NCRB data shows that cyber fraud is increasing in non-metropolitan cities. In fact, in the 19 metro cities which have a population above two million, the number of cyber fraud cases recorded is somewhat plateauing. But other cities and towns are seeing a sharp increase in these crimes, recording 9813 cases in 2021, compared to 4194 cases seen in that same year in metro cities.  This is happening at a time when people are increasingly relying on the internet for day-to-day activities,...

This year, Chennai hosted the Chess Olympiad, a biennial chess tournament organised by the World Chess Federation (FIDE). India brought home nine medals, and saw stars, many of whom are teenagers, break out into the chess spotlight. Tamil Nadu has long been a part of Chess history. India has 75 grandmasters, of which 27 are from Tamil Nadu. So, where does the sport go from here? How does the government, and young chess fans, make use of the buzz around the sport? In this episode, The Hindu...

In 2018, Kerala saw one of the worst floods in its history. Heavy monsoon rains, coupled with overflowing reservoirs killed hundreds and displaced thousands of people. Monsoon rains are not a new phenomenon for Kerala, but what threw Kerala's flood management department off in 2018, was the fact that it was still raining in August, by which time the rain's intensity should have subsided. In 2022, the rainfall followed a near identical pattern. But this time, the State analysed flood and dam...

On May 24, a gunman entered Robb Elementary School in the small town of Uvalde in Texas. He proceeded to carry out the deadliest school shooting the United States has seen in a decade. The shooting, which left 21 people dead, is now added to the long and growing list of mass shootings that take place in the U.S. regularly. In fact, according to the Gun Violence Archive, at least 356 mass shootings have been recorded so far this year, through the first three weeks of July.  In this podcast,...

Last month, India protested over its ranking on the Environmental Performance Index of 2022, prepared by researchers at the Yale and Columbia Universities in the U.S. The report measures 40 performance indicators across 11 issue categories to measure the “state of sustainability around the world.” India was ranked last (180) with low scores across a range of indicators. The Indian Government as well as environment experts have pointed to the faulty methodology of the index that skews the...

In late May, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) released the results of the 2021 National Achievement Survey, which evaluates learning outcomes based on a standardised test. The results of the test, which was conducted in November 2021, showed that in nearly every State and Union Territory, scores dropped significantly compared to the 2018 results. The NAS is the most significant and stark indicator of the pandemic's impact on learning losses yet, posing this...