A HISTORY

BOOKS

India's transformation is not orderly but accidental: Shankkar Aiyar

April 9, 2013, 3:27 pm | IBNLive.com BOOKS

In 'Accidental India: A History of the Nation's Passage through Crisis and Change', noted journalist-analyst, Shankkar Aiyar, examines India's ascent through the paradigm of seven game changers: the economic liberalization of 1991, the Green Revolution of the sixties, the nationalization of banks in 1969, Operation Flood in the seventies, the mid-day meal scheme of 1982, the software revolution of the nineties, and the passing of the Right to Information Act in 2005. He argues that these turning points in the country's history were not the result of foresight or careful planning but were rather the accidental consequences of major crises that had to be resolved at any cost. The author, Shankkar Aiyar, joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on

INDIA

Test paper on Prophet sparks campus violence

May 1, 2008, 3:43 pm | CNN-IBN INDIA

New Delhi: Muslim students at the Ranchi University turned violent over a question that was asked in their MA History exam. Students allege that the question was an insult to Prophet Mohammad as it refers to the Prophet as a 'businessman' and a 'raider' in his early days. The question — for the second year post graduation — pertained to the 'career' of Prophet Mohammad in his early days. Muslim students appearing for the exam attacked the University office in protest. The police had to lathi charge to control the protesting students. Nearly a dozen students have now been arrested Student Leader of the Ranchi University, Shamsher Alam said, "The police treated

MOVIES NEWS

What's in a name? Ask Amitabh Bachchan

April 29, 2007, 8:28 pm | ibnlive.com MOVIES NEWS

New Delhi: If fate would have had it differently, superstar Amitabh Bachchan would not have existed. The country's 'angry, young man' would have been, instead, Inquilab (revolution) Bachchan. A new book on the history of Bollywood reveals that poet Harvanshrai Bachchan wanted his son to be named Inquilab but accepted poet Sumitra Nandan Pant's suggestion of 'Amitabh' which comes from Amit and Abha. Talking about when the country was in the midst of the Quit India movement, journalist Mihir Bose writes in the book Bollywood, A History, that the man who would be identified as the 'angry, young man' of the country, was, infact, very much a good boy when he was young. The