In the ferment of post-independent India, in 1959, late Raj and Romesh Thapar gave birth to a seminal platform of fearless debate, "Seminar." Every month, the magazine voices a range of viewpoints on an issue that dominates the consciousness of the Indian public. Celebrating its 50th anniversary at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) in Shimla, South Asia s most influential thinkers debated the role of institutions like "Seminar" on the state of public discourse and its impact on the future of the Indian polity. This compelling volume offers the reader an opportunity to be a part of this seminar and reflect on the burning questions raised by Nayantara Sahgal, Shyam Benegal, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Ramachandra Guha, Sunil Khilnani, T.N. Ninan, Salman Khurshid, Shiv Visvanathan, Amita Baviskar, and C. Rammanohar Reddy, among others. Tune into" India Alive" and enjoy a discussion of ideas that spin a vivid narrative of the Indian democracy today, through the life and times of "Seminar." Bundled FREE with this volume is the complete library of "Seminar"magazine on a CD-ROM celebrating fifty-five years of ideas."