Opinion
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| Apple Orchards, Unequal Sprays: How Kashmir’s Pesticide use far exceeds Himachal and Uttarakhand | | | | Anuj Kumar Verma
Horticulture is the backbone of the economy in both Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, yet a stark and troubling divide has emerged in how apple orchards are being managed across India’s major hill states. While Kashmir’s valleys produce more than three times the apples of Himachal and nearly fifty times those of Uttarakhand, they are also drowning in hazardous agrochemicals at a rate far higher than anywhere else in the country. J&K now records the highest pesticide application rate per hectare of gross cropped area in India. While the national average fell from 0.322 kg/ha in 2017–18 to 0.289 kg/ha in 2021–22, J&K surged to between 2.097 and 3.603 kg/ha in 2022–23 | |
| | | | From Global Dominance to Global Partnership: India’s BRICS Vision | | | | Lalit Gargg
The 18th BRICS Summit, to be held in New Delhi on September 12–13, comes at a time when the global order is undergoing profound transformation. The Russia-Ukraine war, tensions in West Asia, terrorism, trade conflicts, concerns over energy and food security, the rapidly emerging challenges of artificial intelligence, and growing questions over the credibility of global institutions have created a host of unresolved issues before the world. At the same time, the pressure generated by the United States’ trade and strategic policies is also affecting the global economy. Against this backdrop, the summit under India’s chairmanship is not merely a diplomatic gathering; it is an im | |
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