On the sixth day of fever that was resistant to flu antibiotics, I lost my sense of smell, which was when my doctor ordered the COVID test; and within a few hours I was declared positive!
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.
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51 years of bank nationalization in India: Crying need for a better corporate work culture
Bank nationalization in India happened 51 years back, part of the measures undertaken by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to bring in a socialist economy
Nepal is making a historical mistake; runs the risk of going the Tibet way
There are millions of people in India who have good feelings about Nepal and have ardent desire to visit this country for several reasons including historical ones
Lost in the mist of Time
In the dark abyss of the night
Mental health, suicide prevention needs greater attention during pandemic: WHO
With the COVID-19 pandemic still accelerating and impacting people in multiple ways, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday called upon countries in the South-East Asia region to pay greater attention to mental health and suicide prevention
Lapdog TV journalism scripting a disgraceful chapter in India's media history
A coinage about the Indian media that has gained currency in recent years is 'godi' media, which roughly translates into lapdog journalism
India needs to go beyond police reforms; custodial killings show a broken criminal justice system: CHRI
The murderous police assault, unending beatings and brutal torture which caused the death of two innocent traders, a father and son, in the city of Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, is an acute demonstration of a broken criminal justice system and failure to effectively uphold legal protection against police abuse
How to boost your immune system to fight COVID-19
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as the cause of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), a global pandemic which is ravaging the world
Lest we forget the supreme sacrifice of our armed forces
The COVID-19 lockdown ruminations continue even as news comes in about the Indian military contingent in Moscow at the World War II 75th anniversary Victory Day parade
To have an equitable post-COVID world, address structural inequality among nations
It is clear that COVID-19 has extirpated the global economy, which is based on feeble footings and fallacious credit booms and has brought to light its inherent vulnerabilities and limitations
The General Staff and the learning of military wives
The COVID-19 lockdown ruminations continue. Lounging around one lockdown day, I got to wondering about this brilliant idea of the General Staff, of getting down to training all army and, by extension, all defence forces' wives
What ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement means for India and South Asia
The institutional murder of George Floyd achieved what even a global pandemic could not - it created a furor against systemic inequalities in the United States that regularly devalues the lives of the marginalized
Live in the present
How green was my valley;
Welcome to India, a speed breaker country!
Have you ever seen an Indian walk? They walk with a peculiar jerk (not insinuating anything but merely describing our gait) which is unusual, but unique to each region
A prayer for forgiveness
As I look up at the sky
