Harappan town in Gujarat, Hormuz tensions, RBI’s growth optimism: Todays Premium reads

Graphic rendering of the upcoming National Maritime Heritage Complex in Lothal. (Image source: Architect Hafeez Contractor)A recreated Harappan city at Lothal, the renewed US-Iran confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz, and lessons from the Agra Summit 25 years on. Plus, why India needs to rethink its textile export strategy, what the RBI isn’t saying about inflation and growth, the suspension controversy around Himachal Police’s award-winning orchestra, and why PMOS is emerging as a major health concern for young women: Here are today’s Premium reads. Visitors to Lothal will soon be able to walk through reconstructed Harappan streets, dockyards and marketplaces as part of the Rs 4,000-crore National Maritime Heritage Complex. Divya A reports how the project aims to bring the Indus Valley Civilisation to life through immersive exhibits while tracing 4,500 years of India’s maritime history.As fresh US-Iran strikes threaten to unravel a fragile truce, the crisis is once again centred on the Strait of Hormuz. Shubhajit Roy explains what both sides have learnt from the conflict, why the waterway remains critical, and what renewed hostilities could mean for India. 25 years after the Agra Summit, Ajay Bisaria, who was private secretary to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and later became India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan, spoke to The Indian Express and shared his thoughts on lessons from the failed Summit and engaging with Pakistan in the current state of affairs. India once dominated the global textile trade, but today it accounts for just 3% of apparel exports. Ashok Gulati and Sulakshana Rao argue that the country must build globally competitive ecosystems and strengthen institutions if it hopes to become a leading apparel exporter once again. The RBI has kept interest rates unchanged and maintained a neutral stance, but its latest policy leaves key questions unanswered. Ishan Bakshi argues that the central bank needs to clearly explain how it balances rising inflation risks, slowing growth, the rupee’s trajectory, and the potential impact of US Fed decisions. Harmony of the Pines, as the orchestra of the Himachal Pradesh Police is called, has come a long way since it started 30 years ago as a small group of seven members, to “alleviate stress faced by the police force”. Now, in one of the rare discordant notes to strike the band, its in-charge and virtually its face, Inspector Vijay Kumar, has gone to court over his suspension on July 13, on charges of making money by monetizing his personal social media account, without disclosing the same to the police department. Saurabh Parashar reports.Story continues below this ad From irregular periods and infertility to insulin resistance, anxiety and heart health, PMOS is far more than an ovarian disorder. With studies suggesting nearly one in five Indian women may be affected, this report explains why diagnoses are rising, why India faces a higher burden than the global average, and what doctors say women need to know about managing the condition beyond weight loss.