Nuclear power has been held out as possibly the most important source of energy for India. And the dream of a nuclear-powered India has been supported by huge financial budgets and high-level political commitment for over six decades. Nuclear power has also been presented as safe, environmentally benign and cheap.
Physicist and writer M.V. Ramana offers a detailed narrative of the evolution of India’s nuclear energy programme, examining different aspects of it and the claims of success made on its behalf. In The Power of Promise he makes a historically nuanced and compelling argument as to why the nuclear energy programme has failed in the past and why its future is dubious.
Ramana shows that nuclear power has been more expensive than conventional forms of electricity generation, that the ever-present risk of catastrophic accidents is heightened by observed organizational inadequacies at nuclear facilities, and that existing nuclear fuel cycle facilities have been correlated with impacts on public health and the environment. He offers detailed information and analysis that should serve to deepen the debate on whether India should indeed embark on a massive nuclear programme.
Archives: Books
A Life in Science
A Bharat Ratna talks about his life in science in India
Dr C.N.R. Rao talks about his journey and what it takes to become a great scientist. With rare photos, the book covers his early years, his inspirations, the odds he had to overcome to pursue his dream and what it means to be a scientist in India.
The Collected Novels
Included here are the classics ‘The Train to Pakistan’ that describes the tragedy of Partition through the love story of a Sikh dacoit and a Muslim girl, ‘I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale’, which deals with the conflict in a prosperous Sikh family of Punjab in the 1940s; and the best-selling ‘Delhi’ , a vast, erotic, irreverent magnum opus centred on the Indian capital.
An Officer and His Holiness
In 1959, the Dalai Lama escaped from Tibet into India, where he was granted refuge. Few know about the carefully calibrated operation to escort him safely from the Indian border. An Officer and His Holiness narrates how political officer Har Mander Singh successfully managed this assignment in the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) with limited resources, and despite a treacherous terrain and external threats.
Har Mander Singh kept careful diary entries of the period, which have been reproduced for the first time in this book. His niece and renowned journalist, Rani Singh, painstakingly documents the journey through extensive research, travel and interviews with the Dalai Lama, his youngest brother, Tenzin Choegyal, and Har Mander Singh.
Her own experience of retracing her uncle’s journey also provides a comprehensive overview of the situation today. Rare pictures and valuable input from experts bring alive this thrilling operation that forever changed relations between India, China and Tibet.
The Kargil Girl
In 1994, twenty-year-old Gunjan Saxena boards a train to Mysore to appear for the selection process of the fourth Short Service Commission (for women) pilot course. Seventy-four weeks of back-breaking training later, she passes out of the Air Force Academy in Dundigal as Pilot Officer Gunjan Saxena.
On 3 May 1999, local shepherds report a Pakistani intrusion in Kargil. By mid-May, thousands of Indian troops are engaged in fierce mountain warfare with the aim to flush out the intruders. The Indian Air Force launches Operation Safed Sagar, with all its pilots at its disposal. While female pilots are yet to be employed in a war zone, they are called in for medical evacuation, dropping of supplies and reconnaissance.
This is the time for Saxena to prove her mettle. From airdropping vital supplies to Indian troops in the Dras and Batalik regions and casualty evacuation from the midst of the ongoing battle, to meticulously informing her seniors of enemy positions and even narrowly escaping a Pakistani rocket missile during one of her sorties, Saxena fearlessly discharges her duties, earning herself the moniker ‘The Kargil Girl’.
This is her inspiring story, in her words.
The Insider
In the story, the author talks about the shocking but true political happenings in the country that he witnessed during his tenure. The plot centers around a character called Anand, a young man who gives up a lucrative career in the hopes of bringing about political reformation. He begins his political career by contesting against the oppressive ruling party. Next, he reaches a spot where he has to choose between the current Chief Minister and his rival. His rival soon wins the post of CM, and he is made to serve under him. Anand then moves to Delhi, at a time when Indira Gandhi takes over the reigns of power. Under her governance, the tables turn, for Anand now replaces his rival Chaudhary and becomes the Chief Minister of Afrozabad. He then has to run the political show under her regime. The book discusses the state of events and the political scenario in India under the leadership of Indira Gandhi, delving into areas like her rise to power, second coming, assassination, followed by her son Rajiv Gandhi’s entry into the world of politics. The Insider reveals to the reader the state of affairs in a political scenario, narrated by a man who has had first-hand experience of it all. The 2nd revised edition of the book was published by Penguin India in the year 2000, and is available in paperback.
Yoga
Says Osho: ‘Patanjali takes the whole complexity of the human being into account – Never before and never after has such a comprehensive system evolved.’ Drawing on the teachings of Patanjali, Osho gives an entirely new perspective on the fundamental questions of life, the nature of heaven, religion and God. For Osho it is not a question of being ‘good’ or ‘bad’, or of a God in the sky, but of each individual becoming aware of his being and attaining kaivalya- the ultimate state of enlightenment when the meditator goes beyond all desire. This process draws on the inner science of yoga. Replete with anecdotes, and including a series of questions and answers that directly address the existential anxieties of a contemporary readership, this book by Osho is a must-read for all those who want to explore the mysteries of life.
Path To Tranquility
The Path to Tranquillity is a collection of sayings, prayers and stories drawn from the life and teachings of one of the world’s greatest spiritual teachers. It remains perhaps the best distillation of the Dalai Lama’s philosophy of compassion and non-violence. About the Author: His Holiness the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet,is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people. He is recognized as an advocate of world peace and inter-religious understanding. His Holiness has written several books. He has received many international awards including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
Trial by Fire
At 4:55 p.m., a swirling mass of thick, smoke engulfed the balcony section a well-known cinema hall in posh south Delhi. In the absence of fire exits and ushers to help the patrons, the people seated on the balcony found themselves trapped. By 7 p.m., fifty-nine people had died.
Among these were Unnati and Ujjwal. Their parents, Neelam and Shekhar, decided to fight the prolonged battle to ensure their kids get justice, for they saw no other reason to live. It’s been twenty-one years now, since the fire. But their fight with justice, for justice continues. This is their story.
My First Kitchen
‘Whether you are cooking daily meals for yourself and your family or an occasional meal for an evening of entertainment, let cooking be a process of discovery and enjoyment,’ say Chef Vikas Khanna. And he means it.
It’s exciting-A new beginning, the new life, a new house, and a brand new kitchen! However, setting up your pantry, buying utensils and equipment, then cooking and entertaining-all can get pretty daunting.
Chef Vikas Khanna understands that. In My First Kitchen he expertly guides you set up your own Kitchen, cook marvelous food in quick, easy steps, throw parties, even barbeque like you were a pro!
He holds your hand through the journey as you pick the best produce, learn to cut, chop and preserve and puree-all the processes that you thought too intimidating.
My First Kitchen is the only book you will need to begin your culinary journey!