United Nations
World Ozone Day 2022: Celebrating exemplary success of global environment deal
September 16, 2022
As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the stellar success of the Montreal Protocol, as the agreement to save the ozone layer from depletion, is called, it is also timely to look at the recurring failures in finding a similar agreement that is not only workable but also exemplar...
Read MoreWay ahead for Agnipath and Agniveer: Rescuing planet on fire
July 5, 2022
The recent decision by the central government to dramatically change recruitment and tenure policies for the soldiers of the Indian defence forces has attracted a sharp controversy with proponents and opponents of the revised policies engaged in a very public and high-profile spa...
Read MoreBJP’s Islamophobia boomerangs as Islamic nations seek apology
June 6, 2022
It is a sight that few in India, leave alone the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, would have expected to see in a country that has been very friendly to India for the past several decades, ever since the two established diplomatic relations. Photographs of Indian Prime Minister Nar...
Read MoreDespite rising inflation, RBI holds interest rates at lowest-ever
April 9, 2022
The Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India that ended its two-day meeting on Friday has decided to keep the repo and reverse repo rates at 4 pc and 3.5 pc respectively, the lowest-ever levels for both the benchmark rates. The decision was taken even as the MPC and...
Read MoreFrance brings Indo-Pacific to centre stage in European Union
February 23, 2022
Even while the global attention has been fixated on the volatile security situation in Ukraine and the mounting tensions between an increasingly assertive Russia and the Western powers, France hosted a unique gathering of almost 60 ministers and senior representatives from around...
Read MoreUnwanted close encounters in Space
January 23, 2022
Last month, China lodged a vocal protest at the United Nations against the United States, accusing its multi-billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX of irresponsible and unsafe behaviour in the Space on multiple occasions. China said that the manoeuvres by SpaceX had brought it perilous...
Read MoreMigrant deaths reach new highs in 2021
January 3, 2022
About a fortnight ago, the International Organisation for Migration, the United Nations body in charge of migrants and their interests, said that over 160 migrants had died off the coast of Libya as they were trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea and reach Italian coasts. Last we...
Read MoreIndian Smart Cities and urban planning drowns under repeated floods
August 9, 2021
India has been undergoing rapid urbanisation as millions of people continue to migrate to the nearest city in search of better opportunities. This has already pushed the ratio of urban population higher in the country. Studies estimate that between now and 2030, another 500 milli...
Read MoreUNSDGs: Sustainable development remains a goal too far
July 13, 2021
In many ways it was heartening to see that the G7 Summit 2021, held in the United Kingdom on June 11-13, delved in detail on topics beyond business, trade, investment, strategy and power. For once, it took up issues that concern people and their well-being – health, poverty, ed...
Read MoreTransforming small cities into smart cities: SRMIST & TERRE Policy
May 26, 2021
SRM Institute of Science and Technology (SRMIST), Chennai, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TERRE Policy Centre which is a non-profit organisation dedicated to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Our campus in Chennai is like a small city and our aim ...
Read MoreIndia donates Covid19 vaccines for UN Peacekeeping Force
March 30, 2021
We had forgotten them in pandemic pandemonium. But make no mistake, they are also front-line workers. The UN Peace Keeping Forces (UNPKF) provide most needed global security services in the areas that need them the most. In 2020, they provided security and stability in war-torn p...
Read MoreSenior citizens on International Day of Older Persons 2020: Anxious, abandoned & ailing
October 1, 2020
“Most of the older persons here have lost their sense of general awareness and don’t understand what the pandemic is all about. Since it is difficult to make them understand the risks involved and how to take precautions to keep themselves safe, we have no option but to keep ...
Read More