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A quota undone by caution
On the evening of April 17th, as rain pattered on the Parliament complex, a small knot of women MPs from the ruling BJP-led coalition raised slogans under sodden umbrellas. Their protest was theatrical but heartfelt: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, had just been defeated in the Lok Sabha. It was the first time in 12 years that a constitutional amendment introduced by Narendra Modi’s government had fallen short. The numbers were unambiguous: 298 votes in favour, 230 against. A two-thirds majority of those present and voting—some 352—was required. The bill failed by a wide margin. The legislation had been billed as a bold leap forward for Nari Shakti (women’s power). It sought to bring forward the 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to the…
Asia’s energy shock
The Strait of Hormuz, a channel barely three kilometres wide at its narrowest point, has once again demonstrated its power to unsettle the global economy. On April 18th, Iranian gunboats fired on a tanker in the waterway, and Tehran announced the re-imposition of restrictions, accusing America of violating the fragile ceasefire. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil — about 20 million barrels per day before the conflict — normally passes through this chokepoint. For Asia the stakes could hardly be higher. In 2025, the region sourced nearly 60% of its crude imports from the Middle East, with China, India, Japan and South Korea accounting for about three-quarters of the oil and nearly 60% of the LNG flowing through the strait. Japan imports around 95% of its oil from the…
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India in a Time of Global Energy Uncertainty: Confidence, Caution, and Course Correction
The global economy today stands at a critical inflection point. Geopolitical tensions, particularly in keyenergy-producing regions, have once again exposed…
Desire, Diversity and Distortion: India’s Enduring Gender Stereotypes
In offices, universities and political corridors across India, an unspoken belief continues to influence how people perceive and judge women:…
Is India Moving from an Assembly Hub to a Value-Added Manufacturing Economy – Can AI accelerate the shift
For decades, the narrative of Indian manufacturing followed a predictable, albeit limited, script. We were the "back office of the…
Government Decisions & Policy
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India’s parliamentary revolution
In the world’s largest democracy, where women make up half the electorate but have long been sidelined in the halls of power, a quiet constitutional…
India launches its largest-ever census, reopening a century-old debate over caste and equity
More than three million enumerators fanned out across India this week to begin the monumental task of counting the country’s roughly 1.4 billion people, launching…
Indonesia launches gradual ban on social media access for children under 16
Indonesia began phased implementation on Saturday of a new government regulation that bars children under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts on major social media…
Hindu Seers Escalate Battle Against ‘Forced Conversions’ with Supreme Court Intervention, Igniting Clash Over Faith and Fundamental Rights
In a move that underscores deepening fault lines in India's fractious debate over religious freedom, the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, a powerful Hindu saints' body…
India & Neighbourhood
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Nepal’s Rapper Prime Minister Faces First Tests: Arrests, Reforms and the Hard Reality of Power
Barely three weeks after being sworn in as Nepal’s youngest-ever prime minister on 27 March 2026, Balendra Shah – the 35-year-old former underground rapper known…
Political Theatre
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A quota undone by caution
On the evening of April 17th, as rain pattered on the Parliament complex, a small knot of women MPs from the ruling BJP-led coalition raised…
States & Cities
View AllFrom Workshop to Encrypted Chat: How Four Ordinary Men Allegedly Built a Toy Car Bomb Plot Targeting India’s Heart
In the dim glow of a private automobile workshop on the outskirts of Thane, just north of Mumbai, Mosaib Ahmad…
India’s Digital Underworld: How Jailed Gangsters Run Transnational Crime Empires via WhatsApp and Instagram
In a brick-kiln office on the outskirts of Jind in Haryana, businessman Anup Chaudhary was reviewing accounts on the afternoon…
Ground mishap at Delhi airport leaves two Boeing 737s damaged as safety questions linger
A routine afternoon on the tarmac at one of the world’s busiest airports in New Delhi turned into an embarrassing…
Seaplane Ambition on the Ganga Faces Pushback Over Threat to Endangered Wildlife and Sacred Waters
In the shadow of the Himalayas, where the Ganga flows past the pilgrimage town of Rishikesh, a sleek 19-seater seaplane…
Life & Culture
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View AllUS importers to claim billions in refunds for unconstitutional Trump tariffs from Monday
Importers will from Monday be able to begin claiming refunds for more than $166bn (£130bn) in tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that the US…
