SCIENCE & DEVELOPMENT

In WTO’s Geneva Ministerial Death Trumps Life

THE UNAIDs executive director, Winnie Byanyima had appealed before the 12th WTO Ministerial of WTO in Geneva that the world would face a grim future if patent waivers did not take place. At a press conference, Byanyima had said, "In a pandemic, sharing technology is life or death, and we are choosing death," In the 12th Ministerial of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), which ended on June 17th, the rich countries did precisely that. They blocked almost all possibilities of providing cheap vaccines, anti-virals and diagnostics for the world.

17th All India Peoples Science Congress

THE normally bi-annual AIPSC, postponed by two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was held in Bhopal on June 6-9, 2022. The delegate strength had also been reduced, as a measure of abundant caution with respect to the pandemic, from the usual 500-550 to around 350 delegates from all the 37 member organisations of the All India Peoples Science Network (AIPSN), apart from many observers and invited resource persons.

Cryptocurrencies Must Die

AFTER the relentless hype about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, LUNA, etc., for the last couple of years, we are now witnessing their complete meltdown. The hype was primarily driven by eye-popping increases in valuations of all the major cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin had gone from around USD 4,000 to USD 64,000, a sixteen fold increase, in 20 months. Other cryptocurrencies had even more ridiculous price increases in the same time period – Ethereum had a 50 fold increase, Solana 500 times, and LUNA had a 1,000 times increase.

Cryptocurrencies Must Die

AFTER the relentless hype about Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, LUNA, etc., for the last couple of years, we are now witnessing their complete meltdown. The hype was primarily driven by eye-popping increases in valuations of all the major cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin had gone from around USD 4,000 to USD 64,000, a sixteen fold increase, in 20 months. Other cryptocurrencies had even more ridiculous price increases in the same time period – Ethereum had a 50 fold increase, Solana 500 times, and LUNA had a 1,000 times increase.

US Fighters for Indian Aircraft Carriers?

ARE military technology aspects of the US-India relationship set to change in coming years? Recent reports suggest that the US is preparing a $US 500 million foreign military assistance package for India which, although a relatively small amount in  comparison with the multi-billion dollar value of large defence hardware acquisitions, has considerable political significance in the US security and foreign policy system.

US Fighters for Indian Aircraft Carriers?

ARE military technology aspects of the US-India relationship set to change in coming years? Recent reports suggest that the US is preparing a $US 500 million foreign military assistance package for India which, although a relatively small amount in  comparison with the multi-billion dollar value of large defence hardware acquisitions, has considerable political significance in the US security and foreign policy system.

WHO Report on Covid-19 Excess Deaths: Modi Govt’s Attempt to Shoot the Messenger

THE Indian government’s refusal to consider the World Health Organisation estimates of excess deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic years and insisting that only India’s Civil Registration System  should be used for Covid-19 deaths, makes strange reading. WHO’s estimates of excess deaths have been used across the board for all countries. Even in countries with stronger birth and death registration systems than India such as the UK, US, WHO’s report shows that excess deaths have been much larger than the registered Covid-19 deaths.

IPCC Sixth Assessment Report: On Mitigation

RESPONSE of the media and the public to the series of reports together forming the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC/AR6) has been surprising, yet telling, in important ways.IPCC’s Assessment Reports are written and released roughly at intervals of six years and, as reports based on extensive peer-reviewed information and data, written up by leading scientists and experts from other disciplines with many rounds of consultations, are widely regarded as the broadest updated consensus of the scientific community on the issue of climate change.

On Coal Shortages and Power Cuts

EVEN before we reached peak summer, power cuts have started in many states. With power demand reaching 201 GW on April 26, we had a shortfall of 8.2 GW or 4 per cent. This shortfall is even before we have reached the peak of summer when the demand is expected to rise to about 220 GW. The current shortfall is not because we do not have enough generating capacity. We currently have an installed capacity of 400 GW, against a peak demand of about half that.

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