Ceasefire Ends the Fighting — But Triggers Internal Turmoil The 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which erupted following Israel’s airstrikes on June 13, left behind a trail of damage—on both physical infrastructure and national psyche. Israeli strikes, aimed at Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, internal security agencies, and nuclear facilities, intensified regional tensions and raised hopes…
SCO Summit 2025: A Brief Overview The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), established in 2001, is a powerful regional bloc that brings together major Eurasian nations for cooperation on political, security, and economic matters. With ten full members—India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and newly-inducted Belarus—the SCO plays a critical role in shaping regional geopolitics. The latest…
Understanding the University Impact Rankings The Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings assess global universities based on their contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Unlike traditional rankings that emphasize academic prestige and research volume, the Impact Rankings evaluate institutions on criteria such as social impact, sustainability, innovation, and inclusive education. These rankings provide a more community-centric view…
The Lingering Curse of Caste-Based Discrimination Despite decades of constitutional safeguards and social reform, inter-caste marriages continue to face stigma and hostility in many parts of India. In particular, rural areas across states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha often witness violent or socially coercive reactions to such unions. While the government promotes…
A New Generation of Space Explorers In the age of expanding private spaceflight and international collaboration, the path to space is no longer limited to astronauts trained solely by national agencies. Private companies like Titans Space, based in the U.S., are opening doors for global candidates, including civilians, to become part of their orbital missions. For India—still…
A New Energy Era: Nuclear Power and Small Modular Reactors Nuclear power plants generate electricity through controlled nuclear reactions, offering a clean, reliable, and long-term energy source. Unlike fossil fuel-based power plants, nuclear facilities emit minimal greenhouse gases and are highly efficient in power generation. Traditionally, India’s nuclear energy infrastructure has relied on large-scale reactors. However, the…
The 2019 Balakot Airstrikes and Abhinandan’s Captivity Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force (IAF) became a household name in 2019, following the Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed. In response, India launched the Balakot airstrikes, targeting a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp inside Pakistan. As tensions escalated, a…
Understanding Anti-Dumping Duty: A Tool for Fair Trade Anti-dumping duty is a trade protection measure imposed by a country to guard its domestic industry against unfair pricing by foreign exporters. It is triggered when a country exports a product at a price lower than its normal value, typically the price in its own market, thereby…
Mission Akash Ganga: A New Dawn for India’s Space Odyssey A monumental step in Indo-US space collaboration, the Axiom-4 mission—dubbed Mission Akash Ganga—is the product of a landmark joint statement between India and the United States during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2023 state visit. It signifies a turning point for the Indian space program, as Group Captain Shubhanshu…
Electric Aviation Gathers Momentum In a groundbreaking leap toward sustainable aviation, Beta Technologies’ electric aircraft, the Alia CX300, completed the world’s first all-electric passenger flight earlier this month. Covering 130 kilometers from East Hampton to New York’s JFK Airport in just over 30 minutes, the flight cost only $8 (around ₹700) in energy—compared to $160 (₹13,800) for a conventional helicopter covering…
