Opinion – Page 2 – Bhartiyanews24x7

18Nov

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Growing epidemic: The Hindu Editorial on diabetes and India

From around 200 million in 1990, the number of people with diabetes has quadrupled globally to over 800 million in 2022 while the global diabetes prevalence in adults rose from 7% to 14% between 1990 and 2022, as in data released in The Lancet on November 13. At 212 million, India has the highest number of people with diabetes as against China’s prevalence of 148 million. India also topped the list of countries with 133 million people over the age of 30 years with untreated diabetes as against 78 million in China. One reason for the steep increase in the number of those with diabetes was the methodology used for pooling and analysing the data — being on medication for diabetes, or having a fasting plasma glucose of 7·0 mmol/L or more, or an HbA1c of 6·5% or more. Unlike earlier studies tha...

18Nov

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Opinion

Missing accountability: The Hindu Editorial on Israel and security lapses of October 7

Over 13 months of Israel’s war on Gaza has destroyed much of the Palestinian enclave of 2.3 million people. The latest war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 cross-border attack, has also spilled into West Asia, with Israel invading Lebanon last month and Israel and Iran carrying out strikes and counter-strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his country is fighting for its survival and will not end the wars until he meets his objectives. While he continues the wars with his maximalist goals, there is growing criticism in Israel on the security failures of October 7. Despite Mr. Netanyahu’s tall claims, it was on his watch that Israel suffered its biggest attack since 1948, the year the state was created in historic Palestine. Until now, neither Mr. Netanyahu nor his now...

18Nov

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Opinion

Letters to The Editor — November 18, 2024

Manipur burningAfter a lull, violence has returned to haunt Manipur (Page 1, November 17). The situation continues to be volatile with a spark enough to reignite the flames. It is appalling that the Centre continues to accord weightage to political considerations over the common man’s security. B. Suresh Kumar, Coimbatore Hospital neonatal ICU fire The hospital fire in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, that killed infants is shocking (November 17). The word ‘maintenance’ is not very well known in government hospitals. One wonders whether there were miniature circuit breakers. V. Lakshmanan, Tirupur, Tamil Nadu The thousands of crores spent on building places of worship should instead have been used to improve hospital and school infrastructure, especially in north...

17Nov

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Opinion

Natural farming in India, sprouting but still to grow deep roots

Natural farming, with its emphasis on biodiversity, soil health, and reduced chemical inputs, is gaining traction across India’s agricultural landscape. Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh have emerged as testing grounds for this promising method, showcasing unique models that focus on sustainable agriculture. The 2024-25 Union Budget, with its allocation of substantial resources to natural farming, marks a pivotal moment. However, as we push toward a low-carbon agricultural future, there are still some pertinent questions to be answered. Will natural farming transform Indian agriculture? Or will it remain an ambitious but niche endeavour? Successes and challenges in some States In Himachal Pradesh, the State’s Prakritik Kheti Khushhal Kisan Yojana (PK3Y) has been an impor...

17Nov

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Opinion

Entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to innovation

How does one describe a many-sided genius like T.P.G. Nambiar? Was he the forerunner of the “Make in India” revolution in consumer electronics or a humble individual who had a vision that he set out to fulfil in ample measure?From being a young visionary from the backwoods of Kerala, Gopalan Nambiar, over time, strode like a colossus across the world of consumer electronics in India, and blazed a trail that mystified most people who never realised the genius of the boy-next-door. Not enough has been said, or written, about T.P.G. Nambiar, who was relatively unknown till the late 1960s or the early 1970s, when BPL started making significant strides in the Indian consumer electronics sector. Few recognised that one of his most important attainments was a commitment to innovation and qual...

17Nov

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Opinion

The street turned playground

A fading pastime. | Photo Credit: Getty Images A few days ago, on a dusky evening, my cousin and I were riding towards the badminton court. En route, we saw a few boys playing cricket on the streets. As my cousin slowly rode the motorbike, our eyes were glued to the game till it went out of sight. As we reached the badminton court, to our surprise, we found ourselves to be a bit earlier to the court. We sat on the steps and started to reminisce about our childhood. Our minds were filled with nostalgia.Decades ago, whenever our summer vacations were announced by our school, we would be on cloud nine. During school days, even alarms and nudging by my parents could not wake me up from the cosy bed, but on the annu...

17Nov

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Opinion

Empowering rural women

The International Day of Rural Women, implemented by the United Nations General Assembly and celebrated on October 15 every year, aims to highlight the significant role of women in rural areas. Even as these women remain the backbone of their localities as providers and caregivers, evaluating the support granted to them is essential, particularly how governmental and non-governmental efforts seek to empower them.In the heart of India’s rural communities, where traditional livelihoods are passed down generations, women have long been at the forefront of industries such as handloom weaving and other small-scale enterprises. These women, working often in the shadow of mainstream industries, have been instrumental in preserving India’s rich cultural heritage while sustaining their families thr...

17Nov

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Opinion

Adopting happiness

There are tens of thousands of orphaned babies in India. | Photo Credit: Getty Images A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon a documentary on YouTube. Titled ‘The Midwife’s Confession’, it is a harrowing account of a journalist’s extraordinary pursuit of a story for over 30 years — female infanticides in Katihar, an eastern district of Bihar bordering West Bengal. The documentary also features heartwarming stories of children saved by the midwives who were assigned to kill the baby girls by their families. The saved babies were given for adoption thanks to the intervention of a social worker.The documentary deeply resonated with me because my wife and I have adopted a baby girl from Katihar. After 10 years of we...

17Nov

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Opinion

Thumbs down to online shopping

There is something called intuition, a gut feeling which is possible only when you shop physically. | Photo Credit: Getty Images From battle ships to diapers, people seem to be buying everything online nowadays. Those who don’t shop online are people who don’t deserve to inhabit this ‘smart way to shop’ planet. And this was before the pandemic made online shopping a necessity.Prior to the pandemic, the ones who didn’t shop online shopped at super malls and hyper malls. Offers and more offers were permanently available and some defied logic. You purchased one item and got five of the same free. Yet there are some like me who still stick on to the “no online shopping” club with a passion that makes the belie...

17Nov

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Opinion

The bond of taste

Lip-smacking memories. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Recently, in a casual conversation, a friend from my former hostel recalled how scrumptious my mother’s chicken curry used to be, its taste still a delectable memory for him. When we were studying in a residential school, our parents were allowed to visit us on Sundays. It was a time for us to relish home-cooked food and sometimes I would share it with my close friends. They would just love the lip-smacking curry my mother would prepare. I would get my steel box returned with no trace of curry left in it.A part of the credit for my mother’s cooking should go to me as I was always the food taster at home. I was a genuine critic of her cooking, givin...