India Today 16 January 2023

Cynics might scoff and say we would all be happy if only we knew how to define happiness. Scientists might reduce it to chains of chemicals in the brain. Lovers will find it in their amorous feelings. Religions might say the world itself is made up of sadness and prescribe a protocol for elevating the spirit. But what are the secrets of happiness—and how do we attain it? This special issue explores the various dimensions of this elusive quality, emotion or feeling to unravel the mystery that surrounds it both at the conceptual level and the practical. It is not easy to make such a division in reality—in spirituality, for instance, theory is practice. We bring you in this issue the wisdom of a gamut of gurus who delve into spiritual…

The fascinating beauty of Madhya Pradesh and the charm of its rich heritage, forests and cultural beauty has been attracting travellers for a long time. Madhya Pradesh has not only retained its pristine beauty, but it is also a tempting destination for travellers and tourists of this time. Madhya Pradesh is not referred to as "The heart of India" just because of its location in the country but also because it has been home to the cultural heritage of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and lslamism. The natural beauty of the state is equally varied, consisting largely of a plateau, the State has spectacular mountain ranges, meandering rivers, and a mile of dense forests, which offers a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife. The mesmerizing beauty of the land is as old…

For sharp analysis on topical issues by the editors of INDIA TODAY, log on to www.indiatoday.in/india-today-magazine-insight STORY OF THE DAY | CONGRESS’S AGENDA 2023: Why it’s not seen as a national alternative in these five key states By Kaushik Deka The party performed well in assembly polls in Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Gujarat in 2017-18. Yet, in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, it won only four of the total 119 seats from there https://bit.ly/3InKhrj STORY OF THE DAY |Why exam paper leaks rattle government recruitment in Rajasthan By Rohit Parihar At least half a dozen examination paper leaks have rocked the state since the Cong. came to power in 2018 https://bit.ly/3VII0tR SPOTLIGHT Why the Jain community is protesting By Jumana Shah Thousands hit the streets against Jharkhand’s plan to develop a revered hill temple of the community and over…

The last day of 2022 seemed the perfect occasion for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to make another pivot, one that can potentially inflect the course of Indian politics. When the media in Patna sought his response to former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath’s advocacy of Rahul Gandhi as the Opposition’s prime ministerial face in 2024, he issued a sidelong endorsement: “Thike hai, usme kya burai hai?” (It’s fine, where’s the objection?). “After all,” he added, “they have to pick the candidate.” Nitish may not have the casting vote on the issue, but his word does have carry—and shifts the weight of perceptions at a time when Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY has been receiving only sporadically enthusiastic responses from the Opposition. For all the Congress’s joy at having rediscovered…

For legislators of the ruling Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena (BSS)-BJP coalition in Maharashtra, every day might bring reminders of that famous dialogue—“taarikh pe taarikh” (one date after the other)—from the 1990s potboiler Damini. That’s because these MLAs, in contention for ministerial berths in the proposed expansion of the Eknath Shinde government, are being regularly given fresh deadlines for this exercise. The new ministers were to be inducted before the winter session of the assembly at Nagpur, but this deadline too was missed. More to the point, it seems just a surface symptom: insiders say the delay points to simmering tensions between the allies on power-sharing and division of portfolios, with internal restiveness within each constituent adding to the unstable mix One sign of trouble within the ruling coalition: corruption allegations against CM…

EKNATH SHINDE Chief Minister Charged with ordering the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) to allocate 4.5 acres land meant for the urban poor, worth Rs 83 crore, for the “throwaway” price of just Rs 2 crore to 16 persons in Nagpur in 2021, while he was the MVA’s urban development minister ABDUL SATTAR Agriculture Minister Charged with allocating 37 acres of gairan (pasture) land in Washim to a private party despite SC and state government orders against such allotments SANJAY RATHOD FDA Minister Accused of illegally allotting 10 acres of gairan land worth `10 crore in Washim as MoS revenue during the 2014-19 BJP-Sena regime, despite the district collector ordering action against the allottees for submitting fake documents UDAY SAMANT Industries Minister Alleged to have given undue favours and incentives to a liquor manufacturer by notifying its investments as a mega project,…