Policy analysis

Horton’s final plea is therefore both scientific and moral: acknowledge the scale of the last disaster, confront the uncomfortable truths about how we live on this planet, and act before the next inevitable outbreak becomes the one we cannot contain.

Fortify Rights recommends that Bangladesh immediately close Bhasan Char, allow voluntary relocation to the mainland, grant all Rohingya freedom of movement and the right to work, and ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention. It also calls on the UN to prioritise human rights monitoring over access, and on the international community to support accountability for crimes in Myanmar.

With the right policy signals and investments, reducing air pollution could become one of the most powerful levers for inclusive prosperity in the coming decade.

Sri Lanka's “Policy for Digital Transformation of Education,” introduced in 2023, targets high-speed internet and devices in all schools by 2025. With international partnerships like UNESCO and Huawei, the nation aims for an inclusive digital economy, though balancing rapid change with safeguards remains key.

Uttarakhand’s vocational push, with its emphasis on hands-on learning, could serve as a counterbalance by promoting offline skills and real-world engagement, helping mitigate these risks while preparing students for a digital-yet-balanced future.

The tariff reduction, confirmed by US President Donald Trump following talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, effectively withdraws additional duties that had pushed levies on some Indian exports as high as 50 per cent.

Public health experts caution that while C-sections remain a life-saving intervention when medically necessary, their overuse undermines maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

The problem isn’t unique to Sri Lanka, but the country’s rapid adoption of sugar-focused measures without NSS safeguards has amplified it.