Mainstream Weekly

Most recent articles

• Gender equality - how near and far are we as a largest democracy | Girija K S

  8 April 2023

  By Girija K S *
  "Where women are full participants of politics or economy, societies are more likely to succeed – former US President Obama”
  At a time when we are celebrating another women’s day it becomes essential for us to revisit the lives of women within the country as well internationally. And this year’s theme is "#from equality to equity". When we have not yet defined what we mean by equality, we have to think about equity too. This is the paradox.
  India is a growing largest (…)

• Covid-19 Lockdown and Domestic Violence in India | Amit Kumar

  8 April 2023

  by Amit Kumar
  While the world celebrated the International Women’s Day on 8 March, with the theme ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality’, agents of neo-patriarchy were attempting to bring women back to their traditional roles. To support this thesis, this study examines the rise of domestic violence during the first four phases of the Covid-19 lockdown in India by analysing global news clips along with a case study on filed complaints of domestic violence in the city of (…)

• Concerned about his image, Modi’s ways of improving it! | Faraz Ahmad

  8 April 2023, by Faraz Ahmad

  Saheb is concerned about his image. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated the other day, “they have given out a supari (contract) to sully my image.” But who are They and what remedy has the Prime Minister in mind to repair his image? Pursue the Opposition further, “don’t stop, spare no one” Modi told the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) to mark the diamond jubilee celebrations of the CBI, whom not so long ago the Supreme Court had described as a ‘caged parrot.”
  Of course, that remark (…)

• Modi’s pats CBI on the back while 14 opposition parties complain of misuse of the agency | Arun Srivastava

  8 April 2023

  by Arun Srivastava
  it was nice to listen to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi quoting the scripture on probity in public life and fighting the menace of corruption at the CBI’s diamond jubilee celebration. No other occasion would have suited the auspicious time to send the message across the nation and try to project himself as the most honest politician the country ever had.
  His suggestion to the CBI officials sent a distinct and loud message that they would have to be more ruthless and (…)

• Why Two Ministries Have Been So Reluctant to Spend Their Allotted Funds? | Bharat Dogra

  8 April 2023, by Bharat Dogra

  Two important Union Ministries have shown extraordinary reluctance to spend their allotted funds this year. What makes the situation more distressing is that both of these ministries have responsibility for important schemes which are important for more vulnerable and poorer sections.
  One such Ministry is the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, or more specifically the Department of Social Justice and Environment (DSJE). This is the department that deals with very important issues (…)

• The Convulsive Journey Of The Naga Peace Process: A Pursuit Towards Mutual Coexistence And Autonomy | Reet Balmiki

  8 April 2023

  by Reet Balmiki*
  The Naga insurgency finds it initial roots in issues associated with the identity and ethnicity of Nagas. Over time, the issue began to be perceived as having political overtones and is considered one of the most contested political issues which remain unresolved.
  The demand for an independent and sovereign Nagaland began even well before India’s independence during British Rule. In 1947, before independence, a delegation of Naga leaders expressed their refusal to (…)

• Should Khandayats Be Called Backward Again? | Radhakanta Barik

  8 April 2023, by Radhakanta Barik

  SOME IMPORTANT SOCIAL movements rode the back of the national freedom movement in India, beginning in the nineteenth century. These movements helped construct social collectives. The most important collectives were the Dalit fronts and the backward caste fronts. Although other collectives were also formed, like for women, tribals and Muslims, the more powerful ones were the Dalit and Backward Caste groupings. These fronts got strengthened with the spread of education and with their (…)

• Pakistan: Aurat March 2023 keeps going despite fierce social, religious and political opposition | Abdullah Zahid

  8 April 2023

  by Abdullah Zahid / Sapan News
  04 April 2023
  Through Aurat March and other forms of activism, Pakistani women are calling for gender equality, climate action and economic policies that benefit all. But their battle is up against fierce social, religious and political opposition.
  “We are constantly sold the narrative that our country is impoverished and that the system is broken,” says cultural activist Sheema Kermani.
  The longtime feminist activist and trained classical dancer, whose (…)

• Release of our colleague Evan Gershkovich! A letter from Russian independent journalists

  8 April 2023

  Медиазона
  4 April 2023
  Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) is accusing The Wall Street Journal correspondent, Evan Gershkovich, of espionage. He is currently being held in Lefortovo prison in Moscow. Independent journalists from Russia and other countries believe that this is a politically motivated case and demand Gershkovich’s immediate release. Together with TV Rain, Meduza, and Echo of Moscow, Mediazona is publishing this open letter.
  If you are a journalist and wish to sign (…)

• How low-paid workers in Madagascar power French tech’s AI ambitions | Clément Le Ludec & Maxime Cornet

  8 April 2023

  by Clément Le Ludec & Maxime Cornet *
  March 30, 2023
  A January 2023 investigation by Time magazine revealed that Kenyan workers paid less than US$2 an hour were given the job of trying to ensure that the data used to train the AI platform ChatGPT was free from discriminatory content.
  AI models need to be trained, with the input of an enormous critical mass of data, for them to learn to recognise and interact with the human environment. These inputs need to be collected, sorted, (…)