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Oxygen is a life-saving essential medicine with no substitute. Because of the complexity of the industrial production process, there are many challenges in access to medical oxygen such as availability, quality, affordability, management, supply, human resources capacity and safety. Some five billion people around the world lack access to safe, quality, and affordable medical oxygen. … Read more
At 10 a.m., I begin scanning the papers for the day’s news. Exactly 12 hours later, a colleague from the data team and I will need to deliver a 600-word piece with supporting graphs for the ‘Data Point’ section on the oped page. Like a cyclone far out at sea, the deadline feels distant and … Read more
Parallel to the recent escalation of military tensions between India and Pakistan, misinformation and disinformation surged online, making it increasingly difficult for the public to distinguish fact from fiction. Many media outlets published sensational stories riddled with unverified claims, and disseminated fake pictures and videos. Jingoism often drove the public response. Is establishing the truth … Read more
In the aftermath of the presidential election in the United States in 2024, renewed implementation of substantial tariffs could lead to a fundamental restructuring of global technology supply chains that power artificial intelligence (AI) development. While established players recalibrate, countries such as India are finding themselves in a precarious, yet potentially advantageous, position — as … Read more
By staying the operation of Tamil Nadu’s multiple amended Acts — to the extent that they empower the government to appoint Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) of 18 State universities — the Madras High Court has effectively halted the momentum that followed last month’s landmark Supreme Court verdict, which granted deemed assent to 10 Bills on which the … Read more
Israel and western world The change in stand by Canada, France and the U.K. in the context of the belligerent and brutal campaign on Gaza by Israel, is also a part of a churning in the current global disorder, marked by a complete disregard for the UN Charter by nations with economic and military clout. … Read more
“An impactful approach that India has not effectively employed so far is the strategy of ‘lawfare’” | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Operation Sindoor has powerfully demonstrated India’s intent to use kinetic measures to tackle terrorism emanating from Pakistan. In addition to executing “hot pursuits”, India possesses other potent non-kinetic strategies, going beyond regular diplomacy, to … Read more
Ukrainian and Russian officials met up in Istanbul, Türkiye, last week, their first direct meeting since March 2022, the year when Russia invaded Ukraine. Little was achieved except for one agreement on swapping 1,000 prisoners of war each. The Ukrainian delegation rightfully complained that Moscow had made “new and unacceptable demands”. Russia’s posturing, however, seems … Read more
Many years ago, on a crisp spring afternoon, I was sitting with Phuphee peeling alle (bottle gourd). Whenever she cooked alle, in any form, she would never fail to mention Gandhiji and how it was his favourite syun (dish). When Phuphee wasn’t present, other family members would often laugh about it, poking fun at how … Read more
Imperial College, London, recently announced establishing its Indian Hub in Bengaluru to strengthen scientific, educational and innovation partnerships between India and U.K. Its fourth international hub after San Francisco, Singapore and Accra, the hub in Bengaluru titled ‘Imperial Global India’ comes following multiple collaborations of the university with institutions such as IISc and NCBS. … Read more