Soutik biswas biography of christopher

Tourism is one of the major drivers of growth in Kerala Photos: Haris Kuttipuram

Why is India's most socially developed state - and one of the developing world's most advanced regions - an economic laggard?

This question about Kerala, known all over the world for its lush landscapes, sun-drenched beaches and idyllic backwaters, has been a subject of intense debate among economists and social scientists.

Soutik Biswas writes.

One of the most shocking moves of the authorities was to take away children who were living with eunuchs to “rescue them from a life of infamy”.

Christopher Andrew, a leading British historian of intelligence, is I'm Soutik Biswas and I'm the online correspondent for BBC News in India.

The religious composition of Indians who emigrate differs significantly from those who stay in India, analysis by the US-based Pew Research Center has found.

Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan's sweeping new biographical thriller about the “father of the atomic bomb”, has opened to a glowing reception.

Kerala defies all stereotypes of a "socially backward" Indian state - swathes of people living in abject poverty, men outnumbering women because of female foeticide, internecine caste politics.

Many of its social indicators are on par with the developed world and it has the highest human development index in India.

It also has the highest literacy rate (more than 90%) and life expectancy in India, lowest infant mortality, lowest school drop-out rate, and