[Economy] Covid and Poverty
As the world continues to be ravaged by the covid pandemic, more than a year on, it is becoming increasingly evident that the greatest burden has fallen on the global poor. […]
[Society] India’s gender deficit
Gender discrimination pervades India’s socio-economic pyramid. At its upper reaches, we encounter anecdotes of single women entrepreneurs finding it difficult to get bank loans. According to the report, India has closed 62.5 per cent of its gender gap till date. The country had ranked 140th among countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2021 [...]
[Environment] Climate Change and Decarbonization of industry
A shift to clean energy is welcome but Indian industry needs deep decarbonization over the next 30 years to make a difference […]
[Environment] Reworking “net-zero” for climate justice
Global transformation is affecting the planet. But there is no uniform transformation across the world. Global temperature increased sharply only after 1981 with little contribution from the developing countries as their industrialisation and urbanisation had yet to begin. […]
[Policy] National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021
It is binding on a welfare state to take care of every single citizen. Securing the wellbeing of every one, particularly those unable to help themselves, irrespective of whether they constitute a critical mass or not, is important. The recent notification of the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2021 after various [...]
[Society] India can lead the way in improving the health of tribals
Communities cannot thrive without good health, but sadly, good health can be elusive for communities on the margins of society. Even before covid, tribal and indigenous people all over the world have routinely experienced lower life expectancies, poor maternal and child health, and higher rates of both infectious and non-communicable [...]
[Science] NFT – Non-fungible token and Digital Art – Explained.
NFT stands for ‘Non-fungible token’ and is a tradeable, digital ownership certificate representing the ownership of a unique asset. Blockchain (which collects information together in groups or ‘blocks’) means that virtual art can become collectible. However, most NFT art is stored in blockchain of the Ethereum cryptocurrency, which has a [...]
[IR] IRAN deal and the IAEA
Even as the chicken-and-egg game is being played between the U.S. and Iran on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as to whether Iranian compliance comes first or the lifting of sanctions by the U.S., the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is back on the stage to rescue the [...]
[Society] Mental Health and Economic Recovery
Most armies of the world follow a version of the British Defence Doctrine that lays down Ten Principles of War, the first of which is “Selection and Maintenance of Aim”. If the national aim is to achieve quick economic recovery, then we need to remember that the second of the [...]
[Science] Emerging crisis of obtaining helium in India
Every year, India imports helium worth ₹55,000 crore from the U.S. Helium is colourless, odourless, tasteless, inert and a noble gas. Yet, it finds many applications, mainly in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, in rockets and in nuclear reactors. […]