Cover Story
Building confrontation
by Praveen Swami
Lacking in strategy
by Sukumar Muralidharan
Standing together
by Purnima S.Tripathi
Interview: Omar Abdullah
Rhetoric and reality
by B. Muralidhar Reddy
A U.S. role and agenda
by John Cherian
The Hizbul meltdown

Gujarat
An unquiet peace
Interview: K.P.S. Gill
Contortions in Delhi

Analysis
War on terror and its dilemmas

Parliament
Manohar Joshi, Lok Sabha Speaker

Another round of talks in Nagaland
Maheshwar dam: Shifting stands
E-governance in Belandur
Malnutrition in Maharashtra

Scandal
The Home Trade scam

Defence
Worrisome ARV deal
Tehelka: Fernandes' deposition
MiG-21 and questions of safety

World Affairs

A celebration in Iraq
Europe's Right turn
Anxious in Europe: by Michael Hindley
Palestinians' resilience test
A ploy in Sri Lanka
Independence for East Timor

Education
A new right for the poor

Architecture
The Parliament Library
by A.G. Krishna Menon

Science
Unravelling the rice genome

Patents Issues
The Second Patent Amendment
by Suman Sahai

Focus: Sikkim
Interview: Chief Minister P.K. Chamling
A blueprint for development
Empowering women
Eco-friendly tourism

The Judiciary
The Indian judicature:
by V.R. Krishna Iyer

Obituary
Kaifi Azmi, the poet-activist:
by Vishnu Khare

Sport
Football's World Cup

Telecommunications
Internet telephony alternative
Waiting for WiLL

Astronomy
Images from Hubble telescope

Column
Harsh Mander: A brief journey
C.P. Chandrasekhar: Home Trade, not just another scam
R.K. Raghavan: Between crime and punishment
Jayati Ghosh: Consumerism as patriotism
Praful Bidwai: Four years after Pokhran

Books
Of ethnic conflicts and causes
review by John Harriss
India and world concern on Gujarat
review by A.G.Noorani
Soulful and cerebral
review by M. Mukundan