India Today

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

HOPE FOR THE YOUNG

KEY FACTS ABOUT ZyCoV-D

THE POLITICS OF E-TAIL

TIGHTER NORMS

WAR IN THE LALU PARIVAR?

LOOKING FORWARD, COUNTING BACKWARDS

MULTIPLE CHALLENGES

KISHOR’S ‘MISSION 300’

Lotus Season

BRAND AMBASSADOR

Pointed Compliments

UP BEAT

HOW INDIA SHOULD DEAL WITH THE TALIBAN • THE RETURN OF THE RADICAL ISLAMISTS PLUNGES AFGHANISTAN INTO UNCERTAINTY. INDIA MUST ENGAGE RATHER THAN BOYCOTT THE NEW TALIBAN REGIME

NOW FOR THE REALLY HARD PART • FOLLOWING ITS RETURN TO POWER, THE BIG QUESTION IS HOW THE TALIBAN WILL GOVERN AFGHANISTAN—A PATCHWORK OF TRIBAL AREAS. WHILE IT HAS A MILITARY COMMAND STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE WILL BE A HUGE CHALLENGE

THE NEW GREAT GAME • From being a pawn in the ‘Great Game’ between the British and Russian empires in the early 20th century to three wars in the past 50 years—the anti-Soviet jihad in 1979-89, the civil war from 1989-2001 and the US-led War against Terror from 2001-2021—Afghanistan has been in constant turmoil. Now, with the Taliban returning to power, a new Great Game has begun

AFGHANISTAN’S DEVELOPMENT: A MIXED BAG • THE 17 YEARS OF DEMOCRATIC RULE SAW GAINS IN HEALTH AND EDUCATION BUT NOT POVERTY

INDIA’S GOODWILL HUNTING • India has invested around $3 billion or Rs 22,200 crore in Afghanistan since 2001, mainly in development projects. Highlights:

THE TALIBAN GUEST HOUSE • The Taliban is linked to many Islamist terrorist groups hostile to many countries, including India

UNITED IN OPPOSITION • OPPOSITION PARTIES MAKE MOVES TO GET TOGETHER TO TAKE ON THE BJP IN THE 2024 LOK SABHA ELECTION, BUT ANY SUCCESS WILL DEPEND ON THE CONGRESS

FIXING THE BANKRUPTCY CODE • Despite the hope vested in the IBC, recoveries and resolution timelines remain far short of expectations

THE IBC SCORECARD

LANDMARK CASES

Education in the Times of Crisis

OPTIMIZING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AMIDST THE PANDEMIC

RETURN OF THE FAMILY • FAMILIES THAT FOUGHT COVID TOGETHER STAYED TOGETHER, AS FAMILIAL BONDS GREW STRONGER

THE MARDAS • Business family, New Delhi

RAJIV and EKTA PAREKH • Architects and founding partners, reD Architects, Mumbai

SAJI ZACHARIA • HR professional, Bengaluru

SANYA GOEL • Business owner, Delhi

DINAKARAN and JANAKI • Dinakaran runs an Internet café, Chennai

THE COMICS ARE ALRIGHT • A NEW VARIETY SHOW SEES THE WORLD OF INDIAN COMEDY TRYING TO LAUGH AWAY THE BLUES

LOL: LEAVING OUT LAUGHTER • Amazon Prime Video’s LOL: Enga Siri Paappom does a beleaguered Tamil comedy scene no favours

THE BAWA WAY OF LIFE • Coomi Kapoor’s new book is a handy dictionary for all things Parsi

BRAVE IN A NEW WORLD • Payal Dhar tells the coming of age tale with a new compassion that makes it altogether refreshing

CASTE, A LONG SHADOW

Free Poets Society • Javed Akhtar’s new show, the India Shayari Project, celebrates freedom through poetry

STREAMING SOON • Coming to a...