For the love of butterflies

“One sunny morning, as I was wandering about alone, my heart leapt when an Oakleaf came and settled on the path a few feet away. I dashed back to the house, grabbed the nearest net and ran back.... The net billowed as I swung it, but at the last moment, it struck a stone on the path. There was a flash of orange and blue as the Oakleaf made off, and I was left with the net.

The rivers, blue and black

Indian rivers and water resources have been the focus of many studies, and of late, these are being published with increasing regularity. Written by professional academics, policy makers, activists and journalists, the most refreshing of these are those written by journalists, who should not be considered lesser experts. Interviewee:  Praveen S

For the love of butterflies

One sunny morning, as I was wandering about alone, my heart leapt when an Oakleaf came and settled on the path a few feet away from me. I dashed back to the house as fast as my legs would carry me, grabbed the nearest net and ran back.......... The net billowed as I swung it, but at the last moment, it struck a stone on the path.

Hills of despair and hope

At one point in his memoir, A Writer’s People, V S Naipul notes, “All my life I have had to think about ways of looking and how they alter the configurations of the world.” The celebrated writer's method holds true for not only a novel but also an academic work, especially when it is set in a politically volatile and culturally diverse region.

Identity under threat

“Excuse me, but what’s your religion?”

Informal economy in perspective

This book brings to light the plight of the rural and urban workforce at the bottom of the informal economy in India. While discussing labour being pushed out of agriculture, Jan Breman analyses why, when, and how this massive shift in production and employment came about.

Living with hunger

Ash in the Belly is a penetrating account of men, women and children living with hunger, illuminated by their courage in trying to cope and survive. It is also an investigation into the political economy of hunger, whereby one in every two children is malnourished, despite the creation of wealth and economic growth.

Skin deep

This book lays bare a strange world: a mix of science, romance and mystery. Did you know, for instance, that one single chemically inert and stable pigment is responsible for all variations in skin colour among humans? That the top layer of our skin is essentially “dead”?

How indigo spread

Prakash Kumar documents the history of agricultural indigo, exploring the effects of nineteenth-century globalisation on this colonial industry.

Brush with cancer

A film  on the director Vasudha Johi's brush with cancer in December 2008, Cancer Katha explores the fears and dilemmas on the course of treatment to follow and also muses on love, death and memory. The film received the Special Jury Award at National Film Awards, 2012