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Rise Of Eruditus: Edtech Startup

By
Dhruv Vashisth
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2
Eruditus Edtech Startup

Introduction

Eruditus Executive Education and Emeritus offer world-class business and professional education. Available in the United States, Europe, Latin America, India, and China through its partnerships with top-tier universities. Ashwin Damera and Chaitanya Kalipatnapu founded Eruditus in 2010. More than 250,000 ( two lakhs fifty thousand) individuals across 80 countries educated by Eruditus programs.

Further, they have been in partnership with over 50 universities including MIT, Columbia, Harvard, Cambridge, INSEAD, Wharton, UC Berkeley, INCAE, IIT, IIM, NUS, and HKUST. Eruditus is a global leader in the $280 billion global professional education market. With offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai.

Previous Year Updates of Eruditus

Leeds Illuminate and Proses Ventures raised $113 million in Eruditus’ Series D round of funding in September of last year. In January last year, the startup closed a $40Mn Series C round led by Sequoia Capital India, valuing it at $400 Million in today’s value.

Recent Updates 

Eruditus raised $650 Million from Accel US and SoftBank Vision Fund II, quadrupling its valuation. It peaked at $800 Million last year to $3.2 billion this year, making it the 22nd unicorn of 2021. The round comes just a few days after upGrad announced its entry into the unicorn club. With Eruditus, India now has four tech unicorns including BYJU’s and Unacademy. SoftBank’s second major bet in India’s edtech space. The Japanese fund is also a backer in Unacademy. A mix of primary and secondary transactions completed by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in the startup, said a report by ET. A $430 million investment round to be provided by the startup. While $220 million will be distributed to existing investors. The startup’s two cofounders, Ashwin Dhamera and the top management are liquidating about $100 million in the current round.

Also, Read| HACKERS FIRST STOLE $600 MILLION WORTH OF CRYPTO AND THEN RETURN ON THE REQUEST OF THE EXCHANGE

HACKERS FIRST STOLE $600 MILLION WORTH OF CRYPTO AND THEN RETURN ON THE REQUEST OF THE EXCHANGE

By
Pragyan Jaiminy
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1
HACKERS FIRST STOLE $600 MILLION WORTH CRYPTO

In a cyber-attack on the token-swapping platform, Poly Network, hackers stole crypto worth more than $600 mn. The stolen virtual tokens include the famous Bitcoins, Ethereum, Tether. This stolen amount makes it the biggest heist in the history of the decentralized financial (DeFi) sector. The hackers had exploited a vulnerability in Poly Network systems to pull off this heist.

WHAT IS A POLY NETWORK?

According to their official website, Poly Network is implementing interoperability between multiple chains in order to build next-generation internet infrastructure. They also help authorized public blockchains to communicate with other blockchains. This way they help crypto-exchanges to complete transactions without investing heavily in personal server infrastructure. 

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

On Tuesday, a relatively less popular Poly Network was attacked. The hacker exploited a bug and transferred more than $600 mn worth tokens in his/her wallet. Later, Poly Network took to Twitter to disclose the attack. They also asked the hacker to establish communication with the Poly Network team. And return the stolen assets.

Later on Wednesday in a U-turn, the hackers contacted the firm and said that they had done this to expose the vulnerability in the system before others could benefit from it. Further, they on the same day had returned $260 mn of the hacked assets. On the subsequent day, they have returned most of the assets and only $33 million worth of Tether remain outstanding. 

WHO WERE THE CRYPTO HACKERS?

The return of assets makes the hacker looks more like a white-hat hacker who aims to work ethically in exposing vulnerabilities in computer systems. But a large section of cyber-security experts looked skeptical for the same. They argued that the hacker due to the fear of authorities is returning the money. The motive of the hackers is uncertain until they return the entire amount.

A person claiming to be the hacker said that he was contacted by Poly Network and offered a bounty to return the assets. Further, he also claimed that they promised him no accountability for the incident. 

IMPACT ON THE DeFi SECTOR

Due to the decentralized nature of crypto, it is very difficult to track the identity of the person owning them. Identity can’t be ascertained until they have been brought through registered exchanges. This anonymous nature makes them an easy target for hackers. Also, the lack of traditional authorities like Banks, the unregulated market makes it riskier to store money in them. The year was not good for this sector. More than 50% of total frauds that occurred in the history of DeFi sector have been recorded this year. The future of this sector depends on whether the governments step in to stop frauds or continue to observe them.

Also, Read| INDIA AND TALIBAN POST-US WITHDRAWAL

INDIA AND TALIBAN POST-US WITHDRAWAL

By
Aayush Singh
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1
India and Taliban

In the last article, US WITHDRAWAL AND REGIONAL DYNAMICS, we discussed the possible consequences of the USA withdrawal in Afghanistan and the regions surrounding it. In this article, we will discuss what steps India has taken post-withdrawal, why it is not engaging with the Taliban. Further why it should engage with the Taliban along with Way Forward for India.

INDIA AND TALIBAN:

  • India is engaging all stakeholders in Afghanistan, including some parts of the Taliban. As part of a “multi-track” strategy necessitated by the advance of the Taliban militants on the ground.
  • According to the government’s latest assessment, the Taliban is attempting to acquire territory to the south and border posts of Afghanistan. It will accelerate its efforts to take major cities once the U.S. completes its pull-out of troops by the end of August.
  • In particular, the sources cited recent reports from international news agencies and videos. These showed Taliban fighters being treated in Pakistani hospitals
  • It is far from clear how much the U.S. will be willing to criticize Pakistan publicly. It is deeply engaged with its military and political leadership on pushing the Taliban towards some sort of a “face-saving” peace agreement before pulling out all its troops.
  • India, unlike the other members, is the only continental Asian power in the Quad, shares a contested land border with China. Further, is vulnerable to the geopolitical changes in the Eurasian landmass.

The U.S.

  • The U.S. may have retreated from Afghanistan as part of a grand strategy to take on China in maritime Asia. They need India’s involvement in this. India too might find it tempting to join the ranks. Especially after China’s aggression on the Line of Actual Control last year.
  • However, the irony is that the American withdrawal and the vacuum it leaves in Afghanistan and continental Asia in general is being filled by China. Russia is reinforcing India’s identity as a continental Asian power.
  • It has made huge investments and commitments ever since, which run into over $3 billion. Also, it cultivated strong economic and defense ties with the Afghan government
  • At this point, talking to the Taliban looks inevitable. But India should not overlook the deep ties between Pakistan’s security establishment and the Haqqani Network. It is a major faction within the Taliban that’s driving the successful campaigns on the battlefield.
  • The Afghan military has some 200,000 battle-hardened soldiers, including the highly trained special forces

WHY INDIA IS NOT ENGAGING WITH THE TALIBAN?

  • If New Delhi chooses to engage the Taliban directly, it could make Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani.
  • Decision-makers in New Delhi are also faced with the dilemma of who to talk to within the Taliban. Given that it is hardly a monolith.
  • There is little clarity about what the Taliban’s real intentions are going forward. Moreover, what they would do after ascending to power in Kabul is uncertain.
  • It would not be unreasonable to consider the possibility of Pakistan acting out against India in Kashmir. Given that India were to establish deeper links with the Taliban

WHY DOES INDIA NEED TO ENGAGE WITH THE TALIBAN?

  • Whether we like it or not, the Taliban is going to be part of the political scheme of things in Afghanistan. Unlike in 1996, a large number of players in the international community are going to recognize/ negotiate/do business with it.
  • Two, the Taliban today is looking for regional and global partners for recognition and legitimacy especially in the neighborhood.
  • Even though the Taliban is widely considered to be propped up by Pakistan. Still it would be a mistake to think that the Taliban will continue to be Pakistan’s servile follower after gaining power in Kabul
  • India needs to court all parties in Afghanistan, including the Taliban. If it wants to ensure the security of its civilian assets there.
  • If India is not proactive in Afghanistan at least now, late as it is, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and China will emerge as the shapers of Afghanistan’s political and geopolitical destiny, which for sure will be detrimental to Indian interests there.
  • Finally, opening up the congested north-western frontier is key to bringing India’s continental grand strategy on an even keel. A process New Delhi has already started.

REGIONAL COOPERATION:

  • There is a convergence of interests between India and three key regional players — China, Russia and Iran — in seeing a political settlement in Afghanistan. These three countries have already opened public, direct talks with the Taliban.
  • But these contacts are largely tactical. For China, whose restive Xinjiang province shares a border with Afghanistan. A jihadist-oriented Taliban regime would not serve its internal interests.
  • Russia, which fears that instability would spill over into the former Soviet Republics, has already moved to secure its Central Asian perimeter.
  • For the Shia theocratic Iran, a Sunni Deobandi Taliban with which it had almost gone to war in 1998, will continue to remain an ideological, sectarian and strategic challenge.
  • India, under pressure from the U.S., slowed down on the Chabahar connectivity projects, which finally prompted Iran to drop India and go ahead. Building strategic ties with Iran, irrespective of the U.S.’s policy towards the Islamic Republic, is essential for India’s Afghan bets.
  • Finally, India should talk with China, to find a political settlement and lasting stability in Afghanistan

WAY FORWARD:

1. India must also pursue opportunities to fulfil its role in the peace efforts in Afghanistan. Starting with efforts to bridge the Ghani-Abdullah divide, and bringing together other major leaders with whom India has built ties for decades.

2. India should take the diplomatic route to press for its inclusion in the “6+2+1” dialogue. Claim its legitimate role in the Afghan peace process.

3. India should leverage the United Nation’s call for a pause in conflicts during the Covid-19 pandemic to restart dialogue with Pakistan, which in turn is necessary for lasting peace in Afghanistan.

4. Also, India can learn from US-Taliban talks where two opposing parties came to the negotiating table for talks on Afghanistan’s future.

5. For India, given its abiding interest in Afghanistan’s success and traditional warmth for its people, making that leap should be a bit easier. Thus, India can consider the appointment of a special envoy and start Track II diplomacy with the Taliban.

CONCLUSION:

Currently, India needs to maintain its strong links with the Afghan government, build and support its traditional Afghan allies. It can open lines of communication with the Taliban along with continuing the investment in infrastructural development of the region to have cordial relations. 

A New Step In Education: International Baccalaureate

By
Sakshi Saklani
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0
A New Step In Education

In India, there are two types of education systems- one for the rich people i.e., Public schools and the other one is for poor people i.e., Private schools. On one side we talk about equality and while, we can’t provide children with proper and equal education. This is the hypocrisy of India. 

Our youth is our future. Education is the right of every individual but the question is ‘if everyone is getting equal education?’ 

Rich and poor, low and above, upper and working– these words play a crucial role in one’s education. Rich always outweigh poor in every aspect- be it in facilities, occupation, healthcare, education. 

Similarly, in education, rich send their wards to public school while poor send their wards to private school.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB):

The IB programmes focus on fostering critical thinking and building problem-solving skills. While still encouraging diversity, international mindedness, curiosity, and a healthy appetite for learning and excellence. 

[ibo.org]

Talking about education, what one wants? Proper education is when a child becomes a better learner and a better person. This is what IB offers. It develops intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills.

Already 5,500 schools across the world are affiliated to IB and it is also working in 159 countries added Delhi CM.

Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal, to sign an agreement between Delhi Board of School and International Baccalaureate so that the students from government schools access the facilities of the highest level. IB board is present all over the world; every parent wants their child to give their ward a good education so the CM decides to give the opportunities to the students of government schools to give the international level of educational facilities.     

Chief Minister Kejriwal said initially the exercise will start with 30 schools.

“The government school teachers will be trained by international experts. The international experts will decide about the assessment of children and conduct inspects verification and certification of schools. We are celebrating 75 years of independence and this offers a ray of hope. Our kids will be able to compete at international level, which will pave way for eradication of poverty in India,” he said.

[NDTV EDUCATION]

This gives a ray of hope to the poor families that their child’s future is in good hands. Their child too is getting a world-class education. Hence is a huge step.

Also, Read| Abrogation of Article 370 – A Geopolitical Outlook

Abrogation of Article 370 – A Geopolitical Outlook

By
Arshey Bhardwaj
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1
article 370 The Sikkim Today

Abrogation of Article 370:

Two years to the abrogation of Article 370 and a diversified topic of discussion today. From being called unconstitutional in the manner it was abrogated to providing hope to those in exile since the 1990’s is a hot political debate. We shall rather discuss not the political means of article 370 but the geopolitical aspect of the aforesaid.

Two Nation Theory:

Kashmir has been a bone of confrontation between two nations which was the result of Jinnah’s Two Nation Theory. The 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan was a chaotic movement. A blood bath of long drawn communal riots between the Hindus and the Muslims. 

Jammu and Kashmir bounded to the East by now the Union Territory of Ladakh. To the South by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. The geo-strategical aspect of a state within a country is important. It affects the lives of those living there and their relation with its neighbouring states.

The Line of Control:

The Line of Control most dangerous area to live also known as “The Cease Fire Line”. It’s a de-facto (not legally recognised) border between India and Pakistan after the 1972 Shimla Agreement. The region puts into danger the Security, Health, Education and Social -Economic development of the state.

The concept of Geopolitics:

The concept of Geopolitics emerged in the late 19’s and 20’s where the states and countries were following the expansionist policies of expanding their geographical boundaries. Kashmir thus acquired unique geopolitical status in the Indian continent. Kashmir is wedged between three triangular Nuclear Weapons states India, Pakistan, and China. This has created conflicts, chaos, low intensity wars.

The Sino- Indian war 1962 and 1967 are border related disputes and standoffs still take place. Look back at the INDO-PAK war of 1965 which provoked Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue by using hard power – a three-phase programme. 

1- The Rann of Kutch is an 80 km wide, and 515 km long stretch of land bordering on Sind in Pakistan and Gujarat in India. There the Indian capacity was tested but saw no major intrusion.

2- Trouble in Kashmir was instigated to grab the valley. 

3- Followed by Pakistan launching the operation ‘Grand Slam’. The aim was to defeat Indian forces in the Chhamb area to facilitate the capture of Akhnur bridge and Jammu. This in turn would have cut the Indian line of communication to Kashmir.

For India, Kashmir is an open gate to central India and has physical access to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has itself seen a changing canvas, the stronghold of the military (Taliban).

Pakistan’s perspective:

From Pakistan’s perspective, Kashmir should belong to them because of its Muslim majority. Pakistan claims Kashmir as her lifeline giving it easy access to China’s Xinjiang province and Afghanistan, and the Central Asian countries. Kashmir is a militarised zone in the world, insecurity, tensions than a zone of peace. 

Rise of China and Pakistan relationship:

The rise of China and Pakistan relationship strategically can affect the hold of Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir and POK and the following Hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand is a point of concern. This diplomatic deepening, exchange of Arms and Drones technology between the two countries can not be neglected. Be it the case of the line of control or the line of actual control.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor:

Take the example of The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which India claims to be an Illegal corridor. This corridor that is said to be a developmental project has many halted projects and many ongoing terrorist activities. This is a cause of geographical concern for India as it cuts through the illegally occupied POK region, now The Indian UT of Jammu & Kashmir and UT Ladakh. Abrogation while takes away the separate constitution of Jammu and Kashmir with motives of development. Taking control over the administration and claiming it officially and fully a part of India has much to be like a response to future developmental projects like that of CPEC that can harm the national interest of India. Though the CPEC partners claim no hostile intentions.

The world has witnessed how China has been trying to make its presence permanent in the South China sea. On the other side forging a strong alliance to develop economic- social marks in the disputed region of Gilgit – Baltistan. With the abrogation of article 370, India has also reiterated its claim over the POK.

The boundaries:

These boundaries between the state play a very important role when it comes to the level of security provided to the people living close to area’s prone to conflict. The overall growth, development and well-being are at stake. We have seen Kashmir facing strikes and hartal’s, the educational loss and business underdevelopment and the use of resources not to its full potential. The POK region is underdeveloped and for a long time without a constitution. The terrorism against which the world is fighting, Kashmir is the hot spot of terrorist infiltrations that can spread to central India too. 

Respecting the views of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the decision of abrogation may or may not be fully in favour of all. When we talk of world peace and international agenda to counter-terrorism and global development. There is a need to come together to protect the right to life, when security assurance doesn’t seem possible certain actions using soft power is required. Changes take time to come to the forefront. 

Current Scenario:

In the current scenario, if we put our focus on AFSPA, a minor change in the controversial act is – authority to declare any area as “disturbed” in both the Union Territories is now vested with the Department of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh Affairs under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Earlier the district magistrate was empowered to declare a particular district area “disturbed” under the AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh region. Any unlawful action the department will be accountable to people. The possibility of removal of the act will make a big difference if the peace is restored simultaneously. 

Also, Read| Apple MacBook Pro with mini LED to be now under volume production

Apple MacBook Pro with mini LED to be now under volume production

By
Karan Arora
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1
" Apple MacBook Pro"

New Apple MacBook Pro Launch Soon:

Apple expected to launch a new MacBook Pro between September to November this year. The new MacBook’s production has been initiated and is highly anticipated among laptop enthusiasts. Apple said that the newly designed MacBook Pro series will be different from those launched till now.

Possible Changes:

The design of the Apple MacBook Pro series will have slimmer bezels and a new squared-off look. Reports say that there will be no iconic touch bar in the device and it will make way for physical keys. In the new edition of the Apple MacBook Pro series, there will be a new M1X chip along with 64GB of RAM. There will be some changes in the processor and other parts of the MacBook. Digitimes reported that Apple has started the volume production of MacBook Pro models. Also added that the monthly shipments of MacBook Pro models will be expected as 6 lakh to 8 lakh units from August to November

Apple said that the new models of the MacBook Pro series will come with mini LED lights to control volume production and the models will be having 14inch and 16 inches screens.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman adds:

This news shared by Apple analysts about the updates that will be launched by Apple. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had given the update in the month of ending July, that Apple will be launching a MacBook Pro Series in August to November. He also hinted that Apple would be starting the production of the Pro Series in the ongoing third quarter. Apple’s new MacBook was to be launched much earlier. However, the delay in the production of mini- LED display, has delayed the launch of the MacBook Pro series.

Apply may have set a timeline to launch the product as in September. The company will be launching the iPhone13 series and also an apple watch. Further, there were some updates that Apple will be also launching an iPad Mini. Rumors suggested that Apple may postpone the MacBook’s launch to focus on smartphones at that time. Moreover, they also want people to focus on the new MacBook Pro series as well.

The new Macbook Pro models are designed flat-edged from the top and bottom as well. The new models will be replaced from 16 inch Intel Powered Macbook Pro. People were earlier demanding to replace the 16 inches model to handle their workflow. While, 14 inch MacBook pro will be served as a smaller and cheaper option to buy, which seeks balance between power and portability. The upcoming MacBook Pro models will also mark the final departure of Intel processors from Apple’s MacBook portfolio across all sizes and price brackets.

Also, Read| Hey Alexa, How Could I Improve My Website Rank?

Hey Alexa, How Could I Improve My Website Rank?

By
Aadhya Sharma
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0
Hey Alexa

The advancement of applications like Alexa, devices and software is leading us to new technologies. These advancements came up with the rise of voice search on applications. Applications like Apple’s Siri and Alexa are some examples of voice search applications. The use of Voice search in the field of SEO is quite new. Yet, the approach of SEO is a solid strategy, that would rank your business above all the competitors only if you would quickly capture the advantage of voice search. It takes a lot for small business competing against the business like Starbucks and Walmart. However, fortunately, there are low-cost SEO strategies that could be utilized to ensure that your business is found through voice search. Let us take a look at this article to know more about this application. 

Hey, Google, what’s the best brownie recipe?

Once my friend asked me to share the recipe for brownie she was craving for. Since she was so anxious, I was unable to tell her that I had no recipe. However, thanks to the search engine which gave me all useful recipe websites. I was able to come up with a recipe for the worlds best fudgiest brownies! My friend thanked me after that as the recipe was perfect. Her brownies had a perfect crisp crackly top, super fudgy center, chewy in all the right places and studded with melted chunks of chocolate.

From the above example, we get that appearing in voice search becomes so important for business. The acceleration of voice search had shown a good change by the rapid increase of 50% by 2020. Some examples of voice search are apple Siri, google home, and amazons Alexa.

No one in this rushing world has the time to type the whole thing, research shows that 72% of people use voice search as the daily part of their activity. It is also important to note that voice search contributes to making decisions regarding purchases. Additionally, providing accurate product information. 

How to create the winning voice search strategies

1. Use long-tailed keywords:-

Avoid using the one-word keyword. Use of short and simple phrases that will improve SEO and the chances of you being found by voice assistants.

2. Have a featured block of content:-

The searches show that the average voice search is about 29 words, so it’s beneficial to get your content and web page to summarize into few sentences of 29 words or less. You can use your content, use hashtags, lists and bullet points to optimize your content.

3. Understand your target audience:-

You should always make your content according to the target audience you looking for. Also, you may look for the answers to why, who, what and how questions in your content. You should make direct and concise answers that would help you improve your ranking.

4. Focus on local searches:-

Research shows that 22% of voice search queries were for looking for location-based content. The use of a phrase like “near me”, was often used by the consumers. Also, the one who has a local business would be benefited from this as they would be locally found. To take advantage of both voice search and local search, marketers should update their local SEO strategies. for voice assistants to deliver accurate information to consumers it is also important to keep all online business listings updated with the correct information

Conclusion: Voice search will rise in future

Voice search is rising day by day, though it has not come into full practice. Further as soon your business appears in voice search, the better it is. You may look for all the tools and knowledge that could help you using key terms and phrases. It is important to have a voice search strategy to adapt to a world full of competitors. Marketers should keep changing their strategies like Alexa to keep up with the actions of consumers, who are making the purchase.

Also Read| DELHI CANTT CASE: 9 YEAR OLD DALIT GIRL RAPED, KILLED AND CREMATED WITHOUT PARENTS’ CONCERN

DELHI CANTT CASE: 9 YEAR OLD DALIT GIRL RAPED, KILLED AND CREMATED WITHOUT PARENTS’ CONCERN

By
Shrishti Gupta
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0
DELHI CANTT CASE

NEW DELHI: The 9-year-old Dalit girl lived with her family in Old Nangal. Due to water shortage, the family usually fetched water from the nearby crematorium.

VICTIM’S MOTHER CLAIMS:   

On 1st August, about 6 in the evening the minor went to get water. The girl’s mother kept waiting in vain. As she failed to return, the mother went out in search. On reaching the cremation ground, she saw that her baby girl being cremated.

She fainted, soon the people around gathered and filled the bucket and poured water on the pyre. It was too late, only her legs were left. A lot of the ruckus followed, the priest of the crematorium was questioned for performing the last rites of the girl, without informing her parents.

He said: The girl had died due to electrocution from the cooler. People further asked even if she had died so, how did he perform the last rites without informing the parents?

The police inquiry found three more people involved, allegedly first the girl was brutally raped, and then burnt alive. Parents maintain that the police had treated them terribly and kept them sitting in the police station all night. It is being told that this case is similar to the Hasthal case.

ONGOING POLICE INVESTIGATION:

Although the postpartum reports haven’t yet substantiated whether the child was raped or not. Nonetheless, people are angry that even if the girl was dead, then without the permission of the parents, how did that pundit perform the cremation of the girl. Thousands of people are gathering to get justice, the whole country is demanding that the killers of the 9year innocent get punishment as soon as possible.

The case is transferred to Crime Branch and Police filed the complaint on the basis of the victim’s parents’ statements.

The National Commission for protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) took Suo Motu cognizance of the matter.

After talking to the nearby people and relatives, it was found that such an incident had happened in Old Nangal even 1 month ago. Sadly, that matter was suppressed, and the voice was not allowed to be raised.

CHIEF MINISTER OF DELHI:

Arvind Kejriwal also met her parents and shows his deep condolence for their loss and also announced an ex-gratia of rupees ten lakh.

LEADER OF CONGRESS:

Rahul Gandhi also met the family of the minor girl (victim) and assured them support.

Also Read| Hey Alexa, How Could I Improve My Website Rank?

US WITHDRAWAL AND REGIONAL DYNAMICS

By
Aayush Singh
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0
Us Withdrawal of Troops

            

In the previous article, THE ‘DOHA’ WAY FOR TALIBAN, we discussed the Doha agreement, its provisions and its criticisms. In this article, we’ll be discussing the regional dynamics after the withdrawal.

The speedy withdraw of US troops from Afghanistan has been matched by the swift advance of the Taliban across the nation. Although, the US has confirmed that 90% of the withdrawal is done. The Taliban has claimed that it is in control of 85% of Afghanistan territory.

These developments have moved Afghanistan into the court of regional powers that now have the burden of managing the military vacuum created by the US retreat.

The idea of a regional solution to Afghanistan has always had much political appeal. Further, divergent regional strategic perspectives limit the prospects for a sustainable consensus on Afghanistan.

US WITHDRAWAL AND REGIONAL POWERS

  • Taliban: Taliban itself remains a major variable. If the Taliban doesn’t accommodate the Afghan interests, they will simply move towards another round of the civil war.
    • The Taliban is also signaling not to be a proxy for anyone else and that it will pursue independent policies.
  • China: The US withdrawal from Afghanistan today reinforces the strongly held conviction in China that the US is in terminal decline.

    • Additionally, the withdrawal, at a time when China is offering an alternative to the Western model of international governance, seems a great ideological victory to China.
    • However, for China, potential Taliban support to the Xinjiang separatist groups is a major concern.
  • India: India will have three critical areas in dealing with the Taliban.

    • Protecting its investments, which run into billions of rupees, in Afghanistan;
    • Preventing a future Taliban regime from being a pawn of Pakistan;
    • Making sure that the Pakistan-backed anti-India terrorist groups do not get support from the Taliban.
  • Other: None of the regional countries wants to see Afghanistan becoming the nursery of international terror again under the Taliban.

    • Iran can’t ignore the Sunni extremism of the Taliban and its oppressive record in dealing with the Shia, and Persian-speaking minorities.
    • Pakistan worries about the danger of the conflict spilling over to the east of the Durand Line, and hostile groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) gaining sanctuaries in Afghanistan.

INDIA’S APPROACH:

  • The era of prolonged peace in Afghanistan secured by the US military presence has come to its end.
    • This would mean new constraints on India’s ability to operate inside Afghanistan.
  • Three structural conditions will continue to shape India’s Afghan policy.
    • One is India’s lack of direct physical access to Afghanistan. This underlines the importance of India having effective regional partners.
    • Pakistan has the capability to destabilize any government in Afghanistan. But it does not have the power to construct a stable and legitimate order in Afghanistan.
    • The contradiction between the interests of Afghanistan and Pakistan is an enduring one.
  • Pakistan likes to turn Afghanistan into a protectorate, but Afghans deeply value their independence. All Afghan sovereigns, including the Taliban, will look for partners to balance Pakistan.
  • India should focus on intensifying its engagement with various Afghan groups, including the Taliban and finding effective regional partners to secure its interests in a changing Afghanistan.

WAY FORWARD:

  • Use of Multilateral Organizations: As Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) should be used in dealing with the Afghan questions and achieve stability.
    • Geography, membership and capabilities make the SCO an important forum to address the post-American challenges in Afghanistan.
  • An independent, sovereign, democratic, pluralistic and inclusive Afghanistan is crucial for peace and stability in the region.
    • In order to ensure the same, the Afghan peace process, as stated by India’s Afghan policy, should be Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
  • Also, there is a need for the global community to fight against the global concern of terrorism.
    • In this context, it is high time to adopt the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (proposed by India at UN in 1996).
  • Admin and Military Reforms: More militancy witnessed in the region where the state fails to deliver. Thus, Administrative and military reforms within Afghanistan are the need of the hour to tackle the menace of emerging Taliban 2.0.



CONCLUSION:

  • The US’s exit from Afghanistan has triggered Taliban emergence, geopolitical flux and thus, instability in the region.
  • As these factors will increasingly push India into a geopolitical tough spot in the region, smart statecraft. Therefore, is essential to deal with changing dynamics in Afghanistan.
  • If India remains active and patient too, many opportunities could open up in the new Afghan phase.

In the next article, we’ll be discussing “Should India engage in talks with Taliban?” along with the reasons why India is not engaging and reasons of why India should engage. So, stay tuned!!

Also Read| PSEUDO-FEMINISM: Unwinding the Saga

PSEUDO-FEMINISM: Unwinding the Saga

By
Somya Kharbanda
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PSEUDO-FEMINISM: Unwinding the Saga

UNDERSTANDING FEMINISM:

• We all are very familiar with the topic of feminism. Yet many of us still get bemused between seeking equality and suppressing one gender over another. In simple words, feminism means equal rights and equal treatment for men and women. It is all about social, political, and economic equality for the different sexes.

Also, it indulges in combatting prejudice and discrimination towards women. Feminism isn’t about creating a measuring scale of who is worse off. It’s about learning and understanding the ways that how inequality affect women and men and making it understand that we’re all in this together. True equality leaves no one behind instead all of them to walk together on the same path.

DEVIATIONS TO FEMINISM:

• Feminist discourse is an inevitable fragment of the social media experience. Everyone has an opinion to offer and aggressively defend it, regardless of any expertise or knowledge. Where most of the women fight for equality, some of them have taken a wrong turn from it. This has led people to precept that it is absolutely fine to demean men within the society. Even, to suppress them by pondering that they are ‘feminists’ and can do anything as they have the authority to do so. However, bona fide feminism means the advocacy of women’s rights based on equality of all the gender.

Living in a society where women face several problems every day it is worst that some people are damaging the word feminism. To clarify this term further, pseudo feminists say that, ‘we had suffered tons of pain in the past, so to make it even if we demean men, we have the right to do that’. Whereas, equality and not surpassing men, but getting all the rights that are equivalent to men. It was and is the objective of the feminists, then and now.

PSEUDO FEMINISM – CASE STUDIES:

CASE 1-

  • Let’s take a case on pseudo feminism, in Amity University, the incident occurred on a small fight on car parking issue between two boys and a woman. Where the girl, Komal was parking her car in the middle of the road and when the boys, ‘Harsh’ and ‘Madhav’, confronted her. However, she called up her male friends. The gang of goons brutally beat ‘Harsh’ and ‘Madhav’ and later on the girl filed fake molestation charge on them.

All the social media platforms flooded the news and the girl set as an example of pseudo feminism. This case vividly shows how women can take an absolute boon of their gender irrelevant to what they did. Many times, we see people on social media claiming to be a feminist and hardly any of them know what being a feminist is, and they end up being pseudo-feminist.

A pseudo-feminist desires to fabricate a world regime just by being a woman. While a feminist only wants equal treatment and needs respect like any other human being on earth. Another vicious quote on social media that I came across a few days back where the girl captioned her picture, “all men are trash, now they don’t give us butterflies, they are giving us headaches only”. This is where people get perplexed, maybe the men in her life who caused her trauma deserves a punishment. Still they have no right to generalize and put all men in one bucket, minor captions like this can disturb the perception of others.

CASE 2-

  • One of the most renowned and recent cases of Lucknow that went viral on social media. The incident took place at Krishna Nagar locality in the Uttar Pradesh capital where the woman was seen accusing the taxi driver of trying to run her over. She then hit the cab driver at least a dozen times within the presence of traffic personnel. “You’ll run over a woman?” she is heard asking in the video while continuously slapping that driver. However, the cabbie not only denied the allegations but also didn’t lose his cool throughout the incident. He said that she had damaged his mobile phone. “Who will pay for that? It is my employer’s phone. I’m a poor man, it cost ₹ 25,000,” he says.

Even After this incident went viral, the woman defended her by making up the stories. But the most disturbing fact is that how these pseudo feminists scout flaws in everything men do. Finding ways to make men look bad, by portraying them as accused if nothing works for them or consistent with their choices. Only to play the final victim card to protect themselves.

CONCLUSION:

There are so many other incidents that we encounter daily, but the point there is pseudo feminism is all about female supremacy and hatred for men. It’s not about equality but revenge for the atrocities and therefore the dominance and the abuse faced by the ladies at the hands of some petty men, not all of them. The best way to deal with pseudo-feminism is vividly see both sides of the story before jumping onto the actual conclusion.

• Therefore, partial understanding of the concept is a dangerous thing. We have seen many instances where people misuse the word feminism to defend themselves. Half-knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance itself. Every man out there is not a rapist. Feminism is a form of equality whereas, pseudo-feminism is a form of female chauvinism. There is no weighing up.

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