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1Oct

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Opinion

The farce of total prohibition

A protest in March 1997 against the Andhra Pradesh government’s move to relax its prohibition policy. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Much like elsewhere in the country, politicians in Andhra Pradesh try to garner the votes of women primarily by promising welfare schemes as well as the prohibition of liquor.Every political party that has come to power has promised in its manifesto either total or partial prohibition. However, except N.T. Rama Rao, the founder of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), no Chief Minister has dared to implement prohibition in full. It appears to be the same case with the present government. Rao imposed the prohibition of arrack in 1994 and total prohibition, including of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), in 1995. But this policy was overturned by N. Chandrababu Naidu, h...

1Oct

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Launch was critical for Chandrayaan-3 success: ISRO chairman Somanath

S. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), attributes the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the moon to “the result of the hard work of thousands of people in ISRO”, the “rigour of the reviews”, and “corrective action taken meticulously.”In an interview with T.S. Subramanian in Bengaluru, Dr. Somanath asserted that the launch of the LVM-3 rocket on July 14 from Sriharikota and its placing the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into its earth-bound orbit was the “most critical event” of the mission. He also spoke about the significance of the hop test conducted with the Vikram lander on the moon, said that “we are in the process of thinking about” a sample return mission from the moon, and shared his thoughts on the Aditya-L1 mission.Question: How confident were...

30Sep

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Opinion

Find your ‘calling’

If you have a ‘dream’, there are many avenues to make it reality. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Your calling is the reason you are here. It’s the thing that gives your life meaning and purpose,” said Oprah Winfrey.Everyone in this world has a unique “calling” of their own, defined as the purpose of life. It’s not a mere job, profession or business. It goes beyond building wealth or achieving success, encompassing a higher sense of contribution to the world around and a genuine desire to make a difference. It’s something that you feel passionate about and that you’re good at. When you find your calling, you feel fulfilled and energised. You feel like you are making a difference in the world. It is more than a pursuit; it’s a fusion of passion and proficiency. When you find it...

30Sep

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A magnificent writing machine

The ink machine which transforms thoughts into words and sentences. | Photo Credit: Getty Images A person’s handwriting is as unique as her fingerprint and tells a lot about her character. The past two decades have witnessed revolutionary changes in the way we write. Writing the conventional way using pen and pencil has increasingly been replaced by electronic gadgets such as computers and smartphones. Today’s youth and students are reluctant to write with a pen or a pencil. Rather they prefer to scribble on the screen. I fear if this trend continues, in a not too distant future, we will have a generation which will be incapable of writing by hand. The art and skill of penmanship will be alien to them. The overdependence on electronic devices has seriously impacted their ability to wri...

30Sep

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Well-being of teachers

Teacher burnout is a common problem faced by many teachers the world over but is anyone listening? Educators strive day after day to provide quality education to students. However, with the demands of education increasing day by day, teachers face unbelievable amounts of stress that results in mental and physical fatigue and an overall complacency towards their jobs. They often complain of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. They also experience the feeling of being overwhelmed and feel a sense of detachment or disinterest towards their profession. Various reasons can be cited as reasons for teacher burnout. The lack of an appropriate number of staff members in school, absenteeism among teachers which creates additional substitution sessions, designing and redesigning of lesson ...

30Sep

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Opinion

Fighting greenwashing

Greenwashing, the practice of promoting false environmental claims. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Greenwashing, the practice of promoting false environmental claims, has become a growing concern in India’s marketplaces. As consumers increasingly prioritise sustainability and eco-friendly choices, businesses must demonstrate authenticity to build trust. In this context, organic certifications play a crucial role in ensuring transparency and holding companies accountable for their environmental claims.Greenwashing occurs when companies misrepresent their products, services, or practices as environmental friendly while failing to meet rigorous sustainability standards. Businesses falsely label their goods as organic without complying with the certification requirements. Organic certificati...

30Sep

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Hullabaloo at the green grocer’s

Without perusing any statistical record, it is apparent that the average age in any vegetable market is higher than the median age of our country. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Defeating dish washing by a few points, buying vegetables is the most boring and arduous household task. It’s a multidisciplinary art — economics, botany, mathematics all come into play. Even when strolling through the vegetable market, an astute buyer makes a mental calculation of the time the produce on display will stay fresh. Longer that window, greater the flexibility in the kitchen. During that pre-delivery inspection, a few vegetables such as okra get mutilated. Fortunately, seasoned buyers can intuitively identify the right vegetable with panache. Every weekend, I accompany my father to the market, a plac...

30Sep

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Opinion

Simple deeds that make a difference

Kindness can help cure the epidemic of loneliness. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Loneliness has spread to an extreme crisis-like situation, but it can be controlled by kindness easily. Well being of self, society and planet is at a low, but small, daily actions can make a huge difference. As each individual is unique, we have our own issues to deal with; yet if each of us does a bit more, the world would be a much better place.Imagine that there are more happy people ready to care and be cared for. Listening can have a huge impact in home, office and society. We can do with more pain relievers, with each one of us doing our bit. Small moments of joy that act as daily stress-busters are much needed. So many still go to bed hungry and do not have proper homes, clean water, electricity and...

30Sep

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Opinion

Is privacy a lost cause?

Many people believe that privacy is already a lost cause, that there is no point in fighting for it. | Photo Credit: Istock/Getty Images Today, privacy is not just about locking doors and drawing curtains; it’s about safeguarding our digital identities and personal spaces from prying eyes. It’s about the freedom to choose what we share with whom. Privacy is synonymous with having control over our data, ensuring it’s not accessed or shared without our consent.“I’ve got nothing to hide, I don’t need privacy,” goes an age-old refrain. But beneath this notion lies a fundamental misconception. Privacy is not just for those with secrets. In this digital age, when technology permeates every aspect of our lives, the right to privacy goes beyond individual identities. It’s a collective protecti...

30Sep

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On the draw — September 30, 2023

On the draw — September 30, 2023 Source link

29Sep

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Letters to The Editor — September 30, 2023

The passing of a titan India has lost a noble son (Page 1, “Architect of India’s Green Revolution departs”, September 29). Along with illustrious politician and then Union Agriculture Minister C. Subramaniam, M.S. Swaminathan gave fillip to the farm sector which changed the face of Indian agriculture. M.S. Swaminathan is an example of a sedulous, disciplined and determined work culture. The best tribute we can pay him is to rename the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University after him and institute an award in his name to honour people who excel in agriculture and horticulture. K. Chellappan, Chennai The United Progressive Alliance and the National Democratic Alliance governments have miserably failed in honouring two eminent Indian personalities: Verghese Kurian, father of the White Revoluti...

29Sep

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Extended exclusion: The Hindu Editorial on AFSPA in Manipur

Hill areas in Manipur will continue to be under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for another six months from October. The State government has issued a notification to extend the law’s imposition to the whole State, barring the areas falling under 19 police stations in the Imphal valley. The notification maintains the status quo on the applicability of the potent law that grants extensive powers to the armed forces in notified ‘disturbed areas’ in the use of force. In normal circumstances, the only question that may have arisen is whether AFSPA is needed any longer. However, given the violent ethnic conflict since this May between the Meitei and the Kuki communities, the exclusion of the Imphal Valley from its purview even while extending it elsewhere comes across as quite ...

29Sep

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Opinion

Push for more women, this time in the police

In a few years from now, women lawmakers will form at least 33% of all lawmakers in India. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 has been passed by both Houses of Parliament. This Bill provides for one-third of total seats in the House of the People, the Legislative Assembly of every State and the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to be reserved for women for 15 years. Additionally, this reservation will also extend to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies. The representation of women Members of Parliament in the current Lok Sabha is about 14.4%, compared to 4.9% in the first Lok Sabha in 1952. The purpose of this amendment is to increase women’s p...

29Sep

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Troubled waters: The Hindu Editorial on the China-Philippines tensions in the South China Sea

The move by the Philippines to remove a 300-metre floating barrier installed by China near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and Beijing’s warning to Manila asking it “not to stir up trouble” underscore how delicate the situation is in one of the world’s busiest waters. Tensions were high between China, which claims much of the South China Sea, including areas away from its coast, and a more assertive Philippines in recent months. Manila has repeatedly accused Beijing of blocking its shipping vessels in and around the Scarborough Shoal, a triangular reef encircling a resource-rich lagoon that China seized from the Philippines in 2012. When the Philippines realised that China’s forces were setting up a barrier blocking Filipino fishermen from getting closer to the ree...

29Sep

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Global dispute settlement, India and appellate review

The World Trade Organization headquarters | Photo Credit: AFP The recently concluded G-20 Declaration, among its many commitments, reiterated the need to pursue reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to improve all its functions and conduct proactive discussions “to ensure a fully and well-functioning dispute settlement system accessible to all members by 2024”. The WTO’s dispute settlement system, conceived as a two-tier panel cum appellate body structure, has been dysfunctional since 2019, because the United States has blocked the appointment of appellate body members. Hailed as the crown jewel of the WTO, the dispute settlement system, with the scope for appellate review and mechanisms to enforce rulings, has issued over 493 rulings since its establishment in 1995. To put this...

29Sep

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How the flute inspired Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia to set up the Vrindaban gurukul for new-age learners

The sky is overcast with dark clouds. The intermittent heavy showers haven’t dampened Mumbai’s celebratory spirit. Rows of stalls along the roads selling idols teem with people even as dhol tasha pathaks (percussion troupes) play vigorously during their annual Ganesh Utsav outing. But away from all the festive frenzy, the soothing notes of the bansuri permeate Vrindaban Gurukul in Versova. Evening walkers stop by the two-decade-old large orange building to bow before its beautiful prayer room with a glass facade.As you open the gate, you see Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia sitting near the entrance, sipping tea, with the bansuri placed on his lap. He greets you with a warm smile. A striking oil portrait of him, made by one of his admirers from Turkey, hangs behind. The walls of the adjacent sp...