Good Economics,
Risky Politics
Defying the pressures of politics, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha has come forth with a bold, hard budget. He has committed the Government to a slew of daring economic reforms through this year's budget. But, beyond the initial euphoria generated by sheer promises, lies a rough road to fulfilling them. Will the pressures of coalition politics and an irrational Opposition allow him to deliver?

Interview:
Yashwant Sinha
"It is my budget,
not the PMO's."

Smeltdown
The NDA Government handsomely wins a vote moved by the Opposition in the Lok Sabha against the privatisation of Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO), but it should now start worrying about the poor response to bidding for strategic partnership of public-sector units.

Progress Report
With an overwhelming response from readers, the CARE TODAY society had funds flowing in from all quarters to aid it in its efforts to help those rendered homeless and jobless by the devastating earthquake of January 26.

Reeling Estate
Gujarat is witnessing a strange phenomenon with the two hands of the Sangh Parivar, the RSS and the VHP, earning public goodwill and the BJP leadership finding itself in the hot seat over links with the building mafia.

Bust to Dust
International outrage doesn't deter the Taliban militia from pushing ahead with its plan to destroy historical statues, including the 2,000-year-old Buddha statues in Bamiyan.

Piecing the
Ahar Puzzle Excavations of sites from the 4,500-year-old Ahar culture provide clues to the link between the Harappans and their predecessors.

EYECATCHERS

Holy Cow!

She's been lead singer with the US rock group The Pretenders for over 20 years now. But Chrissie Hynde, in Delhi to launch a "petition drive" as a member of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), would much rather talk about Indian cattle transport laws and vegetarianism. Recently named "one of the 10 most influential women in rock history" by MTV, Hynde, 49, whose latest single Pop Star is currently on the music channels, says, "I grew up as a 1960s hippie inspired by this great nation that was vegetarian. But the slaughter, the illegal transport of cattle in India, it's all so cruel." Inspiration then, a meaty challenge now.

Over to Mumbai

You may ask, Sakshi Shivananda who? But this 22-year-old Mumbai girl has had her spot of fame in the south Indian film industry, in such films as Master with Chiranjeevi, Vamsoddharakudu with Balakrishna, Vanchinathan with Vijayakant, and with other stars as Nagarjuna and Arvind Swamy. Her CV must have looked good. So it's back to Mumbai for Shivananda, who has now been signed for Yeh Kaisi Mohabbat with Govinda's nephew Krishna, and Amrapali, an "epic story" by Roy Aguiar, a former assistant to director Shekhar Kapur. Says Aguiar, who had done some scouting around in the Hindi film industry for a leading lady before zeroing in on Shivananda: "She was just right because of her ability to portray diverse emotions in quick succession." It's Bollywood's verdict now.

Suiting Big B

It's an ace up his sleeve. Doing Amitabh Bachchan's wardrobe for Kaun Banega Crorepati's forthcoming episodes on Star. Jodhpur designer Raghavendra Rathore spent a few days in Mumbai with Bachchan, "working around his persona", re-introducing the Indo-Anglican look of bandgalas paired with scarves. Confides Rathore, 33, who studied fashion at Parsons in New York, and has dressed the likes of Jaswant Singh and Leander Paes: "He's a finicky dresser, bent on getting all the fittings right." Nothing like knowing the Big B inside out.

Camera Shy

She's pumping iron and pushing for calcium. Karnam Malleswari, who did India proud at the Sydney Olympics, is in a print and television ad promoting milk for the Vijaya brand and the Andhra Pradesh Dairy Development Cooperative Federation. "Have lots of milk," she goads. But admits India's iron lady, who has also been offered a role in a Telugu film titled Karnam Malleswari IPS: "It takes time to be your natural self before the camera." All the media attention hasn't changed anything.

MetroScape
Personality Matters Those behind the Grasim Mr India contest think it is one up over other male pageants.
But is it?
more...

Looking Glass

Mumbai: Swarovski Boutique

Delhi: Colours 'n' Spice

Delhi: Mindscapes

The Keoladeo National Park Sanctuary in Bharatpur gets an unprecedented number of migratory birds due to the dry spell last year. But experts feel another drought could be disastrous, writes INDIA TODAY's Supriya Bezbaruah in
Despatches.

"The only obvious competition is in bhangra," say the Pakistani duo of the music group, Strings, in conversation with INDIA TODAY's Sonia Faleiro in
Interviews.