Quid novi ex Pune

DNA comes as a whiff of fresh air amidst the stench of the Times . No ads apart from classifieds means you do not have an inane full page obit for some peripatetic industrialist's mother who breathed a wretched last breath after a year in the BH ICU on bi pap for COPD, or SITA/SOTC tours' lewd ads inviting a nouveau riche upper middle class for a Thai/European jamboree for " fifty thousand per couple only for 5 days 6 nights in the scenic Baden Baden on the Jungfrauroch, savings galore". Nothing irritates you more than a huge gimmicky full front page ad for an IPO for some real estate company.Thankfully except a single ad in the lower right of the front page, this paper does not have any ads.
Brownie point score:1

The layout is cheerfully colorful, but thankfully does not get cheesy on coverage. (plus 1).
There is some page three nonsense for those who categorize this piddleshit as news.But thankfully that comes as a separate 2 page supplement, unlike the 7-8 page piece of toilet paper that sells as PT.(minus 0.5) It ain't pretentious about the shibboleth of journalistic courage- or whatever they call it- like the IE- c'mon BOFORS was in the time of Chitra Subramaniam, they don't have such a big geese around to cook nowadays, and anyways the television channels break wind breaking news on some "sharmnaak vyakti Shakti or be- imaan swami, khoon se haath rang lene wale doctor" by the hour. Whats new? And frankly who has the time to read' exclusive to the times' anyways.

Coverage is passable, often petite and interrupted, and not extensive like a Hindu. But writers are good. You do not end up missing a Bachchi or Mukul Sharma, certainly not Jug.Sample this interview with Christophe Jaffrelot ( who's that?) His analysis of the Indian middle class is quite novel and interesting. I would have preferred to read something like this on a Sunday rather than Malavika Sanghvi's torture on the emotional upheavals of the so called creme de la creme, or how some Neetu Singh struggled through married life or what Tina Ambani likes for lunch.( plus 2) Local coverage is okayish, but international news and sport lacking in purpose and just copy paste from AP/NYT. They could do with a Sunil Gavaskar or Rashmee Roshan Lall here.

The package in Mumbai was a steal- Rs 220 for the entire year. I do not know the pricing in Pune. But all in all good baby steps ab initio......but I hope it stays this way. For ratings 3.5/5...paisa vasool for Rs2/-.

(Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are my own personal, and not intended to defame in any way.)