The Insight Review, Independent analysis of education, technology, and global affairs

 Introduction When an icon of innovation and social change like Sonam Wangchuk is arrested under the National Security Act (NSA), it forces the nation to pause and question: what is going wrong in Ladakh? Once considered a relatively quiet region of high mountains and cold deserts, Ladakh today is the site of a deep political rupture between the people’s expectations and the heavy hand of the state. On September 24, 2025, Leh witnessed something it had never seen before: fires, clashes, and police bullets in the streets. For a region long associated with quiet resilience and peaceful movements, this was a breaking point. Soon after, Sonam Wangchuk Ladakh’s most respected voice, an innovator and educator was arrested under the draconian National Security Act (NSA). The government blames him for inciting violence. But the story is much deeper than a single protest turning ugly. It is about broken promises, ignored demands, and the silencing of dissent. In this blog, I’ll walk you thr...

“GST 2.0: A bold tax reform billed as the path to cheaper goods but will the savings reach your pocket?” A household excited about Diwali price cuts, only to find that their mobile phone or refrigerator remains stubbornly expensive because of hidden components and exchange rate pressures. On 3 September 2025, the 56th GST Council meeting approved a sweeping overhaul of India’s indirect tax regime dubbed “Next-Generation GST Reform” or GST 2.0 to take effect from 22 September. The package compresses the existing slab structure (eliminating 12% and 28%), merges many items into two main rates (5% and 18%), and introduces a 40% rate for luxury and sin goods. In public statements, the government presents GST 2.0 as a trifecta of consumer relief, simpler compliance, and demand revival. As Prime Minister Modi put it, the reform would be a “Diwali gift” for households. Finance Ministry and GST Council releases promise easier filing, faster refunds, rationalised slabs, and lower tax burdens o...

 Introduction The rise of AI-powered image editing has delivered a new form of digital fashion: viral filters, stylized portraits, and lately the “Gemini Nano Banana Saree” phenomenon. Users, especially women are uploading selfies to AI tools like Google Gemini to generate surreal saree portraits that evoke nostalgia, glamour, heritage. It looks harmless even delightful. But beneath the aesthetic veneer lies a tangle of risks: biometric data collection, potential misuse, weak legal safeguards, and threats to safety and privacy. This article analyzes these issues, drawing on recent data, expert opinions, and Indian legal context, to argue that the rush toward creativity must be balanced with responsibility. What’s Going On: The Gemini Saree Trend The trend uses AI models like Gemini’s “Nano Banana” prompt to transform personal photos into stylised portraits featuring vintage saree aesthetics, golden hour lighting, etc. The visual outcomes are polished, often enchanting, and naturall...

The internet feels like home: Instagram scrolls, Netflix binges, late-night Amazon shopping. But beneath this friendly skin lies a much darker skeleton. An invisible parallel world thrives — one where anonymity is power, where secrets are currency, and where human behavior swings between liberation and corruption. That world is the Dark Web. It is not science fiction. It’s real, expanding, and it impacts you even if you never open a Tor browser. This post takes you inside that world: what it is, how it works, why it’s dangerous, how it breaches privacy, and why some even defend it as a space for free speech. Along the way, we’ll surface case studies, expert insights, and real-life examples to help you grasp the stakes. Layers of the Internet: Surface vs. Deep vs. Dark Before entering the shadows, it helps to know the map. The internet is not a flat world but a layered one: Surface Web  Content indexed by search engines; what most of us use daily. ...

When we talk about “civic sense” in India, the conversation is usually limited to two things: people spitting paan on the road and breaking traffic signals. As if civic responsibility begins and ends with garbage bins and zebra crossings. But scratch a little deeper and you’ll see civic sense is not just about physical cleanliness or following traffic rules. It’s about mindset, behavior, and the ability to coexist with dignity. And here, India struggles far more than it admits. The Narrow Definition of Civic Sense In everyday discussions, civic sense is reduced to not littering. True, Indians have a notorious reputation for throwing wrappers out of bus windows, honking without reason, and turning roads into dumping grounds. But this is only the visible tip of the iceberg. What’s hidden beneath is a set of social attitudes and behaviors that reveal how civic sense is not embedded in our culture. Other countries may not be perfect, but there is a baseline respect in public life — for per...

Introduction :A Generation on the Streets Nepal is no stranger to political movements. From the People’s Movement of 1990 to the protests that dismantled the monarchy in 2006, the country has witnessed youth-driven demands for change before. But what has unfolded in September 2025 feels different. This time, it is not the established political parties leading demonstrations. It is not middle-aged leaders fighting for ideological dominance. It is Generation Z—students, young professionals, and digital natives—who have taken to the streets in an unprecedented show of defiance. On a humid September afternoon in Kathmandu, thousands of young Nepalis marched from Maitighar toward New Baneshwar. School uniforms mingled with college hoodies, backpacks thudded against shoulders, and placards scrawled with sharp slogans bobbed above the crowd: “Stop banning our voices.” “Wake up, Gen Z.” For many, this was the first protest they had ever joined. But the energy was unmistakable—anger, frustratio...

 Introduction The global turn to remote work is often described as a democratizing force. Freed from the office, millions of white-collar workers gained new flexibility, cutting commutes, relocating to smaller towns, and reorganizing their daily lives. The pandemic normalized what had once been a privilege reserved for freelancers and the digital elite. Yet this narrative obscures an uncomfortable reality: the ability to work from home is not equally distributed. Instead, it has become a marker of class position. While professionals in sectors like technology, finance, and higher education transitioned smoothly to salaried remote jobs, a large population of unemployed graduates, students, and precarious workers found themselves excluded. For these groups, “work from home” opportunities often appeared in the form of multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes. Promising entrepreneurship, financial independence, and self-realization, MLMs became a lifeline for many who lacked access to secur...

Introduction: Why the SCO Matters for India in 2025 The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has often been described as a security club or a geopolitical counterweight to Western institutions. But for India, its significance is far more nuanced. The 2025 SCO Summit in Tian jin was not just about photo opportunities with China’s Xi Jinping or Russia’s Vladimir Putin. It was about positioning India in a complex Eurasian landscape while protecting its core interests: security, connectivity, and economic opportunity. At a time when global alignments are shifting and regional rivalries remain raw, the summit revealed both the potential and the limits of India’s engagement with the SCO. The Evolution of the SCO: From Security Club to Multipurpose Forum The SCO was founded in 2001 as an outgrowth of the “Shanghai Five,” focusing primarily on border security and counter-terrorism. Over the years, its agenda has broadened to cover trade, infrastructure, energy, and cultural exchanges. Membe...