A year on from the start of the coronavirus pandemic and much of how society operates has changed: digitalisation has accelerated, social movements have become more prominent, and international migration and movement has contracted, to name but a few. But what has changed about the political landscape and, in particular, what has happened to populism?
During 2019, the rise of populism was one of the biggest questions being posed around the world, as millions flocked to demagogic figures. These figures voiced a distrust for the establishment, a resentment towards elites, and often blamed already marginalised groups for society’s ills. However, a number of political commentators saw the coronavirus pandemic as presenting a serious, and possibly even a fatal challenge to populism.
The Making of Brand Modi
Narendra Modi has created one of the most powerful political brands in India’s history. But that centralization of power creates its own weaknesses.
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April 01, 2021
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supporters wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi they gather for a rally addressed by Modi ahead of West Bengal state elections in Kolkata, India, Sunday, March 7, 2021.
Credit: AP Photo/Bikas Das
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India is on the verge of a crucial round of state elections that will both shape the future course of national politics, as well as test the limits of the nation’s all conquering political brand, that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The five states spanning eastern and southern India – West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry – seat a fifth of the members of the Lok Sabha (the lower house of parliament) in India. Through his deep personal involvement, Modi has staked his reputation in the electi
India Lost $2.8 Billion Owing to Internet Shutdowns in 2020: Report
India restricted internet use more than any other nation, with 8,927 hours of blacked out or curbed bandwidth access during the year, a report by a UK-based research group showed.
Kashmiri journalists protest against the internet shutdown in Srinagar in November. Photo: PTI/S. Irfan
Tech06/Jan/2021
New Delhi: In 2016, the United Nations condemned internet access disruption as a human rights violation. Despite this, governments across the world have been shutting down citizens’ access to the web with impunity. The upshot is a huge economic loss.
A UK-based digital privacy and security research group, Top10VPN, noted in its report titled
updated: Jan 03 2021, 02:23 ist
The stock market has been booming during 2020. The Nifty touched 14,000 and went up be nearly 15% during the year. The pharma component went up by 60% during the year. The coronavirus pandemic and then the lockdown came together to give the Indian stock market a huge fillip as it went from strength to strength, day after day. On the Ease of Doing Business, India leapt forward and ended at the 63rd position, a huge improvement from the 142nd rank in 2014. This kind of improvement is simply unprecedented. On a completely different playing field, India scored a historic win against Australia at the MCG to end the year on an absolute high.