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Cow Vigilantes and the Rise of Hindu Nationalism

05.3.19

BY KALPANA JAIN In September 2015, a mob attacked and killed a 52-year-old Muslim man, Mohammad Akhlaq, pulling him out of his home in a village near Delhi, India, on suspicions of eating beef. Not only did Prime Minister Narendra Modi remain silent following the attack, but some politicians of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party […]

India’s Skewed Sex Ratio and Its Long-Term Implications

01.22.19

BY ALLIE DICHIARA Over one million women demographically go “missing” each year around the world as a result of sex-selective abortion and female infanticide. This trend is especially prevalent in India—a recent report by the Asian Centre for Human Rights found that India’s sex ratio was one of the most skewed in the world,[1] and […]

Tracking the Startup Boom in India

10.29.18

A startup boom is contributing to economic growth in India. But the government doesn’t have a full picture of the impact of entrepreneurship on job creation. More detailed data collection would enable the government to better understand and support startups, writes Aditi Banerjee.

A Rare Opportunity for India’s Congress Party

10.11.17

BY RIJU AGRAWAL In the last few months, the carefully-curated narrative of the BJP’s economic successes has finally started to unravel. The unilateral pursuit of demonetization, the premature roll-out of the goods and services tax (GST), and poor implementation of both policies have crippled GDP growth, increased unemployment, and reduced exports. Even leaders within the […]

Politics

In Response: The U.S. Is Not in Decline

08.28.17

BY KATHERINE MANSTED Benjamin Clayton’s recent post is another outing in a long line of U.S. power pessimism, which history will ultimately prove wrong. The world has a penchant for predicting U.S. decline. Indeed, reports of U.S. decline predated its rise. Charles Dickens famously wrote that, to its 19th century citizens, America “always is stagnated, […]

A Blueprint for Businesses Engaging with the Indian Government

08.14.17

BY MALINI BOSE “Amazon seeks government nod to set up e-tail venture in India with investment of $500 million”[1] “Alibaba to lead $200 million investment into Paytm’s online market”[2] “Apple bites Make in India carrot, to set up manufacturing unit in Bengaluru”[3] As these headlines from 03 February 2017, illustrate, the Indian and international media […]

A Nation Demonetized: Addressing India’s Parallel Economy

12.8.16

In one of India’s most far-reaching decisions since it gained independence, Prime Minister Modi suddenly announced on November 8th that the country would be withdrawing the legal status of its 500 and 1000 rupee notes. Equivalent to about USD $7.40 and USD $14.70 respectively, these two bills alone comprise over 80% of the currency in […]

Poverty, Inequality and Opportunity

Deciphering India’s Innovation Policy

09.15.16

BY ANSHUL PACHOURI The year 2016 marks an important milestone in India’s innovation story. First, India’s rank in the global innovation index improved quite significantly from 81st position in 2015 to 66th position in 2016. Second, the country also launched its flagship program Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) to advance its national innovation ecosystem under the […]

Science, Technology and Data

The Gaps in India’s Growth Story

08.25.16

BY MALINI BOSE At the World Bank Spring Meetings this year, Raghuram Rajan, the head of India’s central bank christened India a “one-eyed king in the land of the blind” when asked to comment on the rapidly-growing Indian economy in the context of flagging global growth. The country’s growth-focused government did not approve—Finance Minister Arun […]

Development and Economic Growth

How Weddings Condemn India’s Poorest to Bonded Labor

08.8.16

BY MALIKA NOOR MEHTA “Birth. Marriage. Death. In India, these three landmarks are celebrated with zeal,” says Rajneesh Yadav, the India Country Director at Free the Slaves, an international NGO working to eradicate sex trafficking and debt bondage. “When families refuse to perform the rituals associated with each of these events, they are considered social […]

Gender, Race and Identity

The Rising Tide of Intolerance in Narendra Modi’s India

07.27.16

BY SHANOOR SEERVAI The resounding victory of Hindu nationalists at India’s federal polls in May 2014 is attributed to one man: Narendra Modi. Fed up with the corruption and complacency of the Congress—the party that led India’s anti-colonial struggle and governed for much of its independent history—the world’s largest democracy voted for a leader who […]

Fairness and Justice

“Anti-National” Speech Is Not A Crime

02.21.16

Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest for sedition in Delhi is a violation of his constitutional rights. BY UZRA KHAN The actions of the Indian Government and the Delhi Police last week against students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi violated the fundamental principle of free speech and expression in the world’s largest democracy. JNU student […]

Politics

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