TERMS OF CO-EXISTENCE

At a meeting of the National Board for Wildlife (NBW) Prime Minister flagged a difficult challenge and announced a solution. The PM, the Board's ex-officio chairperson, spoke of setting up a centre for the effective management of human-wildlife conflict. Infrastructure projects and expansion of farmlands have led to the fragmentation of animal habitats, forcing tigers, lions, leopards, rhinos and elephants to venture out of national parks and sanctuaries. At the same time, some of the country's protected areas (PAs) are finding it difficult to satisfy the needs of animals for food, water and mates.

Law, order and AI

New technologies can enable greater efficiency and transparency in tackling crime and delivering justice

One of the significant decisions of the new US government has been the $100 billion Stargate Al initiative. Meanwhile, China is quickly catching up with the US in their bid for Al supremacy by developing cheaper LIMs like QWQ and DeepSeek. These developments are set to transform the global technology landscape.

Renewed focus on Dwarka: Underwater exercise to understand the ancient city

Around 20 years ago, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) undertook a one-of-its kind exercise off the Dwarka coast in Gujarat: an underwater exploration and excavation work where Dwarka Nagri-the mythical Mahabharat-era city-is believed to have been submerged in the sea for thousands of years.

What does 'Navratna' status for IRCTC and IRFC mean?

The Centre on Monday approved the upgradation of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) as the country's 25th and 26th Navratna companies respectively. All seven listed Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) of the Indian Railways now have Navratna status. The Indian Railways have a total 12 CPSES.

Behind the unprecedented court review of Maharashtra slums Act

Bombay High Court last month began a first-of-a-kind review of the Maharashtra Slum Areas (Improvement, Clearance and Redevelopment) Act, 1971. While the judiciary typically tests the constitutional validity of laws, this exercise goes a step further, aiming to identify gaps in the 1971 Act. The review was ordered by a Supreme Court Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Aravind Kumar last July.

WHY SPACE AGENCIES WANT TO MAKE THE MOST OF 'SOLAR MAXIMUM'

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch its latest solar mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on March 6. The mission, known as Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH), will be the third major solar mission to lift off in the past 18 months. The launch of so many back-to-back solar missions is no coincidence. The reason has to do with the "solar cycle".

Delimitation of constituencies: a primer on the exercise and the process

Home Minister assured southern states last week that they wouldn't lose "even a single seat" after the fresh delimitation of constituencies. It was an attempt to address concerns, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, about the potential loss of parliamentary representation if the exercise is based only on population data. The 2021 Census, which was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, is expected to begin this year, and will be followed by the delimitation of constituencies. The Constitution (Eighty-Fourth Amendment) Act, 2002 froze existing constituency boundaries until "the first Census taken after the year 2026".