Good News: A Road Safe for Wildlife, Care during Care, and More

Safe for Wildlife

The National Highway Authority of India displayed a shade of altruism towards wildlife by revamping a two-kilometre-long stretch of the Bhopal–Jabalpur highway (NH45) passing through the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve with red ‘table-top’ marking. The marking—a 5-mm-thick red-and-white layer applied on the stretch—is designed to slow down approaching vehicles with its elevation and texture, thereby reducing the possibility of animal-vehicle collisions and giving wildlife a safe passage through the dense forest. The striking colours are aimed at indicating to the commuters that they are passing through a sensitive wildlife zone. Implemented following the unfortunate hit-and-run death of a cheetah cub in Gwalior, the measure is part of an ambitious project worth `122.25 crore on a 11.9-km highway expanse, and aims to build 25 underpasses based on animal movement patterns. Such an initiative is indicative of ethical and environmental considerations that come into play in the design and construction of public infrastructure.

When Credit Turns Human

In Telangana, farmers like Venkatamma and Vijayalakshmi once relied on moneylenders who charged crushing interest—up to 60 per cent a year. A small loan could take a lifetime to repay. Then they met Rang De, a peer‑to‑peer lending platform that treats borrowers as partners, not risks. Through low‑interest loans funded by thousands of ‘social investors’, the women helped set up a farmer‑producer company, cut out middlemen and began selling directly at better prices. Similar stories echo across villages, where tailors buy extra sewing machines and home entrepreneurs open tiny shops. The amounts are modest. The shift in posture is not. Credit, once a source of fear, becomes a bridge to dignity and self‑respect.

Taking Climate Accountability More Seriously

In July, the International Court of Justice delivered a ruling that climate advocates had long hoped for. The court said governments that fail to rein in emissions—or continue backing new fossil-fuel projects—could be violating international law. The case was initiated by law students from the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu, one of the regions most threatened by rising seas. While the decision is advisory rather than legally binding, experts say it carries enormous moral and political weight. It gives climate-vulnerable countries a powerful reference point in future legal actions. Environmental law groups called it the end of “climate impunity,” arguing that the ruling redraws global expectations around responsibility and urgency.

Governments that fail to rein in emissions could violate international law, the ICJ ruled. Photo: Adobe Stock

Denmark Takes a Stand Against Deepfake Abuse

Deepfakes may be getting more sophisticated, but Denmark has decided its citizens deserve firmer protection. The country is updating its copyright laws to give individuals clear legal rights over their own body, face and voice—essentially recognising personal identity as something that cannot be copied without consent. Danish culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt summed it up bluntly: people should not be fed into a ‘digital copy machine’ for misuse. Once approved, the change would allow individuals to demand the removal of deepfake content that features them without permission. Importantly, the law makes room for parody and satire, so humour and commentary are not caught in the net. As synthetic media becomes harder to spot, Denmark’s move is being watched closely by other countries grappling with the same question: how do you protect free expression while stopping digital impersonation from causing real harm?

Care During Care

Hospital stays can be bewildering for caregivers unsure how to support patients during and after treatment. Noora Health’s Care Companion Program (CCP) addresses this gap by training nurses to deliver 30 to 60 minutes of practical, easy-to-understand guidance to caregivers using audio, video, animations and slogans. A 2019 study in the Journal of Global Health Reports found that skin-to-skin care for newborns rose by 78 per cent and newborn admissions fell by 56 per cent in hospitals running the programme. Post-discharge complications dropped by 71 per cent among cardiac surgery patients from trained families. As of 2025, CCP has reached 8.3 million patients and caregivers across India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Indonesia.

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