Vasudha S, Author at Alive

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping held a virtual meeting recently. The world watched cautiously as the two clashing behemoths of the international, geopolitical stage discussed ways to scale down mutual mistrust and prevent potential clashes. On Tuesday the Chinese president Xi Jinping met his American counterpart Joe Biden over a virtual meeting. Xi and his group of advisers spoke to Biden who was joined by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and a few more aides. This meeting comes in the midst of rising tensions between the two of the biggest powers in the world right now. Understandably, both countries and possibly everyone else who was following this summit closely had low expectations and high hopes from this meeting. Joe Biden in the middle of the virtual summit with Chinese Pres...

ArticleIndiaInternationalPoliticsUncategorized

Should India Be Worried About Pakistan’s New Ambassador To USA?

Vasudha SNovember 12, 20210

Ambassador Masood Khan is a seasoned career diplomat and was previously ‘President’ of POK. Will Khan’s appointment as US Ambassador affect the US stand on the Kashmir issue? The new Ambassador of Pakistan to the USA and Ex ‘President’ of POK Masood Khan. The appointment of the ex ‘president’ of POK as Pakistan’s latest ambassador to the USA should be a matter of concern to at least a few heads in the South Block offices. Masood Khan is not an average ex-politician elevated to a cushy diplomatic posting. This man is a seasoned career-diplomat, with extensive experience of both international diplomacy and internal politics in Pakistan. His appointment has raised some concerns over whether or not he can successfully sway the White House’s stand on the Kashmir issue. Pakistan as we ...

ArticleIndiaInternationalLatest NewsNewsUncategorized

The Facebook Papers Expose: Greed Of Tech Giants

Vasudha SOctober 27, 20210

What Is Facebook Papers Now?On Monday (October 25) a consortium of American and European news organizations began to put out content that analyzed and exposed thousands of pages of internal company documents of Facebook. The documents were obtained by the former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen. Some of the stories and analyses have been drawn from the redacted versions of disclosures presented to the US Congress in the ongoing proceedings. The said consortium had accessed these redacted documents. Journalists from an array of big and small newsrooms worked together to access and then analyze the documents used for the exposè. A huge tranche of internal documents was obtained by whistleblower Frances Haugen. The series of articles that have been put out since M...

ArticleFinanceIndiaNewsPoliticsWomen in profession

Light Goes Out On Women First; Let’s Explore Why And How?

Vasudha SOctober 25, 20210

Coal, fuel and electricity are running short and getting dearer in India and the world. It’s a good time to look at our collective crises from a gendered perspective. Picture this: There has been no power for 24 hours now. The days prior to this blackout were no cakewalk either. Hardly 2-4 hours of electricity in a day for several months now. Children’s education cannot be compromised. Husband’s job cannot be compromised. The household’s basic health and hygiene cannot be compromised. The lady of the house now plans all household chores around the few hours of electricity supply. Remember, in the absence of electrical appliances, her work has more than doubled. Picture this: An international bottle-neck in crude oil supply is driving up cooking fuel prices. At home the gas...

ArticleForce MajeureIndiaNews

The Two Seasons Of Uttarakhand: Pilgrimage Season And Disaster Season

Vasudha SOctober 25, 20210

Making sense of the incessant spate of disasters in the Himalayan state. Uttarakhand as a naturally disaster prone state made worse by reckless human activities. Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand On good days Uttarakhand is in the news for high-profile visitors thronging the state seeking spiritual rejuvenation. Political faces like PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, and many others have walked up its winding, paved paths leading up to its famed Kedarnath temple. On bad days, the state is buried under landslides or submerged under floodwaters. On such days, the same high-profile visitors are back in the state on choppers, aerially surveying the extent of the damage. Life in Uttarakhand looks like a seamless dance between profound spiritual existence and climatic tragedies of epic propor...