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EXPECTING ONE FINAL FLIP FROM NITISH

May 26, 2024

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THE WEEK India

IT IS NOW too late for Nitish Kumar. When I joined him in 2013, his popularity was at its peak. The BJP was a junior partner in Bihar then and he could have aimed for prime ministership. I was very close to him and that was why I opted to join his party.

- PAVAN K. VARMA

EXPECTING ONE FINAL FLIP FROM NITISH

He had many qualities—good education, personal rectitude, administrative capability, and an eye for detail. He had managed to be electorally efficient as well. He was a force to be reckoned with. At that time he had a vision for Bihar.

I visited him on his invitation, prior to my resigning from the Indian Foreign Service. For a few days, he sent me on a trip around Patna. There is Bihar Sharif. Then there is Patna Sahib for Sikhs. Then, I went to Pavapuri for Jains and Bodh Gaya for Buddhists. Finally I went to Gaya. He had this thing about Bihar being a microcosm of what India was—of different faiths.

المزيد من القصص من THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

WEIGHT AND WATCH

India stands at the epicentre of parallel epidemics: obesity, diabetes and heart disease, each fuelling the other and blurring the line between lifestyle and disease. But there is hope-GLP-1 therapies are transforming the treatment landscape

time to read

17 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Bliss and the body

Humans have been using cannabinoids—the active compounds found in the cannabis plant—for medicinal and ritual purposes for at least 5,000 years, with some archaeological evidence suggesting an even longer relationship with the plant.

time to read

1 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

THE SILENT CRISIS CANCER IN THE ELDERLY DEMANDS OUR ATTENTION

The greying of India is accelerating, expected so with regards to longevity. Current estimates suggest nearly 140 million Indians are aged above 60, a figure set to double within three decades. With advancing age comes increased cancer risk, yet specialised geriatric oncology [Specialty care for elderly cancer patients] services remain conspicuously absent across most Indian healthcare settings.

time to read

1 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Writing our own destiny

As the field of epigenetics advances, we are stepping into a new era of medicine, where health and even destiny become choices we can shape

time to read

3 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

Just Pakistan, everywhere

Gadar, Veer-Zaara, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Raazi, Uri, Gadar 2, Dhurandhar—the list of successful Hindi films featuring Pakistan is long and varied. Romance, comedy, drama and war: stories from almost every genre, unfolding in cinematic stand-ins for 'Karachis,' NWFPs' and ‘Lahores’ routinely play out on Indian screens to packed houses.

time to read

2 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

New Year, new resolve, new you

A New Year always brings me back to the same realisation. Good health does not flourish through one dramatic commitment. It grows through the quiet courage to care for oneself, every single day.

time to read

2 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

Ms. Multani notes that India's growth increasingly depends on robust healthcare, with hospitals emerging as key drivers of productivity and future competitiveness

Why Health Infrastructure Matters More Than EverA 2024 meta-review found that improvements in public health consistently contribute to higher GDP per capita growth, especially in developing countries undergoing demographic transition. Good health enables a workforce that is more productive, less prone to absenteeism, and capable of longer, healthier working lives. For India, with a median age under 30 and a workforce numbering over 500 million, the stakes are enormous. A healthy working-age population today is the real capital for the India of 2030-2040.

time to read

1 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

HELP...

India's mental health crisis must not be hijacked by those with dubious methods

time to read

4 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

BOLLYWOOD BLUES

The Hindi film industry needs an urgent revamp. Here's what needs to be done

time to read

4 mins

January 11, 2026

THE WEEK India

THE WEEK India

For folk's sake

In Rajasthan's musical communities, forming a band is unconventional. The three-member SAZ is breaking convention in more ways than one, preserving and reimagining folk music along the way

time to read

4 mins

January 11, 2026

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