Tag: current affairs – India

Cheques and Imbalances: The taming of the Election Commission of India

ERAM AGHA ON THE EVENING of 22 March, there was unusual activity at the Election Commission of India’s headquarters, on Delhi’s Ashoka Road. At about 5 pm, various representatives of opposition parties had started trickling onto the premises. A team of television reporters was already in place. Various leaders of the Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance… Read More Cheques and Imbalances: The taming of the Election Commission of India

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The WhatsApp Mafia | Dhruv Rathee

In this video, we explore how “WhatsApp University” influences unwavering loyalty among some citizens towards political leaders, despite personal hardships or evident issues like inflation and misinformation. A poignant discussion on the pervasive impact of misinformation spread through WhatsApp. The video highlights the complex interplay of media, personal belief systems, and political loyalty, encouraging a… Read More The WhatsApp Mafia | Dhruv Rathee

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An election snapshot: No wave, voter apathy and a dead candidate

Bharat Bhushan The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is known for micro-managing elections based on gathering political intelligence right up to the booth level. That is the image. The reality is that its Moradabad Lok Sabha candidate died a day after polling in his constituency. That Kunwar Sarvesh Singh had cancer was an open secret. But he managed… Read More An election snapshot: No wave, voter apathy and a dead candidate

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29 Maoists killed in Bastar – What must India do to prevent their replacement?

NB: The author of this thoughtful article is to be congratulated for doing his research. He ends thus “To address the problem, India needs to do something infinitely more difficult than killing Maoists: Giving Adivasis some justice.” The sabotage of justice in India has been unfolding as a recurrent nightmare for decades, and it concerns… Read More 29 Maoists killed in Bastar – What must India do to prevent their replacement?

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Free Speech Or Fear Tactics? The Unchecked Rise Of Right-Wing Online Abuse

Yusra Khan A microblogging site is no town square, but the influence of X (formerly Twitter) cannot be understated when it comes to deciphering the health of public discourse. Indian pro-government media personalities often hold more sway in this regard than algorithmic bot activity when it comes to harassment and targeted bullying in the online… Read More Free Speech Or Fear Tactics? The Unchecked Rise Of Right-Wing Online Abuse

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Clean energy’s dirty secret: the trail of waste left by India’s solar power boom

As vast solar plants multiply, so does the scrap, set to reach 19m tonnes by 2050. But disposing of the waste often falls to informal traders who risk injury when dismantling broken panels Under the scorching sun, a sea of solar panels gleams in the semi-arid landscape. Pavagada, 100 miles north of Bengaluru in southern… Read More Clean energy’s dirty secret: the trail of waste left by India’s solar power boom

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Herders in Ladakh say they’re losing grazing land – and a way of life

By Simone McCarthy and Aishwarya S Iyer, CNN High in the Himalayas, the people of a remote northern Indian territory fear their way of life is under threat from the changing climate, looming development – and border tensions with China. At stake, they believe, is the future of Ladakh, one of the world’s highest elevation regions, where indigenous… Read More Herders in Ladakh say they’re losing grazing land – and a way of life

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What’s Bill Gates up to? Have ‘irregularities’ found in funding HPV vaccine trials faded?

By Colin Gonsalves * After having read the 72nd report of the Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on alleged irregularities in the conduct of studies using HPV vaccines by PATH in India, it was startling to see Bill Gates bobbing his head up and down and smiling ingratiatingly on prime time television while the Prime Minister lectured him in… Read More What’s Bill Gates up to? Have ‘irregularities’ found in funding HPV vaccine trials faded?

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