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Reform 03: A Toilet for Every Home and School by 2019
It’s not every day that the prime minister picks up a broom and begins sweeping the street. But October 2 is no ordinary day. It’s the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, and Narendra Modi chose this national holiday to launch the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) campaign, the most ambitious attempt ever made in India to clean the country and provide sanitation to every household within five years. read more
Modi’s Charm Offensive Reaches White House
Whoever scheduled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit in 14 years to the U.S. did a splendid job of keeping his public events at the start, before his formal meeting with President Barack Obama. The result was that Modi got a rock star reception in New York for three days that swept him on a wave of popularity to Washington to begin the serious work of repairing the Indo-US bilateral ties that have languished for the past 4 years. read more
Supreme Court Scraps Coal Blocks for ‘Illegal’ Allocation
The Supreme Court has scrapped 214 of the 218 coal blocks allocated by different administrations over the past two decades, in a tough ruling that hit the shares of companies that invested in the blocks. Yet no mention has been made of any action against the previous ministers who had allocated these coal blocks in an unfair, arbitrary and non-transparent manner in the first place. read more
India’s Spacecraft Nears Martian Atmosphere
India’s landmark Mars mission is about to reach its destination, with the Mangalyaan spacecraft expected to enter the atmosphere of Mars in the next few days. On Monday, scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will begin 'waking' up its liquid apogee motor that has been silent for nearly 300 days. Designed and developed at a cost of just $69 million, Mangalyaan marks India’s maiden foray into interplanetary flight. read more
Modi and Xi Sign Deals, But Border Dispute Remains Unresolved
India and China have signed 12 agreements during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to New Delhi, including one which will see China investing $20 billion in India's infrastructure over the next five years. Yet the talks came as India accused China of fresh territorial incursions in Ladakh leading to a standoff between troops of both countries. At a joint news conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said "peace on the border" was important for mutual trust and progress. read more
Shiv Sena, BJP War of Words Over Maharashtra Seat-Sharing Threatens Saffron Alliance
In Maharashtra, the 25-year old alliance between regional party Shiv Sena and the BJP is on the verge of breaking up over the number of seats they would each contest in the upcoming state election. The saffron combine is expected to win the election from the incumbent Congress-NCP alliance, but the ongoing public spat could throw the election wide open. read more
Kashmir Floods: Centre Steps in as J&K Govt Flops
Half a million people remain to be rescued in Srinagar, despite the best efforts of the armed forces that have already rescued over 100,000 people in the worst floods seen in Jammu & Kashmir since 1950. Public anger is growing against the state administration that has been conspicuous by its absence. The federal government has been forced to take charge of relief operations, rallying all resources to fill the void left by the local government. read more
PMO Downsizes Asiad Contingent, Sports Officials Hardest Hit
The massive contingents that India usually sends for international sporting events have finally come under scrutiny, with the Prime Minister’s Office issuing guidelines that have reduced the contingent proposed for the Incheon Asian Games by 28 percent. The hardest hit are sports officials, who have seen their numbers slashed by 42 percent. read more
Deadly Floods in Jammu & Kashmir, Deforestation to Blame Again
This kind of tragedy seems to be happening with increasing frequency: unusually heavy rain in a mountainous region unleashes floodwater or a landslide that submerges villages and kills many residents. In Uttarakhand last year, near Pune in July, and now in Jammu & Kashmir, the rampant deforestation of India’s hilly areas is being seen as responsible for magnifying these natural disasters. read more
Reform 02: Modi Launches Banking for All
The promise that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made in his Independence Day speech two weeks ago was implemented on Thursday as he launched the new Jan Dhan Yojana (People’s Wealth Scheme). This aims to provide a bank account to every family in India, and end what Modi calls 'financial untouchability'. Some critics fear though that the overdraft facility in these accounts may end up swelling bad loans in the banking system. read more
Greenpeace Report on Pesticides in Tea Spurs Brands to Action
Two weeks have passed since a report by Greenpeace India that shows a high level of pesticides found in tea packaged in India, yet little effort appears to have been made by the government to tackle the long-term problem of pesticide use in tea plantations. Tea industry bodies have dismissed the report, but individual companies are exploring alternatives to pesticides. read more
U.S. Judge Rules Former Prime Minister of India does not have Immunity for Killings of Sikhs while he was Finance Minister
India’s former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is immune from an allegation that he supported an alleged genocide of Sikhs during his 10-year rule, a U.S. judge ruled this week. But U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in the District of Columbia said that Singh, who resigned in May, did not have "head-of-state immunity" from allegations concerning his time as India's finance minister in the 1990s. read more
Kerala Chooses Prohibition Instead of Reducing Alcohol Consumption Sensibly
The state with the highest per capita consumption of alcohol, Kerala, has announced a clampdown on the availability of liquor and will usher in full prohibition within 10 years. Religious groups have supported the move, but prohibition could impact tourism and reduce the revenues of the state. read more
Six Brides Leave Husbands’ Homes for Lack of Toilets
In a stinging reminder of the lack of toilets in north India, six newly-wed women in Khesiya village in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh have returned to their parents in the past two months as their husbands’ houses did not have any toilet. Open defecation is an acute problem in India, with nearly half of the 1.2 billion population having no toilet at home. read more
Govt Fails to Support Institutions by Denying Congress the Leader of Opposition
The Modi administration seems to be following the letter (and not the spirit) of the rulebook when it comes to the appointment of a Leader of the Opposition. The Congress has a mere 44 seats in the Lok Sabha – less than the 55 seats required – so Speaker Sumitra Mahajan rejected on Tuesday the party's demand for the post of Leader of Opposition. Yet the NDA should be magnanimous to its defeated rival, and not 'defang' it so much that the institutions of democracy are damaged. read more
Bank Accounts, Gender Injustice and Toilets: Modi Wants India to Step Up
Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the occasion of Independence Day to make a powerful speech, calling on fellow Indians to help him fight a war on poverty, on gender injustice and on unsanitary conditions. These may not have been the ‘big bang’ economic reforms some analysts were expecting, but the social objectives he outlined are important nonetheless. read more