October 3, 2025

The newest assessment findings have thrown American education into sharp focus, revealing a crisis that has been simmering for years. National test results show middle and high school students stumbling at levels not witnessed in decades. Barely more than a third of seniors are ready for college-level work, and fewer than a quarter are proficient in mathematics. These are not minor setbacks; they are indicators of a system that is struggling to hold itself together. What makes this deterioration alarming is not only its magnitude but its direction. Educational standards, once considered merely stagnant, are now in free fall. Each … Read more

October 2, 2025

LCD vs OLED TVs Which Technology Delivers Better Picture Quality

Rohit Sharma

While there are a ton of marketing buzzwords, almost every TV you’ll find today is either LCD or OLED. LCD sets are often marketed as LEDs, QLED TVs or even mini-LED, but the underlying technology is LCD — short for Liquid Crystal Display. Behind that LCD layer sit LEDs; the quantity and layout of those LEDs are the primary distinctions. The top models use quantum dots and local dimming to produce a vivid, 4K HDR picture. OLED, or organic light-emitting diode, is newer to mainstream consumers, though it’s been available for over a decade. OLED panels are manufactured by LG … Read more

October 2, 2025

Building UP’s Future Through Capacity and Women’s Workforce Growth

Ananya Singh

Simpler technology, data democratisation, capacity strengthening at all tiers of governance, and increased participation of women in the workforce are the principal areas that will propel UP into an ‘aarogya’ (healthy), inclusive, and socially advanced state. These routes were emphasised in a panel discussion on ‘Jeevan Shakti – Pillars of Viksit UP’. Saying that the journey to Viksit UP is on track, and that UP has invested heavily in public health infrastructure over the past five years, secretary and director general, medical education, Aparna U said, “Before 2017, there were only 42 hospitals, both government and private. Today, that number … Read more

September 30, 2025

Exploring Dejima Japan’s Historic Western Trading Post

Priya Nair

The feudal rulers of Japan faced a dilemma in the early 1600s. Contact with European merchants during the recently concluded Sengoku era of civil war had revealed just how far Japan was falling behind the West in areas like science, technology, and trade, so they wanted to keep access to foreign goods and knowledge. At the same time, there were fears that outside influences, especially the spread of foreign religions, could undermine the authority of the Shogunate — for example, when samurai lord Omura Sumitada converted to Christianity and declared his plan to hand Nagasaki over to Jesuit missionaries. To … Read more

September 30, 2025

Diabetic Retinopathy Often Goes Undetected Until Vision Loss Occurs

Priya Nair

Diabetic retinopathy is fast becoming the primary cause of vision impairment in India, with the disease often remaining undetected until vision deterioration has occurred, health specialists said on Saturday, ahead of World Retina Day. World Retina Day is observed each year on the last Sunday of September to increase awareness about retinal health. With India being the diabetes capital of the world, diabetic retinopathy is surfacing as a major public health concern in the nation. Therefore, early identification is vital, the specialists noted. “Diabetes is already an epidemic in India, and diabetic retinopathy is quickly emerging as a public health … Read more

September 30, 2025

PM Modi Launches Rs 50,000 Crore Development Projects in Odisha

Priya Nair

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone and inaugurated development projects valued at more than Rs 50,000 crore spanning telecommunications, railways, higher education, healthcare, skill development and rural housing sectors. The prime minister put down the foundation stone for Rs 11,000 crore infrastructure expansion projects at eight IITs — Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, Dharwad, Jodhpur, Patna and Indore — to add 12,000 seats over the next four years. Modi also laid the foundation for the construction of a rail flyover between Sambalpur City and Sarala with an outlay of Rs 273 crore, and for establishing a semiconductor … Read more