India Last Week #39
A round-up of research & reportage on India across climate, energy, foreign policy, politics & more over the last week
Climate, Energy & Environment -
“Experts said that most riverfronts in India appear to be modelled on the Sabarmati riverfront, with features such as walkways along the river and walls and embankments designed to contain the river. This approach, they argue, ignores unique characteristics of different rivers’ ecologies. Neha Sarwate, an environmental planner and assistant professor at Vadodara’s Maharaja Sayajirao University, explained that it was crucial to study the river basin where a riverfront is to be built. For instance, she noted, Pune is in the upper basin of the Mula-Mutha river, while Ahmedabad is in the middle basin of the Sabarmati river. These locations determine how much water and sediment the rivers carry, the velocity of floodwaters during monsoons and the species of wildlife that thrive in the area – these features should ideally inform the riverfronts’ designs, she observed… This heavy focus on construction along the river is harmful to the river ecology, experts say. For instance, building an embankment or wall along the river requires constructing foundation structures between 30 and 40 feet underground along the river bank, which could disrupt the flow of water from and into aquifers, or layers of rock and sediment underground that hold water.” Read more: Vaishnavi Rathore, Scroll
“India and Argentina have formalised a partnership to enhance cooperation in the exploration and development of critical minerals, particularly lithium. The agreement was signed on Wednesday (February 19) in the presence of Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy and Raúl Alejandro Jalil, Governor of Catamarca, Argentina, the ministry said in a press note. As per the statement from the Ministry of Mines, the countries discussed expanding collaboration in the mining sector, with a focus on lithium exploration and investment opportunities. Argentina holds significant lithium reserves and is considered a key partner for India in securing essential raw materials required for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage, the statement added. The discussions also covered ongoing lithium exploration efforts by Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL) and Greenko in the Catamarca region. The two sides explored the scope for greater Indian participation in Argentina's mining sector, including potential investment, long-term supply agreements and joint ventures.” Read more: CNBC TV18
“The ministry of power has issued an advisory mandating a minimum of 2-hour co-located energy storage systems (ESS) for new solar projects, equivalent to 10% of the installed capacity, in future solar tenders. The directive aims to enhance grid stability, optimize energy utilization, and support India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. The advisory, addressed to state governments, central generating stations, and renewable energy agencies, highlights the need for energy storage to mitigate intermittency challenges in solar and wind power generations. As of December 31, 2024, India’s installed ESS capacity stood at 4.86 GW, including 4.75 GW from pumped storage projects (PSP) and 0.11 GW from battery energy storage systems (BESS).” Read more: Saurav Anand, EnergyWorld
“India ranked sixth in the Climate Risk Index 2025 by Germanwatch, facing over 400 extreme weather events from 1993-2022, resulting in 80,000 deaths and $180 billion in losses. The country accounted for 10% of global fatalities from such events and 4.3% of total economic damage. The report highlights inadequate climate finance, with COP29 failing to deliver a strong New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). The report’s findings are derived from extreme weather event data provided by the International Disaster Database (Em-DAT) and socio-economic data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Four other countries in the top 10 most affected list are Greece, Spain, Vanuatu, and the Philippines, Hindustan Times reported.” Read more: CarbonCopy
Economy -
“Indians are spending more than 33% of their income towards paying instalments on loans, according to a new study from PwC and Perfios that analyzed the spending behaviour of more than 3 million tech-savvy consumers… Broadly, the report says Indian households allocate 39% of their income to obligatory expenses (such as loan instalments), 32% to necessities, and 29% to discretionary spending, with the latter led by lifestyle purchases and online gaming. The report’s dataset comprises borrowers who primarily use fintech, NBFCs, and other digital platforms. These borrowers were distributed across different geographies (from tier-III to metro cities) and income levels (from less than Rs 20,000 per month to more than Rs 1,00,000 per month)… To be sure, despite rising consumption, India’s household savings have plummeted to a five-year low, reaching just 5.1% of GDP in 2023, according to RBI data. This decline in financial assets coincides with a surge in personal loan, which have grown by 13.7% year-on-year to INR55.3 trillion as of September 2024.” Read more: Suneera Tandon, Mint
“The new bill is a reminder that reform in India often runs only skin deep. At a time when the country urgently needs to step up its game to attract more investment and trade, the Modi government has picked form over substance in its rewrite of the six-decade-old law. The bill, almost half the size and better organized than the bulky Income Tax Act, 1961, definitely makes for easier reading as intended. But it does little to cut compliance and litigation burdens for the millions of local and foreign businesses and individuals governed by it… This exercise amounts to “housekeeping when renovation, if not redevelopment, was needed,” Ketan Dalal, founder of Katalyst Advisors, said to me. Senior tax and constitutional lawyer Arvind Datar put it even more bluntly. “The indiscriminate reopening of tax assessments, currently done under Section 147, will soon be done under a new section, that's all,” Datar said over the phone between court appearances in Mumbai and Delhi… It’s taken 150 tax officers 60,000 hours to draft this new bill. It will take several times that effort for businesses to adapt to a new law, from parsing the language for changes in tax liability and paperwork to adapting internal accounting and software systems. All for no immediate gain.” Read more: Menaka Doshi, Bloomberg
“The ongoing correction in the equity market has weighed heavily on state-owned life insurer, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), which has seen the total value of stocks held by it dip around Rs 84,000 crore in the past one-and-half months. As of the December 2024 quarter, the value of LIC's holdings in listed companies stood at Rs 14.72 trillion. At current prices (February 18, 2025), the value of these holdings stands at Rs 13.87 trillion, translating into a mark-to-market hit of Rs 84,247 crore or 5.7 per cent… In total 26 companies, LIC have seen market value erosion of Rs 1,000 crore. The insurer’s market value in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Jio Financial Services, HCL Technologies, JSW Energy, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, HDFC Bank and IDBI Bank has declined in the range of Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore… Analysts rule out an early respite in LIC’s fortunes as they expect the markets to remain volatile amid intermittent bouts of recovery, which could get sold into. Those at HSBC, for instance, expect India's valuation multiple to remain under pressure until earnings stabilize. The December 2024 quarter (Q3-FY25) results, they said, were below estimates, even amid the backdrop of lowered expectations. They expect growth to remain tepid for at least two quarters before the lower base or potential policy impact kicks in and see downside risk to consensus’s 15 per cent growth expectations in CY25.” Read more: Deepak Korgaonkar and Puneet Wadhwa, Business Standard
“Emerging market funds reduced their allocations to India and Taiwan in January, while increasing their allocations to China and Hong Kong, with 24 out of 25 funds having lower allocations to India, Nomura said. The distinct leaning towards China is only expected to continue with the Indian markets being volatile… India was one of the major markets to which allocation has been cut, with most emerging market funds being underweight on both India as well as China and Hong Kong at the end of January, the brokerage said. Around 62 per cent of emerging market funds are underweight India while 31 per cent are overweight. Compared to the end-December 2024 picture, this distribution was 56 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, Nomura said. On an overall basis, global EMs are underweight on EM Asia, the broker said… “Stocks that are likely to be included stand to benefit but despite the bump up in weightage, the nation’s position in the basket has slipped to third place, behind China and Taiwan, due to the ongoing correction. Therefore, unless sentiment improves and draws in long-term flows, we should expect downside volatility to not disappear in a hurry,” said Akshay Chinchalkar, Head of Research, Axis Securities.” Read more: Janaki Krishnan, The Hindu Businessline
Foreign Policy & Security -
“India’s government is expected to accept a top Taliban representative to the country soon, the latest step from New Delhi to improve ties with Kabul and counter China’s growing influence in Afghanistan. The Taliban-led government has identified two potential candidates to take charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi, according to officials familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The Taliban official won’t be recognized as a diplomat by India but will be the top representative for the government there, the people said. The Taliban won’t be able to fly its flag at the embassy, at events or on official vehicles, they said. Only a handful of countries, including China, Pakistan and Russia, have accepted diplomats from the Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 and has been condemned internationally for human rights violations.” Read more: Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Eltaf Najafizada, Bloomberg
“The death of a 20-year-old Nepalese BTech student at Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) in Odisha has triggered widespread protests, diplomatic intervention and high-level investigations. The student, who allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room, had reportedly faced continuous harassment on campus. The incident sparked outrage among Nepalese students, leading to demonstrations and claims of forced eviction, which escalated into a diplomatic matter between India and Nepal… Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli addressing the matter through social media expressed concerns over the alleged “forced eviction” of Nepalese students from KIIT and urged the Indian government to intervene… Later, he took to X (formerly Twitter) to state that Nepal’s embassy in New Delhi had dispatched officers to Bhubaneswar to support the affected students. The embassy ensured that the students could either stay in their hostel or return home, depending on their preference… Odisha’s higher education minister, Suryabanshi Suraj, stated that chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi had instructed officials to handle the issue with “utmost seriousness,” given India’s strong ties with Nepal… On Tuesday, Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology warned that it might stop issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) for students wishing to study in Odisha if the situation was not resolved fairly.” Read more: Times of India
“Central American country Costa Rica has agreed to accept illegal migrants, who are nationals of other countries, including India, from the US. Costa Rica will house these deportees at “migrant centres” till they are finally deported to the countries of their origin. Earlier, Panama and Guatemala had offered to do so for the US. This adds a twist to the ongoing deportations as the US was sending illegal migrants directly to India. Sources said with these agreements in place with Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala, the US will address its domestic audience by showing that the migrants have been removed. The deported people will stay at the facilities till their home countries verify their antecedents. In some cases, the verification will take months, meaning the deportees will be held up in Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala… “The Government of Costa Rica has agreed to collaborate with the United States in the repatriation of 200 illegal immigrants to their country. These are people originating from countries in central Asia and India,” said the statement. The release did not say how many of them are from India.” Read more: Ajay Banerjee, The Tribune
“But pleasing Trump involved making serious commitments that will test Indian economic policymakers, the defence establishment, and the political leadership in the next six months. Trump is likely to make his visit to Delhi and appearance at Quad contingent on the deliverables on the bilateral stage… The United States (US) has its eyes on India’s data rules, treatment of American e-commerce and tech companies, and any non-tariff barrier that can be remotely interpreted as distorting a “level playing field”. This is not about whether Trump is right or wrong — the hypocrisy inherent in America turning protectionist and asking India to open up more is glaring… This is about being aware of the choice between Trumpian retribution that will inevitably hurt exports and investment, two essential engines at the time of an economic slowdown, and a fairly high degree of US-centric trade liberalisation and economic openness that will inevitably trigger resistance from strong domestic business lobbies and the bureaucracy… The US is no longer a polite transactional power, but a ruthless extractive power. When a veteran like the Singaporean defence minister Ng Eng Hen says that Washington now sees Asia much like a “landlord seeking rent”, India better know what it is dealing with. And nothing symbolises this more than the deportation flights.” Read more: Prashant Jha, Hindustan Times
People & Politics -
“The Supreme Court today adjourned the pleas challenging the constitutionality of the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Act, 2023, which removed the Chief Justice of India from the selection panel appointing Election Commissioners (ECs). The matter was listed before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh at serial No. 41. However, in terms of yesterday's exchange, it was mentioned by Advocate Prashant Bhushan when the bench assembled in the morning, requesting that it be heard on priority. At the time, Justice Kant indicated an inclination to take up the matter after another case, however, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta (for Union) sought an accommodation pointing out that he was occupied in a hearing before CJI Khanna-led Constitution Bench. Bhushan objected to the request, saying that there are 17 law officers with the Union and every matter can't be adjourned simply because the SG is occupied in another Court… Later, the pleas were mentioned twice, however, were not taken up for hearing. When one of the counsel claimed that the hearing of the petition(s) was important for the survival of democracy and Executive-dominated appointment of ECs was affecting 140 crore people in the country, Justice Kant responded, "All matters are very important. We don't think that any matter is [superior]".” Read more: Debby Jain, Livelaw
“It is rather rich of the Supreme Court to preach morality when, not too long ago, not a single Supreme Court judge publicly objected to their Chief Justice presiding over cases despite serious allegations of sexual harassment. On February 17, the Supreme Court heard YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia’s plea for interim protection in multiple obscenity cases over his remarks in a comedy show, India’s Got Latent. A two-judge bench, led by Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justice N Kotiswar Singh, stayed Allahbadia’s arrest on the condition that he cooperates with the police and appears before the investigating officers when summoned… However, more troubling is the sweeping condition barring Allahbadia and his associates from airing “any show” on YouTube or other audio-visual platforms “until further orders.” This restriction, imposed without a shred of justification, curtails their freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) and their fundamental right to practise any profession or occupation under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution… This sweeping condition is particularly striking given that Justice Kant, sitting with Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna, had ruled against such restrictions in fact-checker Mohammed Zubair’s bail case… Now, leading a smaller two-judge bench, Justice Kant has taken a completely contradictory position. If a judge radically departs from a legal reasoning they previously endorsed, judicial discipline demands an explanation in the order. The lack of one here reinforces concerns about what I call “vibe jurisprudence,” where judicial outcomes are contingent on individual judges rather than consistent legal principles.” Read more: Saurav Das, The Wire
“A nationwide racket of uploading videos of maternity patients' treatment and examinations on YouTube and Telegram channels for profit has come to light. This shocking revelation surfaced after some videos were found to be from Payal Maternity Home & Surgical Hospital near Raiya Circle in Rajkot. Following a complaint, the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police team raided the hospital in Rajkot and recorded statements from doctors and staff. As the investigation deepened, two suspects were identified, leading to an inquiry that extended across three states… Preliminary investigations suggest that organised groups are active across Gujarat and two other states, involved in the heinous act. Specific individuals are involved in procuring and distributing these videos, prompting authorities to expand their probe into multiple states. A deeper investigation could potentially uncover a vast network responsible for leaking private hospital videos of women across the country. The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch has uncovered videos from not only Rajkot but also other cities in Gujarat and three states that have been uploaded to YouTube and Telegram channels.” Read more: Gujarat Samachar
Tech -
“The Vikatan magazine’s website was blocked in India by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) through a referral to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), four people with knowledge of the order told The Hindu. The website was blocked following the publication of a cartoon featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi sitting, shackled in chains, next to U.S. President Donald Trump, in an apparent reference to deported immigrants being flown to India in chains. Officials from both the I&B Ministry and the DoT, as well as a senior source in the telecom industry, confirmed the blocking order… Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan was evasive on the order when pressed on the matter by journalists in Chennai. “Appropriate legal steps are being taken,” Mr. Murugan said… Neither the MIB nor the DoT provided an official response on the matter… On February 16, the magazine received a formal notice from the MIB, saying that the Inter Departmental Committee under the IT Rules, 2021 was conducting a hearing on blocking that specific cartoon. This was not the blocking order sent to the DoT, which immediately blocked the entire website. The notice did not mention the whole website’s blocking. Vikatan has defended its rights to post the cartoon and said it would legally challenge an order to take it down.” Read more: Aroon Deep, The Hindu
“As many as 119 apps available in India, mostly video and voice chat platforms linked to developers in China and Hong Kong are to be blocked, according to data disclosed by Google on the Lumen Database, a Harvard University-operated site tracking content removal requests by governments and other entities. Of the 119 apps, only 15 have been withheld in India so far, Moneycontrol has found. The rest remain available for download as of February 20. A smaller number of affected apps also originate from Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, a Moneycontrol analysis has found. It is understood that the directives have been issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The section grants Centre the powers to block public access to online content in the interest of national security, sovereignty, or public order… A government official, when approached for comment, declined to share details, and stated that orders passed under Section 69A are confidential… It is unclear if national security concerns played a role in this latest round of blocking, but the inclusion of apps from countries beyond China and Hong Kong suggests a broader regulatory scrutiny. With only 15 out of 119 apps currently inaccessible in India, it remains to be seen how and when the remaining applications will be blocked, as Google’s disclosure does not specify the timeline for enforcement.” Read more: Aihik Sur, Moneycontrol
“Google Maps is the most-used navigation app by consumers in India, with millions of daily users and an average of 50 million searches in multiple languages each day. The country is also home to Google Maps’ largest network of contributors — around 60 million people who add content such as reviews, photos, and road updates. Yet, the inconsistent quality of its data has brought the app under scrutiny. Digital mapping experts, however, believe these incidents are not specific to Google Maps and instead reveal systemic challenges to mapping Indian roads. Maintaining precision is daunting for any navigation app in India since road names and addresses are not standardized, according to Muskan Thareja, a geospatial technology expert who previously worked at geoanalytics company GeoSpoc, which was acquired by Ola in 2021… Google should not be held liable because it is “not a public utility,” Arnav Gupta, who has worked as a product engineer at companies including Meta, JioCinema, and Zomato, told Rest of World, referring to the police complaint from the November 2024 accident. Much of the onus of keeping firms and citizens in the loop falls on local government agencies, he said.” Read more: Ananya Bhattacharya, Rest of World
Bonus -
Dalit on a horse: Five years ago, Mukesh Parecha from Gujarat resolved to ride a horse on his wedding day. On 6 February 2025, he turned it into a revolutionary act | A photo essay by Manisha Mondal for ThePrint