What began as a forex crisis, primarily because of the collapse of the tourism industry, blew up into an energy crisis, and now seems to jeopardise the revival of the same tourism industry.
AI: Aid to the Mind, Not a Substitute for the Mind
The frightening possibility is not that AI becomes more capable than humans. It is that humans stop exercising capabilities they already possess, or have not yet developed, because AI can perform those functions for them.
Months Ahead of the Monsoon: Can AI Give Us an Earlier Warning About El Niño?
AI may genuinely extend the horizon over which seasonal climate risk can be estimated. For communities across South Asia living under the influence of the monsoon, a longer view could mean the difference between a farmer adjusting her planting in time and a family receiving a flood warning too late to act.
AI at the Crossroads: Who Is Driving Humanity?
The central danger is, therefore, not simply that AI will be monstrous if the accelerator is pressed hard on the speed of technology. It is that the accelerator on human institutions also needs to be pressed harder to govern increasingly powerful technology.
America Has the Brain, China Has the Body: The Next US–China Tech War Will Determine Who Wins the Race for Global Dominance
The fear of Chinese robots being the Trojan horse that can affect American and Western tech dominance and undermine cyber and military advantage will always be a strategic concern, despite attempts to view these fears as overblown.
More on AI, Tech and Innovation
Hit by MCC row, time running out for Nepal’s energy-export ambitions
Despite being a net energy surplus country, Nepal still imports electricity from India to supply to some regions which remain off the national grid
Growing Bangladesh-India trade and economic ties creating new opportunities in both countries
Bangladesh’s holistic development is viewed positively by New Delhi, with new opportunities arising along India’s northeastern region
Maiden voyage of Tata Steel shipment from eastern to northeastern India - via Bangaldesh; logistic chain for feedstock movement also established
In a move to demonstrate the effectiveness of multi-modal cargo movement in eastern South Asia, the maiden voyage of a steel cargo-laden barge from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Bengal's Haldia to Pandu Port in Guwahati was flagged off by India's Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal through what is being called in official jargon the Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR)
Bangladesh seeks India’s assistance in developing its railway and power infrastructure
India has agreed to supply locomotives, passenger carriages, and technology for railway signaling systems to Bangladesh as Dhaka sought New Delhi’s assistance in developing and modernizing its railway infrastructure
Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basit Rajapaksa to visit India to sign deal on economic assistance
Sri Lankan Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa will visit India soon for the signing of important deals on economic assistance to the crisis-hit country, Foreign Minister G L Peiris confirmed
Sri Lanka to tap destination wedding segment to revive its tourism sector
Sri Lankan authorities are planning to promote the picturesque Indian Ocean island country as an option for global couples looking for a destination wedding on a reasonable budget
Doing business in India: Hyundai, KFC, Pizza Hut learn it doesn't pay to cause offence
Following a social media outcry in India, and calls for a boycott of Hyundai, which has a major presence in India's large consumer market, the South Korean government on Tuesday was forced to firefight and said it "regretted the offence caused to the people of India" after a Pakistan dealer of Seoul-headquartered automobile manufacturer Hyundai posted a social media message - now deleted - indicating support for separatists in Kashmir
Nepal may lose a $500 US grant under the MCC compact
Nepal may lose the 500 million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an independent US foreign-policy aid agency, if it fails to ratify the MCC-Nepal Compact in the Nepali Parliament by 28 February, the MCC Headquarters has warned in a letter to the Nepali government, which has been delaying the process now for over four years
ADB disbursed loans worth $4.6 bn to India in 2021; a third of it for pandemic response
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) disbursed loans worth a record $4.6 billion to India in 2021, including $1.8 billion towards coronavirus response
India’s budget envisions a technology-enabled economy for 25 years
The Indian Finance Minister announced the introduction of ‘digital rupee’, using blockchain and other technologies in 2022-23 to give a big boost to the digital economy
India's budget is reflective of a distorted political economy
The budget shows that the government’s commitment to the bottom 30-40 percent of the Indian population seems to be very limited
Sri Lanka seeks IMF support amid worsening economic crisis; signs agreement with India for $500 million line of credit
Amid the worsening economic crisis, Sri Lanka has written to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) seeking “technical support” in tackling the ongoing crisis, confirmed Finance Minister Basit Rajapaksa, after the government kept avoiding the IMF option for months amid domestic pressure
IMF approves $1 billion for Pakistan, revives $6 billion package
In what comes as a big relief to Pakistan’s struggling economy, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved $1 billion for Pakistan after the latter implemented reform measures suggested by the former, thus reviving the $6 billion package, which was stalled since June last year
India reduces development assistance to neighbors in budget 2022
Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, see cuts in their allocations in the financial year 2022-23, while Bangladesh, Maldives, and Myanmar receive higher funds in comparison to the last year.
