The “disgustingly educated” trend refers to a growing social media and cultural phenomenon, primarily targeted at women, that encourages  individuals to become highly knowledgeable, articulate, and constantly self-improving across a wide range of topics (e.g., politics, culture, health, and personal development).

In many Western countries, loneliness and social isolation have been rising, particularly among young people and men.

Anti-loneliness campaigns include but are not limited to initiatives aimed at reducing social isolation, including mental health awareness programs, community-building efforts, and initiatives targeting groups at higher risk. For eg organising community wide meet up initiatives.

India has historically followed “non-alignment,” avoiding formal alliances since the Cold War. Today, it engages with Western blocs (e.g., the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) while maintaining ties with Russia (defence, energy) and participating in BRICS alongside China.

In many countries, legislative bodies include members who are not directly elected, but are appointed or nominated to bring expertise or represent specific groups. For example, the Rajya Sabha in India includes nominated members such as Ranjan Gogoi and Sachin Tendulkar. Similarly, the House of Lords includes appointed members such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the Senate of Canada consists entirely of appointed members. 

India has historically followed “strategic non-alignment,” avoiding formal alliances since the Cold War. Today, it engages with Western blocs (e.g., the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) while maintaining ties with Russia (defence, energy) and participating in BRICS alongside China.

In many countries, legislative bodies include members who are not directly elected, but are appointed or nominated to bring expertise or represent specific groups. For example, the Rajya Sabha in India includes nominated members such as Ranjan Gogoi and Sachin Tendulkar. Similarly, the House of Lords includes appointed members such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, and the Senate of Canada consists entirely of appointed members. 

(For this debate) polite constructive criticism includes offering feedback designed to improve policies in a formal and respectful manner. 

Abandonment refers to situations where adult children deliberately refuse to provide financial support or basic care for their elderly parents despite having the reasonable means to do so, leaving them without adequate support. 

The “petrodollar system” refers to the global practice of pricing and trading oil primarily in US dollars. Some countries, including members of BRICS, have explored alternatives such as trading in local currencies or creating new financial systems

A "Primate City" is a city in which the majority of the cultural, social, and economic capital in a country is centred. They are often the most populous cities in a given country. Examples include Bangkok, Mexico City, Kinshasa, Beunos Aires, and Lagos

Medical tourism refers to patients travelling across borders to access affordable or higher-quality healthcare services

In early 2026, key patents on semaglutide (key part of GLP drugs)-owned by Novo Nordisk and used in Ozempic- expired in India, opening the market to domestic manufacturers. Firms like Sun Pharma, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, and Zydus Lifesciences have begun trials and production of GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic, Mounjaro etc.). These patents are set to expire in the world soon as well.

Branded treatments from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly cost ~₹9,000–₹11,000/month, while Indian generics could drop to ₹1,500–₹4,000/month.

Non-specialist mental health workers refer to individuals who do not hold formal qualifications in psychiatry, clinical psychology, or licensed therapy, but receive short-term, structured training to deliver basic mental health services. These may include community health workers, peer supporters, or nurses trained to hold sensitisations, and  provide interventions such as talk therapy, screening, and referrals under supervision.

Some donors choose "traditional charity" wherein they donate to charities with a track-record of success and a high probability of helping people, funding evidence-backed interventions. eg malaria prevention medicine, Vitamin A supplements, distribution of menstrual products etc.

Other donors choose "hits based giving" to donate to opportunities where, although success isn't guaranteed, the potential impact they might have if they do succeed is so great that they think it's worth trying. eg. Rockefeller Foundation, a charitable foundation which invested in research on how to improve agricultural productivity ended up developing the high-yielding wheat strains that fuelled the "Green Revolution", Katharine McCormick, a wealthy philanthropist, was the sole funder of research that led to the development of the birth control pill, etc.

The Misogi Challenge refers to a form of extreme, time-bound self-improvement challenge where individuals attempt a highly difficult task designed to push them far beyond their comfort zone, often with a significant chance of failure (e.g., 30–50%). These challenges typically take place over a short but intense period (e.g., several days to a few weeks) and may include activities such as completing physically demanding expeditions, undertaking extreme creative or productivity goals, or other high-effort personal projects.
The concept has gained popularity through social media, where such challenges are often promoted as transformative experiences for personal growth.

In many universities, particularly in India, informal hierarchical cultures exist where junior students are expected to show deference to seniors through practices such as using honorifics like “sir” or “ma’am,” prioritising seniors in shared spaces, or following their informal authority. Seniors in this "sir/maam" culture look at people younger to them as thier juniors, often "adopting" juniors into thier circles and friendships.