- THE MOSQUITO EFFECT: HOW MALARIAL CHAOS INFLUENCED HUMAN HISTORY
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENT
- 1880:Alphonse Laveran identifies the malaria parasite;
- 1898: transmission cycle via Anopheles mosquito confirmed.
- Breakthroughs by Camillo Golgi, Angelo Celli, Patrick Manson and others transform understanding of disease ecology
- Colonial Expansion & Racial Hierarchies
- High malaria mortality (≈ 500 deaths/1,000 European troops annually) initially limited inland African colonisation;
- Africa dubbed “the white man’s grave”
- Post-1880 knowledge enabled drainage of swamps, segregated quarters, hill stations—fuelled the “Scramble for Africa,”with European control rising from 10 % (1870) to 90 % (1914).
- Genetic resistance in Africans drove trans-Atlantic slave-labour demand and fed pseudo-scientific racial theories that persist socially. Technological & Medical Milestones
- Quinine(17th c.), chloroquine & artemisinin drugs, insecticide impregnated nets, indoor residual spraying.
- 2024 WHO report notes newR TS, S vaccine offers partial protection; research ongoing for second-generation jabs.
2. FRANCE MACRON SEEKS FORGIVENESS FOR COLONIALISM
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Madagascar incited discussions about France’s colonial past and the path towards reconciliation.
- Macron’s Statement:
- Acknowledged France’s colonial presence in Madagascar as “not innocent” and containing “deeply painful pages.”
- He expressed a desire to work towards “forgiveness”and create conditions for mourning past wrongs.
- Proposed the return of cultural artifacts taken during colonization, including the skull of a Malagasy king.
- Advocated for collaboration between French and Malagasy historians to foster truth, memory, and reconciliation.
- Historical Background:Madagascar, the fifth-largest island globally, was under French colonial rule from the 19th century until gaining independence in 1960.
3. WHERE TARIFFS TRUMP ECONOMICS
SUBJECT: ECONOMY
- The U.S. announced new reciprocal tariffs affecting a range of goods, particularly from South and Southeast Asia.
- These tariffs aim to counter trade deficits and protect domestic industries but risk triggering global trade tensions.
- Asia Hit the Hardest: Countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and India face the sharpest tariff hikes.
- For example,Vietnam and Cambodia saw 46% and 49% tariffs, respectively, threatening critical sectors like garment exports.
- India’s Exposure: If tariffs persist,India stands to lose $7.6 billion in exports to the U.S. (6.4% of total merchandise exports to U.S. in 2024).
- This underscores the urgency to secure trade diversification.
- Distorted Tariff Calculation Method: The U.S. method calculates tariffs based on trade deficits but ignores services.
- This one-size-fits-all approach fails to reflect actual economic interdependence
4. AMIDST REGIONAL FERMENT KURDS QUEST FOR STATEHOOD
SUBJECT: GEOGRAPHY
- Kurds are the fourth-largest ethnic group in West Asia(25–45 million people), spread across Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, but remain stateless despite the 1920 Treaty of Sevres which promised autonomy
- Regional developments –from Israel’s hard-line policies and Iranian nuclear talks to Turkey’s domestic issues and Syria’s reconstruction present both opportunities and risks for Kurdish ambitions.
- Oppression and Resilience: Kurds have faced persistent repression, notably in Turkey(e.g., criminalization of Kurdish language and parties like PKK).
- Despite this, Kurds have carved autonomous zones, especially in Iraq (Kurdistan Region)and Syria (via SDF-controlled northeast areas).
- Global Dimension: Kurdish aspirations are often subsumed under larger powers’ strategic interests.
- For instance, while U.S. support has empowered Syrian Kurds militarily, Iran, Turkey, and Syria oppose Kurdish statehood, fearing separatism within their borders.
5. IS THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION STILL RELEVANT
SUBJECT: INTERNATIONAL
- WTO’s negotiating arm (Doha Round), dispute-settlement mechanism (Appellate Body), and trade-monitoring role are all paralysed;
- only the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement has been concluded since 2001.
- US-Led Unilateralism: Successive US administrations imposed “national-security” tariffs (Sections 232 & 301) and withdrew/limited MFN treatment, signalling retreat from rules-based trade.
- MFN & Consensus Challenges: The Most-Favoured-Nation principle is increasingly bypassed; consensus decision-making is blocking timely reforms—EU’s ad-hoc arbitration plan lacks universal buy-in.
- Rise of FTAs: Major economies prefer bilateral/regional trade agreements, adding complexity and marginalising developing countries that lack negotiation capacity.
