From theindiaforum.in
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Regional language pride often masks the linguistic diversity of Indian states. Kerala is a good example, even as a new wave of cultural production has brought to the fore its marginalised languages and dialects.
#kerala #languages #malayalam #mastindia #linguistics
10h ago
From theindiaforum.in
The Congress in a New Ideological Avatar
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The Congress's new focus on social justice and inequality has brought it electoral dividends, reversing a steady decline in its fortunes. Further growth will not be easy; it depends on how well it can deal with the contradictions that will now emerge as it seeks to rebuild its electoral base.
on Jul 29
From theindiaforum.in
Why is India barely reporting heat wave deaths?
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At least 33 people died in heatwave during the 2024 General Election's last phase in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. Often these deaths are not recorded as heat-related deaths or are not accepted by the respective governments or local bodies. Sneha Richhariya tries to understand the challenges.
on Jul 16
From theindiaforum.in
Rapid Convergence of Fertility across all Socio-Religious Groups in India
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The differences in fertility between communities in India are no longer a matter of concern. All socio-religious groups show a significant decline in the average number of children per woman, and fertility levels are converging. No community can be said to show substantial population growth.
on Jul 14
From theindiaforum.in
Electoral Bonds, Incumbency Advantage, and Concentration of Political Power
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Was it the party in power at the centre that benefited more from electoral bonds or did the parties in power in the states benefit? Can one see a pattern in the economic characteristics of the states that saw a greater flow of funds through bonds? An analysis of the bond data gives some answers.
on Jul 9
From theindiaforum.in
Why are Government Canteens Important When 80 Crore People Get Free Grains?
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Food canteens in cities offer affordable meals to many, especially marginalised groups without cooking facilities such as migrant workers. By enhancing menus, infrastructure, and staff wages, state governments can show political goodwill and also take ownership of this useful scheme.
on Jul 6
From theindiaforum.in
A Forgotten Pioneer of Climate Change Research
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Eunice Newton Foote, scientist and women’s rights activist, was the first to posit a connection between atmospheric gases and rising temperatures.
on Jun 28
From theindiaforum.in
Renaming Caste, Retaining Privilege
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Attempts to 'invisibilise' caste through definitional alterations – whether in terms of an organic community or of a cultural community – are enmeshed in long-range socioeconomic transformations.
on Jun 26
From theindiaforum.in
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Indians displaced across South and Southeast Asia between the 1940s and the 1960s used the law to make claims of the new states emerging from the end of colonialism.
on Jun 26
From theindiaforum.in
Nagaland’s Night Marcher: Why Reading Kaka Iralu Matters
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At a time when it was practically unimaginable, Kaka Iralu critically examined Nagaland’s relationship with India. His anarchist spirit of inquiry serves well to illuminate pressing questions of the environment, food sovereignty, and religious politics in the region.
on Jun 11
From theindiaforum.in
Welfare Spending in the Past Two Decades
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The last two decades have seen little increase in welfare spending. But the NDA government has created an image of being focused on welfare by renaming schemes, appropriating older ones, and starving some UPA schemes of funds.
on May 23
From theindiaforum.in
Is it Time to Change the Way We Elect Our MPs?
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The first-past-the-post system, once useful, now struggles to fit India’s complex socio-political landscape. It is time for India to rethink its electoral system to better ensure fair representation for all its people, especially the minorities.
on May 13
From theindiaforum.in
Marked by Insight and Foresight
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The writings between the 1980 and 2003 of K. Balagopal, the scholar and democratic rights activist who died too early, emphasised caste’s role in fuelling fascism in India.
on May 5
From theindiaforum.in
The Indian Economy is Doing Well, But Not Many Indians Are
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The economy is growing rapidly and many economic indicators are flashing green. But the path that India has chosen, of promoting national business champions, has its limits. Economic distress is widespread, which cannot be handled forever with welfare handouts or religion as an opiate.
on May 3
From theindiaforum.in
Imputation-based Poverty Monitoring in India Post-2011
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Poverty reduction in India is faltering. We present new state-level estimates of poverty based on imputation models using the Periodic Labour Force Survey data. These suggest that poverty incidence in India fell only from 22 to 17 percent between 2011/12 and 2022/23.
on May 3
From theindiaforum.in
Debating Hindu-Muslim Friendship
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Debates amongst 18th and 19th century Muslim scholars on appropriate boundaries for friendship and intimacy with Hindus were sparked by the new political realities of colonial rule and fears of assimilation.
on Apr 25
From theindiaforum.in
Live-in Lover Law Opens Door to Attacks on Freedoms
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India's new code throws into doubt whether its citizens are truly protected from the arbitrary exercise of power by public officials.
on Apr 22
From theindiaforum.in
Poverty in India Over the Last Decade
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The Fact Sheet from the 2022-23 NSO survey suggests that poverty has sharply declined. A careful examination of the claim leads to the conclusion that until the unit-level data is available and analysed, a convincing announcement of the news of the elimination of extreme poverty may have to wait.
on Apr 12
From theindiaforum.in
Essential Work, Dispensable Workers
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Workers on the frontline of community health schemes are by design in an ambivalent position: performing essential government work but recognised only as volunteers and kept out of the protection of labour laws.
on Apr 4
From theindiaforum.in
An Insightful Account of the Life and Work of B.R. Ambedkar
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A new voluminous biography of B.R. Ambedkar, drawing on diverse sources, including material in Marathi, attempts to shed new light on this icon, avoiding most pitfalls of past accounts of his life.
on Apr 3
From theindiaforum.in
We Need to Talk About Climatism
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A single-point focus on global temperatures as a proxy of human welfare in the face of climate change has structured the latter's science and politics. This is a problem.
on Mar 29
From theindiaforum.in
How I Defected from Vegetarianism
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A new ‘non-vegetarian’ recounts her personal journey to eating animal foods—one that taught her that fish and meat are essential components of food systems and that they are no less ecological and humane than plant foods.
on Mar 22
From theindiaforum.in
When Billionaires Think They Have All the Answers
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An investigation into Bill Gates’s philanthropic interventions questions the efficacy of his work and asks what gives him the legitimacy to intervene in public policy. It argues that we have become too accepting of his wealth and influence, and we must instead challenge his power.
on Mar 19
From theindiaforum.in
Bringing back the ‘Public’ in Digital Public Goods
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Most digital public goods disempower publics and distract from strengthening more fundamental democratic devices. It is time to design and manage them not as technologies from above but as technologies for communities.
on Mar 18
From theindiaforum.in
The Myth of the Meritorious Doctor
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Reservations are — wrongly — blamed for encouraging mediocrity in the medical profession. The historical record shows that the floundering foundations of the profession were laid by doctors who came 'purely through merit'.
on Mar 16
From theindiaforum.in
Youth Anger and Religious Hate in India Today
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Youth anger in India has changed from collective action for a better society to competitive religiosity and hatred.
on Mar 15
From theindiaforum.in
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The Citizenship Amendment Bill and the pan-Indian National Register of Citizens mark a foundational shift in the Indian conception of citizenship, providing paths to citizenship for some and driving others on to paths to statelessness.
on Mar 11
From theindiaforum.in
Climate Change, Agro Ecology, and Nutritional Security: Food for Serious Thought
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The agricultural practices of the Solegas, a forest-dwelling tribe in southern Karnataka, offer lessons on how diverse crops and techniques combat climate risks. By embracing diversity, traditional knowledge empowers farmers to build resilient systems that thrive where monocultures struggle.
on Mar 8
From theindiaforum.in
Protection of the Rapist and the Molester in Neoliberal India
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Why does there continue to be a disconnect between sexual assault and punishment of the perpetrator in India? We must recognise the potent nexus of political power, caste superiority, and muscle power that shields sexual offenders in our society.
on Mar 5
From theindiaforum.in
Allahabad that is Prayagraj: The Politics of Erasure
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Driven by a yearning to shed the legacy of past humiliation, defeat, and cultural dispossession, we attempt to obliterate traces of that history. Yet, that very past lingers embodied within us. The changes wrought by time extend far beyond the superficial erasure that a coat of paint can achieve.
on Mar 1
From theindiaforum.in
Bihar Turns its Back on School Education
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There are two interconnected root causes for the travails of Bihar’s school education system—a paucity of resources and ineffective policies. There is a similar situation in Jharkhand. There is yet hardly any public discussion about the status of government schools in the two states.
on Feb 29
From theindiaforum.in
How Much do Agricultural Households Earn from Farming?
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The “average farmer” label does not mean much in India when income levels vary greatly across farming families in states. When we put down how much different groups of farmers actually earn, we can then move beyond misleading averages and understand the challenges facing those who till the land.
on Feb 13
From theindiaforum.in
Digi Yatra: Service or Surveillance?
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Worries about privacy, surveillance, & unfair exclusions have been raised about Digi Yatra, India’s airport facial recognition system. They are amplified by disturbing reports of airport staff coercing & deceiving passengers to sign on. This raises serious questions about Digi Yatra’s true purpose.
on Feb 12
From theindiaforum.in
Triumph of the Political Party in Public Office
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There is no moral opprobrium anymore to elected representatives switching sides in India. Parties appear to welcome anyone as long as it suits their ends and voters do not seem to care. This must make us think afresh about the role of political parties in India’s democracy.
on Jan 28
From theindiaforum.in
Rethinking Employment and Industrialisation in India
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Corporate-driven industrialisation has failed to create the jobs that India's youth need. We need a different kind of growth, one based on reducing the productivity gap between rural and urban India. An agenda for raising rural productivity so that quality employment is created in the rural.
on Jan 25
From theindiaforum.in
Bulldozing Indian Democracy, Israeli-Style
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India’s punitive demolitions bear striking resemblance to Israel’s tactics against Palestinians. The tragedy is that a significant chunk of the majority in India is delighted.
on Jan 21
From theindiaforum.in
Persistence of Food Insecurity and Malnutrition
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Hunger and malnutrition have worsened in India with the onset of the pandemic, but the information we have points to a deterioration even before Covid-19.
on Jan 2
From theindiaforum.in
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Citizens denied the benefits of growth are compensated with direct transfers in the new welfarism that has yielded electoral returns. This 'techno-patrimonialism' is not based on the poor exercising their rights; it is built instead around a direct connect with a personality-centric leadership.
on Dec 8
From theindiaforum.in
How India’s Courts have Helped Escalate Hindutva Claims on Mosques
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Rather than dismissing them under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, courts often allow petitions against mosques to fester, thus helping Hindutva politics.
on Dec 7
From theindiaforum.in
Understanding the Downslide of India’s Democracy
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There is crisis today in Indian democracy but the long-term context is a growth of ‘sub-democratic’ politics. This has made democracy vulnerable to erosion and capture as in the current regime. Can citizens make the re-investment needed to rescue the Republic?
on Dec 4
From theindiaforum.in
A Cricket World Cup by India, for India, and about India
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"The cricket played by the Indian team in CWC2023 has been the best among the cricket World Cups that India has hosted, thanks to the soaring performance of its players and the memories they have created. It has also been the most small-hearted and petty of the World Cups that India has hosted."
on Nov 17
From theindiaforum.in
Char Dham Pariyojana: A High Risk Engineering Exercise
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The prestigious Char Dham Pariyojana to widen roads to Uttarakhand’s pilgrimage sites is being rapidly pushed forward without heed to the environmental and social consequences. Several laws have been bypassed in the process.
on Nov 15, 2023
From theindiaforum.in
The Right to Rest: Women at Leisure
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The idea of women at leisure is redolent with derogatory connotations. Yet, snatched between mundane responsibilities, leisure is a space for women to express themselves in personal ways. A photo essay.
on Nov 8, 2023