Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) was a massive repatriation operation launched by Government of India on May 7, 2020, to bring back Indian nationals stranded abroad due to global travel restrictions and lockdowns caused by COVID-19 pandemic. It is widely regarded as one of largest civilian evacuation exercises in history, surpassing scale of 1990 Gulf War … Read more
Educated unemployment in India is often described as a paradox of plenty. While India possesses one of largest young, educated workforces in world, recent data from early 2026 highlights a troubling trend: unemployment rate actually increases with level of education. While overall national unemployment rate hovered around 4.8% in late 2025, rate for university graduates … Read more
In 2026, India has seen a decline in extreme poverty—dropping to approximately 2% from over 21% a decade ago—poverty remains a multifaceted challenge. Vicious cycle of poverty continues to affect millions, driven by a complex historical, economic, and social factors. Understanding these causes is essential to realizing India’s goal of becoming a developed nation (Viksit … Read more
India, world’s largest democracy, operates on multi-tiered electoral system to ensure representation from grassroots to national level. Elections are primarily categorized based on level of government and method of voting (direct or indirect). The following article outlines various types of elections conducted in Republic of India. 1. General Elections (Lok Sabha) General Elections are held … Read more
A vicious cycle is a chain of events where one bad thing leads to another, and that second thing make first thing even worse. It’s like being stuck in a loop that keeps spiraling downward. Think of it as opposite of a virtual cycle (where things get better and better). In a vicious cycle, the … Read more
In study of international relations, Power Transition Theory (PTT) explains for why great wars happen and how global hierarchy maintains order. First introduced by A.F.K. Organski in his 1958 book World Politics, this theory challenges traditional Balance of Power logic. While traditionalists argue that equality between nations prevents war, PTT suggests exact opposite: Equality leads … Read more
While both Power Transition Theory and Thucydides Trap examine why rising powers and established supreme leader often clash, they stem from different academic origins and offer distinct nuances on inevitability of conflict. Concepts Power Transition Theory (PTT) Developed by A.F.K. Organski in 1958, this theory views international relations as a hierarchy rather than an anarchy. … Read more
Thucydides Trap is one of the most debated concept in modern geopolitics. coined by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison, the term describes a deadly structural stress that occurs when a rising power threatens to displace an established ruling power. The theory suggests that this friction often results in cataclysmic war—not necessarily because either side wants … Read more
Makar Sankranti is one of India’s most ancient and vibrant festivals. Unlike many Hindu festivals that follow lunar calendar, Makar Sankranti is a solar event, meaning it almost always falls on January 14th or 15th. In 2026, the festival is being celebrated today, January 14th, marking Sun’s transition into the zodiac sign of Capricorn (Makara). Here … Read more
Folk culture represents the collective heritage of a community, expressed through traditions, stories, and crafts that have been refined over centuries. Unlike popular culture, which is often mass-produced and global, folk culture is local, organic, and tied to the land. 1. What is Folk Culture? (Definition) Folk culture refers to the traditional practices, beliefs, and … Read more