India Last Week #47
A round-up of research & reportage on India across climate, energy, foreign policy, politics & more over the last week
Climate, Energy & Environment -
“The proposal to set up a mega dam on the Siang river first came up in 2017, when the Niti Aayog – the Indian government’s premier think tank – suggested doing away with two smaller dams that were planned on the river, in favour of a large dam in the valley’s upper reaches. Doing so would reduce project costs by 25% and attract an investment of Rs. 80,000 crores, a press statement from the chief minister’s office at the time, said. The proposal drew opposition from residents almost immediately, but the idea of setting up the mega dam has persisted. In December 2022, the NHPC, the public sector company constructing the dam, prepared a draft Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) based on three prospective sites for the megadam – one in Dita Dime, another in Ugeng, and a third in Parong… The site of the proposed Siang dam is in one of India’s most biodiverse regions. A recent expedition into the Siang valley discovered more than 1500 different species of birds, plants, animals and insects, many of them new to science.” Read more: Simrin Sirur, Mongabay
“As Indians gird themselves for what could be a third summer in a row of extreme heat, they might be surprised to hear their country is warming more slowly than many others. Last year, India saw its highest recorded temperature and its longest spell of heat waves. But annual mean temperatures have risen by less than 0.7°C since 1901—about half the global average. Scientists don’t fully understand why. That much was evident at the conference, which was organized by the Indian environment ministry and Harvard University. Although the tropics in general are warming slower than the poles, scientists at the meeting highlighted other “cooling” factors that might be at play in India, from air pollution to irrigation. “I don’t think this is yet sufficiently settled,” Harvard climate scientist Peter Huybers told Science… Air pollution is a leading hypothesis to explain the slow warming. Over the densely populated Indo-Gangetic Plain, which stretches across northern India from Pakistan to Bangladesh, industry, urban traffic, dust, cooking, and crop fires conspire to produce some of the world’s worst air pollution—including aerosols that reflect solar radiation and may help cool the region.” Read more: Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar, Science
“India's Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has granted a nine-month extension for the commissioning of certain solar projects by two government agencies, pushing the deadline to the end of December 2025 due to multiple challenges, a document seen by Reuters showed. In a letter to the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), the MNRE cited limited availability of domestically made photovoltaic solar modules, transmission infrastructure issues, and tender-related delays as reasons for the extension. The SECI and IREDA had requested the extension for projects tendered under the federal government's Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) Scheme Phase-II. The scheme aims to set up 12 gigawatts of solar projects by state-run entities, using domestically manufactured solar PV cells and modules, with financial support from the Indian government. The extension underscores the struggles faced by India's renewable energy sector as the country targets at least 500 GW of non-fossil power capacity by 2030, up from 172 GW currently.” Read more: Sarita Chaganti Singh and Sethuraman N R, Reuters
Economy -
Beyond slogans, now, please? India needs a GoI-owned, macro framework to address pertinent questions
“We are likely entering into a prolonged period of low global growth and stagnation. Domestic growth is also faltering. At this juncture, it's essential to have a very clear idea of the structure of the Indian economy so we can assess its forward trajectory. This is not something that can be achieved through boasting, rhetoric and slogans… When policymaking was disciplined and not decadently founded on slogans and pedestrian assertions, India had a macroeconomic framework housed in the Planning Commission. It took economic growth and changing sectoral composition (more manufacturing and high-end services, less agriculture and informal service) as aspirations… With the demise of Planning Commission, there is no analytical capacity left in GoI. The Economic Surveys are largely competent exercises in economic geography, accompanied by reflective disquisition into topics that are the flavour of the year. This is not a bad thing. Economic geography is essential to have an economic map, for pointers to emerging issues and to keep a reality check. But it's no substitute for a macroeconomic framework. In these uncertain domestic and global times, this is unacceptable. We need to get serious about macroeconomic policy.” Read more: Rathin Roy, Economic Times
“Last week, the state government appointed Praveen Pardeshi as the first Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to Maharashtra chief minister. At a time when the revenue expenditure in the state has been rising and the capital expenditure has stagnated amid growing expenditure on welfare schemes, Pardeshi told Alok Deshpande and Sandeep Singh that capital expenditure holds the key to the state’s ambition of a USD 1 trillion economy… Capital expenditure in the state is only about 27 per cent of the budget. If you are aiming for a one trillion dollar economy, the investment and capital formation have to go up. While we cannot cut the revenue expenditure on salaries, pensions and interest, we are working on increasing the capital expenditure without burdening the taxpayer… Incremental Capital Output Ratio is the amount of money invested to generate a GDP of Rs 1. In 2012-13, it was 2.43 which means that you generate a GDP of Rs 1 on an investment of Rs 2.43. However, by the time we reached 2020, the ratio jumped to 4.61 and that means for a GDP of Rs 1 you needed a much higher investment of Rs 4.61. This is primarily because of delayed projects and low output on capital.” Read more: Alok Deshpande and Sandeep Singh, Indian Express
“Even before President Donald Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs shook global markets, the Indian stockmarket had been on a rollercoaster. The benchmark BSE Sensex is down 11% from its peak in September last year. Worst affected were those using high-risk leveraged instruments. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), the regulator, estimates that 11m retail investors lost $21.6bn trading in futures and options in three years until March 2024; only 7% turned a profit… Last October SEBI introduced stricter rules. The impact was immediate. According to Bloomberg, a financial firm, retail trading activity in India’s options market has fallen to its lowest level in three years. Middle-class India’s enthusiasm for equities, and especially for derivatives, is a relatively new phenomenon. Older generations prized frugality. Most Indians still prefer to invest in gold and fixed deposits that offer low but steady returns. But a mix of rising incomes and easy access through apps has lured millions of new investors to equity markets. Last year direct retail inflows on the National Stock Exchange reached a three-year high, at nearly $12bn… While mutual funds offer relatively higher returns than conservative assets, futures and options provide an extra zing. But they were not designed for low-information retail investors, says Shinod Somasundaram of Standard Chartered Bank. They were intended as a hedge against market downturns, offering a safety net to protect portfolios and manage risks during sudden drops. What investors are doing today is “playing with fire”, he says.” Read more: The Economist
“India’s farm sector employs millions of farmers, accounting for almost two-fifths of all Indian workers, with average holdings of less than a hectare. Agricultural trade between India and the US is insignificant for the latter, but it is important for us, as America is the largest export destination of our farm produce. We export not just field crops such as basmati rice, but also seafood, meat, honey and other processed foods. If the US puts a 26% reciprocal tariff after its 90-day pause, it will make these uncompetitive, which could hurt the livelihood of many Indian farmers… Note that agricultural trade has been an area of dispute between India and the US even before President Trump’s second term. In fact, trade disputes on agriculture have always been a sticking point of trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization, with India facing pressure to reduce its farm subsidies and open its agri-markets… At a time when Indian agriculture is going through a phase of economic distress, the immediate challenge will be to find alternative export markets while shielding our own markets from cheap imports. However, in the long run, protecting our agricultural market, on which millions depend for their livelihood, would require a global coalition of developing countries to insulate agricultural produce from the impact of tariff wars.” Read more: Himanshu, Mint
Foreign Policy & Security -
“A day after 26 people were gunned down on the Baisaran meadow, Pahalgam town on Wednesday wore a deathly look as tourists fled the destination and the security forces continued their search for the attackers in the nearby woods… The attack is a major setback to claims of Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party that terrorism ended in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 after its special status under the Constitution was abrogated and it was divided into two union territories… The elected government headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah does not have jurisdiction over the law-and-order and security establishment. The intelligence agencies in the Valley report to the Centre’s representative, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. If anything, since 2019, the Centre has only increased its control over the security establishment in Jammu and Kashmir… In fact, the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has held security review meetings from which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been excluded. Even on Tuesday evening, while Abdullah received Shah at the Srinagar airport and briefed him about the situation, he was not part of the security review meeting headed by Shah.” Read more: Safwat Zargar, Scroll
“A preliminary investigation into Tuesday’s Pahalgam terror attack — which killed 26 tourists, including two foreigners, and injured 17 — has uncovered serious lapses in intelligence gathering, force deployment and operational oversight in Jammu and Kashmir. According to security officials, the Unified Command — chaired by the Lieutenant Governor and including representatives from the J&K government, Army, Police, paramilitary forces, Intelligence Bureau and RAW — had repeatedly reported a return to normalcy in the Valley without conducting a ground-level assessment of threats… “The ad hoc nature of CRPF deployments in the Valley has weakened our security grid,” commented another official, noting that tourist routes accessible only on foot or by pony had become predictable targets. Survivors reported hearing at least two assailants speak Pashto, indicating possible infiltration from terror camps near the Afghan border, while locals may have provided reconnaissance support.” Read more: Rakesh Singh and Amresh Srivastava, Deccan Herald
“Saudi Arabia and India agreed to boost cooperation in supplies of crude and liquefied petroleum gas, according to a joint statement reported by the Saudi state news agency on Wednesday following a visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Saudi Arabia is one of the top exporters of petroleum to India. Modi met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before cutting short his visit and returning to New Delhi after an attack on India's Jammu and Kashmir territory which killed 26 people, the worst attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai shootings. The two countries also agreed to deepen their defence ties and improve their cooperation in defence manufacturing, along with agreements in agriculture and food security.” Read more: Reuters
“For the first time, an Indian Navy ship, INS Sunayna, has been renamed as an Indian Ocean ship (IOS), IOS Sagar, for the duration of a six-week deployment through the western part of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) that began on 5 April. Its crew consists of 44 personnel from nine countries in addition to India: Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, the Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. A key part of IOS Sagar’s deployment has been the first-ever naval exercise involving India and several Western Indian Ocean (WIO) countries – Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania – which took place from 13–18 April… These initiatives highlight how India is seeking to increase its defence and security cooperation with the Indian Ocean island states and the WIO littoral countries in East Africa. It wants to consolidate its role as the ‘preferred security partner’ in the IOR, especially with the island states, at a time when China’s regional defence engagement is increasing.” Read more: Viraj Solanki, International Institute for Strategic Studies
“The Indian government’s missions in the United States are in contact with Indian students there who have received emails revoking their visa status, and have offered them “support”, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday (April 17, 2025). The comments mark a shift from a previous statement that merely advised students to “follow the law”. To Indians vulnerable to the Trump administration’s crackdown, who face action by the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security, the MEA’s statement indicates it is taking their plight more seriously than in the past. While some have been sent notices after being identified as participants in student protests, especially in favour of the Palestinian cause, a number of Indians have received notices as their names appear in government databases for minor infractions, including traffic violations… Such actions against foreign students is one more worry for those applying for an education in the U.S. this year. In addition to long visa wait times, the number of student visas issued in February 2025, the first month after U.S. President Donald Trump took over, have dropped nearly 30% from last year.” Read more: Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu
People & Politics -
“Mahendra Hembram, one of the convicts in the brutal murder of Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons, was released from Odisha’s Keonjhar jail on Wednesday after spending 25 years in jail. Officials said the release was granted on the grounds of “good behaviour,” based on the recommendations of the Odisha State Sentence Review Board and in accordance with the state’s premature release policy. Now 51, Hembram was convicted for his role in the horrifying attack that took place on the night of January 21, 1999, when a Hindu right-wing mob torched a jeep in which Staines and his sons — Timothy (6) and Philip (10) — were sleeping in Manoharpur village, Keonjhar district. The three were burned alive, a crime that drew global outrage and became a grim symbol of Hindutva violence in India. At the time of the crime, Hembram was 25 years old and part of the group that carried out the deadly assault. Upon his release, he was garlanded by supporters, who raised Hindutva slogans of “Jai Shri Ram.” Hembram had been arrested on December 9, 1999, while Dara Singh, the prime accused in the case, was nabbed on January 31, 2000, from a forest hideout. Singh was initially sentenced to death by a CBI court in Bhubaneswar on September 22, 2003, while Hembram and 11 others were sentenced to life imprisonment.” Read more: Maktoob Media
“For generations, 15 Muslim families called Nanda Nagar home. It’s where Hasan was born and raised, where his family received invitations for Hindu festivals and hosted neighbours on Eid. He has collected wood for Hindu funeral pyres and shouldered the bodies of his Hindu friends. That all changed last September in an explosion of anti-Muslim violence triggered by a Hindu girl’s allegation of sexual harassment, but rooted in a broader shift in sentiment against the minority community that Hasan had noticed since COVID-19. Hate-filled slogans and marches culminated in physical assaults against Muslims, as their shops were destroyed. Fearing for their lives, the town’s small Muslim community fled in the cover of night. Only Hasan returned, with his wife, two daughters and two sons, adamant that they could make it work in the only place he knew as home. But the family lives in fear. Their Hindu neighbours don’t speak to them. He no longer goes for walks along the river like he used to every evening. He does not let his kids and wife meet anyone. And he worries about more violence breaking out.” Read more: Kaushik Raj and Srishti Jaswal, Al Jazeera
“Day after his remarks against the Supreme Court and Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna triggered an uproar, senior BJP leader and MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday (April 20, 2025) attacked former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, calling him a “Muslim commissioner.” Mr. Dubey’s remarks were posted on social media platform X. BJP national president J.P. Nadda had distanced himself and the party on Saturday from Mr. Dubey’s remarks on the SC and Justice Khanna. Mr. Nadda had said that the BJP did not subscribe to Mr. Dubey’s views and that he [Nadda] had advised all party leaders against making intemperate remarks… Mr. Dubey has often been aggressive in terms of his interventions both within and outside Parliament. Meanwhile, the BJP maintained silence on Sunday over his remarks on Mr. Quraishi. The Congress has demanded that he be expelled from the BJP after his attack against the Supreme Court and Chief Justice Khanna.” Read more: The Hindu
“The Delhi High Court Tuesday pulled up the Income Tax Department, orally inquiring if it would “ask for someone’s creditworthiness” who makes voluntary nominal contributions to an NGO while dealing with a petition by former IAS officer Harsh Mander’s Aman Biradari Trust (ABT). ABT’s registration under the Income Tax Act was cancelled in September 2024, and the NGO is seeking the quashing of this cancellation order before the High Court. A public charitable trust established by Mander, ABT was registered initially in 2005, and again in 2022… Taken up by a bench of Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Tejas Karia Tuesday, Justice Bakhru, addressing the I-T Department’s counsel, said, “The other (specified violation) is where they’re getting anonymous donations, they don’t have PAN, they give you the names of it… Look at the amounts of donations. What is the donation amount? Are you going to ask for someone’s creditworthiness? You want creditworthiness for someone to give Rs 5,000?” The court also observed that prima facie, the activities of ABT, which the I-T Department has raised an issue over, appear to be covered under the objectives set out by the Trust.” Read more: Sohini Ghosh, Indian Express
“The Bombay high court on Thursday issued a notice to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in a poll petition challenging his 2024 win from the Nagpur South West assembly seat. The notice, issued by the Nagpur bench of the high court, has to be responded to on May 8. The summons were issued regarding the poll petition filed in January by Congress leader Prafulla Vinodrao Gudadhe, who lost to Fadnavis by a margin of 39,710 votes. In the plea, Gudadhe alleged procedural lapses and corrupt practices and had sought that the HC declare Fadnavis' win "null and void," PTI reported. The matter landed on the bench of Justice Pravin Patil, who took up the plea for hearing in his chamber on Thursday and issued notice to Fadnavis.” Read more: Hindustan Times
Tech -
“Over 2 crore women in the 21-65 years age group in Maharashtra are eligible for the monthly disbursal under the Mukhyamantri Mazhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the centrepiece of the Mahaytui govt’s welfare agenda. The money is paid directly into beneficiaries’ Aadhar-linked accounts. Ranjana’s Aadhar is linked to a bank account. Ranjana’s Aadhar is linked to a bank account. But it’s not her account. So, she is not able to access the money that govt officials say is being credited to that account. “It is linked to someone else’s account in a private bank. When I go to check, officials show me papers claiming my money has been sent, but I never receive it,” is what Ranjana has to say… When TOI contacted Nandurbar officials handling the Ladki Bahin Yojana scheme, they confirmed that while Ranjana’s Aadhar is linked to a private bank account in her name, they have no idea why it does not reflect the Ladki Bahin payments… Ranjana is not the only one to be deprived of her Ladki Bahin benefits. Such cases are rife in rural and tribal Maharashtra. Absence of bank accounts solely in the beneficiary’s name and lack of mobile phones to track payments are the most common issues.” Read more: Nisha Nambiar, Times of India
“The Supreme Court on Tuesday posted for April 29 the hearing of a batch of petitions challenging the alleged use of the Israeli software Pegasus by the NDA government to snoop on journalists and political leaders among others, which rights activists argued was an egregious violation of citizens’ fundamental right to privacy. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N. Kotiswar Singh assured senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for one of the PIL petitioners, that the report of a technical committee, which was submitted to the top court in a sealed cover, would be released… On May 10, 2023, then Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had assured the petitioners an early date for examining the status update on the various recommendations made in 2022 by the Supreme Court appointed high-powered committee on the Pegasus spyware scandal which had complained that the NDA “government has not cooperated” with the investigations conducted by it. It stated that five out of the 29 devices examined revealed the presence of “malware” embedded in them, although there were no indications of the Israeli spyware being used for snooping on citizens.” Read more: The Tribune
“The chief executive of Eternal’s (formerly Zomato) food delivery business, Rakesh Ranjan, has reportedly stepped down from his role after two years. Sources told the Economic Times that Ranjan’s departure as CEO is part of an ongoing reshuffle exercise within the company. Ranjan, however, reportedly continues to serve at the foodtech major in a “different capacity”… The development comes amid a wave of senior-level exits at the company. Just a few weeks ago, Rinshul Chandra resigned from the position of chief operating officer (COO) of Eternal’s food ordering and delivery business to “pursue new opportunities and passions”. In September 2024, Akriti Chopra, who had been with the company since 2011, resigned from her position as cofounder and chief people officer. A few months later, in December 2024, Zomato’s business finance head Hemal Jain resigned after a six-year-long stint to “explore other opportunities”. Earlier this month, Eternal reportedly laid off nearly 600 employees from its customer support team due to AI-driven automation and quick commerce wars.” Read more: Inc42
“Adani Data Networks Ltd (ADNL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, has signed definitive agreements with Bharti Airtel and its subsidiary Bharti Hexacom to transfer these rights. The Adani Group decided on this move as it was at risk of incurring penalties from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for non-compliance with the minimum rollout obligations required of entities purchasing spectrum. For context, the business group had acquired 400 MHz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band for about Rs 212 crore in August 2022, which it had planned to utilise for captive use. The spectrum that Airtel will now take over consists of six telecom circles — Gujarat (100 MHz), Mumbai (100 MHz), Andhra Pradesh (50 MHz), Rajasthan (50 MHz), Karnataka (50 MHz), and Tamil Nadu (50 MHz).” Read more: Chaitanya Kohli, Medianama
Bonus -
“Bollywood’s struggle to consistently attract masses to theatres continues, with recent big-ticket releases – Sky Force, The Diplomat, Sikandar, Jaat, and the latest, Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh – falling short of industry expectations in their opening box-office collections. Industry experts attribute the growing reluctance among audiences to catch the first-day first-show to deeper structural issues, including lacklustre pre-release buzz, weak promotions, the rise of over-the-top streaming platforms as a more affordable alternative, and shifting in audience behaviour, where a film’s trailer often seals its theatrical fate. Tepid openings, they say, have become the new normal – a far cry from the past when a film’s Day 1 collection was seen as a benchmark of its star power and box office potential.” Read more: Rajesh Naidu, The Economic Times
superbly phrased