As democracies around the world confront public dissatisfaction, Bhutan reminds us that the health of a democracy cannot be measured only through the ballot box. It must also be evaluated through the well-being, dignity, security, and trust experienced by citizens.
India's digital infrastructure can certainly deliver free coaching to millions. But an even greater achievement would be to build an education and employment system in which families no longer feel compelled to buy coaching in the first place. Making bottled water cheaper is useful. Making the water from taps trustworthy is the real solution.
The message is clear. India needs not merely more children entering classrooms, but more children staying, completing and learning. Achieving the ambitions of NEP 2020 and SDG 4 will require sustained public investment, stronger secondary-school retention, better support for vulnerable learners and a sharper focus on completion.
The virtues like civic discipline or gender sensitivity in India are not at premium. Basic civic sense is conspicuous by its absence. It gets manifested as indiscriminate littering, spitting, traffic indiscipline, vulgar or derogatory comments against women etc. Such attitudes find manifestation in foreign destinations as well.
There have been numerous instances in Bangladesh when diplomats, especially from the UK, the US, and the European Union, have voiced their opinions openly about the fairness of elections, or the democratic functioning of the government, which in no way falls under the purview of conventional diplomacy.
Thus to create better and well-balanced citizens we need to inculcate in our children the power of concentration and make them focus on the work at hand. They will then have all the time in the world to do great and wonderful things.
Peacekeeping missions have created indirect financial benefits for the Bangladeshi economy, particularly in the agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors, creating new markets for Bangladeshi businessmen.
Digital Edtechs are now thriving by promising to do what appointed schoolteachers are supposed to do in exchange for their salaries. They come at a very high cost, affordable only to the relatively wealthy.
We keep mentioning and talking about our unpleasant experiences often. They are also frequently important to bring focus on specific issues, but it is also equally important to speak about the good ones - ones that make you happy and amazed at the same time.
Among South Asian countries, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are facing major food security risks. But Bangladesh, fortunately, is not at risk though there is a danger of food inflation in Bangladesh.
To alleviate poverty, wealth generation is absolutely necessary and, in a developing country like India, the task of wealth generation has to be accelerated as much as possible.
It appears that some people in India think that Rishi Sunak being the Prime Minister of Britain and Kamala Harris being the Vice President of the USA would provide several benefits to India. This can never happen, as they are not Indian citizens anymore.
Doing all this and more does not indicate that a Congress revival is assured but the election of Kharge as Congress president is the best bet on a journey that the party must undertake at this crucial time when Inda faces threats that it rarely has before.
In Patanjali Yoga, it is clearly written that once you remove 'sanskars' or psychological knots then true liberation takes place. Thus total removal of fear is liberation.
The fact that Sheikh Hasina's government received the largest number of votes at the UN is evidence of the faith that world leaders have in it.
While a lot of good work has been done in this regard in the past seven decades, the accelerated access to education and services for the hitherto underprivileged Hindus and tribals have in fact created vested interest in the perpetuation and expansion of the caste system for social, economic and political advantage.
As a result of the Ukraine war, the socio-political landscape of world politics has deteriorated and has gone through a paradigm shift with the disruption of supply chain management and exorbitant price hike in fuel, food, and consumer goods. This has brought the economy under massive pressure.
Whether a woman wears a dupatta wrapped over her head, a ghunghat, ghomta or hijab as an expression of fashion, custom or faith, they should be at perfect liberty to do so. It is part of their right to equality and freedom of expression. They should not be castigated but respected for making their choice, whether they be Hindus, Christians or Muslims.
Another welcome part of Yatra is the proactive response of these social groups and many political parties to affirm the values of pluralism, diversity and democracy.
