By Rama Kashyap There is bombardment of all kinds of forwarded messages on WhatsApp-fake and real. While many forwards may be dismissed as downright silly, there are some that leave a deep impact on you. While meandering around plethora of WhatsApp messages, I recently came across a post that haunted me. ‘War is where young people who don’t know each other and don’t hate each other but kill each other, by the decision of old people who know each other and hate each other but don’t kill each other.’ I can’t say that the recent India Pakistan conflict fits into the above definition of war, but the seeds of the current conflict were sown when Pakistan sponsored terrorists mercilessly killed innocent tourists in Pahalgam on 22April. The dastardly act of terror sent a wave of a
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₹14 Crore Scam Alleged in Uttar Pradesh Printing Directorate; Amitabh Thakur Demands High-Level Probe
Lucknow, June 29:Serious allegations of financial irregularities worth approximately ₹14 crore have surfaced in the Uttar Pradesh Printing Directorate. National President of Azad Adhikar Sena, Amitabh Thakur, has written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra, demanding a high-level inquiry into the alleged scam. In his letter, Thakur cited documents and information indicating that, over the past four years, six tenders were issued for the procurement of equipment at prices significantly higher than market rates—reportedly three to five times the actual cost. While the market value of the procured items was around ₹3 crore, the tenders were allegedly awarded to select firms at inflated prices totaling nearly ₹17 crore. Thakur also pointed to the allege
Read MoreA 19-year-old woman from Varanasi was in love with a man and she believed him. Over the next week, a descent into brutality ensued — drugged, traded, and sexually assaulted by twenty-three men. A few were unfamiliar faces. Some recorded her, some laughed. So far, nine individuals have been taken into custody. The tale captured the attention of the media . Then, similar to many rape cases in India, it faded. However, cases such as hers never end. They grow. They enter a collection of women who were brutalized, abandoned, and never looked at again, as society continues to move on until the next rape case in the country arises. It's very simple to view this as a Law and Order issue.Ultimately, we desire to perceive these individuals as exceptions, as monsters, not resembling ourselv
Read MoreDelhi CM Kejriwal Arrested: What’s The Now-Repealed Liquor Policy Scam Case?
The Delhi excise policy case involves two separate investigations, one by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the other by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The case originated from a report submitted by the Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022. The report highlighted alleged procedural lapses in the formulation of the policy that resulted in financial losses of over Rs 580 crore to the exchequer. It was alleged that the then Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in his capacity as Excise Minister, made arbitrary and unilateral decisions that resulted in these losses. The report further claimed that the AAP Delhi government and AAP leaders received kickbacks from owners and operators of alcohol business...
Read MoreIn A First, Kerala Now Has A State-Specific Disaster; Know What Changed About Man-Animal Conflict
Kerala, a state in southern India, has recently declared man-animal conflict as a state-specific disaster, becoming the first state in the country to do so. This decision is significant as it changes the way the government is addressing the issue of managing man-animal conflicts. Currently, the responsibility of managing man-animal conflict rests with the forest department, which acts as per the Wild Life Protection Act. However, once the issue is declared a state-specific disaster, the responsibility to deal with it shifts to the state disaster management authority. This authority, powered by the Disaster Management Act, can take quicker and more decisive action in managing the conflict. The disaster management authority is headed by the Chief Minister at the state level, and se...
Read MoreIndia At Key Juncture Of World Trade: Israel Suggests Gujarat Alternative To Red Sea Tensions; What Is It?
In recent weeks, Yemen's Houthi rebels have intensified their attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea as a show of solidarity with Gaza. This has put a halt on global trade, as around 12% of it passes through the Red Sea, which links the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. Given the current situation, ships are being forced to take a longer route, traveling all the way to the south of Africa and crossing the Cape of Good Hope, which increases both costs and time taken. Due to this disruption in trade, seafarers now have the right to refuse to sail on ships passing through the Red Sea, as per a new industry agreement signed last week. To bypass the Red Sea and continue trading, Israel has been exploring alternative routes. On February 13, Transpor...
Read MorePutin’s Biggest Rival Dies: Lawyer To Anti-Corruption Activist, Chronology Of Navalny’s Dire Fate
A possible Kremlin plot to kill Alexei Navalny, a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin and Russia’s leading opposition figure, has sparked widespread rumours of a political murder. A lawyer who became an anti-corruption activist in the late 2000s, Navalny, 47, believed that Putin’s regime was based on cronyism and graft. He was one of the first to be detained during the anti-Putin protests of 2011-12. After his release, he kept challenging Putin, and in 2013, he ran for mayor of Moscow. Despite the lack of media attention and the competition from Putin’s ally Sergey Sobyanin, he won over 27 per cent of the vote but was later banned from running for office. Navalny remained a popular figure in Russia and a respected voice in the West. In 2013, he started his YouTube channel wher...
Read MoreFarmers’ Protest 2.0: Why Is MSP A Major Demand And How Will It Help In Agriculture Sector?
Farmers often operate in a buyer's market which can lead to sudden supply increases relative to demand, putting downward pressure on prices. This means that they are price takers, lacking the market power to influence the prices of their produce. Farmers sell at prevailing supply-and-demand determined rates while paying retail prices for everything from seeds, pesticides, diesel, and tractors to cement, medicines, toothpaste, and soap. Farmers sometimes demand minimum support prices (MSP) for their crops, and there could be a clamour for political parties to include a “legal guarantee for MSP” in their manifestos as the Lok Sabha elections approach. While most economists oppose government-fixed MSPs based on cost-plus pricing, sans any consideration to market demand, they largely...
Read MoreWhite Paper On India’s Economy: NDA Govt’s Comparison To UPA Was Informative, Though Not Complete
The Union Ministry of Finance recently released a report called 'White Paper on the Indian Economy' which aims to highlight economic issues leading up to the Lok Sabha elections. Although the report is not factually incorrect, it selectively chooses data to showcase the failures of the previous government and the successes of the current government while neglecting the opposite scenarios. For instance, the report mentions that in 2013, Morgan Stanley assessed India as one of the "fragile five" global economies, which is true. However, it fails to mention that India was not among the "fragile five" during the UPA's 10-year rule from 2004 to 2014. India saw the fastest period of growth rate between 2004 and 2009, despite the Global Financial Crisis. Additionally, while the report i...
Read MoreLal Krishna Advani’s Road To Bharat Ratna: From Gandhian Socialism To Rath Yatra; A Look Back
On February 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that L K Advani, a veteran BJP leader, would be conferred with the Bharat Ratna, which is India’s highest civilian honour. PM Modi shared the news on his social media account and praised Advani for his monumental contribution to the development of India. Advani played a crucial role in transforming the Bharatiya Janata Party into a national political force in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The BJP emerged in 1980 after the Janata Party dissolved. In its first national conference, party president Atal Bihari Vajpayee underscored that the BJP was not a new incarnation of Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Instead, Vajpayee claimed the legacy of Jayprakash Narayan and declared Gandhian Socialism to be the party’s ...
Read MoreTurkey Clears Major Roadblock For Sweden’s NATO Bid: Why Was It Opposed Earlier?
After Turkey’s parliament endorsed its membership on Tuesday (January 23), Sweden moved closer to joining NATO. All the current members have to agree for a new country to become part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Turkey and Hungary had been blocking Sweden’s entry for nearly two years. Why does Sweden want to join NATO? Sweden has maintained its neutrality for two hundred years, avoiding involvement in the two World Wars and the Cold War. In recent times, it became a member of the European Union and cooperated with NATO, but it did not show any interest in joining the military alliance that is opposed by its powerful neighbour, Russia. However, this neutrality was compromised after Russia invaded Ukraine. As public opinion shifted in favour of joining NAT...
Read MoreLakshadweep’s Delicate Dance: Navigating Turbulent Tides of Politics and Environment
Under the crystalline waters of Lakshadweep lies a story of political conflict and ecological peril. Narendra Modi’s latest visit to this blissful archipelago not only causes a diplomatic crisis with Maldives but also reminds us of the poor state of the Lakshadweep ecosystem. The Social Media Storm: Lakshadweep vs. Maldives The result of Prime Minister Modi's efforts to demonstrate Lakshadweep’s beauty in the era of digital diplomacy was an unexpected social media war. As people began discriminating in favour of Lakshadweep compared to the Maldives, cries for a boycott emerged. In a fiery rejoinder, Maldivian politicians criticized Modi and Lakshadweep which led to approaches for temporary suspensions of business linkages in retaliation. The controversy not only added to the tension
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