FREDERICK NORONHA
If you’re a reader, then possibly magazines fascinate you too. There are many reasons to read one. It’s a great way to get access to a whole lot of information in a short while. Finding a magazine you like can make you read more. It’s about the fastest way to get focused infornation in a quick way.
The first time I shifted to an urban school, my mum had given me Rs. 20 to manage expenses (including the 35 paise bus fare) for the month ahead. This was the mid-1970s, when Rs. 20 had quite some value. In a couple of days, that entire allocation was gone spent on magazines at Dalal’s attractive and well-stocked bookstall
at Mapusa.
The other day, I encountered the magazine section of the Central Library at Patto, Panaji. It is more impressive than the municipal libraries in places like Mapusa (the reopening of which, scheduled for April 23, 2025, we heard much about), Vasco, Margao, Ponda or smaller centres. Panaji has a wide range of magazines and is more lavishly funded. It is also air-conditioned, uncrowded, and has decent hours-of-work (though it was kept open longer, prior to the pandemic).
On its neatly stacked display shelves, one can see the latest issues of a number of magazines. For instance, local publications which you might have otherwise not come across, like the GCCI Bulletin (from the Goa Chambers of Commerce and Industry, more of a trade and commerce publication).
There are other publications from Goa, including the Romi Konkani Gulab, Viva Goa, and Business Goa. In times when we read more on our screens, it’s easy to miss out on such options. Incredible Goa has chartered accountant Santosh Kenkre on its current cover. The NGO Arz publishes its biannual periodical Nanhe Panne (‘Little Pages’), which features contributions from disadvantaged children living in the slums of Mormugao.
The rare parish bulletin, from Santo Estevam in Romi Konkani, also made its appearance here, though there are many such coming out from across Goa.
Commercial magazines include Ingredients South Asia, about pharma, food and cosmetic ingredients. Filmi magazines are available too. So are health-based ones, such as the oddly-named Happiest Health.
Likewise, there are technical journals such as the Industrial Products Finder, and Indian Railways. Indian Infrastructure is one few would have noticed, while the ID Journal is focussed on design. Entrepreneur is what its title says.
There are also niche publications like the Human Rights Newsletter, Mass Media, Motoring (motoringworld.in, “India’s favourite enthusiast oriented magazine), and Bharatiya Rail, among others. Outlook Traveller is a travel magazine, while OpenSource looks at the tech world of Free and Open Source Software.
By way of government magazines, Pratiyogita Darpan is a bi-lingual magazine on current affairs and general knowledge, and promises to be “specially useful for civil services exams and similar competitive exams”.
Reader’s Digest is there too, as is the Radiance Newsweekly (a connection to “the pulse of Muslim India and the Islamic world”). To balance off, Organiser (the mouthpiece of the RSS) is also there, as are tech-focussed publications like Overdrive, T3 (“the world’s number one gadget magazine”) and Stuff (“the best gadget news, reviews and buying guide”).
Only a few international magazines are visible, maybe understandable in these days of the rupee decline against the dollar. Time and The Economist are available.
Look out for names you might never otherwise see — The Indian Pharmacist, Travel & Leisure, The Machinist, WatchTime, Vigyan Pragati, Paint India, Tibet Policy Journal, Goods & Services Tax Cases (“The GST Weekly”), Indian Journal of Research in Capital Markets, Journal of Wireless Communication Networks, Oil & Gas Journal and the Indian Foundry Journal.
For those wanting a focus on women’s issues, there’s a limited choice by way of Women’s Era, Graha Shobhika or Vanita. In terms of Science, there’s a wider fare Science Reporter, Current Science and Scientific India, besides the tech-related journals mentioned above.
IIT Madras Shaastra is a science and technology magazine from the IIT Madras. In its April issue, it carries articles on India’s semiconductor industry, startups, and what space-faring nations can learn from NASA astronauts’ “recent ordeals”. Some of the articles on its site (shaastramag.iitm.ac.in) are free to read.
Informatics is another journal from the similar space. It describes itself as the e-governance bulletin of the GoI’s National Informatics Centre, NIC, and is published each quarter. There are also academia-focussed journals like University News.
Some time back, a fascination with the magazine led this columnist to explore what’s available for reading among the younger lot. This culminated in a hurriedly-created wikidot site. It was comprehensive in its time, but has now fallen back, and needs updating.
The site is still online at mags-for-kids-in-india.wikidot.com But, as times change, some magazines listed there are no longer being published. Subscription prices have obviously changed, becoming costlier over the years.
Still, the magazines listed there make for an impressive list: Amar Chitra Katha, Bal Bharathi (Hindi), Balhans (Hindi), BookBox (children’s stories in over two dozen languages), Brain Tonic (Marathi-English bilingual), Brainwave (simplifies textbook science), Beyond Books, Chakmak (Hindi), Champak,Chandamama, Children’s Digest, Children’s World, and
Current Science.
Likewise, Dimdima, DNA ya!, Gokulam, Hansti Duniya, Health Action, Heights Students’ Magazine, Inspirational Quote, Junior Chandamama, Junior Science Refresher, LoliPop, Magic Pot, Mira, Popular Science, Smart Photography, Safari, Sandarbh (Hindi), Science Reporter, Sportstar, Srote (Hindi), Teacher Plus, The Teenager, Tinkle, Wisdom, Yocee.in, Science Refresher, Competition Refresher, GE Refresher, among others.
In the time between when it was set up and now, a number of these magazines are no longer available. On the other hand, a few more have been added, and reach the newsstands. Some are available only via subscription.
Meanwhile, online one can find digital versions of decades-old Indian comics and graphic stories available at inexpensive rates. Some old collectors are also offering their pre-owned copies for sale. In short, this is a space to be visited. Do check it out.
