Children For Sale
For as little as Rs 3,000, impoverished parents sell their children to adoption centres and unscrupulous operators in Andhra Pradesh, who in turn earn up to Rs 3 lakh from foster families. A look at the people involved, the law and where the process went wrong.

Amma Turns Red
J. Jayalalitha's hopes for contesting the elections have been dashed with the rejection of her nomination papers. But this does not deter her from stepping up her campaigning efforts for the AIADMK and assuming an aggressive stance.

Past Tense
The muted reaction of the Government to the massacre of the BSF troops raises many questions. A look at the past skirmishes between the BSF and BDR gives an insight into what led to the heightening of tension at the border.

Coming To Life
With the end of state monopoly, private insurance companies are offering wider risk coverage and better customer relations.

Starting Over
It's been three months since nature shook Gujarat, killing over 30,000 and shattering dreams. Despite government promises and generosity of individuals, rehabilitation is still to touch the lives of many. The story in pictures.

CAPLOOKS

Speaking Of A Truce

Delhi: If there was one person who went the extra mile to break the parliamentary logjam, it was Lok Sabha Speaker G.M.C. Balayogi. He refused to play anyone's game and took the extraordinary step of arranging a meeting between Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi to end the stalemate. Why did he do it? Apparently, after the Railway budget was passed without any discussion, Balayogi did not want the general budget to be passed in similar fashion. Some view his initiative as an indication of the Telugu Desam Party distancing itself from the BJP. Others say the Speaker is finally showing his authority, a sign that he had matured.

In A Position Of Power

Mumbai: There is no doubt that in the past few months Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar has come to enjoy the confidence of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government. Pawar suddenly finds himself entrusted with matters on which he has little expertise. First, he was deployed as an informal interlocutor for the Kashmir peace process. But what raised eyebrows was his participation at last week's discussions between the Centre and the Maharashtra Government on the Enron issue. So is there a new deal in the offing?

Front-Page Treatment

Mumbai: It is a compliment that could make many communist faces blush. A day before the Mumbai bandh, CPI(M) politburo member Prakash Reddy apparently stated that the "Shiv Sena is the only party with a programme". Reddy said this in the limited context of the Left and the Sena joining hands for last week's bandh but the Sena is not one to let a compliment go untrumpeted. Appropriately enough, Reddy has now found special mention in a box on the front page of the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Saamna.

A Crafty Face-Saver

Raipur: Caught in the false affidavit scam, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi went to great lengths to buy peace with the Congress high command. Last week, he took time off from governance and flew Sonia Gandhi first to Jabalpur for a Madhya Pradesh party meeting and later to Mumbai for a public function. All this in the state Government aircraft.

MetroScape

Focusing On Art
The brief for participants at
"Exhibit 'A' 2001" organised by the
200-member
Photographers'
Guild of India at the Nehru Centre, Mumbai, was clear—no advertisement and portfolio photos. more...

Looking Glass

Delhi Poster:
One Page Classics

Calcutta Pub:
London Pub

Bangalore & Mumbai Rock Concert:
Bryan Adams

West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya reflected optimism about winning the state election when he spoke to INDIA TODAY Senior Editor Sumit Mitra at the CPI(M) headquarters in Kolkata, minutes before rushing off for campaigning.
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