CUET English: Verbal AbilityPassage. Free, no login required.

Obesity has nearly tripled globally since 1975, a first in the history of our species. It contributes to at least 200 known diseases and complications, including strokes and cancer. Now, there’s a way to solve that problem with a slash. New drugs like Ozempic can cause people to lose 5-24% of their body weight. In Magic Pill: The Extraordinary Benefits and Disturbing Risks of the New Weight Loss Drugs, Johann Hari offers a nuanced explanation, as an overweight person who takes these medicines himself.

Ozempic works by making food intake infeasible beyond small quantities. A hormone called GLP-1 in the gut and brain was found to affect insulin and blood sugar, and affect feelings of satiety. Drug companies invented ‘agonists’ or copies of this hormone that can last longer in the body.

In 2005, it was approved for use by diabetics. When it turned out that these patients were also losing a lot of weight, the Danish company Novo Nordic funded tests on whether it could be used on obese people. As per the official trial results of semaglutide, those who’d been given the drug lost 15% of their body weight, making it the most successful weight-loss drug in history.

All those people who say that the weather hasn’t been normal recently are right. However, since there is really no such thing as normal weather, they probably mean something else. If they mean that average summer temperatures have been getting warmer, then they are certainly correct. In fact, it is not just the summer temperature, but the general average temperature of the whole world that has been steadily moving up. The signs are everywhere. There are small signs. for example, butterflies in North America have moved about 60 miles north of where they used to live. There are also very large signs. Huge masses of ice in mountain glaciers and the Arctic are melting. The famous snow cap on Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro has almost disappeared. Actually, ice or snow doesn’t really disappear, it turns into water, flows into the ocean and causes sea levels to rise. Why is this happening? One answer is that it could simply be part of a natural process. After all, there have been long periods of warmth in the past. So we could just be experiencing another warming trend. This kind of answer had more supporters in the past. What scientists now believe is that human activity is the cause. For more than two hundred years, humans have been gradually changing the atmosphere, mainly as a result of industrial pollution. We have created an atmosphere around the earth that, like a giant glass container, lets heat from the sun through and holds it inside.

All those people who say that the weather hasn’t been normal recently are right. However, since there is really no such thing as normal weather, they probably mean something else. If they mean that average summer temperatures have been getting warmer, then they are certainly correct. In fact, it is not just the summer temperature, but the general average temperature of the whole world that has been steadily moving up. The signs are everywhere. There are small signs. for example, butterflies in North America have moved about 60 miles north of where they used to live. There are also very large signs. Huge masses of ice in mountain glaciers and the Arctic are melting. The famous snow cap on Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro has almost disappeared. Actually, ice or snow doesn’t really disappear, it turns into water, flows into the ocean and causes sea levels to rise. Why is this happening? One answer is that it could simply be part of a natural process. After all, there have been long periods of warmth in the past. So we could just be experiencing another warming trend. This kind of answer had more supporters in the past. What scientists now believe is that human activity is the cause. For more than two hundred years, humans have been gradually changing the atmosphere, mainly as a result of industrial pollution. We have created an atmosphere around the earth that, like a giant glass container, lets heat from the sun through and holds it inside.

All those people who say that the weather hasn’t been normal recently are right. However, since there is really no such thing as normal weather, they probably mean something else. If they mean that average summer temperatures have been getting warmer, then they are certainly correct. In fact, it is not just the summer temperature, but the general average temperature of the whole world that has been steadily moving up. The signs are everywhere. There are small signs. for example, butterflies in North America have moved about 60 miles north of where they used to live. There are also very large signs. Huge masses of ice in mountain glaciers and the Arctic are melting. The famous snow cap on Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro has almost disappeared. Actually, ice or snow doesn’t really disappear, it turns into water, flows into the ocean and causes sea levels to rise. Why is this happening? One answer is that it could simply be part of a natural process. After all, there have been long periods of warmth in the past. So we could just be experiencing another warming trend. This kind of answer had more supporters in the past. What scientists now believe is that human activity is the cause. For more than two hundred years, humans have been gradually changing the atmosphere, mainly as a result of industrial pollution. We have created an atmosphere around the earth that, like a giant glass container, lets heat from the sun through and holds it inside.

All those people who say that the weather hasn’t been normal recently are right. However, since there is really no such thing as normal weather, they probably mean something else. If they mean that average summer temperatures have been getting warmer, then they are certainly correct. In fact, it is not just the summer temperature, but the general average temperature of the whole world that has been steadily moving up. The signs are everywhere. There are small signs. for example, butterflies in North America have moved about 60 miles north of where they used to live. There are also very large signs. Huge masses of ice in mountain glaciers and the Arctic are melting. The famous snow cap on Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro has almost disappeared. Actually, ice or snow doesn’t really disappear, it turns into water, flows into the ocean and causes sea levels to rise. Why is this happening? One answer is that it could simply be part of a natural process. After all, there have been long periods of warmth in the past. So we could just be experiencing another warming trend. This kind of answer had more supporters in the past. What scientists now believe is that human activity is the cause. For more than two hundred years, humans have been gradually changing the atmosphere, mainly as a result of industrial pollution. We have created an atmosphere around the earth that, like a giant glass container, lets heat from the sun through and holds it inside.

Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected possessor of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money, and the way in which it stuffed and bulged her worn old porte-monnaie (purse) gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed for years.

The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly. For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterward regret.

But it was during the still hours of the night that she seemed to see her way clearly toward a proper and judicious use of the money. A dollar or two should be added to the price usually paid for Janie’s shoes, which would ensure their lasting an appreciable time longer than they usually did.

She would buy so and so many yards of percale for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag. Mag should have another gown. She had seen some beautiful patterns, veritable bargains in the shop windows. And still there would be left enough for new stockings—two pairs apiece—and what darning that would save for a while! She would get caps for the boys and sailor-hats for the girls. The vision of her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their lives excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.

Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected possessor of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money, and the way in which it stuffed and bulged her worn old porte-monnaie (purse) gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed for years.

The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly. For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterward regret.

But it was during the still hours of the night that she seemed to see her way clearly toward a proper and judicious use of the money. A dollar or two should be added to the price usually paid for Janie’s shoes, which would ensure their lasting an appreciable time longer than they usually did.

She would buy so and so many yards of percale for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag. Mag should have another gown. She had seen some beautiful patterns, veritable bargains in the shop windows. And still there would be left enough for new stockings—two pairs apiece—and what darning that would save for a while! She would get caps for the boys and sailor-hats for the girls. The vision of her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their lives excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.

Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected possessor of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money, and the way in which it stuffed and bulged her worn old porte-monnaie (purse) gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed for years.

The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly. For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterward regret.

But it was during the still hours of the night that she seemed to see her way clearly toward a proper and judicious use of the money. A dollar or two should be added to the price usually paid for Janie’s shoes, which would ensure their lasting an appreciable time longer than they usually did.

She would buy so and so many yards of percale for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag. Mag should have another gown. She had seen some beautiful patterns, veritable bargains in the shop windows. And still there would be left enough for new stockings—two pairs apiece—and what darning that would save for a while! She would get caps for the boys and sailor-hats for the girls. The vision of her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their lives excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.

Little Mrs. Sommers one day found herself the unexpected possessor of fifteen dollars. It seemed to her a very large amount of money, and the way in which it stuffed and bulged her worn old porte-monnaie (purse) gave her a feeling of importance such as she had not enjoyed for years.

The question of investment was one that occupied her greatly. For a day or two she walked about apparently in a dreamy state, but really absorbed in speculation and calculation. She did not wish to act hastily, to do anything she might afterward regret.

But it was during the still hours of the night that she seemed to see her way clearly toward a proper and judicious use of the money. A dollar or two should be added to the price usually paid for Janie’s shoes, which would ensure their lasting an appreciable time longer than they usually did.

She would buy so and so many yards of percale for new shirt waists for the boys and Janie and Mag. Mag should have another gown. She had seen some beautiful patterns, veritable bargains in the shop windows. And still there would be left enough for new stockings—two pairs apiece—and what darning that would save for a while! She would get caps for the boys and sailor-hats for the girls. The vision of her little brood looking fresh and dainty and new for once in their lives excited her and made her restless and wakeful with anticipation.

Bibi Gulab Kaur was the leader of Ghadar Party in Manila, Philippines. She and her husband Mann Singh sailed from the Philippines to India in order to rally the masses against British tyranny. Besides spreading anti-British public sentiment, she distributed literature relating to freedom movement, arms and ammunition to the members of Ghadar Party. Under sedition charges, she was kept in the notorious Lahore Fort and tortured for two years.

Gulab Kaur was born in 1890 in the village of Bakshiwala in the Sangrur region of Punjab in a poor peasant family. She was married to Mann Singh. This was a time when many Punjabi farmers were expelled from their land by British policy. The couple departed for Manila, Philippines with the intention of emigrating to the United States of America in order to escape economic troubles in their own country.

Gulab Kaur joined the fight to oust the British in India and became one of the key Gadhar party members. She travelled around the Philippines in order to organise the Indian citizens. Moreover, she gathered weapons and funds for the party. She mobilised people in Manila and inspired them to join the party by distributing independence literature and delivering inspiring speeches to Indian passengers of ships.

Bibi Gulab Kaur was the leader of Ghadar Party in Manila, Philippines. She and her husband Mann Singh sailed from the Philippines to India in order to rally the masses against British tyranny. Besides spreading anti-British public sentiment, she distributed literature relating to freedom movement, arms and ammunition to the members of Ghadar Party. Under sedition charges, she was kept in the notorious Lahore Fort and tortured for two years.

Gulab Kaur was born in 1890 in the village of Bakshiwala in the Sangrur region of Punjab in a poor peasant family. She was married to Mann Singh. This was a time when many Punjabi farmers were expelled from their land by British policy. The couple departed for Manila, Philippines with the intention of emigrating to the United States of America in order to escape economic troubles in their own country.

Gulab Kaur joined the fight to oust the British in India and became one of the key Gadhar party members. She travelled around the Philippines in order to organise the Indian citizens. Moreover, she gathered weapons and funds for the party. She mobilised people in Manila and inspired them to join the party by distributing independence literature and delivering inspiring speeches to Indian passengers of ships.

Bibi Gulab Kaur was the leader of Ghadar Party in Manila, Philippines. She and her husband Mann Singh sailed from the Philippines to India in order to rally the masses against British tyranny. Besides spreading anti-British public sentiment, she distributed literature relating to freedom movement, arms and ammunition to the members of Ghadar Party. Under sedition charges, she was kept in the notorious Lahore Fort and tortured for two years.

Gulab Kaur was born in 1890 in the village of Bakshiwala in the Sangrur region of Punjab in a poor peasant family. She was married to Mann Singh. This was a time when many Punjabi farmers were expelled from their land by British policy. The couple departed for Manila, Philippines with the intention of emigrating to the United States of America in order to escape economic troubles in their own country.

Gulab Kaur joined the fight to oust the British in India and became one of the key Gadhar party members. She travelled around the Philippines in order to organise the Indian citizens. Moreover, she gathered weapons and funds for the party. She mobilised people in Manila and inspired them to join the party by distributing independence literature and delivering inspiring speeches to Indian passengers of ships.

Bibi Gulab Kaur was the leader of Ghadar Party in Manila, Philippines. She and her husband Mann Singh sailed from the Philippines to India in order to rally the masses against British tyranny. Besides spreading anti-British public sentiment, she distributed literature relating to freedom movement, arms and ammunition to the members of Ghadar Party. Under sedition charges, she was kept in the notorious Lahore Fort and tortured for two years.

Gulab Kaur was born in 1890 in the village of Bakshiwala in the Sangrur region of Punjab in a poor peasant family. She was married to Mann Singh. This was a time when many Punjabi farmers were expelled from their land by British policy. The couple departed for Manila, Philippines with the intention of emigrating to the United States of America in order to escape economic troubles in their own country.

Gulab Kaur joined the fight to oust the British in India and became one of the key Gadhar party members. She travelled around the Philippines in order to organise the Indian citizens. Moreover, she gathered weapons and funds for the party. She mobilised people in Manila and inspired them to join the party by distributing independence literature and delivering inspiring speeches to Indian passengers of ships.

Donkeys may be the proverbial beast of burden, and the animal itself has come to symbolise a dimwit, someone of little value. But not all donkeys are created equal. The Halari donkeys, a breed native to Gujarat's Halar region, is not just valued, it is a VVIP.

The Halari donkey is a source of 'liquid gold', with its milk, valued for its distinctive properties, known to have sold for an astounding Rs 5000 to Rs 7000 per litre at some online platforms.

But this acclaim comes with its own set of challenges. With fewer than 500 Halari donkeys remaining, the primary need is, of course, conservation. But the larger aim is not just increasing their numbers; it's about teaching farmers the best practices, so that they can command premium prices.

Recognising the pressing need for conservation, the National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in Bikaner has started a dedicated programme to safeguard these animals. NRCE is also evaluating donkey milk for potential use in skincare products to sustain its value.

The Halari donkey is not just valued for its milk; its unique characteristics make it particularly valuable for sustainable dairy farming. Their docile nature, combined with their adaptability to various climates, makes them ideal for small-scale farmers. They also have a much lower environmental foot-print, compared to larger livestock, requiring less feed and water. Infact, their grazing habits even help maintain grassland ecosystems.

Donkeys may be the proverbial beast of burden, and the animal itself has come to symbolise a dimwit, someone of little value. But not all donkeys are created equal. The Halari donkeys, a breed native to Gujarat's Halar region, is not just valued, it is a VVIP.

The Halari donkey is a source of 'liquid gold', with its milk, valued for its distinctive properties, known to have sold for an astounding Rs 5000 to Rs 7000 per litre at some online platforms.

But this acclaim comes with its own set of challenges. With fewer than 500 Halari donkeys remaining, the primary need is, of course, conservation. But the larger aim is not just increasing their numbers; it's about teaching farmers the best practices, so that they can command premium prices.

Recognising the pressing need for conservation, the National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in Bikaner has started a dedicated programme to safeguard these animals. NRCE is also evaluating donkey milk for potential use in skincare products to sustain its value.

The Halari donkey is not just valued for its milk; its unique characteristics make it particularly valuable for sustainable dairy farming. Their docile nature, combined with their adaptability to various climates, makes them ideal for small-scale farmers. They also have a much lower environmental foot-print, compared to larger livestock, requiring less feed and water. Infact, their grazing habits even help maintain grassland ecosystems.

Donkeys may be the proverbial beast of burden, and the animal itself has come to symbolise a dimwit, someone of little value. But not all donkeys are created equal. The Halari donkeys, a breed native to Gujarat's Halar region, is not just valued, it is a VVIP.

The Halari donkey is a source of 'liquid gold', with its milk, valued for its distinctive properties, known to have sold for an astounding Rs 5000 to Rs 7000 per litre at some online platforms.

But this acclaim comes with its own set of challenges. With fewer than 500 Halari donkeys remaining, the primary need is, of course, conservation. But the larger aim is not just increasing their numbers; it's about teaching farmers the best practices, so that they can command premium prices.

Recognising the pressing need for conservation, the National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in Bikaner has started a dedicated programme to safeguard these animals. NRCE is also evaluating donkey milk for potential use in skincare products to sustain its value.

The Halari donkey is not just valued for its milk; its unique characteristics make it particularly valuable for sustainable dairy farming. Their docile nature, combined with their adaptability to various climates, makes them ideal for small-scale farmers. They also have a much lower environmental foot-print, compared to larger livestock, requiring less feed and water. Infact, their grazing habits even help maintain grassland ecosystems.

Donkeys may be the proverbial beast of burden, and the animal itself has come to symbolise a dimwit, someone of little value. But not all donkeys are created equal. The Halari donkeys, a breed native to Gujarat's Halar region, is not just valued, it is a VVIP.

The Halari donkey is a source of 'liquid gold', with its milk, valued for its distinctive properties, known to have sold for an astounding Rs 5000 to Rs 7000 per litre at some online platforms.

But this acclaim comes with its own set of challenges. With fewer than 500 Halari donkeys remaining, the primary need is, of course, conservation. But the larger aim is not just increasing their numbers; it's about teaching farmers the best practices, so that they can command premium prices.

Recognising the pressing need for conservation, the National Research Centre on Equines (NRCE) in Bikaner has started a dedicated programme to safeguard these animals. NRCE is also evaluating donkey milk for potential use in skincare products to sustain its value.

The Halari donkey is not just valued for its milk; its unique characteristics make it particularly valuable for sustainable dairy farming. Their docile nature, combined with their adaptability to various climates, makes them ideal for small-scale farmers. They also have a much lower environmental foot-print, compared to larger livestock, requiring less feed and water. Infact, their grazing habits even help maintain grassland ecosystems.

The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the 'Coach and Horses' more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.

Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in winter time was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.

The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the 'Coach and Horses' more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.

Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in winter time was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.

The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the 'Coach and Horses' more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.

Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in winter time was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.

The stranger came early in February, one wintry day, through a biting wind and a driving snow, the last snowfall of the year, over the down, walking from Bramblehurst railway station, carrying a little black portmanteau in his thickly gloved hand. He was wrapped up from head to foot, and the brim of his soft felt hat hid every inch of his face but the shiny tip of his nose; the snow had piled itself against his shoulders and chest, and added a white crest to the burden he carried. He staggered into the 'Coach and Horses' more dead than alive, and flung his portmanteau down. "A fire," he cried, "in the name of human charity! A room and a fire!" He stamped and shook the snow from off himself in the bar, and followed Mrs. Hall into her guest parlour to strike his bargain. And with that much introduction, and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn.

Mrs. Hall lit the fire and left him there while she went to prepare him a meal with her own hands. A guest to stop at Iping in winter time was an unheard-of piece of luck, let alone a guest who was no "haggler," and she was resolved to show herself worthy of her good fortune.

Part of our programme included spending an afternoon on a machaan that overlooked a waterhole in the forest. Our riding elephants dropped us off, and we were given strict instructions to remain put until later, the elephants would come to pick us up.

So we sat, hoping that a tiger or leopard would come down for a drink. No such luck. After a while, a juvenile rhesus macaque poked its head out and looked around warily. Then, taking infinitesimal care, it emerged into the clearing cautiously. If it had been born and brought up in Delhi, it would have probably charged out, clambered up our machaan and relieved us of our drinking water and snacks. But not this fellow. I thought these forest monkeys were such wimps!

It was getting darker by the minute- and there was no sign of our elephant pickups. So we decided to trek back to Dhikala. We set off in single file along the forest path. When I was suddenly confronted by all the pioneering leaders rushing pell-mell back urgently whispering, 'mad elephant, mad elephant!' I saw the bulk of an elephant- I can't vouch if its head was aggressively cocked and trunk rolled up, appraising us prior to charging. Incontinently, we fled, to our machaan and clambered up.

One spank from its trunk would have sent any of us flying clear across the waterhole! We could only sit quietly. I realised that the juvenile rhesus had a very good reason for being so cautious. We had not.

Part of our programme included spending an afternoon on a machaan that overlooked a waterhole in the forest. Our riding elephants dropped us off, and we were given strict instructions to remain put until later, the elephants would come to pick us up.

So we sat, hoping that a tiger or leopard would come down for a drink. No such luck. After a while, a juvenile rhesus macaque poked its head out and looked around warily. Then, taking infinitesimal care, it emerged into the clearing cautiously. If it had been born and brought up in Delhi, it would have probably charged out, clambered up our machaan and relieved us of our drinking water and snacks. But not this fellow. I thought these forest monkeys were such wimps!

It was getting darker by the minute- and there was no sign of our elephant pickups. So we decided to trek back to Dhikala. We set off in single file along the forest path. When I was suddenly confronted by all the pioneering leaders rushing pell-mell back urgently whispering, 'mad elephant, mad elephant!' I saw the bulk of an elephant- I can't vouch if its head was aggressively cocked and trunk rolled up, appraising us prior to charging. Incontinently, we fled, to our machaan and clambered up.

One spank from its trunk would have sent any of us flying clear across the waterhole! We could only sit quietly. I realised that the juvenile rhesus had a very good reason for being so cautious. We had not.

Part of our programme included spending an afternoon on a machaan that overlooked a waterhole in the forest. Our riding elephants dropped us off, and we were given strict instructions to remain put until later, the elephants would come to pick us up.

So we sat, hoping that a tiger or leopard would come down for a drink. No such luck. After a while, a juvenile rhesus macaque poked its head out and looked around warily. Then, taking infinitesimal care, it emerged into the clearing cautiously. If it had been born and brought up in Delhi, it would have probably charged out, clambered up our machaan and relieved us of our drinking water and snacks. But not this fellow. I thought these forest monkeys were such wimps!

It was getting darker by the minute- and there was no sign of our elephant pickups. So we decided to trek back to Dhikala. We set off in single file along the forest path. When I was suddenly confronted by all the pioneering leaders rushing pell-mell back urgently whispering, 'mad elephant, mad elephant!' I saw the bulk of an elephant- I can't vouch if its head was aggressively cocked and trunk rolled up, appraising us prior to charging. Incontinently, we fled, to our machaan and clambered up.

One spank from its trunk would have sent any of us flying clear across the waterhole! We could only sit quietly. I realised that the juvenile rhesus had a very good reason for being so cautious. We had not.

Part of our programme included spending an afternoon on a machaan that overlooked a waterhole in the forest. Our riding elephants dropped us off, and we were given strict instructions to remain put until later, the elephants would come to pick us up.

So we sat, hoping that a tiger or leopard would come down for a drink. No such luck. After a while, a juvenile rhesus macaque poked its head out and looked around warily. Then, taking infinitesimal care, it emerged into the clearing cautiously. If it had been born and brought up in Delhi, it would have probably charged out, clambered up our machaan and relieved us of our drinking water and snacks. But not this fellow. I thought these forest monkeys were such wimps!

It was getting darker by the minute- and there was no sign of our elephant pickups. So we decided to trek back to Dhikala. We set off in single file along the forest path. When I was suddenly confronted by all the pioneering leaders rushing pell-mell back urgently whispering, 'mad elephant, mad elephant!' I saw the bulk of an elephant- I can't vouch if its head was aggressively cocked and trunk rolled up, appraising us prior to charging. Incontinently, we fled, to our machaan and clambered up.

One spank from its trunk would have sent any of us flying clear across the waterhole! We could only sit quietly. I realised that the juvenile rhesus had a very good reason for being so cautious. We had not.

Tea cultivation in Assam can be traced back to the early 19th century when the region was under British colonial rule. It was during the time of the East India Company that Robert Bruce, an officer with the company, discovered wild tea plants growing in the forests of Assam in 1823. The East India Company began experimenting with tea cultivation in Assam, with the first commercial tea garden established in 1837 at Chabua. However, the initial years were challenging due to lack of knowledge about tea cultivation techniques and the hostile climate and terrain of Assam. The turning point for tea growing in Assam came with the formation of the Assam Tea Company in 1939. The company was established by a group of entrepreneurs who recognised the immense commercial prospects of tea. The Assam Tea Company acquired large tracts of land in the region and introduced advanced cultivation methods, such as plucking the tea leaves using indigenous labourers. To meet the growing demand for labour in the tea gardens, the British introduced the indentured labour system. Under this system, labourers were brought from other parts of India, primarily from Bihar and Odisha, to work in the tea plantations. These labourers known as "coolies" endured harsh working conditions and were subjected to exploitative practices by the plantation owners. The indentured labour system played a crucial role in the expansion of tea plantations in Assam, but it also perpetuated social and economic inequalities.

Tea cultivation in Assam can be traced back to the early 19th century when the region was under British colonial rule. It was during the time of the East India Company that Robert Bruce, an officer with the company, discovered wild tea plants growing in the forests of Assam in 1823. The East India Company began experimenting with tea cultivation in Assam, with the first commercial tea garden established in 1837 at Chabua. However, the initial years were challenging due to lack of knowledge about tea cultivation techniques and the hostile climate and terrain of Assam. The turning point for tea growing in Assam came with the formation of the Assam Tea Company in 1939. The company was established by a group of entrepreneurs who recognised the immense commercial prospects of tea. The Assam Tea Company acquired large tracts of land in the region and introduced advanced cultivation methods, such as plucking the tea leaves using indigenous labourers. To meet the growing demand for labour in the tea gardens, the British introduced the indentured labour system. Under this system, labourers were brought from other parts of India, primarily from Bihar and Odisha, to work in the tea plantations. These labourers known as "coolies" endured harsh working conditions and were subjected to exploitative practices by the plantation owners. The indentured labour system played a crucial role in the expansion of tea plantations in Assam, but it also perpetuated social and economic inequalities.

Tea cultivation in Assam can be traced back to the early 19th century when the region was under British colonial rule. It was during the time of the East India Company that Robert Bruce, an officer with the company, discovered wild tea plants growing in the forests of Assam in 1823. The East India Company began experimenting with tea cultivation in Assam, with the first commercial tea garden established in 1837 at Chabua. However, the initial years were challenging due to lack of knowledge about tea cultivation techniques and the hostile climate and terrain of Assam. The turning point for tea growing in Assam came with the formation of the Assam Tea Company in 1939. The company was established by a group of entrepreneurs who recognised the immense commercial prospects of tea. The Assam Tea Company acquired large tracts of land in the region and introduced advanced cultivation methods, such as plucking the tea leaves using indigenous labourers. To meet the growing demand for labour in the tea gardens, the British introduced the indentured labour system. Under this system, labourers were brought from other parts of India, primarily from Bihar and Odisha, to work in the tea plantations. These labourers known as "coolies" endured harsh working conditions and were subjected to exploitative practices by the plantation owners. The indentured labour system played a crucial role in the expansion of tea plantations in Assam, but it also perpetuated social and economic inequalities.

Tea cultivation in Assam can be traced back to the early 19th century when the region was under British colonial rule. It was during the time of the East India Company that Robert Bruce, an officer with the company, discovered wild tea plants growing in the forests of Assam in 1823. The East India Company began experimenting with tea cultivation in Assam, with the first commercial tea garden established in 1837 at Chabua. However, the initial years were challenging due to lack of knowledge about tea cultivation techniques and the hostile climate and terrain of Assam. The turning point for tea growing in Assam came with the formation of the Assam Tea Company in 1939. The company was established by a group of entrepreneurs who recognised the immense commercial prospects of tea. The Assam Tea Company acquired large tracts of land in the region and introduced advanced cultivation methods, such as plucking the tea leaves using indigenous labourers. To meet the growing demand for labour in the tea gardens, the British introduced the indentured labour system. Under this system, labourers were brought from other parts of India, primarily from Bihar and Odisha, to work in the tea plantations. These labourers known as "coolies" endured harsh working conditions and were subjected to exploitative practices by the plantation owners. The indentured labour system played a crucial role in the expansion of tea plantations in Assam, but it also perpetuated social and economic inequalities.

Once I was an archaeologist's assistant. I wandered the country probing, exploring, and digging, in search of antiquities, a most interesting occupation, although cynics sometimes called us "grave-diggers." I enjoyed the work immensely.

My master-a famous archaeologist, was a superb, timeless being, who lived a thousand years behind the times, and wanted neither food, roof or riches if only he was allowed to gaze on undisturbed at an old coin or chip of a burial urn. He had torn up the earth in almost all parts of India and had brought to light very valuable information concerning the history and outlook of people of remote centuries. His monographs on each of his excavations filled several shelves in all the important libraries.

And then, as our good fortune would have it, he received an inspiration that Malgudi district was eminently diggable. I am not competent to explain how he got this idea, but there it was. Word was brought to me that he needed an assistant. Within an hour of hearing it I stood before the great man. He had the craziest collection of articles in front of him -pots, beads, useless coins and palm leaves, all rusty and decaying. He had a lens by his side, through which he looked at these articles and made notes. He asked me: "What do you know of the archaeological factors of your district? "I blinked. Honestly, I didn't know there was any archaeology in our place. I realized that my living depended upon my answer.