"India's Efforts to Secure Affordable Russian Oil Amid Tightening Sanctions" India’s state-owned refiners are expediting payments for Russian crude oil to complete transactions before expanded US sanctions take effect. These refiners now settle payments within two days instead of the usual five, aiming to secure discounted Russian oil while navigating an increasingly restricted global trade environment. The urgency stems from Washington's announcement of stricter sanctions targeting Russia’s oil industry, which are set to take effect next month. Refiners are keen to ensure transactions are completed during the “wind-down” period allowed for pre-sanctioned cargoes. At least 4.4 million barrels of Russian oil are en route to Indian ports like Jamnagar, Chennai, Paradip, and Visakhapatnam. Among these shipments is the tanker Mercury , carrying over 1 million barrels of Russian Urals crude, expected to arrive in Paradip soon. This vessel loaded its cargo in mid-December ...
The Real Reason Why Is India Lagging Behind? India, often celebrated for its diversity and history, struggles to match its potential in key areas like infrastructure, education, cleanliness, technology, and civic responsibility. These persistent issues raise an important question: Why is India behind in these sectors compared to other nations? Are the causes rooted in religion, overpopulation, or something deeper? This essay takes a closer look at India’s developmental shortcomings and the factors contributing to them, focusing on the interplay between cultural, systemic, and demographic influences. Understanding India's Developmental Lag India’s struggles are apparent in several sectors: Poor infrastructure delays economic growth. Substandard education hinders innovation. Inadequate cleanliness impacts public health. Lagging technology limits global competitiveness. Lack of civic sense damages urban environments. Each of these issues stems from a complex web of causes. While reli...