After years of struggle and sacrifi ce India broke themanacles of the British Empire and gained independence in 1947. As we approach India’s 70th Independence Day, the country has geared up to celebrate the glory of the freedom fi ghters with fervent zeal and patriotism.While honouring the country’s independence, we also talk about how, two years ago, India’s 29th state—Telangana was formed after a 58-year-long struggle.Our Feature describes the development and creation of new opportunities that is helping Telangana regain its momentum and add to the prosperity of the nation. On the cover is the sultry siren, Akanksha Puri, who rose to fame with Madhur Bhandarkar’s Calendar Girls. Read on to know about her journeyin to fi lmdom. India has formal diplomatic relations with most nations; it is the world’s second most populous country, the world’s most populous democracy, and one of the fastest growing major economies, making it a prominent voicein global affairs. Turn to the Special Feature for more details on India’s Foreign Policy.