Society
Society
Issue Articles
Evolution of Demographic Thought and Concern for Human Well-being
Demography has been detached from political theory and political economy, and population is now considered a part of the problem. A new chapter emphasising the economic value of a population is emerging, but the approach needs to be people-centric.
The Global Minimum Corporate Tax: Not High Enough, Not Fair Enough
‘While the global minimum tax proposal is a step forward, that step is disappointingly short of what is needed and possible.’
WhatsApp in India
A Tale of Big Tech, Privacy Violation and Government Control
The ongoing tussle between the Indian government and social media companies has compromised the data integrity & privacy of citizens. We need an ecosystem of innovation and regulation to keep in check the unrestricted data powers of Silicon Valley giants.
A Stray Problem
Managing human conflicts with dogs
Misguided compassion towards street dogs often leads to major human-dog conflict and worsens the problem. Every action of individuals or animal welfare organisations must be carefully thought through, ensuring the welfare of both people and animals.
5 July 2021
The day Fr. Stan Swamy died marked a collective national failure; we are all guilty of his death, either by omission or by commission. We now need symbolic as well as bold gestures to reclaim the moral ground we ceded on 5 July 2021.
The Nation State and Modern Sport
'National feeling is not something that has been injected into sport by swaggering players, corrupt politicians, and a scheming media looking to boost ratings; it is native to modern sport, something that is built into its historical evolution.'
Fr Stan Swamy: A Prophet who was a Threat to the Powerful
Fr Stan Swamy's struggle was for justice for the poor and for an India in which all people are equal.
The Intrinsic Limits of Hindutva as an Ideology of the Indian State
The BJP has built an electoral juggernaut but the mishandling of the pandemic has shown that Hindutva as an ideology is a handicap in the running of a modern state. The challenge to the BJP will come at the state-level & will be rooted in a cultural pushback.
The Achievements and Challenges of the Kerala 'Model'
The experience of Kerala ever since its formation in 1956 shows that, contrary to received wisdom, high public spending on social sectors improves people’s lives and also provides a positive thrust to economic growth.
India's Inequality Problem
India’s inequality is driven by limited upward mobility due, in turn, to unequal opportunity. Greater taxation of wealth will make possible investments in education, health, and infrastructure which will improve opportunity and raise the growth potential.
The Supreme Court Needs to Step in to Stop Mob Lynchings
The Supreme Court has a duty to enforce its 2018 judgement against lynchings and mob violence. Its failure to do so emboldens majoritarian governments and vigilantes alike.
The English Education of a Kashmiri
"In a conflict-ridden space like Kashmir, can working-class people express and understand the world in a language that is not their own, while simultaneously aspiring to be upwardly mobile? Is that desire worth the struggle it takes to reach there?"
Child Marriages During the Pandemic
The worsening of poverty during the pandemic may well have led to a worrying spurt in marriages of girl children in India. The information available indicates that has happened, pushing back the progress of recent decades in reducing child marriages.
The Strange ‘Hindu Murders’ of the US West Coast in the Early 20th Century
In the 1930s, a spate of murders claimed the lives of several Punjabi men in California’s Central Valley region. US police and press were quick to ascribe these killings to mysterious old ‘Oriental’ cults and factional rivalries.
The Politics of Language in Assam
Language has been at the heart of political debate in Assam since the formation of the British colonial province of Assam in 1874, then through the turbulent decades leading to Independence, the separation of Sylhet during Partition, and into our times.
Women and Contraceptive Decision-Making in Kerala
Kerala's below-replacement fertility figures obscure the poor awareness of contraceptive methods amongst women, pointing to the unfinished task of promoting independent and informed reproductive choices.
Women Bring a Spring of Hope to the Farm Movement
Women have been reinforcing the farmers’ protests on Delhi’s borders, right from the beginning. Their experiences of the agrarian crisis are broadening the demands of the movement beyond defending minimum support prices for crops.
Band-Aids for Bullet Wounds
Why has the second wave devastated India and what lies ahead?
The brutal advent of Covid-19’s second wave in India was not unforeseen. But claims of an ‘Indian exceptionalism’ lulled politician, policymakers, and the public into complacency.
Dr Pradip Bijalwan: An Unsung Journey for an Equal World
Many health workers have given their lives working tirelessly for the Covid-19 ill; Dr. Pradip Bijalwan was one of them. His journey was different: he had given his life caring for the under-privileged and he died caring for the homeless of Delhi.
Subverting Reservations in Karnataka
The unusual sight of Karnataka's influential swamis at the forefront of protests to tweak reservation quotas portends the end of reservations as a constitutional means for social justice, and a reassertion by the dominant castes.
The Fault Lines in Tamil Nadu that the DMK Now Has to Confront
The DMK faces new challenges in expanding social justice alongside economic modernisation: internal fault lines have emerged in the form of cracks in the Dravidian coalition of lower castes and there are external ones such as reduced autonomy for states.
India’s Biggest Challenge: The Future of Farming
India has enough food; does it have too many people working in agriculture? The pressure on land is an outcome of policy, which condemns most people to marginal farming. India needs a different set of solutions for agriculture and for those working the land.
Misreading the Past
The UGC’s New Framework for Indian History
A new undergraduate history curriculum reduces the complexity of the past to simplistic ideas of religious difference. The official promotion of such ahistorical thinking adds weight to the project of misreading the past to fuel divisive passions.
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