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.

METROSCAPE

Fashion Of the Mallet

In a post-winter day at the Jaipur Polo Grounds in Delhi, Ajay Piramal's team edging past Vijay Mallya's debut quartet 6-5 in the HT Polo 2001 was only a little more exciting than the feisty fashion show that followed. Models in mock period pieces by Raghavendra Rathore, Aki Narula and J.J. Valaya did a march past, first in an arcane Ambassador convertible and later in pseudo-royal carriage. The ex-royals on the stands looked particularly pleased.

Run To the Rescue

It was a lazy holiday morning a month ago when the world crashed around thousands of children in Gujarat. On Sunday, February 25, about 3,000 Delhi schoolchildren turned out for a run in aid of their quake-affected counterparts. President K.R. Narayanan flagged off the run from his home-Rashtrapati Bhavan-and also played good grandpa, going around shaking hands of the runners, some barely past their toddling years. Following which the whole motley band took off for India Gate. All chasing one woman: flagbearer P.T. Usha.

Rap 'N' Roll

	Touched: Burrel in Mumbai

Eminem? Nah. Not even with his clutch of Grammies. The guy's clearly an upstart rapster ... soiled by homophobia. But Stanley Burrell aka M C Hammer, still counted among the classic rap artists, knows how to be generous: "I respect his skill, not his content." It fits ... did you know that Burrell is a preacher?

Well, here's the latest. He now leads Sunday night services at San Jose, California, and has made a year-long commitment to "Hammertime" telling his promoters that he must perform at the church each week. So which one is he going to choose in Mumbai?

Don't really know, but when the rapper, famous for his record-breaking 21 weeks on the US charts with Please Hammer don't hurt 'Em (containing the single U can't touch this) performed at the Andheri Sports Complex last week, a crowd of 40,000 touched base with his high-energy sweet-gospel sounds. The next day he went shopping for kurta pajama for his two sons.

He loves India. "Some of my dearest friends are Indians ... and this was a good opportunity to visit," says the 39-year-old, here to promote his new album Whose Holding It. And the definitive postscript: "I'll be back."

-Himanshi Dhawan

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.