There is this accusation that Sri Lanka is governed like a family concern by the Rajapaksas. This impression should be removed
Whither Commitment to Truth? How AI, Media, and Visuals Shape Our Sense of Threat
The social media takes advantage of the reward systems in the brain, especially the dopamine circuits within the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. Using signals of micro-engagement, including the duration of time a user hovers over a video or the number of times a user rewatches a clip, algorithms develop a feedback loop that over time redirects the feed of a user to more intense or provocative content.
Mental Health in Schools and Colleges: An Ignored Chapter in Bangladesh's Education System
The loss of 403 young lives is a stark wake-up call for Bangladesh. Schools and colleges are meant to nurture dreams, not silently witness the suffering of students. A collaborative effort involving the government, educational institutions, and families is urgently needed. With empathy, awareness, and institutional support, many of these young lives can still be saved.
The Hormuz Lifeline: Why India’s Energy Security Still Runs Through A 33-Km Strait
India’s diversification strategy, often cited as a mitigating factor, provides only partial relief. The country now sources crude from over 40 countries, and in recent years has increased imports from Russia, the United States, and West Africa. In fact, about 70% of crude imports are now routed outside Hormuz, reflecting a conscious shift in sourcing strategy.
South Asia’s Cities Are Growing - But May Not Remain Livable
What is unfolding across South Asia’s cities is not just an urban crisis, it is a reflection of deeper tensions within development itself. Growth is happening, but it is not translating into stability. Opportunities exist, but they are unevenly distributed. Systems are expanding, but not fast enough to keep up with demand. Cities, which have long been seen as places where people come to improve their lives, are increasingly becoming spaces where people struggle to sustain them.
More on Open Forum
Missile mishap: India and Pakistan need long term risk-reduction measures
Though India and Pakistan showed great restraint to prevent any escalation, the missile episode has raised eyebrows among those who consider South Asia to be a 'nuclear flashpoint'
The hijab ban in India and the unnatural uniformity it seeks to enforce
The research relied upon by the petitioners, which was unceremoniously sidelined as being unauthentic and without proper credentials of the researchers, showed that head coverings are commonplace for most Hindu, Muslim and Sikh women outside their homes
Pakistan's politics of confrontation: Is it a lost game for Imran Khan?
It is, however, apparent that Imran Khan and his aides have forgotten the norms of political battles a long ago
Beyond borders: A tribute to Sara Suleri
Sara’s name is on Sapan’s Founding Charter calling on South Asian nations to institute soft borders and a visa-free South Asia
How to contain India’s TB pandemic
Unless the national programme for TB is made strong, we may end up well short of the desired impact
Need for bringing India's notorious bureaucracy to account
The BJP government has done better in preparing lists of those officers who are inefficient or corrupt
Gandhis and the TINA factor in India’s Congress party
Within the Congress also, the entire blame cannot be put at the door of the Gandhis
The world should sympathize with the plight of Tibetans too
Tibetans wonder why the world is largely indifferent to their plight at the hands of the Chinese government and has not responded the way it sympathizes with the plight of Ukrainians
50 years of Sri Lanka-Bangladesh ties: Stable ties amid changing global equations
Neutral alliances of smaller countries are again becoming important in the tug of war between the major superpowers in the region
Women in civil service: The price you have to pay
Women in civil service in India are still a small minority. Yet they have achieved so much and broken glass ceilings in their individual journeys
Corporate India needs a new crop of directors
If credibility is to come to corporate governance, the pool of directors must be widened to include people from a variety of fields
US-Bangladesh air exercise reflects a broader strategic understanding
The US has started to consider Bangladesh as an important security partner in the region
What lessons should India learn from Ukraine crisis?
India’s decision to abstain from voting against Russia in UNSC could turn the world opinion against New Delhi if there is a war with China and Pakistan
UP results will define national politics
For the first time in many decades, the Indian electorate is facing a political outfit which believes more in winning polls than governance
