The newly planned Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force is meant to reduce the workload of the Uttar Pradesh Police and Pradeshik Armed Constabulary. But the law introduced by the Uttar Pradesh government protects the Force from being prosecuted for any excesses or criminal violations.
Freedom Gazette
Breakdown in communication and trust between the government and citizens resulted in heavy hardship as citizens lost access to basic services. There are lessons to be learnt from Punjab, Kerala and Odisha. We need to build enabling infrastructure that helps communities to act freely to meet their own needs.
The objective of the electoral bonds scheme was to infuse ‘white money’ into the political system. But its provisions, along with other amendments, open up Indian politics to opaque and undetectable influence from the corporate sector, while giving the ruling party undue advantage. There are alternatives.
Indian courts are constantly under pressure to impose capital punishment for sexual offenses, despite little to no proof that capital punishment directly deters crime in our society. But a more effective solution to sexual violence has already been found in the rest of the world: rehabilitation.
Armenia's attack on Azerbaijani territory in 2020 was not only an assault on Azerbaijan but also on European and Asian energy security. The world has remained neutral in the face of this most recent Armenian aggression, creating a dangerous global precedent and eroding trust in global institutions.
Voter targeting is enabled by collecting personal data, including online shopping history, likes, shares and comments. The use of such personal information for political messaging can help spread misplaced fears of potential attacks on what people hold dear. Democracies need better privacy laws.
Patriarchal gender norms underlie honour killings and love jihad. Girls and young women in India continue to be deprived of their free and full choice on whom and when to marry. This abuse of women's rights is a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The number of lawmakers facing criminal charges has increased significantly in recent years. The Supreme Court has tried to counter this in many ways, including by asking parties to publicise the criminal records of their candidates. But why do voters actively vote for criminal candidates?
In 2019, the Indian government ordered an internet shutdown a whopping 103 times on various occasions. Multiple High Courts, most recently in Uttar Pradesh and Assam, have ruled that internet shutdowns violate fundamental rights. Yet, in Jammu and Kashmir, there has been no respite. Why?
International students can play an important role in increasing India's foreign policy influence. International students often carry a favourable image of the host country back to their home country. China has recognised this opportunity but India's New Education Policy has entirely ignored it.