it and re-read it. Apply it in your area of profession. Experience the effects first-hand. Nilesh Nilkanth Oak- Author, Speaker, Researcher, TEDx speaker, UAA-ICT Distinguished Alumnus, Who's Who in American Universities & Colleges, Scientific dating of Indian epics In our quest for Vishwaguru, it is insufficient to merely recount tales of being pioneers in numerous fields. Mere antiquity of our civilization does not automatically confer greatness upon it. True greatness should be rooted in fundamental principles, robust frameworks, progressive means of knowledge, and the quality of our institutions. Can we embark on cutting-edge research in Vedic science, resuming where we left off? It is time to shift our focus from lamenting the burning of books at Nalanda for a mere three months, and instead, channel our efforts towards preserving the remaining one crore manuscripts, not merely as relics of the past, but as living and vibrant subjects.
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The Ultimate Family Business Survival Guide
‘Brilliant and insightful ... A must-read for everyone engaged in a family business in twenty-first century India’ Sajjan Jindal, Chairman and Managing Director, JSW Steel Ltd‘The Ultimate Family Business Survival Guide lucidly captures the informal yet important communications within a business family, the stakes of the family in the business and the rich resources basket that the family is for the business and each member’ – Nupur Pavan Bang, Associate Director, Thomas Schmidheiny Centre for Family Enterprise, Indian School of Business‘A fantastic book’ Samish Dalal, Associate Professor, S P Jain School of Global Management‘A thought-provoking book' Pramodita Sharma, Schlesinger-Grossman Chair of Family Business, University of Vermont Grossman School of Business‘A must-read’ SheThePeople.TVInvigorate your family business with this easy-to-use survival guide!Family businesses are vital to the health of a nation’s economy, but distresses such as economic downturns and the Covid-19 pandemic can put them at grave existential risk.Drawing from her dynamic experience working with her family-owned company MPIL Steel Structures Ltd, Priyanka Gupta Zielinski presents a unique manual to help family businesses thrive, even in times of crisis. Central to it is a survival toolkit – featuring a metaphorical multipurpose hat, a flashlight, a superhero cape, a Swiss Army knife and a parachute – which prepares business owners to face any challenge head on. The book also reveals how the improvisational style of family enterprises can be leveraged better for sustainability, while identifying in their close-knit structure and community-driven approach avenues for meaningful social change.Replete with anecdotes and effective strategies – with an occasional Haryanvi idiom thrown into the mix – The Ultimate Family Business Survival Guide is a must-read for family business and MSME owners everywhere.
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Black Chin White Chin
Chin Govender, the favoured son of Cato Manor, returns home to his estranged family in the late 1940s, after too many years away, bringing with him an astounding tale that spans the physical and political landscape of South Africa and chronicles his exploits from penniless wine steward in East London to successful hotelier in CapeTown's District Six. The story of Chin's family is blended into the rich cultural tapestry of Indian life and the intricacies of close families and communities that from the backdrop of this complex tale. An evocative portrait of five generations of descendants of former indentured Indian labourers and their struggle to build an identity in an emerging South Africa, Black Chin, White Chin is a spectacular tour de force.