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Gripping narrative

It is the 1930s and the fire of the freedom movement from distant Bengal and Delhi is warming the languid bones of the small town in Mysore, where Kaveri and Setu grow up. Theirs is a liberal, prosperous household and the family takes its privileges for granted. Mylaraiah, their father, believes that they are twice protected from such delusions as ‘swaraj’—once by the British and then by the Maharaja. While Setu absorbs their father’s unquestioning veneration of the British, Kaveri, profoundly affected by Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to their town, comes to recognise their attempts to be ‘more English than the English’ as rather shameful. In an attempt to follow her heart and take charge of her own future, Kaveri defies her father and participates in the Quit India march organised by Shyam, the hot-headed revolutionary she is attracted to. Angered and jealous, and loyal to his father, Setu is forced into betraying his sister. The small town is shaken into life quite brutally when it faces a police firing for the first time in its history. But Kaveri is safe and home, or so Setu thinks.

A Girl and a River

A Penguin Original; Rs.295

Case studies by innovators

Stemming from the premise that the quest for excellence in satisfying the needs of the people paves the way for innovative experiments, the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Government of India, started the ball rolling by setting up a Governance Knowledge Centre to record path-breaking experiments that have become remarkable successes, judged on sustainability, potential of being replicat ed and impact assessment.

The volume presents eighteen case studies written by the innovators themselves. The case studies range from management of land records to elementary education, from sanitation issues to computerization projects, and are living examples of what vision, perseverance and dedication can achieve. Be it an earthquake reconstruction project, a focus on tribal development, or environmental conservation, these studies promote responsive and citizen-centric governance.

Learn From Them- A Compilation of Best Practices

Penguin Enterprise; Rs. 225

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