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...

News Capsule for the Month of February 2024

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



Article of the month

Kerala 

  • 2021 murder case of Kerala BJP leader, in which 15 got a death sentence. 
  • Eight urban health centres are to be open on February 6th.
  • Govt to proceed with K-Rail and Kozhikode, TVM Light Metro projects.
  • Days since the assistant public prosecutor's suicide, the probe has made no progress. 
  • Papanasam Beach in Varkala is featured among the world's best 100 beaches. 
  • The Kerala music festival was cancelled on the eve of kick-off. 
  • HC orders probe against Guruvayur Elephant camp, action against mahouts who beat elephants.
  • Celebrities among customers, and foreign drugs inflow into Kochi.
  • HC discourages defection. 
  • LDF declares candidates in all 20 constituencies. 
  • State to form an inter-state panel to monitor the movement of wild animals across state borders.
  • State witnesses a series of man-animal conflicts with notable deaths. 
  • Massive blast at Tripunithura firecracker unit leaves Worker killed in an explosion at Tripunithura cracker unit, dozen people injured, 25 houses damaged, more casualties feared. 
  • Aluva witnessed a hit-and-run case.
  • Congress sacks 5 panchayat committee presidents for not raising money for the Samaragni poll campaign. 
  • Congress's Samaragni and BJP President's rally continues in the state. 
  • Father of Alappuzha boy who died by suicide lodges complaint against school teachers. 
  • Kerala not to be hit by 'Bharat Bandh'. 
  • Strict action against waste dumping, warns Kochi Mayor. 
  • The kid that went missing from Trivandrum was found in record time at Kochuveli railway station. 
  • BJP's senior leaders seek to contest from Trivandrum and Attingal. 
  • Wayanad human-wildlife conflict: Govt's ministerial team assures to deploy more RRTs. 
  • Non-payment of arrears: Ernakulam Collectorate in darkness after KSEB removes fuse. 

India 
  • Centre starts to survey to assess women's participation in the workforce.
  • 600-year-old mosque In Delhi’s Mehrauli was demolished.  
  • Punjab's war on drugs end are easy target as big remain elusive. 
  • Temple demolished in PWD's anti-encroachment drive in Geeta Colony in Delhi. 
  • Hemant Soren was sent in 1-day judicial custody the day after arrest. 
  • Champai Soren To Take Oath As Jharkhand Chief Minister after Hemanth Soren. 
  • Nithish Kumar's party JDU is back to NDA ending its tie-up with the NDA alliance.
  • Can Hindu Law Principles Be Applied While Deciding Inheritance Rights Under Mohammedan Law? Supreme Court To Examine.
  • Untenable To Imagine Dependency On Father Was Restored Due To Husband Losing Job: Kerala HC Declines  Married Daughter's Plea Seeking Employment Assistance. 
  • Meghalaya’s new state anthem has led to a controversy over the state’s Jaintia tribe. 
  • The Archaeological Survey of India surveyed the Gyanvapi mosque. 
  • Centre plans to replace the Indian Stamp Act of 1899 with a new law. 
  • Karnataka to face water scarcity. 
  • India nominates 12 forts of Maratha Military landscapes. 
  • BJP stalwart LK Advani to be conferred with Bharat Ratna announces PM Modi.
  • Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit resigns from the post citing personal reasons. 
  • Case Against NIT Professor in Kerala for 'Proud of Godse' Comment. 
  • Ladakh-Kargil witnessed a massive shutdown demanding a request for statehood. 
  • ‘Thalapathy’ Vijay decided to float his own party. 
  • Pigeon suspected of being a Chinese spy released. 
  • Uttarakhand Cabinet Approves Uniform Civil Code Draft Report in Cabinet Meeting Today.
  • PM Modi Mocks Rahul In Lok Sabha, Predicts 400-Seat NDA Victory. 
  • SC cancels elections of Chandigarh Mayoral Posts. 
  • Kerala's Muslim League leader says Ram Mandir as the necessity of a majoritarian society. 
  • Revanth Reddy requests Sonia Gandhi to contest from Telangana.  
  • Indians will no longer need visas to travel to Iran. 
  • Ajit Pawar's faction is real Nationalist Congress Party, says the Election Commission. 
  • PM Modi says Nehru and Indira had a low opinion of Indians. 
  • UP ATS. arrested a Pakistan ISI agent working at the Indian Embassy in Moscow from Meerut. 
  • Kerala is set to host India's first international autism film festival. 
  • Sharad Pawar gets a new name for his party - ''Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar'.
  • TVM MP Shashi Tharoor conferred France's highest civilian honour. 
  • Uttarakhand becomes the first state to clear the UCC Bill. 
  • Farmer's protests began in Delhi and the Haryana-Punjab border.
  • Portion of Delhi's Gokulpuri Metro Station Collapses; Some People Injured. 
  • FM Nirmala Sitharaman Presents White Paper In LS; Will Compare Economy's Growth In UPA Vs Modi Govt. 
  • Interfaith couples in UP faced legal battlegrounds after being attacked. 
  • Chaudhary Charan Singh, Narasimha Rao, MS Swaminathan to be honoured with Bharat Ratna, tweets PM Modi. 
  • Violence erupted in Haldwani, Uttarakhand followed by a government response. 
  • Rajya Sabha Passes Jammu and Kashmir Local Bodies Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024.
  • PM Modi Surprises 8 MPs With Impromptu Lunch At Parliament Canteen.
  • Government releases White Paper on economic development. 
  • AAP says no alliance in Punjab. 
  • Anurag Thakur wears a 'Namo Hattrick' saffron hoodie to parliament. 
  • Rahul Gandhi says it's okay for people to leave the party. 
  • El Nino condition fades paving the way for a good monsoon next year. 
  • Ex-Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan Resigns from Congress and joins BJP for Rajya Sabha elections. 
  • Nitish Kumar Kumar wins the trust vote with 129 votes, Opposition walks out. 
  • The Centre informs the SC, open to having a meeting with the Kerala govt and discussing financial issues. 
  • Indian PM visits Qatar after UAE. 
  • India-Qatar ties growing stronger and stronger: PM Modi after talks with Emir. 
  • Former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri's grandson Vibhakar Shastri quits Congress and joins BJP. 
  • Firing occurs at the Jammu Sector from the Pakistani side. 
  • Farmers called for Bharat Bandh on the 17th. 
  • A panel of 3 union ministers to hold talks with farmer leaders in Chandigarh.
  • Diamond merchant who donated ‘generously’ to Ram temple is the BJP’s RS nominee Govindbhai Dholakia.
  • Eminent Jurist Fali S Nariman Passed Away. 
  • Seven dead after fire breaks out at main market in Alipur. 
  • Supreme Court gives unanimous verdict in electoral bonds case declaring them unconstitutional. 
  • Rajya Sabha elections for open positions held amidst chaos. 
  • Sonia Gandhi Files Nomination For Rajya Sabha Election 2024 From Rajasthan.
  • Bulldozers line up to shower petals on UP MLAs visiting Ayodhya’s Ram Temple. 
  • 'Delhi Chalo' March Suspended For 2 Days, Announces Farmer Leader. 
  • IUML pitched for a third seat. 
  • Setback for BJP as Rajasthan minister loses to Congress rival in key bypoll. 
  • AAP and Congress announce alliance for Delhi, Haryana and Gujarat. 
  • New Criminal Laws will take charge on July 1. 
  • SP and Congress announce seat share arrangement in UP. 
  • TMC to go alone in West Bengal. 
  • Arrest Trinamool Strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, Says Calcutta High Court. 
  • Amended Citizenship Rules Likely To Be Enforced From Next Month: Sources. 
  • BJP wins most of the Rajya Sabha seats with massive cross-voting reported. 

World/International


  • Nikki Haley says Texas to secede from the US. 
  • EU agrees $50B funding deal for Ukraine at a pivotal time in the war despite the Hungarian Opposition. 
  • The US approves the plan to strike Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq as revenge against Jordan. 
  • France constitutionalizes abortion rights. 
  • Nikki Haley attacks age morals in wealth in 2024. 
  • Indian Navy foils another piracy attempt along the East coast of Somalia and rescues Iranian, and Pakistani crew members. 
  • Democrats Warn Their Voters Against Backing Haley in South Carolina. 
  • Fulton County DA acknowledges personal relationship with lead prosecutor on Trump case but says it doesn’t disqualify her. 
  • US retaliation strikes against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria. 
  • Imran Khan, wife Bushra Bibi sentenced to seven years in 'un-Islamic' marriage case. 
  • Chile declared a state of emergency as 120 people were killed in wildfires. 
  • The rise in illegal immigrants across the USA has become headlines.    
  • Californian water supply and demand reaching a crisis. 
  • Bill to tackle exam malpractices introduced in Lok Sabha. 
  • Biden holds campaign rally in Las Vegas for Nevada Primaries. 
  • PM Modi wishes a speedy recovery to Britain's King Charles III after his cancer diagnosis. 
  • One year after the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey. 
  • China’s ‘suspended’ death sentence for Australian citizen. 
  • She is charged with involuntary manslaughter in relation to a school shooting.
  • Biden won the Nevada Primary Election in a landslide. 
  • Nikki Haley lost the Primary Election to None of these candidates. 
  • 12 Killed In Blast Outside Balochistan Candidate's Office Day Before Polls. 
  • Mobile phone services were suspended across the country as voting began in Pakistan Elections 2024. 
  • Indonesia gets new President and Vice President. 
  • Kyrsten Sinema criticised Republicans on the Border Bill being lapsed. 
  • Supreme Court hears Trump's 14th Amendment case arguments. 
  • The volcano erupted in Iceland. 
  • Russia's ship in the Black Sea was sunk by using Ukrainian drones. 
  • Trump wins the Nevada Caucus. 
  • Pakistani military interferes in the National Election elections. PMLN and PPP are neck to neck while Imran Khan independents form the largest number. 
  • US Senate advances aid package for Ukraine and Israel. 
  • Coalition Government to come up in Pakistan with Shehbaz Sharif as the PM.  
  • Russia has recruited as many as 15,000 Nepalis to fight its war. Many returned traumatized. Some never came back. 
  • Trump will pull the US out of NATO if he wins election, ex-adviser warns.
  • Democrats win the NY 3 Special election narrowing GOP majority in the House of Representatives. 
  • Indian PM addressed the Diaspora crowd in Dubai. 
  • New York City sees the highest daily snowfall in over 2 years. 
  • Nawaz Sharif nominates brother Shehbaz as Pakistan PM candidate. 
  • Ukraine claims Russia used hypersonic Missile. 
  • Pennsylvania State House 140th District Special Election saw a Democratic hold. 
  • Massachusetts is the most educated state in the USA. 
  • Russia's Putin will be 'assassinated' if he steps back from Ukraine war, says Elon Musk. 
  • Donald Trump will face his first criminal trial with jury selection beginning March 25 in New York. 
  • Alexander Smirnov, 43, was charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record for information he fed the FBI.
  • Jailed Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny dies in the prison. Russia delayed the release of Body.
  • Biden meets Seth Meyers on his show ahead of Primary Elections. 
  • Seattle cop who struck and killed Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula will not face criminal charges. 
  • Navalny's family visits the USA and meets President Biden. 
  • Tucker Carlson conducts an interview with Putin. 
  • Farmer's protests were reported in several parts of Europe. 
  • North Korean missiles fired by Russia against Ukraine contained US and European components.
  • The US imposes extensive sanctions on Russia. 
  • China: 15 killed, 44 injured in building fire in Nanjing- a month after 39 people died in similar accident. 
  • Trump defeats Nikki Haley in South Carolina Primary. 
  • Autoworkers extend support to Biden in Michigan. 
  • Sweden joins NATO after Hungary approves its Accession. 
  • Biden and Trump win the Michigan Primary from their respective parties. 
  • Ceasefire groups have voted for uncommitted in the ballot. 
  • Both Biden and Trump visit the US Mexico Border.
  • Qatar frees Indian ex-servicemen charged of spying. 
Israel-Palestine
  • Biden Says Will Respond to Jordan Attack: Options US Has, risks it must weigh. 
  • Israeli soldiers struggle to square political views with the realities of war.
  • Hamas rejects three-phase deals.
  • Both Israel and Hamas reject the Gaza hostage release and sustained cessation proposal
  • Israel starts bombing the Rafah region despite its earlier promise not to bomb Southern Gaza. 
  • Israeli strike kills 14 people in Khan Younis. 
  • Israel pulls out of truce talks in Cairo, cites Hamas' 'delusional demands'. 
  • 9 Killed In Israeli Strikes On Lebanon Amid Gaza War. 
  • Egypt has started building a Buffer zone on the Gaza border. 
  • ICJ pays hearing to Genocide case against Israel. 
  • US vetoes UN resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza after proposing a temporary halt in fighting. 
  • Israel’s Druze Arabs, fiercely loyal to the state, feel let down after ‘paying with their blood’. 
  • Palestinian PM from West Bank resigns. 
  • Biden Promises Ceasefire in Gaza By March first week. 
    Technology

    • IBM ends WFH for Managers to come to the Office. 
    • Facebook parent Meta declares first dividend, shares soar. 
    • Poonam Pandey makes up that dies Of Cervical Cancer and faces backlashes. 
    • Model slammed for faking death due to cervical cancer; stunt labelled 'cheap, shameful'. 
    • Mark Zuckerberg apologised to the parents of young social media users in Congressional hearings. 
    • 94% electrification was done. 
    • Govt to proceed with K-Rail and Kozhikode, TVM Light Metro projects. 
    • Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode metro on track; Rs 239-crore boost for Kochi Phase II. 
    • Several Banks' Servers Down and Transactions Hit UPI servers. 
    • 'Few banks are having internal technical issues' says NPCI as UPI users face outage. 
    • Tik-Tok CEO is questioned by US Congress. 
    • The sixth edition of the India Boat & Marine Show is to be held in Kochi. 
    • Bengaluru techie posts about 'recession in tech,' gets laid off a day later. 
    • Elon Musk Says Will Discontinue His Phone Number, Use 'X' For Calls. 
    • KSRTC Aluva Bus Station was inaugurated.
    • India to implement GPS-based toll collection. 
    • India's UPI, RuPay Services Launched in Sri Lanka, Mauritius. 
    • PM Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan introduced the UPI RuPay Card Service in Abu Dhabi. 
    • Google Removes More Than 170 Million Reviews From Maps And Search. 
    • CIAL signs pact to establish world's first green hydrogen plant in the airport. BPCL to collaborate. 
    • Elon Musk's X Allowed Terrorist Groups To Publish Long Posts And Buy Blue Ticks. 
    • X suspends accounts related to farmer's protests in India. 
    • CSL delivers 13th electric hybrid ferry to Kochi Water Metro. 
    • Byju's investors vote to remove founder CEO Byju Raveendran from troubled EdTech startup. 
    • PM Modi inaugurates India's longest cable-stayed bridge 'Sudarshan Setu' in Gujarat. 
    • Train runs 70km without Loco Pilot in J&K. 
    Business and Finance

    • WEF held at Davos. India did leave a big mark in the same. 
    • RBI takes action against PayTM. 
    • Bideneconomics is an unfinished task claims experts. 
    • ED attaches property of Cong MLA K Babu. 
    • Economic Survey not presented this time, instead ten years. 
    • India passed its Interim Budget for the year 2024-25. 
    • MSP for rubber increased by Rs 10 to Rs 180. 
    • LIC soars 9% to breach the ₹ 1000 mark for the first time ever. 
    • Kerala among most financially unhealthy states, Centre tells SC. 
    • Central Government released Bharat Rice for 29/-. Over 150 bags of rice sold in Thrissur. 
    • The global financial crisis in 2008 wasn't as serious as COVID-19, UPA govt should have handled it with sincerity: FM Sitharaman.
    • BJP received Rs 1300 cr through electoral bonds in the 2022-23 period.
    • IndiGo plane misses taxiway after landing in Delhi, runway blocked for 15 minutes. 
    • Sovereign Gold Bond 2024 opened again this month. 
    • At 5.1%, retail inflation cools to a three-month low in January. 
    • Reliance becomes 1st listed Indian firm to cross Rs 20 lakh crore m-cap mark. 
    • Nirmala Sitharaman releases souvenir coins on Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, Ayodhya and Ram Lalla.
    • KSRTC says the pensions due will be paid in two weeks.
    • Congress party claims its bank accounts are frozen. 
    • SpiceJet shares climb 13% as airline submits bid to acquire GoFirst. 
    • RBI Gives 15-Day Relaxation To Paytm Payments Bank; Deadline Extended To March 15. 

    Sports 
    • KBFC makes a comeback in ISL by defeating FC Goa. 
    • Kansas City Chiefs defeated San Fransisco 49ners in the Superbowl finals. Celebrations witness shootings killing one. 
    • Russia loses appeal against IOC for Paris 2024 Olympics. 
    • Rohit Sharma named India captain for T20 World Cup 2024. 
    • Lewis Hamilton to leave Mercedes and Join Ferrari F1. 
    • Sajana Sajeevan, Wayanad girl hits match-winning sixer for Mumbai Indians in WPL. 
    • Sir Jim Ratcliffe gets 25% of the stakes in Manchester United Club. 

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