Development

On the eve of the Karnataka election, waivers of farm loans were one of the major election promises. Now, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy wants to fulfill his pre-poll promise and even threatened to resign if he cannot fulfill his promise. As has been seen time and time again, “farmers first” provides political mileage. With more than 55% of Indians earning their livelihood from the agricultural sector, it comes as no surprise that political parties like to place their bets on the farmers’ cause. However, the real benefit to the farmers won’t come from loan waivers.

Sometimes in life, it is clear that the direct approach isn’t the best one. This is true in many areas, even when it comes to policymaking. Take, as an example, the area of extreme poverty. It seems logical, at first, that the most effective response should be head-on: giving money and assets to protect people from income shocks.

Ensuring clear property titles can go a long way in making the land market more transparent and efficient. Completion of survey and resurvey activities, and digitisation of cadastral maps will cost about Rs 213 crore. However, this will have multiple benefits.

Evidence shows that strengthening property rights reduces the risk of expropriation and corruption. It also improves the mechanisms for peaceful resolution of disputes and contract enforcement.

Los tiroteos masivos en los Estados Unidos han impulsado a las fuerzas de seguridad y a los medios de comunicación a buscar patrones comunes, y uno de ellos ha sido que un número inquietante de perpetradores han sido previamente acusados de abuso doméstico. 

Hace 46 años, el profesor Jørgen Randers fue coautor de Limits to Growth, y asustó a una generación haciéndole creer el mito de que el planeta estaba a punto de quedarse sin recursos.

A pesar de haber sido totalmente derrotado, el pronóstico del profesor Randers sigue siendo igual de sombrío, pero ahora lo que teme no es la contaminación, sino el cambio climático. Sostiene que “la democracia debe ser suspendida para resolver la crisis climática” y que solo una dictadura introducirá lo que cree que son las políticas correctas y costosas.

Chronic diseases claim more Indian lives than infectious diseases, and take a huge toll: Between 2012 and 2030, non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions are expected to cost India $4.58 trillion. The government supports states to respond, but much more needs to be done. New research for India Consensus, a collaboration between Tata Trusts and Copenhagen Consensus, reveals some strategies should be prioritised against specific diseases.

Life expectancy in India has increased almost four years in the last decade. Every 24 hours, India added more than nine hours to the life of a newborn — thereby ‘allowing’ a baby born today four more years of life. To a large extent, this progress is due to substantial reductions in infant and maternal mortality, dropping a quarter and a third over the last decade.

Yet, India can do better. It ranks 145th out of 193 nations on infant mortality, and 129 of 184 nations on maternal mortality, according to the World Bank.

Der Mensch hat eine Schwäche für schlechte Nachrichten. Die Medien reflektieren und prägen diese Vorliebe, indem sie Sorgen und panischen Ängsten Nahrung geben. Längere, langsame, positive Trends schaffen es weder auf die Titelseiten, noch liefern sie Stoff für einen Plausch am Arbeitsplatz. Also entwickeln wir eigenartige Fehlannahmen, insbesondere die Vorstellung, dass die überwiegende Mehrheit der Dinge im Begriff sei schiefzulaufen.

Humans are partial to bad news. Media outlets reflect and shape this preference, feeding us woe and panic. Long, slow, positive trends don’t make it to the front page or to water-cooler conversations. So we develop peculiar misperceptions, especially the idea that a preponderance of things are going wrong.

El Día de la Tierra es una idea noble para garantizar que apreciamos y mejoramos nuestro medio ambiente. Pero tenemos que asegurarnos de que no sea solo simbolismo y gestos para sentirnos bien. Debemos centrarnos en las cuestiones medioambientales más importantes y no solo en las que reciben más atención. https://www.milenio.com/opinion/bjorn-lomborg/columna-bjorn-lomborg/una-celebracion-eficaz-para-el-dia-de-la-tierra