Decolonizing developmental studies refers to challenging the dominance of western developmental models, institutions, and assumptions in shaping policies for the Global South. It involves promoting locally rooted frameworks, scholars, and methods that better reflect the economic, cultural and historical realities of developing countries.

Geopolitical sorting is the trend where students and faculty base their decision to attend a university on the political and legal climate of its host state

Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs are special academic tracks in schools, where students are identified as high-achieving (often through standardized tests) and, are placed in separate, advanced classes. These classes provide a more rigorous and faster-paced curriculum than the mainstream classroom.

In the 1980s and 90s, several prominent feminist theorists argued that sexual preferences reflect one’s political commitments. This led to positions such as political lesbianism (refusing sex with men), rejecting any sexual practices seen as reproducing as patriarchy, and opposing all forms of violence in sex, even when consensual.
Over the past two decades, mainstream feminist discourse has actively depoliticised sexual preferences, arguing that any consensual sexual interaction is legitimate. This includes normalising practices like BDSM, kink, rough sex, dom/sub play, porn consumption, and role play

The Economically Weaker Section (EWS) reservation scheme is applied to people who are considered socially outcast due to a lack of economic mobility. It only encompasses individuals who do not belong to any other vertically reserved category and comprises 10 percent of the total pool.

‘Mortal salience’ refers to a state of conscious awareness of death and the inevitable conclusion of life.

Conspiracy culture refers to communities and content ecosystems that promote extreme narratives rejecting mainstream explanations.

Active Investing refers to strategies where a portfolio manager attempts to outperform a market benchmark (like the S&P 500) by actively selecting, timing, and trading individual stocks and bonds based on research. Passive Investing, primarily through index funds and ETFs, aims to match the returns of a market benchmark by holding the same securities in the same proportions as the index itself, involving minimal research and trading

Los Angeles is widely regarded as a sanctuary city, offering symbolic and sometimes practical protections to undocumented immigrants.

Mali is currently ruled by a military junta that took power in a coup and has postponed democratic elections. This junta is closely allied with Russia, which provides it with military support. The country is in a state of severe instability and is fighting a multi-front war against two different factions: jihadist/terrorist groups (like Al-Qaeda) and separate, long-standing Tuareg-led rebel groups.

Filibustering is the legislative tactic of intentionally prolonging debate to delay, amend, or block a vote on a bill. This can involve lengthy speeches, constant motions, or procedural stalling.

A civil gang injunction is a restraining order sought by police against alleged gang members. It bans these people from engaging in normally legal activities eg meeting with friends in a park or wearing certain colors, being in a specific safety zone etc.

The Thailand-Cambodia border dispute centers on the Preah Vihear Temple area, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with both countries claiming parts of the territory since colonial-era demarcations. Armed clashes have occurred intermittently since the early 2000s. Recently a ceasefire agreement mediated by the ASEAN (in presence of the USA as an observer) was broken after clashes in the Thai/Cambodian Border