Biju Dharmapalan
The spectre of artificial intelligence destroying jobs has become one of the most persistent anxieties of our times. Boardrooms and classrooms alike buzz with the same dread- are machines on the verge of replacing us at a scale never seen before? There is little concrete proof so far that AI has significantly disrupted employment patterns. Instead, what we are witnessing is not a sudden collapse of jobs, but the early stages of a complex and uneven transformation.
The Indian ...
Opinions
Farming on the Edge: Climate-Resilient Agriculture in India’s Fragile Himalayan Regions
Biju Dharmapalan
India’s agricultural landscape stands at a critical crossroads. Unpredictable and erratic
monsoons, prolonged droughts, unseasonal rainfall, and increasing pest outbreaks are no
longer anomalies—they are becoming the norm. Against this backdrop, farming that is
resilient to the impacts of climate is not a political option, but a national need in this changing
environment. Its effects are far more extensive than harvests and may define the future of
food security, the livelihoods o...
From Climate Innovator to Political Prisoner: The Sonam Wangchuk Affair
The arrest and eventual release of Sonam Wangchuk has become a revealing
episode in India’s evolving relationship with dissent. What began as a campaign for
environmental protection and constitutional safeguards in Ladakh ended with a
globally recognized climate innovator spending nearly six months in jail under a
national security law.
For observers of South Asian politics, the affair offers a window into a broader
tension between centralized governance and regional demands for autonomy in
post-20...
The Decline of American Superpower Dominance and Iran’s Resilience: An Analysis of Changing Global Politics
The current tensions in the Middle East are no longer viewed merely as a regional conflict; they are increasingly seen as a sign of a broader shift in the global balance of power. For decades, the prevailing perception in international politics was that the United States functioned as an unmatched superpower capable of shaping global political directions through its strategic decisions. Recent developments, however, have challenged this perception. Many observers now argue that the aura of u...
امن کے نام پر امریکی بالادستی
از قلم:مجتبیٰ علی شجاعی
دنیا ایک ایسے دوراہے پر کھڑی ہے جہاں الفاظ اور اعمال کے درمیان فاصلہ روز بروز بڑھتا جا رہا ہے۔ امن،انسانی حقوق اور عالمی ذمہ داری جیسے خوش نما نعروں کے پیچھے طاقت، مفادات اور بالادستی کی وہ سیاست کارفرما ہے جس نے مشرق وسطیٰ کو مسلسل آگ میں جھونک رکھا ہے۔ اسی پس منظر میں امریکی صدر ڈونلڈ ٹرمپ کی جانب سے غزہ بورڈ آف پیس کا تصور سامنے آتا ہے، جو اپنی ساخت، وقت اور مقاصد کے اعتبار سے کئی سنجیدہ اور بنیادی سوالات کو جنم دیتا ہے۔
ٹرمپ کا یہ نام نہاد منصوبہ اس وقت سامن...
A Global Market in The Making: Can Ladakh’s GI Products Reach the World?
-Sonam Wangdus, Adu
Ladakh is often described as India’s coldest and most remote region, a high-altitude desert where
mountains dominate the horizon and life follows the rhythms of nature. Its cultural richness is
inseparable from its geography: pastoral and tribal communities, multi-religious traditions, and
ways of living shaped by long winters, fragile ecosystems, and difficult terrain. For centuries,
mountain passes and extreme weather kept Ladakh physically and economically isolated,
allo...
ہر وار سہہ کر آگے بڑھتا انقلاب اسلامی ایران
تحریر:مجتبیٰ علی شجاعی
ایران کے حالیہ حالات کو محض وقتی بدامنی یا داخلی اضطراب کے طور پر دیکھنا حقیقت سے چشم پوشی کے مترادف ہوگا۔ یہ واقعات دراصل اس طویل کشمکش کی تازہ کڑی ہیں جو اسلامی جمہوریہ ایران اور عالمی استکباری قوتوں کے درمیان دہائیوں سے جاری ہے۔ اس بار بھی طریقۂ واردات وہی تھا۔عوامی مشکلات کو بنیاد بنا کر جذبات کو بھڑکانا، اختلافِ رائے کو تشدد میں بدلنا، اور پھر اس پورے عمل کو ’’عوامی تحریک‘‘ کا نام دے کر عالمی سطح پر پیش کرنا۔
مگر تاریخ نے ایک بار پھر ثابت کر دیا کہ جمہوری ا...
A Mockery of the LAHDC Act
On the 12th of November, the administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh issued a notification under Section 4(2) of the LAHDC Act nominating the BJP worker Advocate Reyaz Ahmad Khan as the fourth nominated member/councillor of the 5th Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Kargil. He had unsuccessfully contested council elections on the BJP ticket for the Chuliskambo constituency in 2023. The government is empowered to nominate up to four members to the council under the said provis...
Kargil Friday Sermons Stress Social Duties, Cleanliness, and Traffic Order
VOL News Desk/ In Kargil, Friday sermons by Imam Khomeini Memorial Trust and Jamiat Ulama Asna Ashariya featured prominent scholars addressing social issues, cleanliness, and public welfare. Hujjatul Islam Sheikh Hamid Naseri, speaking at Masjid Imam, emphasized that aiding others—such as removing obstacles from roads—surpasses mere worship. He condemned roadside littering and dumping garbage, particularly between Iqbal Bridge and Andoo, as a social evil contrary to Islamic teachings, and ur...
Satellite Imagery and Strategic Signals Near Pangong Tso
VOL News Desk/ Recent satellite imagery from the Pangong Tso region in eastern, Ladakh suggests that the apparent calm along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) does not necessarily equate to strategic stability. While India and China continue diplomatic and military engagements following the 2020 standoff, developments on the ground indicate a steady consolidation of China’s military presence close to disengagement buffer zones.
High-resolution satellite images appear to show the construction o...