Bangladesh Aug 5, 2024 uprising and Jantar Mantar student protests

Two Years After Bangladesh's Youth Revolt: South Asia's Student Upsurge not a Passing Wave

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and Nepal are not producing a series of unconnected national episodes. They are producing a young, educated, and increasingly connected generation that is redefining what citizens expect from the state

The Grammar of Indian Democracy may be Changing: India’s Gen Z Demands Accountability Between Election Cycles

India had increasingly become an exception. The expectation that ministers should bear responsibility for institutional failure had faded almost to the point of disappearance especially since Narendra Modi became prime minister in 2014. 

Nepal’s Unemployment Crisis: Needed Transformational Leadership to Utilize Available Resources

Nepal's greatest shortage is not simply money or infrastructure; it is leaders who can use them well. Without the right leadership, resources remain locked in inefficiency, corruption, and bureaucratic gridlock.

Proxy Village Governance: The Pradhan Pati Problem in India's Democracy

It has been formally recognised in the Report of the Advisory Committee on Women Pradhans, Transforming Women’s Representation and Role in Panchayati Raj Institutions: Efforts to Eliminate Proxy Participation, which recorded that elected women representatives are often “represented by their husbands or male relatives” and recommended the imposition of stringent and exemplary penalties to curb such practices.

More on Public Policy and Governance

Mosque-temple dispute in India: How far back can surveys go in determining ancestry?

Indian polity and judiciary have opened a Pandora’s Box which is deepening the religious divides in society. What is the need of the hour? To search for temple underneath every mosque or to build the ‘temples of Modern India’ as defined by Jawaharlal Nehru, “while starting the construction of the Bhakra Nangal Dam to describe scientific research institutes, steel plants, power plants, dams being launched in India after independence to jumpstart scientific and industrial progress.”

To restore faith in Indian democracy, EVMs need to go

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. 

Populism is a race to the fiscal bottom: What the Maharashtra verdict means for the state's economy

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. 

Why de-dollarisation of international trade is unlikely to happen anytime soon

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. 

Elon Musk and big tech imperialism: Indian policymakers be forewarned

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.

Unsustainable human practices can tilt earth's ecological balance

Seeing humans as the earth’s primary inhabitant has led to policies and practices that prioritize short-term economic gains over long-term ecological sustainability. Recognizing our role within a broader ecological system is key to developing strategies that respect the Earth's carrying capacity. Johan Rockström’s concept of 'planetary boundaries' outlines nine thresholds, like climate change and biodiversity loss, that shouldn't be crossed to maintain a 'safe space for humanity’.

India needs to talk bluntly to the US over sheltering of Khalistani extremists

India sent full details of Nijjar’s terrorist activities to Canada in 2014 but Canada simply sat on it. Canada also didn’t hand over Bangladeshi Noor Chowdhury who admitted being one of the killers of Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, Bangladesh's founder president, in 1975. Stewart Bell wrote in his book ‘Cold Terror’’ that Canada became an operational base of international terrorism long ago and by 1998 every terrorist group in the world was operating in Canada.

Will Israel strike Iran's nuclear targets following its 100-fighter strike?

If Israel fails to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities now, it will be doing an ‘INDIA’, which too failed to allow Israel to strike Kahuta in Pakistan. Pakistan today is a formidable nuclear power. Had India allowed staging facility to Israeli fighters at Jamnagar, Kahuta might have met the same fate as Osirak in Iraq.

Pandering to separatists, Trudeau damages India-Canada relations

Trudeau, whose closeness to Canadian Khalistanis is amply borne out by photographs on the internet and his public outreach, has obviously not given any thought about risks to Canada’s future from the activities of the Khalistanis. 

The hand of God in the temple of justice: CJI's statement a disservice to sanctity of judiciary

The conduct of the CJI has thus invited some questions from even his admirers, and given rise to a new conversation on the motives for this distinctly religious bent being brought out openly in public debate, given that the CJI recently visited the Ram temple at Ayodhya. This is not good news for the legal system and the two sides in the Ayodhya judgement 

Climate meet COP 29: More despair than hope

Even as all countries are concerned about climate issues  and almost all of them are participating in the  global climate meets, some of the participating countries  are indulging in bloody conflicts and wars such as the ongoing Russia Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war.  All such wars and terrorist  activities involve use of missiles, dropping of bombs, shootings, drone attacks and so on  which cause emission of huge quantities of toxic gases and severe atmospheric pollution. It appears that climate meets have not discussed these conflict issues at all.

Mediation approach to inheritance dispute resolutions: 'Short term gain vs. long term relations'

Since India enacted the Mediation Act of 2023, one can not only reduce the burden on courts but also maintain family relationships through dialogue and discussion among family members with the assistance of a qualified mediator.

'Love Jihad' propaganda has had deep penetration into the Indian psyche

The Bareilly judgment shows how this propaganda is influencing Indian society, including judges who are supposed to base their verdict on concrete evidence.

Meeting the economic challenge: A litmus test for the interim administration of Bangladesh

Time is of the essence for the interim administration to take the bull by the horns and rein in the inflation by adopting innovative methods. Since the interim administration is composed mostly of professionals from reputable NGOs, many people are beginning to believe that the newly appointed advisers lack experience in statecraft, strategic thinking, and crisis management.

Shockwaves from a Mumbai gangland killing: More than what meets the eye

In some cases, politicians themselves are closely associated with land deals and builders, as Baba Siddique allegedly was, or politicians are builders themselves, like the BJP’s guardian minister for suburban Mumbai, Mangal Prabhat Lodha.