Some events don’t just make history—they redefine a Republic.
Democracies are not tested during peaceful times. They are tested during fear, anger, division and uncertainty. India’s journey is no exception.
In this book, Priya Jain, founder of Finology Legal—a platform dedicated to making law and constitutional issues accessible to everyday Indians—examines ten defining moments that reshaped the relationship between the Indian state and its citizens and changed the course of the Republic itself.
From the framing of the Constitution and the first general election to the trauma of the Emergency, the Republic has repeatedly been forced to confront its own limits. Later events, such as the 1991 economic reforms, changed India’s economic direction, while tragedies like 26/11 and the Nirbhaya case exposed deep failures in security and criminal justice. The book also explores moments where law collided with faith, identity and federal power, including the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid dispute and the abrogation of Article 370.
Archives: Books
Why Kenyans Win Marathons and Estonians Build Unicorns
Why do people from certain countries excel at particular activities?
Why do so many of the world’s best long-distance runners come from Kenya? How does Estonia (pop: 1.3 million) produce so many tech unicorns—Skype, Bolt, Wise? Why do so many distinguished writers come from Nigeria and so many classical musicians from Venezuela?
More than a decade ago, Anirudh Krishna began tracking these flows of excellence—and found that the standard explanations of genetics or geography don’t hold up. Excellence is not tied to any given ethnicity, legacy or political system. Replicable ingredients drive it—specifically, an infrastructure of opportunity that promotes near-universal participation.
This book uncovers how societies identify talent, create opportunity, and combine them into systems that consistently deliver the best. Contrarian in approach and rigorous in research, it doesn’t just explain success—it builds a framework for replicating egalitarian structures that broaden opportunity and deliver excellence.
Under a Saffron Sky
What does it take to convince millions that the enemy lives within? Two words: love jihad. With this simple idea, two ordinary human acts—love and marriage—have become national anxieties. The premise: Muslim men are seducing Hindu women to change India’s demography. People were told their love was an attack on civilization. Some believed it. Some didn’t care. Most loved anyway. Politicians found in this a remarkable economy—one term, and they had both a threat and a constituency.
Researching this book took Ismat Ara from Arya Samaj mandirs in East Delhi, police stations in Uttar Pradesh, and the small rented rooms where couples live like fugitives—and she realized she wasn’t just documenting interfaith couples. She was documenting a country at war with love. What struck her most was how women were erased from their own stories and Muslim men lived in fear of prison for falling in love.
Under a Saffron Sky offers no conclusions. It is a record of people who were told, by law and family and state and mob, that their love was a threat to civilization—and who loved anyway, based on the belief that love, even uncertain, was worth it.
How the Chilli Became Hot | Puffin Chapter Book: Gorgeous New Full-Colour Illustrated Chapter Book for Young Readers from Ages 5 and Up by Sudha Murty
‘If spoken gently, words add flavour to life—but if spoken without thought, they can cause harm.’
In the grand Kingdom of Food, Princess Chilli dazzles with her looks but hurts others with her careless tongue. When a grand feast tests all the flavours in the kingdom, she discovers that beauty alone is never enough.
India’s favourite storyteller brings to us the story of a proud princess who must learn the true meaning of humility, kindness and purpose. A warm, thought-provoking tale that reminds us of the power of choosing our words with care, this gorgeous chapter book is the ideal introduction to the world of Sudha Murty.
You Were Never Meant To Read This
A story of love, fate and the price of loving someone
Perhaps fate didn’t allow it then, but Dev never stopped believing that it meant something.
Now, his new life awaits: the corporate job of every MBA’s dreams, with a salary to match.
But some things still follow him: a name never deleted, a number never blocked.
And fifteen months of learning to live, without ever really being able to let go.
When six words from her appear on his screen,
‘I wish we could meet again’
Everything he worked so hard to bury comes back.
But love, in the real world, is very different from love in college. Dev’s story didn’t end with Tanishka asking to be strangers again.
This is the rest of their story, told in the words he was never able to tell her
On Earth As It Is Beneath
Where justice ends, the hunt begins.
Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026
English Pen Translates Award
”A stark, unsettling exploration of power, violence and institutional corruption that will linger long after the final page” — Booker Prize Judges
”Beautiful and gripping… a must read for those who like their poetry written in blood” — New York Times
On land where enslaved people were once tortured and murdered, the state built a penal colony in the wilderness. A place where inmates could be rehabilitated, but never escape. Now, decades later, the prison is winding down. But in its final days, a new horror is unleashed. Every full-moon night, the inmates are released. The warden is armed with rifles. The hunt begins. Every man plans his escape, not knowing if his end will come at the hands of a familiar face, or from the dangers lurking beyond the prison walls. Ana Paula Maia’s most urgent and unsettling work yet is a searing allegory of power, violence and the failures of the state, from one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Brazilian fiction.
From the author of Of Cattle and Men, winner of the UK Republic of Consciousness Prize
He Stood By Me: From the Bestselling Author of The Right Guy and She Stood By Me
Aditya is in love with Shreya—his steady confidant since college. He has made his peace with the possibility that they might never be more than will they-won’t they friends, that is, until Shreya begins reciprocating his feelings.
Meanwhile, his college best friend, Varun, has fallen hopelessly in love with Aishwarya—an elusive woman, who just so happens to be close friends with Shreya.
Goaded on by Varun, Aditya musters up the courage to ask Shreya out. What follows is a rollercoaster of events, one where the two young lovers are forced to navigate the turbulent road towards marriage—one marred by office politics, disapproving parents, and societal expectations. Through it all, Varun and Aishwarya play the roles of the ever-supporting best friends, standing by in solidarity.
Based on a true story, He Stood By Me, in true Tarun Vikash fashion, offers great empathy and understanding to its protagonists, pulling readers into a captivating world of love, hate, and everything in between. After all, love only happens once.
The Fourth Girl
For two decades, the three survivors have lived down a mysterious disappearance. They have become bestselling authors, formidable diplomats and celebrity icons. When a funeral reunites them in Colombo, a journalist starts digging into their buried past and asks the one question they can’t answer: What happened to the fourth girl?
They discover that some ghosts refuse to stay dead. The reckoning they’ve always feared has finally arrived.
Food for the Soul: Eating for Happiness. And for Health: Amma’s kitchen secrets, treasures from our yoga retreats, and more
Combining two seemingly different worlds – yoga and Sattvic cooking – Food for the Soul brings together thousands of years of wisdom and a time-tested approach to health. In an age when people are searching for direction on exercise and diet, tradition comes to the rescue. Drawing from his years of immersion in yoga, Arun Pandala offers what he calls “recipes for life and for the dining table”.
The book meshes Kerala cuisine – and a few dishes from North India – all from his mother’s treasury of home cooking, with the yogic insights of right eating and living. These are recipes commonly served at his yoga retreats and residential training programmes.
From the warmth of Ericheri and the comfort of Avial to the lightness of Thayir Saadham and the festive spread of an Onam Sadya, the dishes reflect a cuisine that is both grounding and restorative. Alongside the recipes, the author weaves in reflections on Sattvic principles, the three doshas of Ayurveda, the six tastes, the power of fasting, and the quiet medicine of habits.
This is more than a cookbook. It is a guide to a way of living, where nourishment extends beyond the plate into a more mindful, harmonious life.
Seeds of Hate: Bangladesh’s Extremist Surge Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and other radical organizations
A timely and deeply researched investigation into the rise of extremism in Bangladesh and its wider implications for South Asia. Seeds of Hate: Bangladesh’s Extremist Surge – Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and Other Radical Organizations is a compelling and evidence-based volume that explores the ideological, political, and social roots of religious extremism in Bangladesh.
The book examines how radical organisations have shaped the Nation’s political and cultural landscape over decades. Drawing from historical records, field research, political analysis, and journalistic inquiry, the book investigates the role of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and affiliated extremist groups in influencing governance, education, social structures, and public discourse.
It also explores the transnational networks connecting radical ideologies across South Asia and beyond.
Why This Book Matters:
• In-depth analysis of extremism in Bangladesh
• Explores Jamaat-e-Islami and radical political networks
• Examines the erosion of secular and democratic institutions
• Essential reading for policymakers, journalists, researchers, and students
• Provides historical and geopolitical context to current developments
• Evidence-based, research-driven, and highly relevant to South Asian affairs
Perfect For Readers Interested In:
• South Asian geopolitics
• Bangladesh politics and history
• Religious extremism and radicalisation
• International relations and security studies
• Political Islam in South Asia
• Democracy, secularism, and human rights