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Bringing Eurasia closer The International North South Transport Corridor, which aims to bring Eurasia closer together, is a laudable initiative 01/08/2022   यूरेशिया को करीब लाना इंटरनेशनल नॉर्थ साउथ ट्रांसपोर्ट कॉरिडोर, जिसका उद्देश्य यूरेशिया को एक साथ लाना है, एक प्रशंसनीय पहल है Last week, RailFreight.Com reported 1  that two 40-ft containers of wood laminate sheets crossed the Caspian Sea from Russia’s Astrakhan port, entered Iran’s Anzali port, 2  continued their southward journey towards the Arabian Sea, entered the waters at Bandar Abbas and eventually reach Nhava Shiva port in Mumbai.  3  The journey signalled the launch of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), 💐 a 7,200-km multi-modal transport corridor that combines road, rail and maritime routes connecting Russia and India via central Asia and Iran. 💐 The corridor is expected to consolidate the emerging Eurasian Free Trade Area. What INSTC will do 1  The INSTC’s launch pro...

The great Indian paradox महान भारतीय विरोधाभास Even as our nation is poised to become a superpower, it is yet to deal with basic issues like floods and droughts भले ही हमारा देश एक महाशक्ति बनने की ओर अग्रसर है, फिर भी उसे बाढ़ और सूखे जैसे बुनियादी मुद्दों से निपटना बाकी है Even as India is celebrating the landmark 75th anniversary of Independence    1  from colonial masters, this great nation is still struggling to address basic issues faced by citizens. 2  India has succeeded in deploying hundreds of satellites in different orbits using a single launch vehicle and,  that too, at a cost that would put space technology superpowers to shame.  भारत एक ही प्रक्षेपण यान का उपयोग करके विभिन्न कक्षाओं में सैकड़ों उपग्रहों को तैनात करने में सफल रहा है  और वह भी एक ऐसी कीमत पर जो अंतरिक्ष प्रौद्योगिकी महाशक्तियों को शर्मिंदा करेगा . 3 The country is the watch tower for the Indian Ocean Rim States, stretching from Japan to Africa, in monitoring tsunamis orig...

Overcoming the Aryan-Dravidian divide Many eminent scholars, both local and international, have written about the Dravidian movement’s colonial origins 30/07/2022   द्रविड़ आंदोलन  की शुरुआत धार्मिक विश्‍वासों, ब्राह्मणवादी सोच और हिंदू कुरीतियों पर प्रहार करने के लिए हुई थी.  द्रविड़ आंदोलन का जनक तमिलनाडु के महान समाज सुधारक ईवीके रामास्‍वामी 'पेरियार' को माना जाता है.  उन्होंने आजीवन ब्राह्मणवादी सोच और हिंदू कुरीतियों पर जमकर प्रहार किया. यहां तक कि मनुस्मृति जैसे हिंदू धर्मग्रंथों को जलाया भी. The Governor of Tamil Nadu has been criticised by some for expressing his views on the Aryan-Dravidian divide.  1   Some have gone to the extent of calling this political interference. 2  This is unfair. Expressing one’s views on a sensitive issue cannot be construed as political interference. 3  What the Governor has done through his comment,  however, is disturb the popular view that former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai’s forsakin...

Tumbling skeletons  The sacking of Partha Chatterjee might not be enough to brush aside charges of corruption   कंकाल  की तरफ मूव करना  पार्थ चटर्जी की बर्खास्तगी भ्रष्टाचार के आरोपों को खारिज करने के लिए पर्याप्त नहीं हो सकती है  30/07/2022   West Bengal’s TMC dispensation has sought to distance itself from Partha Chatterjee 1  who is caught in the vortex भंवर of multiple corruption inquires by central agencies,  2  by sacking him from the State cabinet and party positions, 3  but that cuts no ice with the wider society.  Skeletons tumbled out of his closet भांडा फोड़ना  as investigators seized at least ₹50 crore worth of cash and valuables from a close associate of Mr. Chatterjee,  who has been a key power centre in the TMC.  He was in charge of four portfolios in the State government and  held several party posts including that of secretary general.  TMC has weathered many storms —टीएमसी ने कई...

We need to protect whistle blowers Ignoring the fact that   -- Right to Information users are facing death for keeping democracy alive is a threat to democracy  हमें व्हिसल ब्लोअर को बचाने की जरूरत है इस तथ्य को नज़रअंदाज करना कि सूचना का अधिकार उपयोगकर्ताओं को लोकतंत्र को जीवित रखने के लिए मौत का सामना करना पड़ रहा है, लोकतंत्र के लिए ही खतरा है 30/07/2022   “Words, words, words” was Hamlet’s reply to Polonius’ question, “What do you read, my lord?”   That is what our Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, is being reduced to .  यही हमारा सूचना का अधिकार (आरटीआई) अधिनियम, 2005 है, जिसे घटाया जा रहा है। 1  The Centre for Law and Democracy classifies it among the top five laws in the world.  2  The RTI empowers us to participate in the policymaking process, by providing access to information relating to the functioning of all public authorities.  3  Ordinary citizens have used the law to make public authorities accountable and transpa...

Is the Environmental Performance Index really faulty? While the methodology has issues, this is an opportunity for India to study where it stands 29/07/2022   Last month, India protested against its ranking on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) of 2022 - 1  prepared by researchers at the Yale and Columbia Universities in the U.S.  2  The report measures 40 performance indicators across 11 categories to measure the “state of sustainability around the world.” 3  India was ranked last (180) with low scores across a range of indicators.  4 index that skews / bias angle the results in favour of the Global North The Indian Government as well as environment experts have pointed to the faulty methodology of the index that skews / bias angle the results in favour of the Global North.  Chandra Bhushan, Sharad Lele and Anant Sudarshan discuss the report in a conversation moderated by Sonikka Loganathan. Edited excerpts: What are the issues with the method...

Death by hooch: On the spurious liquour tragedy in dry Gujarat India needs a more honest discussion on the risks and benefits of prohibition शराब से मौत: सूखे गुजरात में नकली शराब त्रासदी पर भारत को शराबबंदी के जोखिमों और लाभों पर अधिक ईमानदार चर्चा की आवश्यकता है A  hooch tragedy that claimed over 40 lives in Gujarat’s Botad district   1  brings to the fore, yet again, the contentious question of prohibition. गई एक बार फिर शराबबंदी के विवादास्पद प्रश्न को सामने लाता है। Gujarat is one of the four States in India that prohibits alcohol 2 The victims consumed poisonous methyl alcohol sold in plastic pouches by bootleggers अवैध व्यपारी .  3  Twenty-four people have been named as accused in the FIRs and 14 have been arrested. 4  Police action that follows every such tragedy barely inspires public confidence; ऐसी हर त्रासदी के बाद पुलिस की कार्रवाई जनता का विश्वास बमुश्किल प्रेरित करती है indeed, it conceals छिपाना the complicity of the administration in prot...

भारत के राजकोषीय संघवाद की खराब स्थिति संविधान निर्माता की चिंता जैसे -सामाजिक-आर्थिक असमानताओं को हल करते समय - आज की राजकोषीय नीति में ध्यान नही दिया जा रहा  The poor state of India’s fiscal federalism Concerns of the founding fathers — addressing socio-economic inequities — are being forgotten in today’s fiscal policy 28/07/2022   1949 में संविधान सभा में अपने अंतिम भाषण में, बीआर अम्बेडकर ने भारतीय गणतंत्र के अंतर्विरोधों के जीवन में प्रवेश के बारे में सावधानी बरतने की बात कही-  “राजनीति में हमारे पास समानता होगी और सामाजिक और आर्थिक जीवन में हमारे पास असमानता होगी।   इन संघर्षों ने ध्यान देने की मांग की: ऐसा करने में यदि  विफल होंगे तो , और जो इनकार करते हैं वे राजनीतिक लोकतंत्र की संरचना को उड़ा देंगे", उन्होंने चेतावनी दी थी ।    हालांकि जवाहरलाल नेहरू वास्तव में मानते थे कि योजना प्रक्रिया के साथ उनके प्रयास के माध्यम से असमानताओं को संबोधित किया जा सकता है।  उन्होंने महसूस किया कि सामाजिक-आर्थिक और क्षेत्रीय विषमताओं की चिंताओं को दूर कर...

The message for Biden — West Asia has moved on The U.S. President’s visit could serve his domestic interests to some extent, but it has made no difference to the region 28/07/2022   बिडेन के लिए संदेश - पश्चिम एशिया आगे बढ़ गया है अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति की पश्चिमी एशिया यात्रा , कुछ हद तक उनके घरेलू हितों की पूर्ति कर सकती है, लेकिन इससे इस क्षेत्र पर कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ा है After proclaiming over 16 months the disengagement of the United States from West Asia 1  U.S. President Joe Biden made his first trip to the region on July 13-16 since taking office.  2  The tour covered Israel, a quick encounter with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas,  3  and then a halt in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for a bilateral engagement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and 4  a joint meeting with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and 5  those from Egypt, Jordan and Iraq. Since the visit involved   the high-profile rehabilitation of ...

A future free of hepatitis Early diagnosis is the gateway for both prevention and successful treatment हेपेटाइटिस मुक्त भविष्य हैपेटाइटिस की अर्ली पहचान, रोकथाम और सफल उपचार दोनों के लिए प्रवेश द्वार है 28/07/2022   On this World Hepatitis Day the World Health Organization (WHO) is highlighting the need to bring hepatitis care closer to the people in need.  This means making hepatitis care available, affordable and accessible to all without discrimination.  Target   💐This is crucial in the quest to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030, a global target.  💐Elimination would translate to 90% reduction in incidence 💐 and 65% reduction in mortality by 2030, compared to the corresponding figures of 2015. It’s time to act The action against hepatitis cannot wait any longer. Why is that?  1  First, hepatitis is the only communicable disease where mortality is showing an increasing trend.  Data - Globally, approximately 354 millio...

Light-mantled Albatross News Rameswaram and adjoining islets of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park on the Adam’s Bridge (Ram Setu) are known for their unique marine ecosystem. But the region grabbed the attention of international researchers as Asia’s first sighting of Light-mantled Albatross (Phoebetria palpebrate), a species native to the Antarctic seas, was recorded here. The sighting, ‘First Asian record of Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata (Foster, 1785) from Rameswaram Island, Tamil Nadu, India’, has been published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, and researchers are looking for more insights into what is regarded as a surprising transcontinental tour of the Antarctic seabird. भारत में इनको देखा गया -  1  “Of late, changes in the wind pattern triggered by global warming are bringing strange birds to our region.  2  A lot of changes are happening in the wind pattern owing to the increase in atmospheric temperature.  3  Birds like alb...