Nepalese youth

Nepal’s Unemployment Crisis: Needed Transformational Leadership to Utilize Available Resources

Nepal's greatest shortage is not simply money or infrastructure; it is leaders who can use them well. Without the right leadership, resources remain locked in inefficiency, corruption, and bureaucratic gridlock.

Proxy Village Governance: The Pradhan Pati Problem in India's Democracy

It has been formally recognised in the Report of the Advisory Committee on Women Pradhans, Transforming Women’s Representation and Role in Panchayati Raj Institutions: Efforts to Eliminate Proxy Participation, which recorded that elected women representatives are often “represented by their husbands or male relatives” and recommended the imposition of stringent and exemplary penalties to curb such practices.

India's Student Revolt: South Asia Has Seen This Before

When economic transformation outpaces institutional renewal anywhere in South Asia, the gap between aspiration and opportunity becomes fertile ground for frustration, alienation, and political discontent. The leaked papers in India were only the trigger 

India's Youth Eruption and Ham-Handed Governmental Response: Demeaning Student Power Can Prove Costly

The youth eruption is a consequence of pent-up anger and frustration of the government's indifference to the repeated leaks of exam question papers for which millions of doctor, engineer, police and civil service aspirants prepare for years.  Over 20 students have reportedly committed suicide after the NEET exam paper leak for which they had toiled for over a year

More on Public Policy and Governance

Need to put an end to India-Canada friction

Justifiably, India and Sri Lanka are unhappy that the Canadian government is giving the freedom to operate to separatist movements in Canada and is keeping its eyes and ears closed to the violent objectives of the separatists.

Fighting hunger in India that the government refuses to acknowledge

The report notes that India has the highest child-wasting rate in the world, at 18.7 per cent, reflecting acute undernutrition. It places India way below a neighbour like Bangladesh, which has a score of 19, a rank of 81 and is categorised on the GHI Severity of Hunger Scale as “moderate” – a class jump over the Indian numbers.

Same-sex marriage verdict militates against human rights

The verdict certainly is an impediment to the quest for self-respect, individuality and self-esteem of its citizens.India could have set an example with positive affirmation of this right as only Nepal and Taiwan have recognized same-sex unions in Asia.

India needs to pay greater attention to urban planning to avoid future disasters

Townships in our hilly regions are mushrooming in a grossly unplanned and unscientific manner, generating excessive pressure on the rock surface, which can manifest in catastrophes. 

Pakistan has strict protocols in place to prevent chemical and biological terrorism

Pakistan’s CWC Act 2000, Pakistan Bio Safety Rules 2005 and Pakistan Export Control Act 2004 are the evidence of Pakistan's sincerity to the implementation of CWC and BWC. Because of the dedicated efforts of science and policy leaders in Pakistan, the country is on the road to becoming a regional role model in ensuring biosafety and capacity for biosecurity.

Dr M S Swaminathan: Going behind the halo

One of the most important things that MSS did was to get recognition for agriculture and agricultural scientists. He streamlined the recruitment process, got them government awards, and raised their status in the eyes of the government and the general public.  This helped improve the morale of agricultural scientists. 

Competitive communalism and the fall in values of a nation

At the root of this fall is the belief among the BJP that assertion means aggression; that hitting out is the best form of defence; that violence is in our grain and must be met with double the violence; that the 'other' must be put down; that the grammar of leadership is masculine in form, shape and action.

Name change for nation: Jinnah also opposed use of India name after Partition

The use of the word India is not a colonial legacy in any way; the word was there much before the British East India Company came here for trade and plunder. This word also was used by anti-colonial movements. This is how the country was known in the world.

Canada is at risk of losing its global identity as a peaceful nation

Canada gives a lot of importance to freedom of speech and action and some extremist elements see this freedom as license to orchestrate separatist movements in other countries from Canadian soil.  This situation has caused serious problems for other countries like Sri Lanka and India.

Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and the digital revolution: India needs to bridge the digital chasm

India's prowess in ML and AI is a beacon that must shine on all corners of the nation. Closing the digital divide through digital literacy and improved technological access is more than a responsibility—it's an investment in India's growth narrative.

Manipur continues to be a victim of partisan politics and state callousness

India's restive Northeast appears heading towards more turbulence with the situation in Manipur and the central government not moving beyond bland statements. 

Global Biofuels Alliance: Still a long way to go

After much euphoria over green hydrogen and other alternative energy options, biofuel has gained worldwide attention with the launching of the GBA in New Delhi. While this is a good initiative, there are many hurdles in the way, and any thought that biofuel would become a total substitute for fossil fuel amounts to wishful thinking at this stage.

India requires a different approach to family planning than sterilisation

The entire burden of population control in India has been borne and continues to be borne by women. And this is especially the case with sterilisations. 

Implementing One Nation One Election in India will not be easy

Not much has been done by lawmakers to reduce black money in elections. ONOE is not likely to make a dent to that effect, though that is its ostensible purpose.

Is the worst really over in Manipur?

Why did it take five months of violence to appoint Col Sanjebam who lives in the heart of Imphal even while projecting the worst is over? Why was this done without Manipur Police asking for such an appointment? Why was he posted to the police department, not as a military advisor to the Chief Minister?