Firstpost Editor's Picks: CCD's debt, HRD order on students' social media, Sarita Mor interview; today's must-read stories

VG Siddhartha dead: CCD had mounting debt, but facts don’t suggest coffee chain was a failed affair beyond redemption

Cafe Coffee Day (CCD) had debt obligations. But it also had assets well enough to cover the liabilities. It is a well-known brand with a strong footprint across the country with active investor interest in its future prospects. An analysis of CCD’s available financials from stock exchange notes, Siddhartha’s own alleged suicide note and corporate presentations suggest — assuming these are all true figures — nothing that would take the business down.

HRD order on students’ FB, Instagram accounts could be misused for surveillance, silencing dissent in campuses

The Ministry of Human Resource Development’s circular raises a number of questions about its implementation. For starters, it is unclear as to how precisely social media accounts of individuals are to be “connected” to the ministry and the institution. Secondly, if the intention of the ministry is to publicise “positive stories” of the institution, it is not clear why it needs access to students’ social media accounts. It is also a matter of concern as to whether the institute can put pressure on students to post “positive stories” on their social media accounts.

JK Rowling can’t rid herself of the Harry Potter hangover: The perils of nostalgia as cash cow

It has been over a decade since the launch of the final Harry Potter book, The Deathly Hallows. Ever since then, JK Rowling has not been able to rise above the Harry Potter hangover and has constantly flirted with the idea of Harry Potter being a continuum, rather than a full stop.

In real-life Man vs Wild contest in India, scales are heavily tilted in favour of former, to environment’s detriment

A little more awareness about environment conservation would certainly help India’s environment ministry. In the last five years, according to a statement in Parliament by Minister of State for Environment Babul Supriyo, 1,09,75,844 trees in India have officially been cut for development purposes. These  1.09 crore trees were obviously not cut for firewood by 1.09 crore individuals with axes. They were cut using proper machinery and organisation, with government sanction, for other purposes.

Unheralded wrestler Sarita Mor pins hopes on World Championship to emerge as next wrestling star from India

With an Instagram handle chronicling her training regimen and flaunting her frequent travels around the globe, Sarita Mor represents the new generation of young, confident women wrestlers. She is a success story from a humble, rural background who relishes the arc lights of publicity and social media fame. But amidst the star-studded line up of women grapplers — like the Phogat sisters of the Dangal fame, Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat — recognition and adulation has eluded Sarita.