The Problems with Westphalian Nation-State System

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We all associate ourselves with various identities such as Indians, Chinese, Pakistani, Americans, Canadians, French, British and much more. Why do you think we all associate with all these more? Are there any other identities which people associate with?  The identities which I mentioned before are relatively new compared to other identities such as religion, language, caste, and various other identities. It is not to say that people never had such feelings towards nations or the state. But the idea of loyalty and love for the motherland was very important which offset various other identities. The question we are arriving at is what is the motherland, who made and how it formed.  What we refer to today as a Nation or Country refers to what we know in political science as a Nation-State. Today almost all the countries we know are categorised Nation-States and some even as State-Nations. International Relations and Political Science suggest that states are the most important a...
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Newscapsule for the Month of February 2023

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Following are the top news for the month.  If you wish to follow and get notifications of future articles, you can signup using the email on the left sidebar. 

Article of the month- Bharat Jodo Yatra


Kerala 

  • Kerala State Budget Speech for the year 2023-24 was presented in the assembly.
  • The banned documentary of PM Modi was telecasted in public by opposition parties. 
  • Dog thieves in the city were caught in Udupi. 
  • UDF is not to hold Harthals in the state.
  • Kochi Metro Rail Ltd held Pet Carnival named Paltu Janwar in Kochi. 
  • The Mayor of Kochi says the Budget allocation is inadequate. 
  • Oommen Chandy was hospitalised amid controversy over his treatment.
  • Congress to undergo reorganisation in the state.
  • Protests break out in the state against the increase in taxes.
  • Model Engineering College conducts a marathon in Kochi in connection with Excel Techfest. 
  • Metro ridership reaches 80,000 a day.
  • Transman in Kerala delivers a baby.
  • CAG Report on Kerala state revenue cites shortfall.
  • The Munnar trip by a majority of the staff at the Konni Taluk Office by taking mass leave on a working day.
  • K R Narayanan film institute stops strike after talks. 
  • Black flags against CM make havoc across the state.
  • Government plans on providing Menstrual Leave to all Educational Institutions.
  • MLA Shafi Parambil Clashed with police on Black Flag protests.
  • Kochi police raid city hotels, nab 12 for drug deals.
  • Man Held For Thrashing Priest.
  • The signing of the smart-meter project in Kerala was put off due to CITU intervention.
  • New York senator calls on Kerala CM to discuss collaboration opportunities.
  • Court sends M Sivasankar to 5-day ED custody, in LIFE Mission Case.
  • HC upholds the right of Govt to appoint KTU VC.
  • Aluva Manappuram welcomes devotees for the 'Bali' offering on Shivarathri.
  • RSS talks to JIH as part of its outreach programme. 
  • Actress Shubhi Suresh undergoing treatment in the hospital passed away. 
  • NSS and SNDP form Hindu Grand Alliance in Kerala. 
  • VACB exposes widespread corruption in CMDRF allocations.
Read our Special Coverage on Kerala Budget Analysis

India 


  • National Financial Budget 2023-24 was presented in the Lok Sabha a day after the release of the National Economy survey for last year. 
  • Husband, a male family member not protected under domestic violence law: HC.
  • BJP Picks Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, TN Chief Annamalai As Incharge, Co-Incharge.
  • Congress wins the Legislative Council Seat in Nagpur.
  • Sonam Wangchuk put under House Arrest in Ladakh.
  • Aero India 2023: BBMP revises order, allows consumption of non-veg food around Yelahanka.
  • Aero India 2023 was a grand success with Fighter jets from around the world including F-35s.
  • 'If you ignore hate crime, it will come for you': Supreme Court.
  • Turkish flag at half mast at the embassy in Delhi due to Earthquake. 
  • The Mayoral election was conducted in Delhi after a massive scuffle between AAP and BJP councillors. AAP wins the same for the first time in history. 
  • Gujarat High Court Accepts Apology Of 12 Judicial Officers who Failed To dispose of 45 Yrs Old Suit, Drops Contempt Proceedings.
  • UP CM inaugurated Laxman's stature. 
  • PM Modi inaugurated the highway will Jaipur as part of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
  • BJP got 78% of donations to national parties in FY22 at Rs 614 cr, Congress 2nd with Rs 95 cr: ADR.
  • Mother-Daughter died during a Bulldozer operation in UP.
  • BBMP banned animal slaughtering and the sale of meat on Mahashivaratri. 
  • PM Modi inaugurates Aadi Mahotsav, mega National Tribal Festival 2023.
  • G20 Meet starts with Finance Ministers Meet in Bangalore. 
  • SC takes a giant leap towards reforms during the first 100 days of Justice Chandrachud's tenure as CJI.
  • Ram Mandir in Ramanagara, Rs 1,000 crore for temples, mutts in CM Bommai's pre-poll Budget.
  • 'Shiv Sena' party name, 'Bow and Arrow' symbol to be retained by Eknath Shinde faction: ECI.
  • Clerk Accused Of Taking ₹150 Bribe Acquitted By Rajasthan High Court After 38 Years.
  • 102-Yrs Old Freedom Fighter To Get Pension Arrears After Karnataka High Court Intervenes.
  • Parts of Kharge's Rajya Sabha speech were removed from Sansad TV.
  • Delhi Dy CM was arrested by CBI and ED. 
  • Pawan Khera Deplaned at Delhi Airport.
  • Protests in Punjab for release of ‘Bandi Singh.
  • PM Modi meets Olaf Scholz. 
  • G20 Foreign Ministers to meet in Delhi this week.
  • India has removed the ban on the export of Onions. 
  • EU decides to launch fresh sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine. 
  • Punjab govt moves Supreme Court over Governor’s refusal for state Budget session.
Special coverage on National Budget Analysis

World/International


  • FBI searched Biden’s home in Rehoboth Beach.
  • Fed hikes interest rate at a slower pace again, aiming to tame inflation.
  • Pakistani Taliban creates havoc in the country. 
  • New Jersey councilwoman shot dead in SUV.
  • Ukraine launches prosecution against Wagner Chief.
  • House passes resolution to remove Ilhan Omar from Foreign Affairs Committee.
  • Blinken postpones China trip over spy balloon.
  • US shoots down Chinese balloon in US territory. 
  • Bolsonaro participated in a meeting to overturn the election. 
  • The U.S. added 517,000 jobs in January, much better than the 187,000 expected.
  • Former dictator Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf passes away at 79. 
  • Russia heavily bombards Kherson.
  • Bakhmut is the new centre of the Russia-Ukraine tussle.
  • Iranian Supreme Leader pardoned hundreds of protesters. 
  • Austrian avalanche kills 8 people.
  • Deadly earthquake hits Syria and Southern Turkey killing 50,000 people. Aid pours in from across the world including NATO. The epicentre is the city of Gaziantep. 
  • The publishing company offers free books on Black History in Florida. 
  • Salman Rushdie recovers from the attack against him in NYC.
  • Joe Biden makes landmark announcements and rhetorics at the State of The Union Address. 
  • Zelensky meets King Charles in his Palace. 
  • Australia experiences extreme changes in weather. 
  • Derailment of the train in East Palestine, Ohio gathers political attention.
  • Nikki Haley announces her Presidential bid for 2024.
  • The Justice Department is sending out more than $200 million to help states and the District of Columbia administer “red-flag laws” and other crisis-intervention programs.
  • Payton Gendron killed 10 people on May 14 at a Buffalo supermarket is now convicted.
  • The DOJ is making the request on the basis of the crime-fraud exception.
  • 1 dead, 3 injured in shooting at El Paso mall.
  • Elections held in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.
  • US Senator John Fetterman checks into the hospital with severe depression.
  • Five Pakistani Taliban terrorists were killed in an attack on the police chief's office in Karachi.
  • Fox News admits to lying on 2020 elections fraud. 
  • Kamala Harris announces war crimes and crimes against humanity done by Russia. 
  • Blinken meets with his Chinese counterpart at Munich Security Conference. 
  • Wagner Group criticised Russian Military for its failures.
  • Brazil’s Rio Carnival 2023 kicks off. 
  • Israel strikes on residential building in Damascus.
  • President Joe Biden was in Europe to meet with NATO allies in Poland. 
  • Biden went to Ukraine on a surprise visit to Kyiv in connection with one year of the war. 
  • A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Turkey, two weeks after a massive quake killed thousands. 
  • Russia suspends the New START treaty.
  • Vivek Ramaswamy: Indian-American businessman, and rapper running for US President.
  • Seattle bans caste discrimination in the city. 
  • China calls a ceasefire while Russia and Ukraine reject it.
  • Estonia celebrates its Independence day.
  • Two detainees leave Guantanamo Bay after acquittal.
  • US Energy Department assesses Covid-19 likely resulted from lab leak.

Technology



  • Banned documentary rocks the politics in India. 
  • Pakistan Blocks Wikipedia Over "Blasphemous Content.
  • Infosys allegedly fires 600 employees after they fail an internal test.
  • Twitter cuts down more employees.
  • A new set of Chinese apps banned in India.
  • UP cancels the Smart meters deal with Adani Group.
  • Adani Group Acquires Israeli Port Of Haifa For $1.2 Billion, Netanyahu Lauds Deal As 'Enormous Milestone'.
  • China claims US spy balloons were spotted in Shanghai. to review the causes and impacts of recent air travel disruptions.
  • Leaked Chinese police data is giving Uyghurs answers about missing family members.
  • Millions of Rupees worth of Lithium ore deposits were found in Jammu and Kashmir.
  • Indian Govt to use AI for translation to various Indian languages.
  • Tesla plans to share about 7,500 charging stations before the end of 2024.
  • US Air Force's F-35 jets make historic debut at Aero India 2023.
  • Action against those hoarding low-cost typhoid vaccine: Veena George. 
  • The Kottayam Passport office is temporarily closed.
  • Prasar Bharathi entered into a contract with an RSS-linked organisation.
  • Amazon and Google get RBI's nod to be payment aggregators, Paytm application was returned.
  • Indian Railways makes a record profit through ticket cancellations.
  • Japanese firm to give tech support for Kerala's first waste-to-energy plan.
Business and Finance


  • Pakistan is under tight austerity measures due to the IMF bailout. 
  • Indian markets fall despite the optimistic outlook of the budget.
  • The levy on crude oil produced by companies was cut to Rs 1,900 per tonne from Rs 2,100 per tonne. 
  • Adani's shares fall post-Hindelburg Report expose.
  • Bill Gates tries hand at making roti, draws PM Modi's praise.
  • World Economic Forum’s 2023 Davos event ended.
  • The Pathan movie crosses record collection in days.
  • Russia is smashing open its $45 billion piggy bank of Chinese yuan as energy revenue crashes.
  • Adani Group Acquires Israeli Port Of Haifa For $1.2 Billion.
  • Bangladesh seeks revision of its power deal with Adani. 
  • RBI hikes the repo rate by a quarter point.
  • Kochi Metro's second phase work is on track with KIIFB Funds.
  • Modi inaugurates UP Investor Summit.
  • India's forex reserves decline by $1.494 bn to reach $575.267 bn.
  • Elon Musk Fired Employee Who Told Him About Dip In His Popularity On Twitter: Report.
  • Moody's downgrades Adani Green's outlook to negative from stable.
  • Probe reveals overseas short-selling behind $100 billion rout in Adani shares - The Hindu BusinessLine.
  • I-T department surveys BBC premises in Delhi, Mumbai for alleged tax evasion for 56 hours.
  • Air India enters into a deal with Boeing and Airbus to buy 470 aircraft.
  • KIIFB Was Given NOC To Issue Masala Bonds: RBI Informs Kerala High Court.
  • Karnataka Budget: Major infra push, flood mitigation measures for Bengaluru. 
  • Haldiram Not Entitled To Pay Service Tax On Take-Away Of Food Items: CESTAT.
  • Ex-Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga Nominated By US President To Lead World Bank.
  • NCLAT Delhi Stays Insolvency Proceedings Against Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.
  • Adani Group firm removed from ‘under observation’ by US rating agency.
  • Ration Shops change timings in Kerala.

Sports 


  • Belgian goalkeeper Arne Espeeldies after saving a penalty.
  • Manchester United wins against Newcastle in the Final.
  • Sania Mirza ends her long career in Tennis. 
  • L. Messi wins FIFA Best Award. 
  • Lionel Messi orders 35 gold iPhones for his World Cup-winning Argentina team and staff.
  • Karnataka enters Hero Santosh Trophy final after 47 years; to cross swords with Meghalaya.
  • ISL playoff teams are confirmed.
  • Ravichandran Ashwin goes past Kapil Dev's tally of 687 wickets in international cricket.

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