Polity

The PM-WANI scheme, announced by the Department of Telecommunications last month, aims to increase internet connectivity across the country by implementing a decentralised system of public access points. We decided to create an explainer analysing the scheme in which we discuss how, while a step towards the right direction, the scheme faces both foundational and … Read more

.Nationalism, in the sense in which we use it today, did not exist in India before the 19th century. It may also surprise you to learn that the roots (origins) of this idea do not lie in the Indian history but in the history of Modern Europe. In fact it is possible to talk of … Read more

Apart from cultural nationalism and economic nationalism, there were other ways also in which the idea of Indian nationalism was being expressed. There came into being, in the second half of the 19th century, a thinking on Indian nationalism which was based on religion. It was leaders like Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, Dayanand Saraswati (who founded … Read more

. A regional trade bloc is a type of intergovernmental agreement, often part of a regional intergovernmental organization, where regional barriers to trade, (tariffs & non-tariff barriers) are reduced or eliminated among the participating states. A regional trading bloc is a group of countries within a geographical region that protect themselves from imports from non-members. … Read more

. Amidst this reformulation and resurgence of the revolutionary movement and the subdued state of the mainstream movement was announced the Simon Commission to formulate further constitutional reforms for India. The all-white commission did not include any Indian and thus it was clear that the forthcoming reforms, if any, would not fulfill the aspirations of … Read more

The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act (2013) and various judgements of Hon’ble Supreme Court expressly prohibit hazardous cleaning, i.e. manual entry into a septic tank or sewer without protective gear and observing operating procedures. Despite this, recurring episodes of human fatalities among those engaged in cleaning of septic tanks and … Read more

. The 1930s witnessed the rapid growth of socialist ideas within and outside the Congress.  In 1929 there was a great economic slump or depression in the United States which gradually spread to the rest of the world.  Everywhere in the capitalist countries there was a sleep decline in production and foreign trade, resulting in … Read more