"The demographic conundrum, partly a result of its aggressive population control policies, that China is facing today serves as a cautionary tale for those advocating population control as a cure-all for India." My 1st story for HT delves in to what data tells us about China's population decline.
In #India, today is "makara #shankraanthi", the astronomical event when the Sun begins "northerly movement" (uttaraayana उत्तरायण in Sanskrit). It's also the astrological event when the Sun enters Capricorn (makara) in the Hindu zodiac.
Also called "#pongal", the day marks harvest in South India. It is common to gift trays w sugarcane, bananas, sugar molds, + mixture of jaggery, peanuts, roasted bengal grams, and sesame.
The global risks due to misinformation and disinformation may be more than that posed by climate-related risks such as the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem collapse.
On 10th January 2024, Global Risks Report 2024 was published. While climate-related hazards remain a prevalent topic, the report identifies misinformation and disinformation as the most serious short-term threat.
According to the report
"foreign and domestic actors alike will leverage misinformation and disinformation to widen societal and political divides" during the next two years. This risk is heightened by a huge number of upcoming elections, with more than 3 billion people expected to vote in 2024 and 2025, including in major economies such as the United States, India, and the United Kingdom. The proliferation of mis- and disinformation around the world may cause civil upheaval, but it may also lead to government-led censorship, internal propaganda, and restrictions on the free flow of information.
Though the climate-related risks represent 5 of the top 10 threats during a 10-year period as the world approaches or crosses "climate tipping points", I believe misinformation and disinformation will continue to be ranked among top three risks much beyond the next two years. There is apparently no short term contingency plans and long term mitigation plans apart from effective role of independent fact-checking organizations. I do not know how these fact-checking organizations can deal with the assault of bad actors using Generative AI (including deepfakes) that will dominantly contribute to misinformation and disinformation by flooding the global information systems with false narratives in future. Misinformation and disinformation will also aggravate climate related risks. According to a research done by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, we have "reached the tipping point where humans are unable to meaningfully differentiate between AI-generated versus human-created digital content." I am convinced that Zero Trust Information is the right paradigm in this age of ChatGPT, Google Bard and Bing chatbot for regular end users.
Journalist Harini Calamur's article titled "Analysis: The Unbearable Risk of Misinformation" is worth reading. She expresses her deep concerns regarding misinformation and highlights the following.> The rise of misinformation and disinformation as a primary global risk underscores the danger it poses to individuals, societies, and economies. It needs to be addressed with the seriousness it deserves.
The fact that misinformation and propaganda existed even in the Roman Empire and prior to the battle of Actium during 31 BC between Octavian and Mark Antony, shows that the perils of misinformation and disinformation are here to stay with us for ever. Disinformation is a subset of misinformation that is spread intentionally.
The paper titled "The psychological drivers of misinformation belief and its resistance to correction" discusses in great detail regarding why people share misinformation, barriers to belief revision, information to combat misinformation and related practical implications for practitioners, information consumers and policymakers. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all answer. In addition to regulations without curbing freedom of speech (which does not include amplification of that speech), the authors suggest that the most important approach to slowing the spread of misinformation is substantial investment in education, particularly to build information literacy skills in schools and beyond.
Overall, solutions to misinformation spread must be multi-pronged and target both the supply (for example, more efficient fact-checking and changes to platform algorithms and policies) and the consumption (for example, accuracy nudges and enhanced media literacy) of misinformation. Non-text-based corrections, such as videos or cartoons, also deserve more exploration. Additional transnational research is needed to explore questions about causality, including the causal impacts of misinformation and corrections on beliefs and behaviors.
Crowdfunded news portals, which are based on donation from individuals while maintaining high stands of accountability and transparency, are a relatively new phenomenon in the media landscape. These new generation news portals have several potential advantages like financial independence, public engagement and diverse content and content creation outside of mainstream media scope.
India's most populous state has stopped paying some 21,000 teachers of subjects including mathematics and science in Muslim religious schools, or madrasas, an official said on Thursday, and they could lose their jobs altogether.
Guwahati: Netflix has taken down the Tamil film 'Annapoorani' following a controversy sparked by Hindu right-wing groups who claimed certain scenes in the
The paper illustrates dynamics of nuclear resistance movements in India and how people’s power rises in response to subversion of justice and suppression of human rights....
The Union government said the process of inclusion or exclusion from the ST list requires the proposal to originate from the concerned State government.
My tribute to the Primary Caregiver or Homemaker of the House
It is not easy to earn money to bring food on the table for the family and pay the bills.
And it is not at all easier to maintain the house and actually execute to bring the food on the table for the family 24x7x365. This is what the Primary Caregiver or Homemaker of the Indian family relentlessly does till the last day of their life, under normal circumstances, without expecting any returns. A home assistant or a cook may reduce the burden to some extent. But the mind share and the ownership remains with that unconditional commitment to perform the duty even in the absence of a helping hand. Also, under unfavorable health conditions and circumstances, the tasks and the responsibilities usually neither get lighter nor get delegated as long as they is able to stand on their legs.
The situation can actually get worse when the Homemaker seeks a professional career. Now it is akin to moving with two legs on two different boats in a river. For example, recently I got to know of a primary caregiver and a busy anesthetist who had to arrange the pick-up and drop of the child and milk for the aged parents even while in the operation theater. The show has to go on come what may!
Only those who suddenly get plunged to perform this mind-boggling humongous and to a large extent monotonous task, due to mishaps or other unfortunate reasons, realize in no time what the Homemaker was capable of!
The above is based on my observation of Indian society as an Indian who has always lived in India. The same could be true in all other countries and societies.
The tribal body alleged that the Valley-Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGS) are based in Myanmar, fighting alongside the Myanmar Army against the Pro-Democracy groups, the People’s Defence Force (PDF), and the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B).
Animal milk is for THEIR offspring, NOT OURS. Human breast milk has a different composition to cow or buffalo breast milk, or goat’s breast milk or other mammal’s milk.
Cow breast milk is made for her baby's unique growth and development needs. Human breast milk is made for their human baby's development and growth.
“The low expected turnout in the upcoming elections reflects a popular rejection of the…political system, which is suffering from a legitimacy crisis and the absence of real opposition forces to vie with the parties in power…”
We have no problem identifying low voter turnout as a consequence of political illegitimacy. People decline to vote because they recognize that voting will not produce meaningful change, because it’s not worth it and because they don’t want to participate in a corrupt system…
…as long as we’re talking about countries other than the US. When US voters withhold their participation, they’re almost certainly going to hear about how they personally want fascism to win. Haven’t you heard that this is The Most Important Election in Our Lifetime? All systemic analysis goes out the window and all we can talk about is personal failure.
“The low expected turnout in the upcoming elections reflects a popular rejection of the…political system, which is suffering from a legitimacy crisis and the absence of real opposition forces to vie with the parties in power…”
People decline to vote because they recognize that voting will not produce meaningful change, because it’s not worth it and because they don’t want to participate in a corrupt system…
You are only highlighting political apathy. That may not be the only reason in India. In mega cities of India, including Bengaluru, the calculation of low voter turnout percentage is wrong due to:
Out-of-sync voter lists in mega cities that have a lot of migration and inter-city movement. It may require significant effort to get the name added in the electoral roll after migrating to another city.
Duplicate entries and improper deletions, during an effort to clean up the electoral rolls, leading to the disenfranchisement of genuine voters.
The above does not necessarily mean that citizens can be absolved. Indian political parties must introspect why their election manifestos and candidates are failing to motivate voters to come out and vote enthusiastically.
The most obvious reason behind veganism is to stand up against animal cruelty.
Animal rights are based on principles of autonomy and freedom for nonhuman animals.
Nonhuman animals deserve to live their lives without human interference. Nonhumans have fundamental rights to live with respect and dignity without being subjected to human desire, use and abuse.
There is no sign that the 2023 Israel–Hamas war will stop soon and peace will prevail on either side.
This Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling profit machines. Therefore, the war will continue to rage as thousands of civilians are getting killed as collateral damages.
I made a mistake here by only stating the economic aspects. The Israel-Hamas war has complex dynamics. It is important to consider the broader political, historical, and ideological factors that drive the Israel-Hamas war in addition to potential financial gains. These factors are interconnected and influence each other.
How can such a situation persist without profits which will be related to ideological, political and financial aspects? The ideological, territorial and political aspects are well documented. Despite the ongoing conflict, there are business and financial benefits for certain industries as mentioned in this article. Additionally, the coastal strip of Gaza and Israeli occupied Palestinian territories sit above sizable reservoirs of oil and natural gas, which offer an opportunity to distribute and share $524 billion among different parties in the region.
The war has caused significant human suffering and loss of life, and, as stated before, it is not appropriate to view it only through an economic lens. It is important to focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict and supporting the humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence. Is war a prelude to peace in this case? In some cases, war can lead to further instability, violence, and suffering, making it difficult to establish a lasting peace. The relationship between war and peace is complex and depends on various factors, including the involvement of international actors, regional dynamics, and the will of the people to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
I conclude this article by quoting Anthony H. Cordesman from his article titled Gaza: Why the War Won’t End (dated 02nd November 2023).> What does seem clear, however, is that both sides now have no good options that will bring lasting peace or stability. Israel will almost certainly be able to contain Gaza and seriously weaken Hamas. At best, Israel can use force to occupy and control Gaza but never be accepted by Gaza’s population and able to offer successful development or a decent life. Israel’s actions have also, however, sharply increased Gazan, Palestinian, and Arab hostility to Israel and undermined the sympathy and support it gained after the initial invasion by Hamas. The best outcome from Israel’s current offensive seems all too likely to leave Israel either as at least a partial occupier of a hostile Gaza or create and maintain a far larger set of security barriers that may have to extend well beyond the present border and require a much larger forward-deployed security force.
As for Hamas, some three weeks after its attack, it was still unclear what its strategic objective was in launching an attack whose very success was certain to provoke a massive Israeli military response without achieving any clear strategic gains for Hamas. Given its long history of defeats in previous fighting, Hamas had to realize that Israel’s almost inevitable violent response might limit or end the progress made in improving Arab-Israeli relations and the Abraham Accords; and it had to realize the result would sharply weaken or destroy Hamas and lead to massive damage to the civil population in Gaza. To quote Henry Kissinger in a very different context, “The threat of committing suicide is not an adequate deterrent to being murdered.”
India was liberated from the British Empire, ending one of the most brutal crimes in history. We look back at the Empire in horror while committing even worse crimes against nonhuman animals for profit and pleasure.
We can live ayurvedically and substitute natural, non-dairy milks and cheeses, avocado, raw almonds, and raw tahini for stolen animal breast milk, cheese, butter, and ghee.
In this way, we can experience the benefits of Ayurveda without harming anybody.
We can live ayurvedically and substitute natural, non-dairy milks and cheeses, avocado, raw almonds, and raw tahini for stolen animal breast milk, cheese, butter, and ghee.
In this way, we can experience the benefits of Ayurveda without harming anybody.
It happened yesterday and today, on Christmas day, I am reading it here.
At least 68 people were killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza, health officials said Sunday, while the number of Israeli soldiers killed in combat over the weekend rose to 17.
There is no sign that the 2023 Israel–Hamas war will stop soon and peace will prevail on either side.
This was the first time India had backed such a resolution since the war began more than two months ago. India’s vote in favor of the UN resolution demonstrates our concern for the humanitarian situation and, also, our commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.
The resolution was unanimously accepted by the 193-member UN General Assembly during an emergency special session, with 153 states voting in favor, 10 voting against, and 23 abstentions. Unfortunately, this is simply an indication of worldwide sentiment. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding.
This Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling profit machines. Therefore, the war will continue to rage as thousands of civilians are getting killed as collateral damages.
There is no sign that the 2023 Israel–Hamas war will stop soon and peace will prevail on either side.
This Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling profit machines. Therefore, the war will continue to rage as thousands of civilians are getting killed as collateral damages.
I made a mistake here by only stating the economic aspects. The Israel-Hamas war has complex dynamics. It is important to consider the broader political, historical, and ideological factors that drive the Israel-Hamas war in addition to potential financial gains. These factors are interconnected and influence each other.
How can such a situation persist without profits which will be related to ideological, political and financial aspects? The ideological, territorial and political aspects are well documented. Despite the ongoing conflict, there are business and financial benefits for certain industries as mentioned in this article. Additionally, the coastal strip of Gaza and Israeli occupied Palestinian territories sit above sizable reservoirs of oil and natural gas, which offer an opportunity to distribute and share $524 billion among different parties in the region.
The war has caused significant human suffering and loss of life, and, as stated before, it is not appropriate to view it only through an economic lens. It is important to focus on finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict and supporting the humanitarian needs of those affected by the violence. Is war a prelude to peace in this case? In some cases, war can lead to further instability, violence, and suffering, making it difficult to establish a lasting peace. The relationship between war and peace is complex and depends on various factors, including the involvement of international actors, regional dynamics, and the will of the people to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
I conclude this article by quoting Anthony H. Cordesman from his article titled Gaza: Why the War Won’t End (dated 02nd November 2023).
What does seem clear, however, is that both sides now have no good options that will bring lasting peace or stability. Israel will almost certainly be able to contain Gaza and seriously weaken Hamas. At best, Israel can use force to occupy and control Gaza but never be accepted by Gaza’s population and able to offer successful development or a decent life. Israel’s actions have also, however, sharply increased Gazan, Palestinian, and Arab hostility to Israel and undermined the sympathy and support it gained after the initial invasion by Hamas. The best outcome from Israel’s current offensive seems all too likely to leave Israel either as at least a partial occupier of a hostile Gaza or create and maintain a far larger set of security barriers that may have to extend well beyond the present border and require a much larger forward-deployed security force.
As for Hamas, some three weeks after its attack, it was still unclear what its strategic objective was in launching an attack whose very success was certain to provoke a massive Israeli military response without achieving any clear strategic gains for Hamas. Given its long history of defeats in previous fighting, Hamas had to realize that Israel’s almost inevitable violent response might limit or end the progress made in improving Arab-Israeli relations and the Abraham Accords; and it had to realize the result would sharply weaken or destroy Hamas and lead to massive damage to the civil population in Gaza. To quote Henry Kissinger in a very different context, “The threat of committing suicide is not an adequate deterrent to being murdered.”
The presence of Indians, from India, in Fediverse is insignificant as on today. Most of us are happy with X and social media tools from Meta. Even the number of posts from existing users, in India, is very low though many of them seem to be active in the above mentioned social media sites.
What can be done to improve the situation? There are no carrots here.
I am yet to see the presence of any climate activist or climate activism groups, from India, here. I will be glad to correct myself.
There are several notable climate activism groups in India, including:
Fridays for Future India: This is a youth-led movement that organizes peaceful demonstrations to call for action on climate change.
Balajee Sewa Sansthan (BSS India): This organization is headquartered in Dehradun and promotes sustainability and fighting climate change. They conduct awareness programs on climate change in various schools and register students as environment ambassadors.
The Climate Reality Project India: This is a non-profit organization that works to promote climate action and awareness in India. They organize training programs, workshops, and events to educate people about climate change and its impacts.
The Indian Youth Climate Network: This is a network of young people who are working to promote climate action and sustainability in India. They organize events, campaigns, and workshops to raise awareness about climate change and its impacts.
The Centre for Science and Environment: This is a research and advocacy organization that works on environmental issues, including climate change. They conduct research, publish reports, and organize events to promote sustainable development and climate action.
The above groups seem to available only in X, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.
Thousands of Indian teachers set to lose jobs as Muslim school funding ends (neuters.de)
India's most populous state has stopped paying some 21,000 teachers of subjects including mathematics and science in Muslim religious schools, or madrasas, an official said on Thursday, and they could lose their jobs altogether.
Netflix removes Tamil film 'Annapoorani' amid controversy (www.eastmojo.com)
Guwahati: Netflix has taken down the Tamil film 'Annapoorani' following a controversy sparked by Hindu right-wing groups who claimed certain scenes in the
Nuclear Resistance Movements in India (doi.org)
The paper illustrates dynamics of nuclear resistance movements in India and how people’s power rises in response to subversion of justice and suppression of human rights....
Manipur govt to look into claim of 'delisting' Kukis, Zomis from ST list? (www.eastmojo.com)
The Union government said the process of inclusion or exclusion from the ST list requires the proposal to originate from the concerned State government.
Tribal body accuses Manipur CM of 'international conspiracy (www.eastmojo.com)
The tribal body alleged that the Valley-Based Insurgent Groups (VBIGS) are based in Myanmar, fighting alongside the Myanmar Army against the Pro-Democracy groups, the People’s Defence Force (PDF), and the Kuki National Army-Burma (KNA-B).