Author: Vikramaditya Devadhikar

For many years, Tajikistan has been gravely affected by drug trafficking. At least 15-20 tons of opium and between 75 and 80 metric tons of heroin are smuggled into the country each year from Afghanistan either for local consumption or for transfer to Russia and Europe. Despite an official Tajik government policy to fight illicit drug trafficking in cooperation with foreign governments and international organizations, trafficking continues to increase. The volume of drug transit through Tajikistan is now equivalent to 30 percent of the country’s GDP. So far, the success of domestic Tajik policies and international assistance has been minimal. Trafficking is a product of numerous complex…

Pollution in India’s capital Delhi has made global headlines in recent years, but it’s not a new problem. For around four decades, the country’s top court has actively discussed the issue, sometimes passing orders that have significantly reshaped life in Delhi. Its latest intervention came in early November, when the Supreme Court called for “immediate action” after air quality in the capital deteriorated to alarming levels. The court heard arguments on measures implemented by the Delhi government to tackle the situation, from reducing stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana, to a proposal to allow motor vehicles…

At last month’s Lakmé Fashion Week in India, conversations about making fashion more sustainable took centre-stage. But are the country’s designers ready for this? The four-day event – organised jointly by beauty company Lakmé, billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Brands and the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) – is one of Indian fashion’s biggest highlights. While it had all the essential ingredients – glittering catwalks, clinking wine glasses and fashionistas in the front row – what grabbed eyeballs was a competition encouraging young designers to use eco-friendly materials to create outfits. The event is part of a wider ambition among…

At least 36 people have died and 19 others have been injured after a bus plunged into a gorge in northern India’s Jammu district. Officials said more than 50 passengers were on board when the bus veered off the road and fell into the 300ft gorge in Doda district. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and announced financial compensation for the victims’ families. Pictures and videos from the site of the accident showed the mangled remains of the bus lying near a hill as rescue personnel looked for survivors. Federal…

Paris (08/11 – 75) Sri Lanka’s economic and political crisis of 2022 left the country bankrupt. Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as President of Sri Lanka in July 2022 when the country was in the middle of its worst economic and political crisis since independence in 1948. His predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had been forced out of power after facing mass protests prompted by 12-hour power cuts and persistent fuel and food shortages. The nation was bankrupt.Wickremesinghe brought in the International Monetary Fund and has focused on reaching macroeconomic stability and driving tough but much-needed structural reforms. Today, as Sri Lanka embarks…

A deadly flash flood in the north-east state of Sikkim shows why India urgently needs to install advanced early warning systems for its dangerous glacial lakes, experts say. At least 70 people – including nine soldiers – have died, and more than 100 others are missing after South Lhonak, a glacial lake in the Himalayas, burst its banks last week. Such outbursts – or the sudden release of water from a lake fed by a glacier – can be triggered by heavy rains, earthquakes or avalanches. An early warning system can help authorities evacuate people in time and open the…

Canada has accused India of being linked to the murder of a Sikh leader on Canadian soil, fuelling a significant rift between the two countries. Who was the man, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, at the centre of those tensions? Hardeep Singh Nijjar was born in the district of Jalandhar in the North Indian state of Punjab. As a young man in 1997, he moved to Canada, where he married, had two sons and worked as a plumber. Settled in the province of British Columbia, he also made a name for himself as a vocal advocate for the creation of Khalistan -…

What does the biggest gathering of humanity on Earth have to do with antibiotics? Quite a bit, evidently. Researchers from US-based institutes, supported by Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University and Unicef, have found that clinics at India’s Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival and the world’s largest religious gathering, have prescribed an excessive amount of antibiotics to the tens of thousands of pilgrims, primarily arriving with respiratory tract infections. The more antibiotics are used, the higher the risk of developing what doctors refer to as “antimicrobial resistance”. This occurs when bacteria change over time and become…

Ukrainians and Israelis should not support those who harm relations between the two countries. Even when it comes to social networks. This opinion was expressed by Chief Rabbi of Ukraine Moshe Reuven Asman in an interview with RBC-Ukraine . He noted that Ukraine and Israel must do everything possible to prevent deterioration of relations. In his opinion, it is beneficial for both countries. “And not only profitable, but also correct, fair. A terrible war is going on in Ukraine. Israel helps, but you can try more. Moreover, I am ready to be authorized by the Ukrainian side, I will go to Israel, I will…

Poland’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych after the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Polish ambassador amid criticism from Warsaw about Kyiv’s alleged lack of gratitude. Details: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland has been invited to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with the statements made by representatives of the Ukrainian authorities,” the ministry said in a statement on Twitter. The Polish Foreign Ministry did not provide other details of the call. Earlier on Tuesday, Polish Ambassador to Ukraine Bartosz Cichocki was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign…