The social media takes advantage of the reward systems in the brain, especially the dopamine circuits within the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. Using signals of micro-engagement, including the duration of time a user hovers over a video or the number of times a user rewatches a clip, algorithms develop a feedback loop that over time redirects the feed of a user to more intense or provocative content.
The loss of 403 young lives is a stark wake-up call for Bangladesh. Schools and colleges are meant to nurture dreams, not silently witness the suffering of students. A collaborative effort involving the government, educational institutions, and families is urgently needed. With empathy, awareness, and institutional support, many of these young lives can still be saved.
India’s diversification strategy, often cited as a mitigating factor, provides only partial relief. The country now sources crude from over 40 countries, and in recent years has increased imports from Russia, the United States, and West Africa. In fact, about 70% of crude imports are now routed outside Hormuz, reflecting a conscious shift in sourcing strategy.
What is unfolding across South Asia’s cities is not just an urban crisis, it is a reflection of deeper tensions within development itself. Growth is happening, but it is not translating into stability. Opportunities exist, but they are unevenly distributed. Systems are expanding, but not fast enough to keep up with demand. Cities, which have long been seen as places where people come to improve their lives, are increasingly becoming spaces where people struggle to sustain them.
If autonomy, creativity, freedom to design curriculum, the appointment of faculties, and incentivization of research are used as a sales pitch to lure world-acclaimed institutions, why not set your own house (Indian universities) in order first? Why not harness the potential of Indian universities like the JNU instead of stigmatising them?
But unfortunately, the entire history, struggle, and ideas of nationalism of Netaji are restricted to a few paras in history textbooks.
The Wickremesinghe government argues that sustained protests undermine the rule of law and create an anarchical situation in the country. Using these justifications, the government has been continuing its brutal and often violent repression in order to remain in power.
The troubled Rakhine region of Myanmar can potentially become a trade hub between Bangladesh and Myanmar.
If we keep our noses clean it will help us to remain healthy and happy!
The pre-conditions for the wishes on the eve of 2023 for peace and harmony to be realized is that the battle for the future has to be fought and won in the minds and hearts of the people.
This sorry situation in Indian engineering education is not the students' fault, but a skewed and faulty education system that focuses only on the numbers.
We had been a society where a joint celebration of festivals was part of our common culture. Now things have come to such a pass that provocative actions are planned to ensure a divisive trajectory in society.
The present edition of Freedom at Midnight is in its 36th edition since 1975.
His creativity included Aman Ki Asha, the ‘hope for peace’ project between Pakistan and India for which he penned the groundbreaking joint editorial, as well as other projects for education and rational thinking.
Until Pakistan apologizes for the genocide of 1971, it will remain a disgraced nation in the annals of human civilization.
Another important aspect of the Constitution is the protection of minorities. There are abundant safeguards to protect minorities against the arbitrary use of power by the majority. As Dr. Ambedkar said, "The majority has a duty toward minorities, as the latter have chosen to be under majority rule".
The message being sent out is ominous: What kind of society do we wish to create where, if victims and their families belong to a certain religion or class, they must be prepared to live with the perpetrators of crimes against them roaming free?
The inclusion of women in disaster planning must be strongly advocated. Doing so would not only aid in effective disaster risk governance but also strengthen the resilience of all the members of a community by addressing gender-specific needs.
Yet, many of the advocates of free speech and unhindered competition and zero controls fail to see that the enterprises themselves are anything but places where free speech is tolerated, let alone encouraged.
