Naveen means ‘new, Role Model of World’. Yes, he was new when he steps into politics in a tragic circumstance at the age of 51 then. Following the passing of his legendary father Biju Patnaik a former CM of Odisha. He took unplanned entry into politics in 1997 but had nothing apart from a strong surname. He had never contested an election or held public office. Studied at Welham, Lawrence and then Doon School, later he attended the prestigious Kirori Mal College, Delhi. Brought up outside the state, doesn’t speak Odiya. He authored four coffee table books and even acted in a Hollywood movie ‘The Deceivers’. Socialite with celebrities as Mick Jagger and Jacqueline Kennedy. Leaving everything behind, when Naveen entered into politics, everyone saw a magnet for attracting voter’s sympathy. Many leaders even thought that they could easily use as ladder to fulfill their political aspirations. He is suave, decent and soft-spoken. Political Pundits predicted, it’s very difficult to survive here. But the BJD Supremo has proven all the predictions wrong. He surpassed the record held by Jyoti Basu, who was the CM of West Bengal for 23 years and 138 days, thereby becoming India’s second longest-serving CM ever. Only Sikkim’s Pawan Chamling is ahead. Who had ruled the hill state for 24 years and 166 days. Shattering that record too looks eminently possible soon, from then till today he has not lost a single election. Meanwhile, there was many political and natural storms. But no one could touch his political Fort. Even the Narendra Modi’s wave didn’t make any dent. Naveen’s ‘Chanakya Neeti’, developing and administrative disciplines not only made him a humongous leader, but also transform a backward state into fastest growing state of the country, set global benchmarks. Recognize not only himself but also his state as a role model in the world. It really doesn’t matter that he doesn’t speak Odiya well…!

Naveen Patnaik's fascinating text brings fresh meaning to this incredible visual record of a lost and exotic world. A Desert Kingdom is essential reading for anybody interested in the colorful life of the great subcontinent and a unique, evocative reminder of its past.

With imaginative lushness and narrative elan, Mehta provides a novel that combines Indian storytelling with thoroughly modern perceptions into the nature of love--love both carnal and sublime, treacherous and redeeming. "Conveys a world that is spiritual, foreign, and entirely accessible."--Vanity Fair. Reading tour.

Tavleen Singh’s acclaimed and bestselling memoir begins in the summer of 1975 when, not yet twenty-five, she started working as a junior reporter in the Statesman in New Delhi. Within five weeks, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency, and soon reckless policies said to be authored by her younger son were unleashed on India’s citizens. In 1984, following Indira Gandhi’s assassination, Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister, fortified by a huge mandate from a nation desperate for change. But, belying its hopes, the young leader chose for himself a group of advisors, friends and acolytes just as unaware as him of the ground realities of a complex nation. It was the beginning of a political culture of favouritism and ineptitude that would take hold at the highest levels of government, stunting India’s ambitions and frustrating its people for years to come. A sharp account of these turbulent years, Durbar describes the Nehruvian era of Singh’s childhood, the Emergency of her youth and the political shifts that followed, bringing with them insurgencies, massacres, and crises internal and external. This remarkable memoir, vivid with the colour of election campaigns and society dinners, low conspiracies and high corruption, reminds us of this truth: that if India is to achieve a better future, the past cannot be ignored or forgotten.

India is a land of contrasts. It is the world's most populous democracy, but it still upholds the caste system. It is a burgeoning economic superpower, but one of the poorest nations on earth. It is the home of the world's biggest movie industry after Hollywood, as well as to the world's oldest religions. It is an ancient civilization celebrating fifty years as a modern nation. Now, as never before, the world wants to know what contemporary India is all about. As she has proved in three previous books--her wry take on the marketing of the mystic East in Karma Cola; the rich historical saga of Raj; and the beguiling tales of A River Sutra--there is no better guide to India's multihued mosaic than Gita Mehta. She knows India in all its rich detail--its folkways and history, its culture and politics, its ancient traditions and current concerns. In Snakes and Ladders, she gives a loving but unflinching assessment of India today, in an account that is entertaining, informative, and wholly personal.

Beginning in the late '60s, hundreds of thousands of Westerners descended upon India, disciples of a cultural revolution that proclaimed that the magic and mystery missing from their lives was to be found in the East. An Indian writer who has also lived in England and the United States, Gita Mehta was ideally placed to observe the spectacle of European and American "pilgrims" interacting with their hosts. When she finally recorded her razor sharp observations in Karma Cola, the book became an instant classic for describing, in merciless detail, what happens when the traditions of an ancient and longlived society are turned into commodities and sold to those who don't understand them. In the dazzling prose that has become her trademark, Mehta skewers the entire Spectrum of seekers: The Beatles, homeless students, Hollywood rich kids in detox, British guilt-trippers, and more. In doing so, she also reveals the devastating byproducts that the Westerners brought to the villages of rural lndia -- high anxiety and drug addiction among them. Brilliantly irreverent, Karma Cola displays Gita Mehta's gift for weaving old and new, common and bizarre, history and current events into a seamless and colorful narrative that is at once witty, shocking, and poignant.

Questions of equity and inequality have moved to the center of debates on development and poverty reduction. This reflects growing awareness that even countries with high rates of growth can experience stagnating or increasing inequality, and that inequality can itself limit the poverty reducing effects of growth. Indeed, recent work indicates that, in addition to its intrinsic value, equity should be valued for its positive impacts on growth and the poverty-reducing effects of such growth. These concerns are coupled with questions of governance. This is because institutional arrangements affect not only overall rates of growth but also the distributional effects of growth, and are themselves more or less equitable in their structure and functioning. How given institutional arrangements emerge over time, with their implications for growth and equity, remains less understood. 'Institutional Pathways to Equity: Addressing Inequality Traps' tackles the relationship between equity and development, the place of institutions in determining these relationships, and the conditions under which particular institutional arrangements can either block or promote transitions toward more equitable forms of development. The chapters, originally commissioned as background documents for the preparation of the World Development Report 2006, are prepared by leading scholars from the fields of economics, political science, sociology, geography, and development studies. The book speaks directly to current discussions on inequality, poverty, and growth and will contribute to the construction of a historically informed political economy of development. The book specifically highlights the importance of inequality, institutional change through social mobilization, and institutional change through state policies. The authors show that, under certain conditions, state institutions can and have taken a leading role in promoting policies to redress inequitable social relations and so weaken the social foundations of inequality traps.

Mamata Banerjee, with her unique style of politics, was able to defeat the formidable three-decade-old Left Front Government in 2011. Exploring her struggles and achievements, Didi opens a window to the life and times of one of the most dynamic politicians of our country. 'The general elections of 2019 can see [Mamata Banerjee] play kingmaker . . . She is the only regional leader who can claim to have that kind of clout. Jayalalithaa is no more and Nitish Kumar has changed over to the NDA. The year 2018 also witnessed the demise of another pedagogue of Dravidian politics, K. Karunanidhi. With the Congress showing signs of resurgence, and regional parties agreeing to forge a Federal Front, Mamata is more than aware that if she gets her electoral mathematics right, she could play a decisive role in the next Lok Sabha polls-maybe even stand a chance at prime ministership.' Mamata Banerjee, with her unique style of politics, was able to defeat the formidable three-decade-old Left Front Government in 2011. Exploring her struggles and achievements, Didi opens a window to the life and times of one of the most dynamic politicians of our country. 'The general elections of 2019 can see [Mamata Banerjee] play kingmaker . . . She is the only regional leader who can claim to have that kind of clout. Jayalalithaa is no more and Nitish Kumar has changed over to the NDA. The year 2018 also witnessed the demise of another pedagogue of Dravidian politics, K. Karunanidhi. With the Congress showing signs of resurgence, and regional parties agreeing to forge.