A tragedy recorded for posterity: inscription near temple in Karnataka lists drought deaths in 1539

A sculptural inscription discovered near the Chandrashekara temple at Guttala in Haveri district of Karnataka has documented the death of 6,307 people due to drought in the local area, making it the first such historical record of a humanitarian disaster caused by a natural calamity in India. 

Stitch in time

Last week, the Supreme Court of India finally struck down as "illegal" two notifications by the Union Environment Ministry that allowed industrial units to set up, expand operations or change their manufacturing practices without following the due process of taking government permission beforehand. Taking 'prior' approval is a sacrosanct principle at the heart of the Environment Impact Assessment (Notification) of 2006. On the surface it appeared that the Centre, or the Union Environment Ministry, had instituted a system that made a mockery of this principle, but there was a rationale, even if it was flawed to some extent. In March 2017, the body is-sued a notification providing a "one-time” six-month window for industries that did not have the right environmental clearances, to apply for one. In 2021, it instituted a 'standard operating procedure' that in effect allowed projects in violation of the laws, but which could not avail of the six-month window, to apply albeit at the cost of heavy fines for regularisation. Moreover, all these significant changes were being issued through executive orders, rather than any attempt at amending the underlying Environment Protection Act (EIA), 2006, through Parliament. 

India's 'new normal' deconstructed

On April 24, addressing a public gathering in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the earth...." Known to speak in Hindi to domestic audiences, it was noteworthy that the Prime Minister switched to English to say these lines. Clearly, the Prime Minister intended the message to be heard not only in Pakistan but across global capitals in an unambiguous manner that it would be firm in its resolve to take action against the particularly heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22.

Scheme-based workers, the struggle for an identity

The central government employs millions of regular and contract workers who are recognised as government employees and are in the pay spectrum of the government. The government also employs several types of workers such as Anganwadi workers or AWWs (13,51,104 workers) and Anganwadi helpers or AWHs (9,22,522), Accredited Social Health Activists or ASHAS (10,52,322 workers), and Mid-Day-Meals workers or MDMWs (25,16,688) under The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme since 1975, the National Rural Health Mission (NHRM) and the mid-day meals day scheme. Put together, around 60 million workers work in government schemes.

These schemes are those which carry out social and economic functions by taking care of children and lactating mothers and nutrition aspects. They are also a bridge between the community and the public health system, improving school enrolment and the nutritional health system. 

Progress should not just be fast but future-proof

India's climate future is not written in the stars - it is written in the rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, and intensifying disasters. The question is: what are we doing about it? The World Bank states that more than 80% of India's population lives in districts at risk of climate-induced disasters. From unrelenting monsoon floods in the north-east to heat-induced crop failures in central India, these events are no longer isolated incidents - they are systemic threats to economic stability, public health, and national security. Yet, despite mounting evidence, India remains vulnerable due to gaps in risk assessment and preparedness. The lack of a comprehensive framework to evaluate and predict climate physical risks (CPRS) means that adaptation strategies are reactive rather than proactive.

The role of the Internet in spreading misinformation

During the recent India-Pakistan crisis, misinformation spread like wildfire across social media platforms. Unverified videos claiming to show missile strikes, manipulated images of military action, and false reports of casualties were circulated widely, stoking fear on both sides. Some news channels amplified these claims without verification.

This phenomenon is not new. The data from a survey conducted a couple of years ago by Lokniti-CSDS on 'Media in India: Access, Practices, Concerns and Effects' indicated that misinformation on social media platforms significantly affects public perception, trust, and behaviour. The data revealed widespread concern about the spread of fake news and inaccurate information online. 

3-year rule: a setback to judiciary aspirants

There has been growing anxiety for months around the anticipation of a verdict from the Supreme Court (SC) that would bring back a rule wherein an advocate would need three years of practice in order to become eligible to write the judicial services examinations.

And now, on May 20, a three-judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai, which also included Justices A.G. Masih and K.V. Chandran, has made practical experience of three years a pre-requisite to appear for the subordinate judicial services exam. The judgment has substantiated the hypothesis that the SC has been consistently inconsistent on this issue. No empirical evidence was presented to the court about the 'lower quality' of fresh graduates (para 57), and neither was the number of fresh graduates who qualified for judicial services within a year of their graduation given in the judgment. The court simply went back to the three-year rule because majority of the High Courts advocated for it.

How the Trump administration aims to contain China's AI industry

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tariffs have become pivotal battlegrounds in the escalating rivalry between the United States and China. Last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) redrew a significant line of engagement by formally rescinding the Biden administration's 'Artificial Intelligence Diffusion Rule', mere days before its May 15 effective date. The rescission signals a strategic pivot in how the U.S. intends to wage this high-stakes tech war.

This manoeuvre, set against the persistent drumbeat of the U.S.-China tariff disputes, casts a long shadow of uncertainty and opportunity over tech companies and global supply chains desperately trying to navigate the fight for Al supremacy. 

Jayant Narlikar, Indian astrophysicist who challenged Big Bang theory, passes away

Jayant Narlikar, one of India's most distinguished astro-physicists who combined profound theoretical insight into cosmology with a lifelong commitment to science communication, passed away at his residence in Pune on Tuesday. He was 86.

Describing what made Dr. Narlikar one of the "greats", Tarun Soura-deep, Director of the Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bengaluru, told The Hindu that it was his "sense of justice and equality" and his "unwavering commitment" to popularising science and combating "non-science-based superstition and astrology" that set him apart. 

WHO adopts Pandemic Agreement to strengthen global health preparedness

In a move to bolster global collaboration and ensure a stronger and more equitable response to future pandemics, the World Health Organization (WHO) member states on Tuesday unanimously adopted the world's first Pandemic Agreement, marking the culmination of over three years of negotiations initiated in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Governments adopted the WHO Pandemic Agreement in a plenary session of the World Health Assembly, the global health organisation's peak decision-making body. 

M.R. Srinivasan, a key architect of India's nuclear programme, no more

M.R. Srinivasan, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy, passed away in Udhagamandalam on Tuesday. He was 95.

Dr. Srinivasan joined the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) in September 1955 and began his distinguished career working alongside Dr. Homi J. Bhabha on the construction of India's first nuclear research reactor, Apsara, which achieved criticality in August 1956.