1947: Sardar Patel is tasked to integrate the princely states of India into one united nation. Hyderabad – ruled by the Nizam – is a place of immense strategic importance. Despite a majority of Hindu subjects, the Nizam is inclined to join hands with Pakistan. The Nizam’s militia, infamously known as the Razakars, have brutally oppressed the citizens of the state into silence for decades. When an opportunity to end their suffering arises, the citizens plead with Sardar Patel to save them. Operation Polo is a captivating historical account of the events surrounding the integration of Hyderabad into the Republic of India via means of decisive military action. The book offers an immersive journey showcasing the political manoeuvres, diplomatic efforts, and military tactics that culminated in a united India.

UPSC is considered to be the most prestigious and toughest examination in the country. In order to crack these exams one need to do heavy preparations, thorough practice and clear concepts about each and every subject. “IAS Mains General Studies Paper – 1” the most updated study material incorporated with detailed information and supported by up-to-date facts and figures. The complete coverage on each topic of the syllabus have been divided into 5 Important Units in this book. It gives the complete depiction of Indian Literature, Religion, Music, Architecture and also provides the detailed explanation for issues related to society and women. This book facilitates by giving the deep coverage on all the topics of the syllabus at one place with the conceptual clarity to fulfil the need and demands of the aspirants, special exam oriented structure has been given according to the UPSC syllabus, discussion of the theoretical concepts with the contemporary examples are given, Solved Papers from Solved Papers 2019-17 and 16 and 3 practice sets that helps in raising up level of preparation. This book acts as a great help in achieving the success for the upcoming exam. TABLE OF CONTENTS Solved Papers 2019-17, Unit -1: Indian Heritage and Culture, Unit -2: Indian Society, Unit -3: Modern Indian History, Unit -4: World History, Unit -5: Indian and World Geography, Solved Paper 2016, Practice Paper (1-3).

The fascinating story of the fall of the Indian princely state of Hyderabad has till now been dominated by the 'court historians' of Indian nationalism. In this book A. G. Noorani offers a revisionist account of the Indian Army's 'police action' against the armed forces and government of Hyderabad, ruled by the fabulously wealthy Nizam. His forensic scrutiny of the diplomatic exchanges between the government of India and the government of Hyderabad during the Raj and after partition and independence in 1947 has unearthed the Sunderlal Committee report on the massacre of the Muslim population of the State during and after the 'police action' (knowledge of which has since been suppressed by the Indian state) and a wealth of memoirs and first- hand accounts of the clandestine workings of territorial nationalism in its bleakest and most shameful hour. He brings to light the largely ignored and fateful intervention of M. A. Jinnah in the destruction of Hyderabad and also ac- counts for the communal leanings of Patel and K. M. Munshi in shaping its fate. The book is dedicated to the 'other' Hyderabad: a culturally syncretic state that was erased in the stampede to create a united India committed to secularism and development.

K.F. Rustamji, who was chief of the Madhya Pradesh police and later founder Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF), worked as the chief security officer of Prime Minister Nehru from 1952 to 1958. Rustamji maintained a diary right from the time he joined the service in 1938 and continued in it for more than three decades. He felt he was living in stirring times and the maintenance of a diary, wherein he recorded the news and his views in great detail, would help him to be more observant. P.V. Rajgopal has edited the material collected from 1,600 pages of Rustamji’s diaries pertaining to the period he was with Pandit Nehru and brought out a first-person narrative about one of India’s greatest sons of the last century. The day-to-day record, maintained by a man whose duty demanded he be close to Nehru, depicts the portrait of the subject captured though a close-up lens, as it were. Nehru himself said, in 1960, "I know Rustamji very well." And after a pause and an enigmatic smile added, "Rustamji also knows me very well." The book depicts, in a way, why Nehru paused and then smiled.

The India-Pakistan rivalry is one of the five percent of international conflicts that has been labeled as intractable. Cohen draws on his varied experiences in South Asia as he develops a comprehensive theory of why the dispute is intractable and suggests ways in which it may be ameliorated.