Ironically, while India continues to rename roads and institutions associated with its medieval and colonial past, Pakistan’s Punjab province has begun moving in the opposite direction.
Unfortunately, a growing number of parents appear apprehensive about their children becoming proficient in their mother tongue, believing that greater exposure to local languages may somehow hinder their command of English or other global languages. This perception is both unfortunate and unfounded. A strong foundation in one's mother tongue strengthens cognitive development, improves learning outcomes, and facilitates the acquisition of additional languages.
Across South Asia, the difference between prejudice and collapse is not the existence of hate. Every society has it in varying shades. The difference is whether the majoritarian state internalizes hate against the ‘other’, whether FIRs get diluted, trials get delayed, mobs get garlanded and impunity driven violence against minorities becomes low-cost. When that happens, the poison is not outside the system. It becomes the system.
And perhaps this is precisely what many readers, particularly South Asian readers navigating fractured contemporary lives, have been missing without fully realising it: fiction willing to slow down long enough to notice the fragile, passing intimacies through which people continue surviving one another.
To alleviate drinking water woes for rural schools, a unique clean drinking water technology (CDWT) has been developed by the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), an NGO, in Phaltan, Maharashtra, India. The clean drinking water technology (CDWT) can provide 100-200 liters of clean water per day to about 200 children in rural schools.
e-rickshaws are a very common sight in Indian cities. They clog the roads and in most places create a nuisance. AI can help them to become Uber e-rickshaws. They provide last mile connectivity and Uber or Ola model for these rickshaws can help everybody. However to develop this model good and hard data on their numbers, their characteristics, road topography and conditions are needed.
Despite earnest rhetoric about safeguarding women’s rights, the world’s oldest democracy India remains indifferent to the safety and welfare of half its population – women and girls. Sexual violence and the incidence of rape is on the increase and what is cause for deep despondency is the manner in which state and society in India are accepting this as a kind of new normal.
While there are rumours of back-channel dialogue taking place currently, when one of these two nuclear-armed neighbours behaves reasonably, the other one throws a tantrum and vice versa. What will it take to bring them on the same page? What can we, the people, do to move the needle?
India, with its rich history of natural healing, is uniquely positioned to lead the world in the practice and promotion of naturopathy. As chronic diseases continue to rise globally, naturopathy offers a solution that is affordable, environmentally friendly, and free from harmful side effects. With its focus on prevention and a healthy lifestyle, naturopathy aligns with the needs of both individuals and society at large.
The most elaborate and multi-layer security cordon for the Dalai Lama was given when he visited the northeastern border state of Arunachal Pradesh - which is disputed by China - in 2017. His high-profile visit was considered a major risk having global and diplomatic implications due to unresolved and tense border flare-ups between the two neighboring Asian giants.
The Kerala Festival draws inspiration from the state’s rich literary and historical tradition. This year it hosted more than 500 speakers from 15 countries - although there were few participants from neighbouring countries. With an eclectic mix of literary discussions and cultural performances, the landmark event had a footfall of more than 600,000 visitors over the course of four days, according to the organizer’s estimates.
While the U.S. and China both suffer from the oversupply of solar panels, it has spurred growth in energy capacity in India and Pakistan. Until China had resolved its production issues in 2022, India’s solar electricity generation had grown at a linear rate. Upon the supply glut, the growth turned exponential. Just this year, 71% of the energy capacity added by India was renewable, thanks in large part to the record low price of polysilicon.
Users in Pakistan who communicate in Urdu, Pashto, Sindhi, or other regional languages frequently experience misunderstandings or incorrect flagging of their posts. This restricts their capacity to articulate their thoughts, particularly regarding local matters openly. Posts that critique societal norms or address regional problems can be flagged as inflammatory because the algorithms may not fully understand the context behind them.
Besides Sapan, Tapan Bose was instrumental in shaping numerous civil society initiatives, including the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy, the South Asia Forum for Human Rights, and the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative. His commitment to defending the rights of refugees, displaced communities, and oppressed nationalities remained steadfast until his final days.
Arshad Mahmud has been doing this work for decades now, including under two military dictators. Today, as political agitations and unrest continue to rock Pakistan, he continues with dedication, good humour and drawing in more and more people, like his ustad Shoaib Hashmi.
How did everybody forget that India prospered and flourished only because its armed forces ensured that it continued to exist as a State? Did anyone remember that when the nation was celebrating the New Year, thousands of soldiers were patrolling the troubled Line of Control, guarding the icy heights of the Line of Actual Control, fighting an undeclared war on Siachen, and combating proxy war in J&K? Keeping our sea lines of communications secure and preventing piracy? Guarding our air spaces from spying unarmed vehicles or aircraft?
Very divisive narratives are being created in the country with a strong possibility of the situation flaring up and leading to breakdown of law and order.
People will always cross all kinds of barriers for love. A 19-year old Pakistani woman and a 26-year old Indian man who fell in love after interacting online couldn’t get visas to each other’s countries. So, they met and married in Nepal, then went to live in India where the man worked as a security guard. They ended up in jail. The woman was deported to Pakistan. The man was imprisoned for bringing a Pakistani into the country illegally.
The legacy they created together, collaborating in 94 iconic songs in 25 films, remains long after both have departed this world.
