The Hindu On Books newsletter: ‘Heart Lamp’ on Booker shortlist, remembering Mario Vargas Llosa, Dalit History Month books, and more

(This story is part of The Hindu on Books newsletter that comes to you with book reviews, reading recommendations, interviews with authors and more. Subscribe here.) Welcome to this edition of The Hindu on Books Newsletter. The shortlist of the International Booker Prize 2025 was announced last week; Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp (And Other Stories), a collection of 12 short … Read more

A State-run clinic in Chennai that offers all services to children with neurodevelopmental disorders

One-stop centre: The Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Mental Health handles children with Specific Learning Disability and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and those with behavioural and psychological issues. | Photo Credit: M. VEDHAN At the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), a Child Guidance Clinic has been providing comprehensive services to children with neurodevelopmental … Read more

Letters to The Editor — April 16, 2025

History, textbook revisions As someone who wrote the Central Board of Secondary Education Class XII Board examinations, with history and political science as my subjects, the deletion of select topics and chapters by the National Council of Educational Research and Training in the guise of a “rationalisation of content in the textbooks” is appalling. Under … Read more

The approach to regulating AI in India

The governance and regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have garnered significant global attention over the past year. While the discourse has recently shifted from a focus on social safety, inclusivity, and human rights towards prioritising innovation and economic prosperity, only a few countries or regions have so far introduced laws to regulate AI. These include … Read more

Whispers at the check posts in Manipur

As ethnic leaders and stakeholders sat across negotiating tables in Delhi discussing a road map for peace in Manipur, I chose to travel in the opposite direction — into the heart of the troubled State. I needed to see for myself what the numbers, the reports, and the headlines could not convey. What I witnessed … Read more

Captive breeding comes to the rescue of Toda buffalo as its population plummets in Nilgiris

Rooted in the hills: The Toda buffaloes are well adapted to the Nilgiris. They thrive on coarse pasturages and tolerate the cold rain and hail of the southwesterly monsoon and the heavy ground frosts of the northwesterly monsoon. The Sheep Breeding Research Station at Sandynallah has bought 30 buffaloes from the Todas for breeding. | … Read more

How Rajinikanth’s speech impacted the political journey of AIADMK veteran R.M. Veerappan

Start of the downfall: Rajnikanth and R.M. Veerappan at the event to celebrate the 100-day run of Baasha on July 14, 1995. Veerappan’s explanation that the actor would always speak frankly did not cut ice with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, who accused him of “enjoying” diatribes against her, recalls a biography of the Minister. | Photo … Read more