-The Hindu Disturbing a federal system that protects the complexity of human identities could pave the way for conflict It is sometimes claimed that once ordinary people benefit from economic development, they automatically set aside issues related to their identity. Such a view was found not only in materialist theories that gave explanatory primacy in human life to economic factors but also among leaders of social and political movements. Nehru, for instance,...

-The Indian Express This comes even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the 14th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification on Monday, mentioned that “we are focusing on ZBNF”. India’s premier academic body of agricultural scientists has hit out at Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), terming it as an “unproven” technology bringing no incremental value gain to either farmers or consumers. “The government should not needlessly invest capital...

-The Hindu Michelle Bachelet also asked India to ensure that the National Register of Citizens verification in Assam does not leave the people Stateless Geneva: The UN Human Rights Council urged India on Monday to end the lockdown in Kashmir and restore basic communications services. Delivering the Opening Statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet noted the situation in Kashmir and Assam, where lakhs have been excluded from the National...

-The Hindu Business Line Lowering the exchange rate to boost exports, a grant-based stimulus for auto sector and reviving stalled power projects will help The slowdown in the Indian economy is far steeper than what most observers had expected. The government has announced a set of measures for revival. It has also indicated that more are in the pipeline. For this to have become necessary within weeks of the presentation of the...

-The Hindu Local governments remain hamstrung and ineffective — mere agents to do the bidding of higher level governments Democratic decentralisation is barely alive in India. Over 25 years after the 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments (they mandated the establishment of panchayats and municipalities as elected local governments) devolved a range of powers and responsibilities and made them accountable to the people for their implementation, very little and actual progress has been...