by Ashish Kumar Singh & Akash Singh Every morning the municipality vehicle comes with a speaker phone playing songs on the themes of waste management and segregation. Interesting is the fact that despite their two rounds each morning, often people tend to throw garbage and food waste on the street while ensuring that their houses remain clean. Is it a[Read More…]
by Ashish Kumar Singh & Akash Singh According to a NITI Aayog recent report titled ‘India’s Booming Gig and Platform Economy’ India’s gig workforce, estimated to be at 77 lakh in 2020-21. It is expected to go up to 2.35 crore by 2029-30. Gig worker are defined by Niti Aayog as those engaged in livelihoods outside the traditional employer-employee arrangement. Gig[Read More…]
By Ashish Singh & Akash Singh Both countries have extremely close relations since 1947, despite India being a member of the Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) India followed a five year planning. In the 2nd Five Year Plan of India 8 out of 16 heavy industries were set up with the assistance of USSR. In 1971 the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Peace and[Read More…]
by Ashish Kumar Singh & Margarita Denisnova Minaeva The Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019 was passed by both the houses of parliament in July 2019. The opposition parties had been arguing against the proposed changes in the Right to Information Act of 2005 through this amendment. The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act, 2005) came in existence after a long movement against transparency and accountability in governance.[Read More…]
I was in PM Modi’s constituency witnessing some changes and listening to demands for changes- all for the better. I got a chance to attend a public dialogue on Front-of-Pack Labelling (FOPL). FOPL is similar to the warning labels in tobacco products informing the consumers what they are about to intake. Sub-optimal or poor nutrition is escalating diet related non[Read More…]
Ayodhya is an ancient city of India situated near Faizabad in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. According to the religious scriptures, Ayodhya used to be the capital of the ancient Kosala Kingdom and the birthplace of Hindu god Rama. Ayodhya (Awadh) has been regarded as one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites for Hindus (Times of India, n.d.). The Ayodhya dispute arose as it is believed that a temple was[Read More…]
Poor diet is responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other risk factor, and is a leading cause of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Global estimates suggest that almost 2.3 billion children and adults are overweight. The growing availability of ultra-processed foods, which contain high levels of sugars, sodium, saturated fats and refined carbohydrates, is a key contributor[Read More…]
The Corona crisis was becoming more dangerous with every passing day. At that time, I was living in my dormitory in Moscow. I was planning to come to India in March 2020 to attend Holi. By the time I started to look for flights, the crisis had already changed travel policies. Two weeks quarantine upon arrival with very less clarity[Read More…]
The corona crisis has shown us a stark reality that was otherwise ignored for a long time. Our health systems and healthcare facilities are inadequate, overly expensive, and largely out of reach. When someone in our families falls sick then we get bothered about familial health. Running between doctors, pharmacies and pathologies our budgets get imbalanced, yet we do not[Read More…]
As the pandemic has demonstrated, global supply chains with multiple dependencies are extremely fragile and collapse easily. This has been particularly the case for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), that has seen the prices of medicine skyrocketing. The need of the hour is not only to build alternative and localized supply chains which are also environmentally sustainable, but also to draw[Read More…]
by Paritosh Singh, Akash Singh & Ashish Kumar Singh Abstract Vehicle parking is a major problem in urban areas in both developed and developing countries. Following the rapid increase of car ownership, many cities are suffering from lacking of car parking areas with imbalance between parking supply and demand which can be considered the initial reason for metropolis parking problems.[Read More…]
My hands are still shaking, and I feel uneasiness at heart while writing this. I have studied in India, Norway and Russia- in the top universities of these countries. I started writing for newspapers back in 2005. I grew up in different parts of UP due to my father’s job postings. We moved to Rae Bareli (my home town) back[Read More…]
Written by Ashish Kumar Singh & Wakar Amin India consists of a population with different sets of profiles of socio-culturally diverse identities scattered within it. Any vaccination program which is aimed at covering the whole population has to use a diverse and heterogeneous strategy like the population of the country. Not to mention the fact that the enormous size of[Read More…]
The digital economy is shaping the world today. From becoming a smooth transaction platform to modern-day swag, it is leaving its footprints all over the globe. The digital economy is different than the traditional economy and has become a priority area for many countries. India, for example, came with “Digital India” in 2015. The official website states that “Digital India[Read More…]
Co-Written by Ashish Kumar Singh & Abhijit Anand In this part, we summarize another important research article focusing on Foreign Imposed Regime Change, noting the fact that the recent crisis is connected with the political events taking place in Iraq. We must also not forget that Iraq’s parliament has passed a resolution calling on the government to end all foreign[Read More…]
Co-Written by Ashish Kumar Singh & Abhijit Anand Iran and USA reached on the brink of a war due to the series of events that took place in the beginning of 2020. We are going to give a time-line of the recent events, and then present main points of two academic articles relevant to understand these events in totality. We[Read More…]
Rae Bareli as a political constituency is world-famous. The ground realities remain no different than any other three-tier city in India. Political promises of UPA and NDA both have failed the citizens of Rae Bareli. The city still stands poorly in providing basic amenities to its citizens. During the time of elections, the usual question one asks is whether the[Read More…]
(Images by- José Fernando Real, Wikimedia commons) Book: Ingram, S, Kent, L. &Mcwilliam, A. (Eds.). (2015). A New Era?: Timor-Leste after the UN. The Australian National University. (Free to downloadfrom https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/series/state-society-and-governance-melanesia/new-era) “A New Era?: Timor-Leste after the UN” is an edited book which looks into the status of a newer country – that of Timor-Leste (East Timor). The book answers[Read More…]
Back in December 2012, all of us were filled with anger, frustration and willing to change society just immediately. It was a reaction after reading, talking and thinking about what happened in New Delhi and later to be called as the “Nirbhaya Case”. I was residing in Oslo as a student and wrote an article with another Indian friend who[Read More…]
Co-Written By Siddhartha Negi and Ashish Kumar Singh Country’s last Himalayan Villages of India painstakingly save endangered national herbal treasures with Promising multi-fold in farm income. They remain yet in anticipation of vital government Support. With high aspirations these villages celebrated Kutki (an Endangered Herb) Mahotsav with Chief Minister, Uttarakhand State & Ayush Minister, Govt. Of India. They aspire strengthened[Read More…]
This is a story that needs a little background because as the story the background is equally important. I went to Oslo in 2010 to study a Master program at the Oslo University College (now Oslo Metropolitan University). Like any other European city, a lot of international students go to study in Oslo (and in Norway). Because of my inclination[Read More…]
Co-Written by Ashish Kumar Singh & Dr. Wakar Amin Being ranked as the fourth-worst country for religious intolerance out of 198 nations in April 2017, it is high time that the claims of “unity of diversity” are crosschecked in every nook and corner of India. This ranking was done a Pew Research Canter’s study. The state of Kashmir has been affected[Read More…]
Co-Written By Ashish Kumar Singh and Praloy Majumder A study done by Korn Ferry said that India is projected to have a skilled labour surplus of 245 million workers by 2030, mainly on the back of “vast supply of working age citizens”, even as most of the developed and developing economies are expected to grapple with talent crunch at that[Read More…]
In the middle of April this year, I received an Email with subject line “To Ashish: The IRAQs’ Political Woes Won’t End Without Comprehensive Judicial Reform”. I’d ignored this Email if it was not personalised. I started reading and to my surprise I not only received praise for my previous articles on different human rights issues but also an story from an Iraqi citizen- Thaar Majeed Hassan AL_Taiey. Taking[Read More…]
Rahul Gandhi paid a visit to his constituency Amethi a few days ago. Rae Bareli-Amethi have become synonymous to India National Congress (INC). Every time one utters their name in front of people who have not been there, their eyes start glittering with a hypothetical boon these two places might have got because of INC’s long rule and because of[Read More…]
(A street artist made it in Bergen, Norway on Easter day. The lady Jesus is the former Justice minister.) The month of March was quite interesting and happening for Norwegian politicians and everyone abroad. It all started with a Facebook post with a picture of threatening-looking guys with weapons (most-likely Al Shabaab militants), the image text translated as something like: “AP[Read More…]
On March 21, 2018 Kosovo’s opposition used tear gas to disrupt a parliament vote on a border demarcation deal with Montenegro. Lawmakers had to be evacuated from the Assembly building after the opposition Self-Determination Movement party used tear gas in the hall where the vote was due to start. The 120-seat parliament was expected to vote, with two-thirds required to[Read More…]
Britain’s reaction of sending 23 Russian diplomats back is hasty. Not supporting the death/killing of the former Russian Spy (later a traitor for Russia and Spy for MI6), but we don’t know the reasons behind that as of now. As per the legal definitions, “innocent until proven guilty”; why not to wait for the outcome of an investigation? I didn’t[Read More…]
It is almost certain that Vladimir Putin will continue to be in office as elections in Russia are about to be held. Things have changed for Russia after the collapse of the USSR. Still, there are a lot of things which seems to be the same as they were. An article by Anders Åslund (Anders, A (2001). Russia. Foreign Policy,[Read More…]
In a world of close to 200 United Nations member states, hardly more than a dozen are “outcasts” from this union. According to constitutive – as opposed to declarative – theory, the question of statehood is a matter of context, as the recognition by another international community is more vital than the state is in itself a functioning community. States[Read More…]
Co-Written By Ashish Kumar Singh and Shirin Shabana Khan Domestic violence in simple terms can be defined as any kind of abusive behavior by the husband or male partner or their relatives (includes male and female relatives). It need not be physical abuse. It could also be verbal, emotional, sexual or economic abuse. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence[Read More…]
German playwright and author Bertolt Brecht wrote “The Radio as an Apparatus of Communication. Radio is one sided when it should be two. It is purely an apparatus for distribution, for mere sharing out. So, here is a positive suggestion: change this apparatus over from distribution to communication. The radio would be the finest possible communication apparatus in public life,[Read More…]
Co-Written By Ashish Kumar Singh and Shirin Shabana Khan 2017-18 is witnessing a transition where not only the successful (mostly online) campaign #Me-too is shaking our psyche, but also imprisonment to Larry Nassar up to almost 300 years in different cases is painfully relieving for the majority of us. India’s attitude towards sexual abuse and child sexual abuse needs an[Read More…]
In its recent press release the NREGA Sangrash Morcha brought in several important issues which we need to reflect upon for the efficient implementation of one of the world’s biggest employment guarantee schemes. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) budget for 2018-19 is Rs 55,000 crores, the same as that of this year’s in money terms. (The[Read More…]
In today’s world, where almost everything is a click away for many, access to healthcare, descents into alcoholism, and misperceptions about illnesses can still take us back to the eighteenth century. In this brief article, the idea is to give an overview of the interplay between the aforementioned determinants while presenting some evidence from the ground. The World Health Organization[Read More…]
Co-Written by Ashish Kumar Singh & Lenin Raghuvanshi Knowing how to read is knowing how to walk. Knowing how to write is knowing how to ascend. Feet, arms, wings, all these are given to man By his first and most humble schoolbooks[i]. Education is the primary vehicle by which marginalized individuals and communities lift themselves from the vicious circle of[Read More…]
Co-Written by Ashish Kumar Singh, Vidya Bhooshan Singh & Siddhartha Negi Biodiversity of India The term ‘biodiversity’ is a contraction of ‘biological diversity’, which is being used in conservation science. ‘Biological diversity’ in its current sense began to be used in the early 1980s, with interest in the concept elevated by publications such as ‘Limits to Growth’, which discussed the[Read More…]
C0-Written by Ashish Kumar Singh, Vidya Bhooshan Singh & Siddhartha Negi ‘It’s my destiny to serve Maa Ganga’ said the current Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi after being elected in May 2014 to Parliament from Varanasi. The first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, wrote, “The Ganges, above all, is the river of India which has held India’s heart[Read More…]
Co-Written by Ashish Kumar Singh, Vidya Bhooshan Singh & Siddhartha Negi Climate Change The climate of the world is changing constantly due to the increasing global warming by the natural and man-made activities. These changes have an enormous impact on the people’s lives and ecosystems. Developing countries, and particularly the poorest people in these countries, are the most vulnerable to[Read More…]
Co-Written By Ashish Kumar Singh & Judas Everett South Sudan is a typical example of modern day media saturation, there are only so many cries for UN intervention, only so many pleas for aid and only so much bad news people can absorb before saturation is achieved. Since independence and the follow South Sudanese civil war and various famines there[Read More…]
This paper looks into the food security and nutrition security situation in Gaza Strip, and
possible consequences on adolescents’ growth and development.
Rae Bareli, with a population of about thirty five lakhs is slowly heading towards a city full of narrow alleys. Around two lakh people belonging to different class and caste resides in the urban areas. Most of the houses here came up randomly since the development of the area was never done in the lines of a housing society. One[Read More…]
A report published by Forbes on 11 September 2014 still stands true as not much has changed in the access to healthcare in India. According to World Health Organization’s 2000 World Health Report ranking India’s healthcare system at 112 out of 190 countries. The below paragraph is based on a friend’s recent experience when he was spending time and energy for the treatment of his[Read More…]
Youth is considered an important juncture in human life. This phase is a bridge between childhood and maturity. After completing formal education, young people spend their time swinging between employment and unemployment. This phase gives them ample time to understand the society around them according to their own thinking, background and surroundings and thus, plan for their future. It is[Read More…]
There still exists a lack of effective monitoring mechanisms: ill-treatment, neglect (despite RTE banning discrimination); disabilities not ensured – ‘remains a distant priority among school authorities’ – not enough done to bring and keep girls in classrooms
Co-Written by Ashish Singh & Raghu Pilla Categorized as one of the worst droughts in the history of India, drought 2015-16 has affected more than 330 million people in more than 2.5 lakh villages of 266 districts from 11 states in India. It has had a devastating impact on people’s lives as it affected water availability, agriculture, livelihoods, food production[Read More…]
The legalization of setting up a Community Radio Station came after a long and voiced revolution from various grass-root organizations, individuals and communities. Community Radio is not just something which is feeding the people’s mind with few people’s choices, interests and beliefs, its inception goes back to the logic of providing Voice to the Voiceless, Being A Tool of Development[Read More…]
This book “The Actual Cost of Caste: MGNREGA On The Ground” seeks to examine the lives of rural Dalit women in private as well as public spheres. A theoretical framework of poverty, shame and social exclusion has been used to explore the objectives. The study goes further and analyses one of India’s biggest social security programs, the Mahatma Gandhi National[Read More…]
ActionAid India has recently come up with a report on the issues of Land Rights in India. Land, forest and water being three major issues for the larger part of the world, the report is an important document to be read and discussed at multiple levels. Titled as “Land to the Tiller: Revisiting the Unfinished Land Reforms Agenda”, was an outcome of the research on land reforms and the recommendations for implementation of the land reforms in 11 states (Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh).
Selling One’s Soul – The betrayal of Christ and Constitution 
Climate Crisis Has Caused Increasingly Irreversible Losses, Says UN Report 
Yarrow Mamout Masjid Dedicated at Georgetown University 
Adolf Hitler, Carl Orff & Sophie Scholl 
Algeria’s Gas vs. Rightwing Ideology: Will Italy Change Its Position on Jerusalem? 
From Balloons to AUKUS: The War Drive Against China 
Paul Keating’s criticism of Australia’s AUKUS deal is damming but not “astonishing”, – in fact, timely! 
In memory of 20th anniversary of the Iraq War 
CBI investigation against Harsh Mandar’s NGO is nothing but travesty of justice 
Concept of Gram Swaraj (‘Village Self-Reliance’) and Its Increasing Relevance for Our Times 
Indian Democracy & Chaos in Parliament! 
Veterans Condemn Eviction of Aruna Rodrigues from her Residence 
America’s Wars 
Criminals at Large: The Iraq War Twenty Years On 
Massive White House Protest Against Endless Wars 
From ‘Progress’ to an Economics of Happiness 
On Missing Dr. Strangelove Or How Americans Learned to Stop Worrying and Forgot the Bomb 
The Arrest Warrant Against Putin and International Justice 
Illiberal Democracy and Anti-modernization waves in south-Asia 
To prevent a civil war that is about to happen in Pakistan 
Self-Reliant Farmers Improve their Economics and Also Contribute to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation 
Where Do We Go From Here 
Modi Government’s crusade against the opposition 
India’s shift to a Defence-oriented economy, with increasing role for the private sector 
Spent Matters: The AUKUS Nuclear Waste Problem 
Iraq Invasion 20th Anniversary: 5 Million Dead In Iraqi Holocaust 
The Significance of the Paris Commune 152 Years After 
In memory of Anton Semyonovich Makarenko who championed democratic education 
Genetically Modified Animals Bring New Risks and Uncertainties 
When will the suicide of Dalit, tribal students stop? 
Social media and people’s life: A way of good governance 
In USA Black Farmers are Down From 14% to 1.4%, They Need Help 
Demystifying the halo around `Naatu Naatu’ and RRR 
Amazon Rainforest Destabilizes the World 
Iraq and 15 Lessons We Never Learned 
Paulo Freire: Education, Schooling and Social Change 
A Donbas Diary: Looking Back at the Early Stages of the Conflict in Ukraine 
The U.S. and UK’s Submarine Deal Crosses Nuclear Red Lines with Australia 
In memory of Writer Han Suyin Chaos in Pakistan: Imran Khan Takes on America and its Comprador Elites 
Our beloved K.P.Sasi is no more. Filmmaker, cartoonist, writer, mentor, friend and above all tireless activist championing the cause of every underdog, Sasi breathed his last, mid-afternoon this Christmas day – after battling a medical condition for months. I remember the last time I met him, almost exactly a month before he passed away, at the ayurvedic healing center in[Read More…]
