Synopsis: As the Covid-19 pandemic has revealed, there is an urgent need to work on health inequity to ensure that everyone has access to affordable medicine. Introduction Recently, many countries, including India, moved a proposal at World Trade Organization (WTO) for waiving the intellectual property rights on critical medicines and technologies related to the Covid-19… Continue reading Global inequality: New drugs go the way of vaccines

Synopsis: The world reacted to downturn of economy by spending in different bands. The results are not the same even in same band of stimulus owing to various reasons listed. Introduction The data on aggressive monetary and fiscal stimulus of the top emerging and developed markets and the strength of the ensuing recovery showed no… Continue reading Pandemic Stimulus Backfired

Synopsis: A US based company has taken a project to introduce a hybrid of extinct Mammoth and Elephants. Introduction A US bio-startup “Colossal” launched a project to regenerate the extinct woolly mammoth, or rather to create an elephant-mammoth hybrid with mammoth characteristics, through gene-sequencing and gene-splicing technology, CRISPR. The mammoth went extinct around 1650 BCE… Continue reading A mammoth project to help endangered species and planet

Synopsis: This article elucidates why patents cannot be granted to artificial intelligence (AI) programs. Introduction In April 2020, the South African patent office granted a patent to an artificial intelligence (AI) program called DABUS (‘Device for the Autonomous Bootstrapping of Unified Sentience). DABUS used fractal geometry to come up with a better design for food… Continue reading The awkward grant of patents to artificial intelligence

Synopsis: Adjusted for land holding, the Punjab farmer is doing poorly, and the culprit is paddy. By shifting from rice to maize and diversifying to fruits and vegetables, farmers in Punjab and Haryana can earn more, while practicing sustainable farming. What are key findings of the latest Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of agri households? As… Continue reading How Punjab can shine again with nutritional security and climate-friendly agriculture

Synopsis: The RCTs that have swept economics and won Nobel recognition remain rather unreliable in comparison with clinical trials. We should be sceptical about the policy conclusions of randomized control trials used in economics and social sciences. Introduction Randomized Clinical Trials have revolutionized medicine and led to many life-saving treatments, drugs and vaccines. But, we… Continue reading The perils of natural experiments and randomized controlled trials

Synopsis: Governments must focus on lowering prices and reducing regulatory constraints rather than focusing on ease of doing business. Introduction Recently, the IMF’s executive board expressed confidence in the leadership of Kristalina Georgieva in the Doing Business survey controversy that raised doubts over the integrity of Ease of the Doing Business (EoDB) rankings. What are… Continue reading Cost of Doing Business

Synopsis: The proposal to introduce a Deshbhakti curriculum for patriotism needs to be carefully analyzed. Introduction Recently New Delhi government announced a proposal to introduce a curriculum for patriotism for school children. The suggestion is definitely welcome as loyalty towards the nation is important for the survival of any nation. But in the current age… Continue reading Our children don’t need a ‘deshbhakti’ curriculum

Synopsis: With political will, Kerala and Tamil Nadu can overcome hurdles to renew the Parambikulam Aliyar Project agreement. What is Parambikulam Aliyar Project? It provides for the diversion of 30.5 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft) annually from Kerala to Tamil Nadu. This major project with an outlay of ₹138 crore was completed in 1972.… Continue reading Clearing the air on water: On Parambikulam Aliyar Project