[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-116693-en":3,"doc-seo-116693-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":91},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":20,"is_downloadable":20,"audit_status":20,"page_count":21,"language":22,"language_code":23,"site_id":24,"html_lang":23,"table_of_contents":25,"faqs":26,"seo_title":27,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},116693,962075114765,"Quinn","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_a8503ba1806abce46bf441b54a3ca4cd",8,"Research & Report","Frontline - Volume 43 - Issue 13 - July 16-31, 2026","A serialized issue of Frontline magazine dated July 31, 2026, focusing on India and global developments across politics, economy, education, environment, and world affairs. Cover story examines how Punjab’s politics has turned more sectarian, shaped by mainstream parties and the risk of being overtaken by radical forces. Featured sections analyze Hormuz and Iran’s strategic posture, debates on governance and protest movements, and sectoral challenges ranging from universities to labor and public policy.","JULY 31, 2026 LEADING THE DEBATE SINCE 1984 WWW. FRONTLINE.THEHINDU. COM  150  \nIndia's middle-income trap  \nECONOMY PAGE 64  \nHormuz: No Strait solutions  \nWORLD AFFAIRS PAGE 81  \nAlready beset by multiple challenges, can Punjab hold its own in the face of sectarian baiting?  \n3  \nVolume 43 – Number 13 – July 16-31, 2026 – ISSN 0970-1710 – [www.frontline.thehindu.com](www.frontline.thehindu.com) – 116 pages  \nCOVER STORY  \nThe sacrilege trap  \n12/ Punjab’s politics has taken a de􀂔nite sectarian turn, pushed by mainstream parties greedy for electoral dividends who forget that they could yet be pipped by more radical forces.  \nRELATED STORIES  \n23/ Strategic shift 26/ Familiar script 29/ Divided house  \n32/ Politics and the pulpit 36/ SAD state of a􀂓airs  \nCover image: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar  \nSPOTLIGHT  \n41/ Citizens as sovereign POLITICS  \n44/ Ram rajya to scam rajya? 48/ Uddhav’s Shiv Sena: The tiger mauled  \n58/ Tricky tightrope for Congress in UP  \nLABOUR  \n52/ Jailed for protests  \nECONOMY  \n64/ The Gulf passport to prosperity  \nEDUCATION  \n74/ State universities held to ransom  \nWORLD AFFAIRS  \n81/ Iran’s Hormuz play shapes new paradigm  \nENVIRONMENT  \n85/ Champions of the unsung  \nART  \n90/ Contours of pain and joy BOOKS  \n96/ Interview:  \nSelma Carvalho 99/ In review  \n10/ The Fortnight  \nWHITE SPACE  \n110/ Nouvelle vague in Ghatsila  \nCOLUMNS  \n39/ Saba Naqvi  \n56/ Mani Shankar Aiyar 62/ Anand Teltumbde  \n72/ C.P. Chandrasekhar 94/ Prathyush Parasuraman  \n08/ Letters  \n109/ On our bookshelf 112/ Staying in  \n113/ Stepping out 114/ Back Page  \nCOLUMN  \nCan CJP escape the fate of India’s tamed protest movements?  \n\n|  | FOOD POLITICS\u003Cbr>“Vegetarian-only\u003Cbr>meals are state-sponsored discrimination” |\n| --- | --- |\n\nPERSPECTIVE  \nWhat Kulgam teaches the Indian Left  \n4  \nLEADING THE DEBATE SINCE 1984 Editor Vaishna Roy  \nManaging Editor Vasanth Srinivasan BUREAUS  \nChennai Sr Associate Editor R.K. Radhakrishnan Ilangovan Rajasekaran Delhi T.K. Rajalakshmi (Sr. Editor) Anand Mishra (Chief of Bureau) Soni Mishra, Ashutosh Sharma, Vedaant Lakhera Hyderabad Ayesha Minhaz Kolkata Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay Mumbai Amey Tirodkar  \nDESK Ramesh Chakrapani, Sarbari Sinha, Anusua Mukherjee, Abhirami Sriram, Aarthi Murali, Sashikala Asirvatham  \nDIGITAL  \nConsulting Editor Brinda Vasudevan Digital Editor Jinoy Jose P., Siddarth Muralidharan, Kavya Pradeep M., Mridula Vijayarangakumar, Nitya Krishnan  \nDESIGNERS B. Srinivasan, R. Inbaraj  \nPublished by Nirmala Lakshman, Kasturi Buildings, 859 & 860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600-002 and Printed by SDT Rao at Kala Jyothi Process Private Limited, Plot No. CFC-1&2, Survey No. 18, E-City, SEZ & General Industrial Park, Raviryal & Srinagar (Village), Maheswaram(M), R.R.Dist, Telangana-501359 on behalf of THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD., Chennai-600 002.  \n.....  \nEditor: Vaishna Roy (Responsible for selection of news under the PRP Act) All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.  \n [frontline@thehindu.co.in](frontline@thehindu.co.in)  \n frontline_india  \n frontlineindia  \n frontline.magazine  \nFrontline is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.  \nFor subscription and delivery queries:  \nPan India Toll Free  1800 102 1878  \n [customercare@thehindu.co.in](customercare@thehindu.co.in)  \nFor advertisement: National Sales Head  \nSatish K Mendon [satish.mendon@thehindu.co.in](satish.mendon@thehindu.co.in)  \nRegion  \nDelhi – Antesh Kumar Verma  \n 9818798519 Bangalore – Gurunatha Reddy  \n 9845529981 Chennai – R. Ganesh  \n 9841290799  \nAir Surcharge:  \nColombo Rs. 20.00 | Port Blair Rs. 15.00  \nPOINT AND SHARE  \nPoint your phone’s scanner  \non the code and align it in the frame to get [to frontline.thehindu.com](to frontline.thehindu.com). You can now share our stories on social media or email them.  \nInside  \nKanwar Sandhu is a veteran journalist and former MLA from Punjab, with a career spanning 􀀃ve decades. He headed The Indian Express an","cbCaitQE24Tgkkz1","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaitQE24Tgkkz1","pdf",44457867,1,116,"English","en",105,"# Cover Story\n## The sacrilege trap\n# Related Stories\n## Strategic shift\n## Familiar script\n## Divided house\n## Politics and the pulpit\n## SAD state of affairs\n# Spotlight\n## Citizens as sovereign\n## Ram rajya to scam rajya?\n## Uddhav’s Shiv Sena: The tiger mauled\n## Tricky tightrope for Congress in UP\n# Labour\n## Jailed for protests\n# Economy\n## The Gulf passport to prosperity\n# Education\n## State universities held to ransom\n# World Affairs\n## Iran’s Hormuz play shapes new paradigm\n# Environment\n## Champions of the unsung\n# Art\n## Contours of pain and joy\n# Books\n## Interview: Selma Carvalho\n## In review\n# Columns\n## Saba Naqvi\n## Mani Shankar Aiyar\n## Anand Teltumbde\n## C.P. Chandrasekhar\n## Prathyush Parasuraman\n# Perspective\n## What Kulgam teaches the Indian Left","[{\"question\":\"What is the theme of the cover story in this issue?\",\"answer\":\"The cover story, “The sacrilege trap,” examines Punjab’s political shift toward sectarianism and the electoral incentives driving mainstream parties, warning of competition from more radical forces.\"},{\"question\":\"Which world affairs topic is highlighted in the issue?\",\"answer\":\"The issue includes “Iran’s Hormuz play shapes new paradigm,” addressing how Hormuz relates to broader strategic outcomes.\"},{\"question\":\"What domestic areas do the Economy, Education, and Labour sections focus on?\",\"answer\":\"Economy discusses “The Gulf passport to prosperity,” Education covers “State universities held to ransom,” and Labour features “Jailed for protests.”\"}]","Frontline - Volume 43 - Issue 13 - July 16-31, 2026 | PDF",1785662558,292,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":24,"language":23,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":86,"head_meta":88,"extra_data":90,"updated_unix":28},"frontline-volume-43-issue-13-july-16-31-2026","",{"@graph":36,"@context":85},[37,54,68],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":20},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/frontline-volume-43-issue-13-july-16-31-2026/116693/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":23,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":62,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":63,"interactionStatistic":64},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-08-02",true,{"@type":65,"interactionType":66,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":67},"ViewAction",{"@type":69,"mainEntity":70},"FAQPage",[71,77,81],{"name":72,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":74},"What is the theme of the cover story in this issue?","Question",{"text":75,"@type":76},"The cover story, “The sacrilege trap,” examines Punjab’s political shift toward sectarianism and the electoral incentives driving mainstream parties, warning of competition from more radical forces.","Answer",{"name":78,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":79},"Which world affairs topic is highlighted in the issue?",{"text":80,"@type":76},"The issue includes “Iran’s Hormuz play shapes new paradigm,” addressing how Hormuz relates to broader strategic outcomes.",{"name":82,"@type":73,"acceptedAnswer":83},"What domestic areas do the Economy, Education, and Labour sections focus on?",{"text":84,"@type":76},"Economy discusses “The Gulf passport to prosperity,” Education covers “State universities held to ransom,” and Labour features “Jailed for protests.”","https://schema.org",{"og:url":52,"og:type":87,"og:title":13,"og:site_name":59,"og:description":14},"article",{"robots":89,"canonical":52},"index,follow",{"doc_id":7,"site_id":24},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":92},[93,97,101,105,110,115,120,123,128,131,135],{"id":20,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":94,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":96},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":47,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":53,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":112,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":11,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":12,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},30,"research-report",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":127},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":126,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":126,"slug":130},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":132,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":133,"show_sort_weight":132,"slug":134},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":136,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":46,"category_name":137,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":138},19,"General","general"]