By A Representative A new scientific study published in Scientific Reports outlines a comprehensive strategy for developing sustainable tourism in the Char Dham circuit of Uttarakhand—Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri—using advanced geospatial and socio-economic analysis. The research, conducted by Jagdish Chandra Kuniyal and colleagues from the Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali University of Horticulture and Forestry and the G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, stresses the urgent need for balancing religious tourism growth with environmental preservation in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
By Devidas Tuljapurkar* In recent years, there has been a concerning trend of increasing foreign control over Indian banks. It began with Laxmi Vilas Bank , which was acquired by Singapore-based DBS Group (Development Bank of Singapore). This was followed by the acquisition of Catholic Syrian Bank by the Canadian firm Fairfax . More recently, Yes Bank has seen a growing stake being taken over by Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), and now reports suggest that RBL Bank (formerly Ratnakar Bank Limited) is likely to be acquired by the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) public sector lender, Emirates NBD (Emirates National Bank of Dubai).