Shamed And Crippled
With Tehelka.com's spy-camera taking a heavy political toll after the damning revelations of corruption in defence deals, the beleaguered Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government will have an uphill task restoring its credibility and undoing the damage to its image.

BJP: Old Hype

Interview:
Bangaru Laxman

Jaya Jaitly:
Jhola To Purse

Opposition: On A Roll

INDIA TODAY-ORG-MARG Poll: Outraged !

Defence Establishment
: Surgery For Graft

Interview: G. Fernandes

Barak Missiles:
Off The Mark

Tehelka:
Sting Theory

Highlights Of The Findings

Rakesh Kumar Jain: Gasbag Man

Wheeling A Good Deal
The battle for BALCO degenerates into a political chess match between Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, and Union Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie. Jogi holds most of the aces at the moment--but will he play them all when it could mean loss of investments to the state?

The New Targets
The 60,000 policemen in Kashmir are caught in a dilemma. On the one hand, they are the target of militant attacks, and, on the other, the Army sees them with suspicion. It is not just themselves, but their families that the policemen worry about as they struggle to battle militancy and falling morale.

Crisis Of Confidence While stock prices haven't recovered since the collapse of March 2, the panic has spread from Mumbai to Kolkata. Underlying the fear is a deepening fear of the Securities and Exchange Board of India's will or capacity to regulate the stockmarkets.

Escape to Victory
Down and virtually out, India create a miracle at the Eden Gardens to stun the Australians and break their winning streak.

Mixing Metaphors Music, dance, and tourism synthesise in the famed textile centre of Maheshwar to provide sustainable synergies for its growth.

COVER STORY: POLL

INDIA TODAY-ORG-MARG Poll
Outraged

To ascertain the views of the people on the expose of sleaze in defence deals, INDIA TODAY commissioned ORG-MARG to carry out an opinion poll. The survey was conducted on March 15 and covered 976 people in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore. Of those surveyed, 83 per cent felt that politicians comprised the most corrupt section in society and 74 per cent endorsed the secret taping of meetings with public figures by undercover journalists. More importantly, 51 per cent said the scandal had eroded their faith in the armed forces.

Do you think defence minister George Fernandes should have resigned over the scandal?

Yes: 61%
No: 33%
Rest: Don't know/ Can't say

Do you think Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee should resign because of it?

Yes: 27%
No: 69%
Rest: Don't know/ Can't say

Were journalists justified in using hidden cameras to expose the scandal?

Yes: 74%
No: 20%
Rest: Don't know/ Can't say

Has the image of the BJP suffered because of Bangaru Laxman's involvement?

Yes: 73%
No: 22%
Rest: Don't know/ Can't say

How serious is the impact of this scam on the Vajpayee Government?

Very Serious: 42%
Serious: 39%
No Impact: 18%

Is your faith in the defence forces eroded?

Yes: 51%
No: 43%
Rest: Don't know/ Can't say

Is this scandal a conspiracy of the Congress?

Yes: 30%
No: 48%
Rest: Don't know/ Can't say

Who do you rate the most corrupt among these categories?

MetroScape
Pop Corn
"You are the best audience in the whole world," the Vengaboys tell raving crowds
in Delhi.
more...

Looking Glass

Delhi Exhibition:
Pop To Classic

Delhi Restaurant:
San Gimignano

Mumbai Accessories Store: Watches Of Switzerland

Bangalore Concert: Deep Purple

A bloody crackdown on Naxalites in the south-eastern fringes of Uttar Pradesh proves that only developmental programmes, not guns, can help fight the menace. INDIA TODAY's Special Correspondent Subhash Mishra explains why in
Despatches.