Published: 10th June 2021
#ThrowbackToday: The big 'Asian brown cloud' hanging over the Indian ocean
In today's #TBT, we tell you about one of the many ill-effects of the rising pollution levels across the country, the Asian brown cloud. And this is why we all should be very, very sacred
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The cloud that lingers | (Pic: Wikimedia Commons)
Imagine a cloud of soot and sulphur, as big as the USA itself, hanging over the Indian Ocean. Now, what if we told you this is actually the reality. On June 10, 1999, scientists reported that, indeed, this winter cloud occurs from November to May and was dubbed the Asian brown cloud. Formed by the particles released due to the combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, this was bad news for our country, China and Pakistan. Or is this to be expected, part of the doomsday package, which will eventually consume the earth?
Severing ties
There are various reasons under which one could get a divorce in India including adultery, cruelty, desertion and many other grounds. On June 10, 2010, the Union Cabinet, under the leadership of Manmohan Singh, decided to add the term “irretrievable breakdown of marriage” to the list.
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Called the Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, it hoped to amend Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and Special Marriage Act 1954 to include this criterion which was already being favoured by the Supreme Court. This is when the other refuses to reconcile and the court concludes that they are at a point of no return. Though the bill was passed in Rajya Sabha in 2013, in the year 2016, the government indicated that the bill was now in cold storage.
Only 13 of 1,000 marriages in India end in divorce. Given India's complicated socio-cultural fabric, we know why this is true owing to a number of complicated reasons. But it still is the lowest divorce rate in the world.
