The Social Lens: Insights on Institutions, Inequality, and Innovation

I 13 th August 2000 Khusrow gazed at the face of his fiancée Shirin and found her beauty esoteric yet quiet. He was going to Kabul to train as a technician hoping it would fetch him some job in the Gulf. Life in Northern Afghanistan had become tough as theTaliban had started penetrating into the territory. He had already lost his family in the skirmishes with Taliban and did not want to be a part of the bloodshed anymore. He was caught in a dilemma –whether to build a career or to stay at home with his love. She was his dreamgirl, his pari. Shirin found his choice of moving to Kabul for one year very painful but  she couldnot bring herself to stop Khusrow .One year was a lot of time, especially when the Taliban was making gains in their territory. She helped Khusrow pack his bags, trying to be the supportive lover he would want her to be. Khusrow kept the photograph of his Hero Ahmad Shah Massoud in his luggage bag. He took the bags and  somberly told Shirin “ It’s tim...

The history of human civilization is marked by an enduring quest for  freedom —freedom from economic, legal, political, and social constraints, all of which are seen as essential to building a more just society. Proponents of the free-market system argue that the accumulation of private property, adherence to the rule of law, and economic freedom are prerequisites for market efficiency. They contend that state intervention in the market should be minimized, as governments lack the necessary information to regulate market mechanisms effectively. These ideas led to the emergence of the  New Right  movement in Western democracies, advocating for reduced state control over economic affairs. Although the implementation of these policies has varied geographically, no region of the world has remained untouched by their influence. The global order, shaped by international institutions, played a pivotal role in promoting these policies to achieve higher economic growth, improved ...