Context: At least 19 people died following a crowd surge at a Durga Puja pandal amid heavy rain and overcrowding, highlighting weaknesses in crowd management.Key Issue: Crowd disasters usually result from multiple failures in planning, infrastructure...

Context: A stampede at the Chorbagan Sarbojanin Durgotsab pandal in Kolkata’s Girish Park area during Durga Puja reportedly resulted in 19 deaths. The incident highlighted failures in crowd regulation, risk assessment and coordination between police...

Context: On October 13, at least 13 children drowned when an overcrowded, dilapidated country-made boat capsized in Raghopur, Vaishali district, Bihar, while travelling to a memorial feast in a neighbouring village.Underlying Issue: Unsafe river tran...

Context: A recent report, “A Resilient Himalaya: Protecting a Region at Risk and Securing Future Prosperity”, estimates that ₹64.8 lakh crore or 21.5% of India’s FY24 GDP depends on the Himalayas.Glacier retreat threatens water availability, agricult...