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chennai  adopt a Climate Action Plan but there is scope for much improvement towards better liveability year 2023 was by far the hottest   a recent World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report said.  Global average temperatures reached 1.45° C higher than pre-industrial levels, almost touching the 1.5° C limit set in the Paris Agreement.  Scientists predict that 2024 could be similar.  The reality of the urban heat island   Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect  1  In cities, this problem is exacerbated by a phenomenon termed the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.  2  Temperatures in large, crowded urban settings can be several degrees higher than in surrounding rural areas, and even hotter at night.  3  Concrete structures and tarmac roads retain heat which stays trapped inside this “urban bubble” along with air pollutants. A lack of green spaces and waste heat from air conditioners and other machinery add to the UHI. Chennai, a coas...

​ Universal Health care is a complex maze, but managed care organisations could be a part of the answer Indian health care seeks Health insurance as the main modality of universal health coverage (UHC) now looks to be indisputably confirmed to be ingrained in Indian health policy thinking. Aided by the digital revolution, it is opening doors to potential reforms that are redolent of the United States, albeit with local adaptations that avoid its profligate spending on health.  Recently, a notable health-care chain in South India announced its foray into comprehensive health insurance by combining insurance and health-care provision functions under one roof — what can be called the Indian iteration of a managed care organisation (MCO).  It is timely to reflect on whether MCOs hold promise for the bigger Indian health-care landscape, particularly when it comes to extending universal health care The background Having its precursors in some rudimentary prepaid health-care practice...

​ The working paper put out by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister makes a flawed assertion about the growth in the Muslim population   Share of Religious Minorities: A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015)” 1  Many media reports and politicians have tended to misinterpret  2  a  paper put out by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), titled “Share of Religious Minorities: A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015)”.  3  These reports have inaccurately tried to create an impression that the Muslim population in India is growing rapidly and that this threatens the Hindu population.  4  this will fuel a divisive political narrative that is often misinformed about population issues and further obscures the truth from the public. 5  Paper  assertion is that the growth in the Muslim population indicates that minorities are thriving in India.  6  There is no evidence to suggest that an increase in...

​ With the evolving landscape of academic publishing, investing in an all-encompassing subscription model is not prudent भारत एक वैज्ञानिक और उभरती आर्थिक शक्ति  १  A recent editorial piece in   Nature   lauded India’s ascent towards becoming a scientific juggernaut / powerful, paralleling its burgeoning economic clout.  २ The Indian science ecosystem   🥝now ranking third globally in research output, and eleventh in quality, according to the   Nature Index .  🥝 However, ‘ease of doing science ’  that can lead to great discoveries and innovation hinges on robust infrastructure and resources — a glaring shortfall in India’s research landscape. कुछ आँकड़े  From 2014 to 2021, the number of universities in India rose from 760 to 1,113.  Yet, many lack essential resources such as instrumental access and sophisticated labs, not to mention access to the literature that underpins research.  some initiative I-STEM, to bridge this gap ...

​ This is not the first time that Palestine has attempted to obtain UN membership. In 2011 too, its request was opposed by the veto-bearing U.S. in the UNSC Israel’s war on Gaza and Diplomatic change One diplomatic development that has attracted a lot of interest is Palestine’s renewed application for membership of the United Nations (UN).  UN Security Council (UNSC) and  Palestine’s   memberswhip  1  here U.S -  which argued that membership should follow and not precede a negotiated solution to the long-standing conflict. This is not the first time that Palestine has attempted to obtain UN membership. In 2011 too, its request was opposed by the veto-bearing U.S. in the UNSC. Since then, Palestine enjoys only non-member observer status. This year, in April, after the UNSC failed to agree on Palestine’s request because of the lone veto cast by the U.S. in its capacity as a permanent member, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) stepped in to voice support to t...

​ Equity in education, health care, and rights in India cannot succeed unless the ableist barriers that exclude Deaf and Hard of Hearing citizens are removed चुनाव आयोग के दिशा निर्देश और डेफ लोग   (ECI) made the announcement for the election  but here  absence of sign language interpreters.  This is a small, but significant, example of the ways in which everyday life in India excludes Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) citizens. India’s push for equity in education, health care, and rights cannot succeed without dismantling ableist barriers that exclude DHH people. National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness 1  Consider the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness, to prevent and treat hearing impairment and provide medical rehabilitation.  2  , it does not focus on the quality of life. It discusses theoretical aspects of screening procedures and hearing aid prescription. 3  Scheme does not mention the Indian Sign ...

​ A heavy-handed approach in dealing with Indian Railway locomotive pilots can be counter productive Believe it or not, adhering पालन to the rules can sometimes invite disciplinary action. A few weeks ago, in one of the zonal railways, disciplinary action was sought to be taken against the pilot of a “light engine”, i.e., a locomotive without a   trailing load of coaches or wagons, who was tasked with clearing a train stranded in midsection as the locomotive had failed. That part of the weight of a locomotive engin e which is supported upon the pair of wheels which are behind the main driving-wheels, or which trail behind them when the engine moves forward .   The case was that the pilot had not spoken to his supervisor over the phone, but it was actually for not having run at a higher speed than 15 km that was permitted in the written authorisation given to him by the station master under the rules for operation in a section that is blocked by another train. Why was he a...