India’s Federal Democracy Teeters on the Brink as Centre Deploys Aggressive Tactics to Undermine State Autonomy
India’s quasi-federal democracy, which was in danger of collapsing into a centralised authoritarianism, seems to be holding up. The results of the 2024 Lok Sabha election that reduced the brute majority of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fronted by the BJP, making the coalition it leads dependent on support from
West Bengal vs. Central Government: Financial Standoff and Constitutional Crisis
During the United Progressive Alliance years (2004-14), the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, led the brigade of States on each and every issue that he felt militated against the federal structure of the Constitution. When he was elected Prime Minister of India in 2014, we naturally expected him
Piyush Goyal’s E-commerce U-turn: Can India Balance Big Tech, Local Retailers, and Foreign Investment?
Recently, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge quipped that the “U” in UPS (Unified Pension Scheme) stands for U-turn. While that could be seen as stretching the interpretative liberty, he was touching a raw nerve. Whether it be lateral entry into the civil services or the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the current Narendra
‘Make in India 2.0’ In the Offing? Modi Government’s Plans to Take On China’s Manufacturing Heft Get Reality Check
Employees work on an EV assembly line at a BYD factory in Huai’an, in China’s eastern Jiangsu province on August 26, 2024. Despite exploding demand for EVs, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence, ties between China and India have been strained since a deadly Himalayan border clash in 2020. | Photo Credit:
India Cannot Achieve Key Climate Goals Without Collaboration Between Private and Public Sector With Academia
India faces an increasing barrage of natural hazards that are often compounded by stressors from sociopolitical machinations in the neighbourhood. The unrest in Bangladesh and the Rohingya refugee crisis are two examples of how vulnerabilities of neighbouring countries become India’s economic and climate vulnerabilities, while also posing a national security
Samsung India Workers Strike: 1,000+ Protest in Tamil Nadu for Union Recognition, Higher Wages
“Look at us, we are here again!” exclaimed Suresh*, a Samsung worker arriving at a makeshift tent in Echoor village, Tamil Nadu. It was September 17, the ninth day of the indefinite protest led by the Samsung India Workers Union-Centre of Indian Trade Unions (SIWU-CITU) against low wages and poor
‘Bulldozer justice’: Iron in the nation’s soul
A bulldozer being used in Prayagraj in June 2022 to demolish the “illegally constructed” residence of Javed Ahmed, a local leader who was allegedly the key conspirator of violent protests against a BJP leaders’ remarks on Prophet Muhammad. | Photo Credit: PTI The Supreme Court’s interim order of September 17,
Unicredit’s Commerzbank Takeover Attempt Reveals European Economic Decline and Banking Sector Upheaval
Europe is clearly battling to stall its economic decline, and Mario Draghi’s recent report on the future of “European competitiveness” commissioned by the European Union reflects this fact. At the centre of Europe’s economic slide is the descent of Germany to the status of the “sick man” of Europe. Inflation,
Chinese EVs In Europe Face Tariff Shock While Western Imports From China Get Favourable Rates
EV cars inside BYD’s first electric vehicle factory in South-east Asia, in Rayong, Thailand, on July 4. | Photo Credit: Chalinee Thirasupa In early October, in a show of pique, a European Commission (EC) proposal to impose additional tariffs of up to 35.3 per cent (on top of the pre-existing
Editor’s Note | Vaishna Roy Writes: To Tap its Demographic Dividend, India Must Create Jobs for its Gen Z
In the post-COVID era, most jobs other than agriculture are being created in the self-employed, labour, or gig areas, all casual work. Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We cannot always build a future for our youth, but we can always build our youth for the future.” The worry is that India today does not seem to be