Lee is new S Korea President, vows to revive democracy

South Korea's new liberal President Lee Jae-myung pledged on Wednesday to raise the country from what he described as the near destruction caused by a martial law attempt and revive a struggling economy facing global protectionism.

Long wait ends, Census by March 2027, will include caste count too

The Government on Wednesday said the process of data collection for the Census, along with caste enumeration, would commence early next year to give a snapshot of the country's population as on March 1, 2027.

Reimagining plastic as a sustainability solution

Plastic is viewed as an environmental threat due to our misuse despite its vital contributions to packaging, auto, medicine and food and preservation industries, and even climate solutions.

Eco-innovation turns plastics problem into industry progress

While World Environment Day in 2025 is focus on ending plastic pollution, businesses across the plastic value chain are turning the challenges into opportunities, created particularly by startups.

The result is that the industry is expected to grow from $49.50 billion in 2025 to $67.82 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of more than 6.5% in the predicted timeline (2025-2030). The sector provides employment to 40 lakh workers, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence In India Plastic Industry Size & Share Analysis Growth Trends & Forecasts (2025-2030). Even the Indian Trade Portal under the aegis of Ministry of Commerce and Industry states that the ministry aims to increase plastic exports of the country to $25 billion by 2025.

Sustainable farming key to combating climate crisis losses

January 2025 was the warmest January recorded despite the cooling influence of La Niña, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service, a knowledge repository. What is worse is that it was also confirmation of a continued pattern of increased global temperatures, which is threatening the very existence of humanity.

The continued rise of global temperatures is specifically taking a heavy toll on the agriculture sector due to unpredictable weather patterns leading to frequent floods, heatwaves, droughts and storms.

The changing face of power: From emissions to innovation

As the world observes Environment Day, Day, the t urgency of building a sustainable energy future comes into sharp focus. Delhi-NCR, often ranked among the world's most polluted and densely populated regions, faces growing challenges at the crossroads of environmental conservation and energy demand. With a population exceeding 71 million, making it one of the most populous urban areas globally, ensuring access to clean, reliable energy remains a pressing priority.

How to treat mental health impacts of climate change

Solastalgia is a condition that negatively affects our mind when we witness degradation in our home environment, affecting our sense of belonging to a particular place.

The word is not very common right now but as climate change becomes worse, the incidence of solastalgia is going to become more prevalent in the coming years.

Climate change is no more a threat but a reality which is impacting every living creature on the planet. While there are debates and discussions on how it is impacting the environment, economy and sea level, but in the future the attention is set to increase on its impact on our mental health as well.

From people living in hilly areas experiencing heat waves to people living in coastal areas experiencing effects of rising sea levels to increased levels of pollution, all of them are susceptible to this condition.

The severity of the issue can be gauged from what Dr N K Venkataramana, Founder-Chairman of Brains Super Speciality Hospital, Bengaluru, has to say, "Pollution and air pollutants can also exacerbate conditions like Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's, especially dementia. Therefore, it is crucial that we maintain both our natural environment and our surroundings in a more hygienic and clean manner."

Visit aspirational dists, spend at least 24 hrs: PM to ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday asked all ministers to visit aspirational districts and blocks and spend at least 24 hours there, The Indian Express has learnt.

FIRST STEPS IN LADAKH

Since 2019 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the leaders from the Union Territory of Ladakh have demanded constitutional protections for land ownership, economic opportunities, preserving tribal cultures and languages, and a more representative government. Each of these clusters of demands is rooted in the unique historical and demographic profile of the region, and the promise - both explicit and implicit - at the time of the abrogation of Article 370 was that they would be addressed. Earlier this week, a slew of notifications by the central government moved the needle significantly on many of the demands from Ladakh, especially around domicile-based government jobs, protection and promotion of languages and quotas. Welcome as they are, these orders should be followed in due course by measures that ensure a deepening of representative democracy in Ladakh and assuage some of the anxieties around land rights.

What Dhaka Needs 

Until a few months ago, it seemed as if the goodwill commanded by the interim government of Bangladesh headed by Muhammad Yunus - the product of an agreement between the major political parties, the army, and student leaders - would be enough for it to carry out its ambitious reform agenda. But while the reform efforts are still on, the banning of the Awami League and the onset of the absentee trial of the ousted leader, Sheikh Hasina, have produced an unsettling sense that we are witnessing what commentator Taqbir Huda calls "the perverse circularity of revenge politics in Bangladesh". This is not the best of circumstances for external players to actively support the accountability and reform objectives of the interim government.

On The Green Track 

Every time you choose to travel by train, you are not just choosing comfort or convenience - you are choosing a cleaner, greener Bharat. More than 700 crore people chose to travel in Indian Railways last year. It's our lifeline, and a green promise for tomorrow.

The rediscovery of India 

How should you react when something you value is stolen? Once you overcome the initial bewilderment (Where is it?), curiosity (Who stole it? How?) and guilt (Was I careless?), you arrive at the all-important question: How do I reclaim it so as to not lose it again?

That is the question I would like to take away from the thoughtful response ('Who stole my nationalism?', IE, May 31) to my article ('The nationalism we forgot', IE, May 27) by Suhas Palshikar - my colleague, co-author and friend for three decades. His disagreements are constructive, as our starting point is the same. Suhas bhai puts it better than I did: It's not just the backsliding of Indian nationalism, but the delegitimisation and resolute replacement by a phoney version based on the "narrow, vicious, macho and exclusionary European duplication of nationalism". Therefore, reclaiming Indian nationalism is arguably the most critical priority for political action today.

Our open society’s offer

From a German point of view, the Indian diaspora seems to have a magic formula for success. They climb to the highest ranks around the world, particularly in Europe and North America. They succeed in the economy, in education, and in research. What do they bring to the table? A culture where education and learning are highly regarded, where grit and determination are a necessity, and where being adaptable and nifty is a way of life.

When bank nationalization law was ruled 'unconstitutional' over unfair compensation

During an intimate dinner party hosted by Rustom Cavasjee Cooper, 47, in July 1969, a news development crackled over the radio: the government had nationalised 14 of India's largest private commercial banks having deposits of over Rs 50 crore.

Recalling that dinner party in an article for Himmat, a weekly magazine, Cooper, a shareholder in several of these banks and a Swatantra Party leader, remembers spending the rest of the evening pacing and feeling agitated. Sensing his turmoil, a senior government official at the party remarked casually, "Why don't you contest it in the Supreme Court?"

Kutch housed hunter-gatherers 5,000 yrs before Harappans arrived: Study

Shell scatters, deposits, middens, stone tools: Researchers have found rare evidence of human settlement in Kutch, which, they claim, predates Harappan civilization by thousands of years. According to a recent study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN), offering new insights into Kutch's cultural evolution, the region was home to prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities way before the Harappan era.

Defence equipment, oil, cars: Where India could lower tariffs to reach deal with US

With US trade negotiators set to reach India Thursday for a today visit, the India-US trade deal negotiations are entering their final stage and could soon see Delhi opening its market and lowering tariffs on a range of American products - from select agricultural goods to defence equipment.

Majority of states want tax revenue share with Centre hiked to 50%, says Panagariya

Majority of 28 states have asked the Finance Commission to increase tax revenue distribution between the Centre and states to 50 per cent, the panel's Chairman said here on Wednesday

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES SOUTH KOREAN'S NEW PRESIDENT LEE FACE?

After Winning a tense election, new South Korean President Lee Jae-myung described his victory as the start of the country's return to normalcy following the crisis sparked by then-conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law in December.

But the outspoken liberal, who assumed office immediately on Wednesday without a transition period, takes the helm during a highly challenging time for the country.

The Census of 1931

The Centre on Wednesday announced that the much delayed Census 2021 will be held in two phases beginning October 1, 2026 and March 1, 2027.

This will be the first Census since 1931 to capture granular caste data, beyond the broader classifications of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) that have been enumerated in every post Independence Census.

Some of the debates that took place around the exercise in 1931 continue to be relevant even today. As are questions of methodology, which were discussed in detail in the 518-page report compiled by Census Commissioner John Henry Hutton. Here's a brief history.

How air pollution can increase the risk of premature birth 

A study has revealed the biological process by which pregnant women exposed to PM2.5 air pollution could be at a higher risk of premature deliveries.

Researchers from Emory University in the United States analysed blood samples from 330 African American pregnant women in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

Justice Hema Committee report: Why police have dropped sexual assault cases

The Kerala police on Tuesday dropped 35 sexual assault cases which were booked after the Justice Hema Committee report was released by the Kerala government on August 19, 2024.