India Today is the leading news magazine and most widely read publication in India. The magazine’s leadership is unquestioned, so much so that India Today is what Indian journalism is judged by, for its integrity and ability to bring unbiased and incisive perspective to arguably the most dynamic, yet perplexing, region in the world. Breaking news and shaping opinion, it is now a household name and the flagship brand of India’s leading multidimensional media group. Additionally, the weekly brings with it a range supplements like Women, Home, Aspire, Spice and Simply which focus on style, health, education, fashion, etc. and Indian cities.
FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
INDIA TODAY
Presenting India Today Insight
MAMATA VS MODI, PART 2
Cooking up a storm
THE PEN DRIVE IS MIGHTIER
BOMBAY RETURNS
MISSION POSSIBLE? • To fully vaccinate the entire adult population by Dec. 31, 2021, India must move at 4 times the current rate
Covid-hit Villages Are Poll Battleground
THE VILLAGE VOTE
Trouble in Paradise
Can Amarinder ride out the storm?
“ THE ECONOMY IS A BIG CHALLENGE BUT WE ARE UP TO IT ” • The Indian economy could again be in the ICU after the second wave of Covid, but Union Finance Minister NIRMALA SITHARAMAN sounds confident that the government has it under control. In an exclusive interview to Group Editorial Director RAJ CHENGAPPA and Business Today Editor RAJEEV DUBEY, she outlines the revival plan. Excerpts:
HOW TO KICKSTART THE ECONOMY • THE DEADLY SECOND WAVE OF COVID BATTERED AN ALREADY BRUISED ECONOMY. INDIA NOW NEEDS POLICY VISION OUT OF THE ORDINARY TO RESTORE CONSUMER CONFIDENCE, BUSINESSES AND LIVELIHOODS
A BUMPY ROAD • Auto sales have been hit hard as consumers put off high-value purchases
THE BEST SHOT AT ECONOMIC RECOVERY • A SECOND WAVE OF COVID HAS SET BACK INDIA’S FRAGILE ECONOMIC RECOVERY. THE BOARD OF INDIA TODAY ECONOMISTS WEIGHS IN ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO GET THINGS BACK ON TRACK
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT • Rural India’s desperately inadequate health infrastructure is common knowledge. But official estimates understate the crisis, which makes the battle against the pandemic even harder
THE GROWING RURAL THREAT • Even after under-reporting of cases/ deaths from rural India, official data records a near 12 percentage point surge in cases over the past three months
HOW THE STATES ARE FIGHTING BACK • While Covid infections are showing a dip across India, states are focusing on controlling the spread in the rural areas. But poor infrastructure in the villages makes this a big challenge
HOW PREPARED ARE OUR VILLAGES? • There is an acute shortage of sub-centres (SCs), public health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs), which form the backbone of rural medical infrastructure
GEOGRAPHY OF THE THREAT • Among the 10 states with the highest rural populations (see map), Bihar has the highest density per sq. km, which partly explains why it seems the worst provisioned in terms of SCs and CHCs (see table). On the other hand, if Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand appear better placed, it’s also because their density of population in rural areas is much lower
THE TRIAL ISN’T OVER • The Goa government challenges the acquittal of journalist-author Tarun Tejpal in the sensational case of an alleged sexual assault. Why the landmark case is going into a fresh loop
Twist in the Tale • The nearly eight-year-long case that culminated in the acquittal of journalist Tarun Tejpal
EVs ARE COMING • What once seemed like a distant sci-fi fantasy is already a reality on Indian roads, with a range of four-wheelers and two-wheelers to suit any budget. We mark World Environment Day with a short...