There is no denying that the changing numbers have dented the image of the Election Commission of India, and the credibility of the election process itself under the EVM system is increasingly coming under strain. This is a blow to democratic systems, processes and traditions in India.
The LB scheme has been a successful formula which was used in Jharkhand as well and is part of at least a dozen other states which offer cash or kind benefits targeting women, It pays electoral dividends by increasing female voter participation. But what it does to the fiscal situation, and consequent drag on growth, inflation and interest rates as well as future tax burdens is not well examined.
India perceives Russia and China’s push for de-dollarisation to a large extent as ideological and remains hesitant in rallying behind BRICS’ de-dollarisation efforts. With the recent expansion of BRICS, varying national interests of member states will further complicate coordination efforts on de-dollarisation.
If the East India Company used complex mechanisms and took 100 years to seize control and loot a subcontinent, the tech imperialists of today have the power to replay that story with nothing more than code, clicks, and clips that can divide people, break institutions and incite violence.
There is a saying revolution devours its children. Like the ousted regime who were the self-proclaimed legacy bearers of the revolution of 1971, the July revolution of 2024 could create a similar thermidorian reaction in the future if the torchbearers of this revolution play a similar political game of ‘Us’ and ‘Them’
If a true aristocrat is to be defined by courtesy and good manners, then the Mahatma was no less than the most refined princes and maharajas of India. His interactions were marked by legendary grace, respect and courtesy even in times of acrimony and division. He even addressed Mr. Jinnah, a political opponent, as the Quaid-I-Azam, the title given to Mr Jinnah by his supporters.
Balochistan remains a Pakistani faultline and it must be understood that it is a ‘political problem' even though the Pakistani state has been trying to deal with it all through as 'security problem'. The clear dissatisfaction of the people during accession to Pakistan is yet to be resolved. Forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are now the trademark policy impulses of the oppressive Pakistani regime.
The recruitment of Nepali Gorkhas into the Indian Army being stopped after 77 years post-Independence is not only going to be a major loss to the Indian Army but also a serious and avoidable blow to cordial India-Nepal relations.
While there are uncertainties with regard to the possibilities and prospects of generating green hydrogen in a cost-effective manner it is surprising that green hydrogen is being hailed as the ultimate solution to overcome the emission issue and prevent climate disaster.
Many of us spend hours on social media doom scrolling, which then ceases to be just a source of recreation; it becomes an alternative world where algorithms and trends decode and shape individuals.
Peace and progress go hand in hand. To stabilize the economy, Pakistan needs a conducive political environment to focus on investment, education and health care. Whatever the economic challenges, the solutions would have to come from within. External funds, loans, debts are only temporary solutions
The very idea of Pakistan was based on the Two-Nation Theory which emphasized Muslims’ different way of life from that of the Hindus in the subcontinent. However, the mere religious identity of a nation without reconciling Pakistan’s diverse ethnic, linguistic, and cultural groups was not enough to hold it together.
Bangladesh is home to people of different religions and cultures, both in the hills and plains. The extreme polarization of thought and ideology between opposing ideological groups is impacting Bangladesh's social fabric.
The BJP is not really taking on the immense political challenge of explaining and then persuading the people to go with the right-wing turns in policies it seeks to implement; it is sneaking it in, and in that it is being met with defeat after defeat.
When the world descended on Afghanistan in 2001, Afghans believed it was about them, about a better life for them. It never was. It never is, writes senior reporter Kathy Gannon, who has covered Afghanistan since the 1980s. Looking back at the second Taliban takeover in 2021 she looks at why the ironically named ‘Operation Enduring Freedom’ of 2001 failed and how the aspirations of Afghans have been ignored.
Sri Lanka’s current HDI score stands at 0.78 and is the highest in South Asia.
A message from the Kolkata case is to rebuild our healthcare workplaces with the intent of making them safe and gender inclusive.
The exams for IITs, IIMs, Civil Services, in particular, are strong pointers on how traditional pedagogy and mindset of our educational institutions towards learning is found severely inadequate and deficient, and call for a paradigm shift towards critical thinking and building wider perspectives.
Many of the oligarchic business syndicates that formed around the deposed Sheikh Hasina are now on the run. But their vast industrial establishments remain. It is essential to sustain these industries. Millions of people are working in these establishments that are playing a critical role in the production sector of the country. These industries cannot be shut down because of the crimes of their leaders.
