faded sunshine

you've seen the jokes. india is "dirty", indians are "everywhere", why don't they fix their own country. ok. let me tell you why, and what's happening right now while nobody's watching.

first, the history you skipped: britain ruled india for two centuries and drained it. economist utsa patnaik's research estimates around $45 trillion in today's money was taken. the india that got independence in 1947 was one of the poorest countries on earth. every "why is india like this" question starts there. you don't get to profit off a robbery and then mock the crime scene.

now, what's happening RIGHT NOW:

in may the question paper for NEET leaked. that's the national medical entrance exam. over 2.2 million students took it. cancelled. years of studying, families' savings poured into coaching, gone overnight because someone sold the paper. students died by suicide after. these were kids who wanted to be doctors.

and out of that came a protest movement. a gen z group called the cockroach janta party, started by a 30 year old named abhijeet dipke, got 22 million instagram followers within DAYS. they've been doing a sit-in at jantar mantar in delhi demanding education minister dharmendra pradhan resign.

and then there's sonam wangchuk. if you've watched 3 idiots, he's the real engineer the character was based on. built solar schools in ladakh. invented ice stupas so himalayan villages have water. spent his whole life on education. he's 59 and he's been on hunger strike for 17+ days now. reporters went to see him this week and he was too weak to talk. and the troll armies are calling him "anti national" and "foreign funded". a man starving himself for other people's children. that's the thing here, anyone who asks a question is suddenly a traitor.

it's not one incident, it's everywhere you look:

• infrastructure worth thousands of crores failing within months of the ribbon cutting. tunnels collapsing in regions where heavy rain is a guarantee, not a surprise.

• youth unemployment near 10% for ages 15 to 29, 13.6% in cities. in a country of 1.42 billion where more than half the population is young.

• only about the top 3% of indians earn above 10 lakh a year. meanwhile billionaire wealth keeps ballooning and the headlines celebrate it.

• manipur burned for over two years. an ethnic conflict, tens of thousands displaced, and the prime minister barely said the word manipur while it happened.

• journalists raided. critics' houses bulldozed. activists sitting in jail for years without trial under laws like UAPA. our press freedom ranking has cratered.

• even the petrol is a fight now, ethanol blending pushed through while drivers complain about their engines and get no straight answers.

and through all of it, the PM, who came to power on religious polarisation (americans, sound familiar?), travels abroad for photo ops and has not held one single open press conference in over a decade. not one.

what i'm asking:

if you're not indian: share this. our media mostly won't cover any of it because the big outlets are owned by the same billionaires the government serves. the only reason wangchuk's fast is getting any coverage is people refusing to look away.

if you ARE indian: speak up even if you're comfortable. especially if you're comfortable. join the protests. add to this, correct me, translate it. staying quiet is a choice when nothing in this post touches your life.

india is not "dirty". india was robbed, and it's being robbed again, from the inside this time. but it's also the country where a 59 year old will starve for strangers' kids and 22 million young people will rally behind a party literally named after cockroaches, because cockroaches survive everything.

we can still save her. but only loudly.

Welcome back to Feel Good News! I’ve pulled together a few inspiring highlights to lift your spirits this week.

1. Australia generates so much solar that electricity companies must offer three hours of free electricity during the day

Starting on July 1, households in Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia can choose an electricity plan under the Solar Sharer program, which offers three hours of free power daily from 11 AM to 2 PM (or noon to 3 PM in South Australia). A similar scheme, the Midday Power Saver, will be available in Victoria from October 1. The initiative aims to allow households to benefit from Australia’s abundant solar energy, even if they don’t have solar panels. The free power has a cap of 24 kWh per day, suitable for the average usage of a five-person household. To participate, customers need a smart meter, which can typically be requested from their energy retailer at no cost. However, the offer is not available to customers of smaller retailers, those in other states, or those on private electricity systems. Experts suggest that the plan is mainly beneficial for households with batteries or electric vehicles and those who can shift energy use to the free period. While the Solar Sharer plan might not always be the cheapest option available, it offers a structured approach to energy use during cheaper solar hours. Consumers are advised to evaluate their energy habits carefully to avoid higher costs at other times. The government and retailers must provide clear information about the potential trade-offs, emphasizing the need for customers to assess whether they can maximize savings by aligning their energy consumption with the free period. Additionally, various retailers currently offer similar plans, encouraging customers to shop around for the best deals, especially with new offerings expected from July.

2. Millions of People in Pakistan Got Tired of Blackouts and Built the World’s Fastest Rooftop Solar Boom, Making Solar the Country’s Largest Source of Electricity

In 2025, Pakistan emerged as the world’s largest importer of Chinese solar panels, achieving this milestone without government subsidies or formal programs encouraging the adoption of solar energy. This rapid transition reflects a significant grassroots movement as individuals sought solutions to persistent power outages and rising electricity costs, making Pakistan’s solar boom possibly the fastest deployment of distributed solar energy globally. As of 2025, solar energy became the predominant source of electricity in Pakistan, contributing around 25% of total electricity generation during peak periods. An estimated 33 GW of distributed solar capacity was installed, predominantly on residential rooftops, driven by a mistrust of the unreliable grid and escalating electricity prices—average tariffs tripling from 2015 to 2025. Despite the boom, Pakistan’s transition serves as a cautionary tale. With an oversupply of electricity generation capacity, the country faces a circular debt issue exceeding 2 trillion rupees, where public utilities struggle to recover costs and manage electricity distribution. Higher fixed costs, compounded by a shrinking customer base as wealthier households turn to solar, risk creating a utility death spiral, wherein those remaining on the grid face higher bills and further drive others to solar solutions. This scenario raises equity concerns, as solar adoption tends to be higher among wealthier households, leaving low-income consumers burdened by the costs of an increasingly strained grid. The government has attempted to mitigate these issues through regulatory changes, but these measures may hinder solar adoption and protect the failing centralized model. Looking forward, Pakistan’s experience may foreshadow similar patterns in other developing nations grappling with energy demands, suggesting that widespread adoption of distributed solar can occur without traditional development pathways. However, the challenge lies in developing a supportive infrastructure, regulatory framework, and equitable distribution of grid costs to sustain this growth without deepening systemic crises. Jan Rosenow, an expert in energy policy, emphasizes that while deploying solar is straightforward, creating a viable market system around it is considerably more complex.

3. Weird Al Yankovic Pulled Out of AI Ad Despite Offer to Make a ‘Nice Pile of Money’: ‘I Can’t Be the Poster Boy for AI’

“Weird Al” Yankovic recently discussed his reservations about artificial intelligence (AI) in an interview ahead of his “Bigger & Weirder” tour stop in Syracuse, New York. He revealed that he declined a lucrative offer to star in a commercial for business software after discovering it involved AI. Yankovic stated, “I can’t be the poster boy for AI,” emphasizing his disapproval of the technology. His sentiments align with other Hollywood figures who have expressed concerns about AI. For instance, director Kane Parsons labeled AI as “genuinely harmful,” while actress Emma Thompson described it as inducing “intense irritation” in her creative process. Madonna also commented on the adverse effects of AI and algorithms on artistic expression, asserting they contradict the risk-taking essential to art, despite her own project utilizing AI artists.

4. Scientists Regrew Knee Cartilage in Human Tissue That Had Deteriorated to the Point of Requiring Replacement Surgery

A Stanford Medicine-led study has shown that a treatment targeting the protein 15-PGDH, linked to aging, can restore knee cartilage and prevent arthritis in older mice. This approach has also yielded promising results in human cartilage samples collected during knee surgeries, suggesting potential for reversing damage caused by aging or osteoarthritis with injections or oral medications. Current osteoarthritis treatments mainly alleviate pain without addressing the underlying issues. The study highlights how inhibiting 15-PGDH can enhance tissue regeneration, as previous research showed its correlation with other age-related degenerative conditions. Unlike other tissues, cartilage regeneration occurs through existing chondrocytes shifting to a more youthful state rather than relying on stem cells. The team observed significant cartilage thickening in treated mice and reduced risks of developing arthritis after ACL-like injuries. The study indicates a pivotal shift in understanding cartilage repair mechanisms, with future clinical trials anticipated to explore the efficacy of this treatment in humans. The research received funding from various institutes, and the authors have filed patents related to the findings.

5. Scientists built a solar reactor that eats plastic bottles and burps out clean hydrogen at scale 7-2-2026

A team from Cambridge University has developed a new device that addresses two pressing environmental issues: plastic pollution and the production of hydrogen, a clean-burning fuel that is currently largely derived from fossil fuels. The device is capable of using sunlight to break down plastic waste into hydrogen and was constructed using simple materials and a paint sprayer, making it feasible for large-scale production. This new reactor measures about one square meter, significantly larger than a previous version tested only in laboratory conditions. It uses room temperature processes to create light-absorbing panels and employs a special catalyst made of cobalt and zirconium. Tested outdoors, the reactor successfully extracted hydrogen from sources like plastic bottles, glucose, and cellulose, with glucose yielding the highest amount of hydrogen. The innovative spray-coating method significantly reduces production costs, but the hydrogen generated remains expensive. Ongoing work is needed to enhance the reactor’s efficiency and durability. The findings have been documented in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering.

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That’s it for last week :)

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Medieval take on Diane Morgan.

By decree of @russocphoto for The Times and Sunday Times

Photography by Sane Seven