Criticalpoint
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Overburdened ASHA workers, lack of access to contraceptives: How COVID-19 impacted family planning services across India
COVID-19 impact on family planning: In the wake of the pandemic, ASHA workers had to shoulder additional responsibilities, which prevented them from creating awareness about family planning and distributing contraceptive pills and condoms
Donated by India, COVID-19 vaccines languish and may expire in Afghanistan amid misinformation, scepticism
A mixture of scepticism and misinformation perpetuated on social media has slowed an already under-resourced vaccination campaign in Afghanistan.
Vaccine passports: How a global verification system would work for international travel
Keen to avoid losing another summer of holiday revenue to COVID-19 pandemic, the EU and some Asian governments and the airline industry are scrambling to develop so-called vaccine passports
Gaza conflict stokes ‘identity crisis’ for young American Jews as pro-Palestine sentiments overtake activist spaces
Some young, liberal Jewish activists have found common cause with Black Lives Matter, which explicitly advocates for Palestinian liberation, concerning others who see that allegiance as anti-Semitic
Vaccine tourism: Is it legal and ethical to fly out for COVID-19 shots? All you need to know
Ever since vaccines became available, rich Indians with Dubai residences have been flying to the country to get Pfizer shots, South Africans have been flying to Zimbabwe, Canadians and Latin Americans to the US and Europeans to Russia for COVID-19 shots
COVID-19 deaths in Bihar: 2,579 last rites held in Patna between 1 April-13 May, but govt reports just 2,092 deaths for state
Official accounts from various crematoriums and burial grounds point towards underreporting of COVID-19 deaths in Bhagalpur district, as well. A total 672 COVID-19 victims were cremated from 1 April to 16 May in just one crematorium while official records say only 162 COVID-19 patients died during this period
Fake videos, misinformation on social media inflame Israeli-Palestinian conflict
A video shared by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesperson purportedly of Palestinian militants firing rockets at Israelis from civilian areas in Gaza Strip was taken down by Twitter, as it was a 2018 clip from Syria or Libya
From supply chains to vaccines, China has frequently thrown spanner into works of India's COVID-19 battle
From tactfully disallowing Chinese firms to participate in BMC's global vaccine tender to exorbitant pricing of necessary equipment, India's battle against COVID-19 has often run into rough weather with China
As US readies to exit Afghanistan, India-Pakistan proxy war likely to be last thing on General Bajwa's mind
Any instability following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan is sure to trigger further waves of instability in Pakistan’s notorious tribal belt, and even mainstream provinces
Ivan Ayr's Meel Patthar depicts a trope common to Indian art cinema: Bleak portrayals of working-class protagonists
Indian cinema has generally taken upon itself to treat its working-class protagonists as victims, and physical labour as drudgery. This is essentially because the films take up social conflict as their subject and conflict produces victims.
COVID-19: New governments have no time to celebrate poll win, they must jump into pandemic war immediately
It is time for the new governments to live up to the hopes of the electorate and take effective steps to curb the second wave of coronavirus.
India's second wave of COVID-19 spills on to social media as supply of oxygen, medicines dwindle
As Indians turned to social media in search of COVID-19 beds and other essentials, their cries for help left behind a trail of how the crisis escalated and the dangers coronavirus still poses
Rising debt, no widow pension: COVID-19 crisis brings Maharashtra's vulnerable women farmers to the brink
A survey of 940 single women farmers has exposed their increased vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in Maharashtra.
Race to replace Angela Merkel challenges Germans to make ideological, generational change
As Germany readies to elect its next Chancellor, the question that many analysts have is whether EU's most powerful economy will vote for change, or stick with Merkel's policies
Bastar attack: Maoist killing of 22 jawans shows little has changed in over a decade on operations front
Declaring war against the Maoists, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday in Jagdalpur that strong action would be taken.
Maoist ambush in Bastar: To curb Naxal threat, lessons must be taken from Bengal experience
West Bengal's Operation Barga holds lessons for centre's answer to Bastar attack; it wasn't only brute force that broke the back of the Naxal movement
A year into lockdown, migrant labourers in Gurgaon continue to struggle without work
Some 500 odd migrant workers have been assembling at various chowks in Gurgaon for the past nine months, looking for work. With dwindling savings and no hopes for a job, many of them are now preparing to go back to their homes.
Entrepreneurship gaining pace among Assam youth, but lack of support makes choice difficult
Staying connected to the roots, many entrepreneurs in Assam have risen by identifying local needs and products, but lack of funding and operational training as well as fewer buyer-seller meeting platforms remain major obstacles
Assam Election: CAA unlikely to be major poll issue as not all see Act detrimental to state, say experts
To a significant extent, the BJP has succeeded in sidelining the CAA and portraying the Muslims of Bengal origin as the biggest threat to the indigenous communities in Assam
Revival of long defunct North Koel dam project makes indigenous communities apprehensive
Work on the project started in 1974 but stopped in 1997 after the partially built dam was responsible for flooding the area.