Society 

The financial crisis reshaping British higher education: why, likely impact - Indian Express

British universities are facing a mounting financial crisis, driven by a significant decline in international student enrolment across multiple countries. As the second-largest source of overseas students in the UK, India represents a major part of this trend, with data showing Indian student numbers fell by 20.4% — from 139,914 to 111,329 — between 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Causes of the Current Financial Crisis in UK Universities

• Stagnant Domestic Tuition Fees:
  • Capped at £9,250 for nearly a decade; marginally increased by £250 recently.
  • Inflation-adjusted fees should be around £12,000–£13,000.
• Increased operational costs:
  • Salaries, and pensions have increased, creating a funding gap.
• Underfunded Public Universities:
  • Domestic students and research activities are inadequately funded.
  • Research funding does not cover full institutional costs.
• Overdependence on International Students:
  • International fees (up to £26,000) subsidise domestic education.
  • In 2022–23, these fees made up £11.8 billion (23% of total income).
  • Dependency rose from 5% in mid-1990s to current levels.
• Visa Curbs and Policy Uncertainty:
  • Restrictions on student dependents and uncertainty over graduate visas reduced enrolments.
  • Sent a message of being “unwelcoming”.
• Global Competition:
  • Countries like Australia and Canada aggressively attract students.
  • China discourages students from going abroad, reducing outbound flow.

Measures by UK Universities to Address Financial Shortfall

• Staff Reduction: Universities like Cardiff, Sussex, Sheffield, and Edinburgh have introduced voluntary severance schemes.
• Income Diversification: Exploring new revenue sources such as:
  • Distance and online learning
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Executive education
  • Commercialising intellectual property.
  • Creating Green Future Solutions (climate-focused business unit).
  • Boosting philanthropic fundraising.
• Transnational Education:
  • UK degrees delivered via international partnerships or branch campuses.
  • Exploring expansions in Kazakhstan, China, Southeast Asia, Saudi Arabia, and India.

Way Forward for UK Universities

• Policy Advocacy:
  • Urging government to assess equality impact of visa restrictions. Suggesting exclusion of students from net migration figures.
• Funding Support:
  • Advocating for increased government funding to balance student contribution and public benefit.
• Sector Restructuring:
  • Anticipating consolidation and possible mergers of institutions to ensure sustainability.
• Efficiency in Teaching:
  • Promoting strategic online teaching as a cost-effective, less labour-intensive model.

The need for universal and equitable health coverage - The Hindu 

India has made substantial and tangible progress in Tuberculosis (TB) care, adopting new strategies to detect, treat and prevent TB.

Advancements in TB Care 

• Traditional sputum smear methods: Slow and less sensitive.
• CBNAAT and TrueNat: Enable faster, more accurate TB and drug-resistant TB diagnosis.
• Molecular labs: Established across districts, including rural areas which ensures timely treatment, improving outcomes.
• All-Oral BPaLM Regimen: Replaces lengthy 18–24-month MDR-TB treatment with a 6-month oral regimen and has no injectables.
• Nutritional Support via Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana (NPY): Monthly financial support increased from ₹500 to ₹1,000 (DBT).
• Integration with Ayushman Bharat: TB services merged with general healthcare & arogya mandirs act as sputum collection centres.
• TB Champions:  TB survivors act as Champions to spread awareness and fight stigma. NGOs and SHGs engage in awareness & counselling.

Steps to Achieve Equitable TB Care

• Person-Centred Care:
  • Scale up targeted interventions like TN-KET for high-risk patients (e.g., tribal, migrant, homeless groups).
• Addressing Intersectional Barriers:
  • Tackle access issues linked to gender, socio-economic status, and disability.
  • Strengthen gender-responsive measures under NTEP.
• Integrated Health Services:
  • Combine TB care with screening for COPD, depression, and NCDs using tools like AI-based chest X-rays.
• Financial Support:
  • Expand beyond NPY to include wage-loss compensation and livelihood support for TB patients.
• Awareness and Stigma Reduction:
  • Use large-scale communication campaigns (like during COVID-19) to counter TB-related stigma and misinformation.

India has made significant strides in TB care, but achieving TB elimination and UHC requires a sustained focus on equity, integration, and financial protection.

 Applying an equity lens to TB policies will not only accelerate India’s progress but also set global benchmarks in TB elimination efforts.

World Affairs

The complex struggle for ‘Kurdistan’ - The Hindu 

Even though fragmented by local struggles for power between different tribes, the Zagros range of mountains that form the heartland of a hypothetical Kurdistan, home to Kurds of different identities, is rich with history

Kurdish Struggle for Statehood

• Background: The Zagros mountains form the core of Kurdistan, home to Kurds (mostly Sunni, some Shia and Alevi).
• Transition: Under Ottoman rule, Kurds transitioned from nomads to soldiers and tribal leaders with emirates.
• Dismantling: Ottoman centralisation dismantled Kurdish emirates, restoring tribal fragmentation.
• Treaty of Sevres (1920): Proposed Kurdish autonomy east of the Euphrates; allowed voluntary unification of Kurdish-inhabited Mosul.
• Kurds failed to unite: Many chiefs rejected British-backed statehood in favour of religious-Muslim ties with Ottoman lands.
• Formation of Turkish Republic (1923): Abolished Sultanate (1922) and Caliphate (1924), undermining Kurdish tribal-religious authority.
• Treaty of Lausanne (1923): Ignored British plea for Kurdish minority recognition. Kurdish institutions and identity were banned.
• Early Kurdish Revolts: Azadi group formed in 1924 but was suppressed quickly.
• Ararat revolt (till 1930): Crushed with Iranian cooperation; brutal suppression followed.
• Aftermath: Kurdish resistance silenced for decades; Kurdistan region remained closed to outsiders till 1966.

Revival of the Kurdish Movement (Post-1946)

• Political Opening:
  • One-party rule in Turkiye relaxed in 1946.
  • Opposition parties sought Kurdish support, reviving Kurdish identity via alliances with tribal leaders (Aghas).
• Socio-economic Shift:
  • Conscription and agricultural mechanisation created a Kurdish working class.
  • Assimilated Kurdish youth began articulating issues of the ‘East’ (Kurdistan), gaining traction in press and protests.
• State Response & Left Influence:
  • Kurdish activism faced crackdowns and censorship.
  • Kurdish organisations aligned with leftist ideologies sustained the movement.
• Emergence of PKK:
  • Political polarisation led Kurds to form their own leftist parties.
  • The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), founded by Abdullah Öcalan, emerged as a defining force in Kurdish struggle.

Global Designation:

• Current designation: Declared a terrorist organisation by Turkiye, the U.S., and the European Union.
• Exceptions: Not designated as terrorist by Russia or the UN Security Council.

Kurdish Autonomy in Neighbouring Countries

• Iraq:
  • Iraqi Constitution (2005) recognised Kurdistan as a semi-autonomous region.
  • 2017 independence referendum faced military backlash; key areas like Kirkuk were reclaimed by Baghdad.
• Syria:
  • PYD and YPG formed autonomous Rojava region during civil war.
    U.S. support helped form Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to fight ISIS.
  • After Assad’s fall, SDF began integration into Syrian state, raising uncertainty for Rojava.

Economy 

Why some in Meghalaya oppose rail connectivity to state - Indian Express

After years of opposition by Khasi pressure groups against rail connectivity to Byrnihat in the Khasi Hillsand subsequently, the state capital Shillongthe Indian Railways is ready to shelve pending railway line projects to these two key locations. With this, Shillong will become the only state capital in the country without railway connectivity or an active ongoing rail project underway.

Status of Rail Connectivity in Meghalaya

• Existing Rail Link:
  • Only operational railway station: Mendipathar (North Garo Hills, since 2014).
  • Daily passenger service to Guwahati; first freight shipment received recently.

Key Railway Projects in Progress

• Tetelia–Byrnihat Line:
  • Length: 21.5 km (Assam to Meghalaya)
  • Sanctioned: 2010
  • Status:
    • 19 km in Assam completed.
    • Meghalaya portion stalled due to local opposition.=
    • Railways may terminate line at Assam border.
• Byrnihat–Shillong Line:
  • Length: 108.76 km with 10 stations
  • Sanctioned: 2011
  • Funds: ₹209.37 crore allotted in 2017 for land acquisition.
  • Status: Project stalled due to KSU opposition.
  • Latest: Railways asked state to return unutilised funds.
• Chandranathpur–Jowai Line:
  • Sanctioned: 2023
  • Status: Initial survey stage; facing resistance from Jaintia groups.
• Overall Challenge: All projects face strong local resistance, mainly from student and tribal groups, halting progress on rail expansion in the state.

Reasons for Opposition to Railway Projects in Meghalaya

• Fear of Influx:
  • Railways opposed fearing an influx of outsiders that may alter the state’s demography.
• Demand for ILP:
  • Inner Line Permit (ILP) is absent in Meghalaya & is demanded as it is seen as a safeguard to regulate entry of non-locals.
• Demographic Concerns:
  • Fear that unregulated access via rail will marginalise local communities (Garo and Khasis).
• Concerns on Regulation:
  • Roads can be checked, but railways offer open access.
• Spread of Opposition:
  • Local groups demand mechanisms to protect identity and land rights.

Divergent Views on Railway Connectivity in Meghalaya

• Opposition: Pressure groups are using the railway issue to push for Inner Line Permit (ILP) implementation.
• General public: Shows indifference, not active opposition.
• Economic Rationale: Road transport inflates goods prices; railways could boost productivity and reduce costs.
• Support from Garo Representatives: MLAs from South Garo Hills support expanding rail line from Mendipathar to Baghmara. Demand driven by connectivity needs in Garo Hills.

Environment 

New freshwater algae species discovered in Western Ghats - Indian Express 

In a recent discovery, researchers have identified a new species of freshwater algae in Rosemala, located in Kollam district. The species, belonging to the genus Sheathia, has been named Sheathia rosemalayensis after the place where it was found.

Sheathia rosemalayensis

• About: A newly discovered freshwater algae species.
• Distribution: Found in Rosemala, Western Ghats, Kerala; named after the location.
• Rare in India: Previously, only one species reported from the Himalayas.
• Documentation: Documented only in the southern Western Ghats.
• Sheathia species distribution: Across Assam, Nepal, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Hawaii.

Glacier meltdown risks food and water supply of 2 billion people, says UN

More than 1 billion people live in mountainous regions and, of those in developing countries, up to half are already experiencing food insecurity. That is likely to worsen, as food production in such regions is dependent on mountain waters, melting snow and glaciers, according to the World Water Development Report 2025.

Highlights of World Water Development Report (WWDR) 2025

• Theme: Mountains and Glaciers – Water Towers
• Warming Evidence: All mountain ranges show warming since early 20th century.
• Snow to Rain Shift: Rising temperatures causing more rain, less snow; early snowmelt thinning snowpacks.
• Severe Impacts: Receding snow and ice threaten people and ecosystems.
• Peak Water: Temporary increase in river flow followed by decline after snowmelt crosses threshold.
• Regions Affected: Peak water already crossed in tropical Andes, western Canada, Swiss Alps.
• Glacier Loss:
  • Colombia lost 90% glacial area since mid-19th century.
  • Many glaciers projected to disappear with 1.5–4°C warming.
  • Estimated 26–41% glacier mass loss by 2100 (from 2015 levels).
• Consequences:
  • Reduced water for drinking and farming.
  • Increased glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) risk.
  • Affects food and water security of 2 billion people.
  • Two-thirds of irrigated agriculture impacted globally.

United Nations World Water Development Report (WWDR)

• About: Flagship report of UN-Water on water and sanitation.
• Assessment: Assesses global status, use, and management of freshwater resources.
• Publication: Released annually on World Water Day (March 22) with a specific theme.
• Publisher: UNESCO on behalf of UN-Water, coordinated by UNESCO World Water Assessment Programme.

Defence 

Stealth frigate launched into water at Goa Shipyard - The Hindu

 The last of the four follow-on Krivak-class stealth frigates contracted from Russia and the second one under construction at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) with technology transfer, Tavasya, was launched into the water recently.

Krivak-Class Stealth Frigates

• Agreement: India-Russia Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) (2016) for 4 frigates.
• Construction: 2 imported from Russia; 2 built at Goa Shipyard via technology transfer.

• Length: 124.8 m | Width: 15.2 m | Draught: 4.5 m
• Displacement: 3,600 tonnes | Speed: 28 knots
• Engines: Zorya-Mashproekt (Ukraine)
• Frigate Status:
  • Triput: First India-made, launched July 2024, delivery in 2026
  • Tushil: First Russian-made, commissioned Dec 9, 2024, based in Karwar
  • Tamal: Under trials, to be commissioned by June 2025
  • Tavasya: Last foreign-licensed warship; marks shift to indigenous warship building