Context: In the history of Independent India, the South India States have reacted to the policy moves by the Centre quite differently from their counterparts in north India. How was the response of south India to the Centre’s major policy initiatives different from the response of north India? (1) Demonetization Period: In North India, there were… Continue reading The duality of India
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Why North Is Rain-Starved & Northeast Is Flooded
News: After a season-long heatwave from March to May, the north-northwest and central India are undergoing a rainfall deficit, while Northeast India and Bangladesh are hit with devastating floods. For instance, Meghalaya’s Mawsynram – the world’s wettest place – recorded more than 1,000 mm of rain for the first time on June 17. What are… Continue reading Why North Is Rain-Starved & Northeast Is Flooded
The choice is narrowing the circle or widening it
News: Recently, it is said that ‘India is witnessing the progressive normalisation of minority baiting’. About India’s Minority Muslims are our largest religious minority. They constitute 14.3% of the total population. In terms of population, their 200 million number is more than the populations in Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Some happenings in a related context… Continue reading The choice is narrowing the circle or widening it
The head and heart of secularism
News: Whether a particular religious practice offends the principles of secularism is often debated in India. The French model of secularism It is clear of all religious considerations. It debars the public officials to demonstrate their religious affiliation, does not permit the wearing of Cross or, if worn, cannot be shown and prohibits the wearing of… Continue reading The head and heart of secularism
Time to end systemic misogyny reflected in the gender pay gap
News: Prevailing gender pay gap in developed and developing economies What is the situation wrt gender pay inequity? In a pre-pandemic world, UN Women stated that “women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by men“, resulting in lifelong income inequality. An International Labour Organization policy brief in July 2021 drew attention to the… Continue reading Time to end systemic misogyny reflected in the gender pay gap
Musings on ‘Indic civilisation’ and Indianness
News: Contemporary international politics has rendered less significant to cultural influence. The modern indices of strategic thinking, economic interests, and geopolitical affinities have gained more prominence than the cultural aspects. But India must treat Indic civilisation as a matter of pride. How Indic Civilization is different from geographical and geopolitical India? Geographical idea of India:… Continue reading Musings on ‘Indic civilisation’ and Indianness
The path towards greater religious tolerance and social harmony
Context: In the words of K M Munshi: “Indian culture is a living force. It absorbs alien elements when necessary but transmutes them into a new pattern of homogeneous richness. It has made us what we are in the world today; and will make us what we want to be in the world tomorrow.” Nature… Continue reading The path towards greater religious tolerance and social harmony
Urban mining
News: In late April, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram angrily ordered its officials to find out who dumped “malba” — the Hindi word for Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) on either side of the Gurugram-Faridabad road. Frameworks to tackle C&DW already exist. Implementation needs to be improved. What are the causes behind C&DW? C&DW is… Continue reading Urban mining
The debates around the Surrogacy Act
News: Petitioners in the Delhi High Court questioned why marital status, age, or gender were the criteria for being allowed to commission or not commission surrogacy in India. The female petitioner said that she already had a child, but the trauma of the first childbirth experience and her need to juggle work with child care… Continue reading The debates around the Surrogacy Act
Unnatural urbanisation
News: Recently, a 20-minute thunderstorm in Delhi uprooted many trees, some of them between 40 and 50 years old, throwing the city out of gear for hours. This chaos, caused due to poor urban planning, has become a pattern whenever a pre-monsoon storm, with high-velocity winds, hits the city. Delhi High Court has taken note… Continue reading Unnatural urbanisation
