‘The AI boom is happening fast, and the current energy infrastructure will just not be able to keep up’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has undoubtedly eased access to art and reduced the time and the effort required to complete certain tasks. For example, ChatGPT-4o can generate a Studio Ghibli-inspired portrait … Read more
The commissioning of the Vizhinjam International Transhipment Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport, developed by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) under a public-private partnership model with the Kerala government, marks a milestone in India’s maritime history. For a country such as India, which relies heavily on foreign ports for handling around 75% of its inbound … Read more
On April 24, India announced that it would hold the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan ceased its support for cross-border terrorism. The term “abeyance,” as used by the Government of India, suggests a temporary suspension, leaving open the possibility of reinstatement should Pakistan take credible steps to curb terrorism, particularly … Read more
For the first time since 1931, Census forms will record the caste of Indians, but questions remain on the extent of the impact that the data would have on India’s affirmative action programmes. Decadal censuses, until now, have categorised citizens as SCs, STs and as per religion. In decades of reservation for SCs, STs, and … Read more
Indian attitude to official and private foreign aid has always been ambivalent — sometimes welcoming, at other times hostile. With U.S. President Donald Trump’s targeting of USAID, the death knell, at least for official aid, seems to have been rung. Other European countries may follow suit, thanks to continuing global conflicts, anti immigration sentiments, and … Read more
Sound appeal While we are still struggling to overcome the sorrow resulting from Pahalgam, we are further saddened to learn that some elements are turning hostile towards Kashmiri students in some parts of the country. In this context, one would like to highlight the adorable stand taken by a lady who lost her naval officer … Read more
Intense discussion on the population of castes and their interplay with politics seems to be the season’s flavour in Karnataka. Even before the opposition from dominant castes to the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey (popularly known as the caste census) recommendations could come to a head, another caste survey is set to begin in Karnataka on … Read more
As conflict zones multiply globally, another frontier is quietly slipping into turmoil — the Arctic. Long seen as a realm of scientific cooperation and environmental protection, the polar north is becoming a theatre of military and geopolitical competition. With Russia more assertive, China expanding its Arctic ambitions, and Washington renewing interest in Greenland, the region … Read more
The re-election of the centre-left Labor party in the Australian general election on Saturday is a shot in the arm for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who became the first Australian leader to win a second term in more than two decades. The centre-right Liberal-National coalition was trounced, with Labor winning 87 of the 151 seats … Read more
The Pahalgam terror attack (April 22) has put Delhi and Islamabad into a different trajectory from the past, and is one that should alert the entire strategic community. This was the first such incident on this scale targeting civilians since the Mumbai 2008 attacks. The barbarity in Pahalgam, segregating men from women, identifying them by … Read more