The UNFPA's "State of World Population Report, 2023" estimates India's population to surpass China's by mid-2023, making India the world's most populous nation. The report also projects the world's population to reach 8 billion people on November 15th, and highlights the need for countries to invest in health, education, and other services. India's population growth has been driven by improved health care, increased life expectancy, and improved access to education.
Posts tagged as “India: The Modi Question”
Two brothers, Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf Ahmad, were shot dead in Prayagraj city in Uttar Pradesh, India, on Saturday night while under police escort. The gunman was seen in the footage reaching over the shoulders of police to point a pistol at Atiq Ahmad's temple, and the three men quickly surrendered to the police after the shooting, chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. The incident has caused shock and outrage among the public, and police are still investigating.
Mike Pompeo has announced he will not run for president in 2024, Nikki Haley has attacked President Trump in a campaign memo, and three American sailors are missing off the coast of Mexico.
California is taking a stand against caste discrimination with a new bill introduced in the state Senate on Wednesday. The bill, authored by state Sen. Aisha Wahab, would add caste as a protected class to California’s anti-discrimination laws, making it the first effort of its kind by a US state legislature to explicitly ban caste discrimination. If passed, it would be a major step forward in the fight for civil rights and human rights, helping to combat discrimination against Dalits, those born at the bottom of the caste hierarchy.
After two years without a permanent ambassador to India, the U.S. Senate has confirmed former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti for the role. Despite pushback from some Democrats due to allegations of sexual harassment and bullying by one of Garcetti's former aides, enough Republicans backed him to give the U.S. its first permanent ambassador to India under President Joe Biden. This confirmation is expected to further strengthen the ties between the two countries.
At the G20 meeting in India, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had a brief discussion. Blinken made three points to Lavrov, including support for Ukraine in the conflict, urging Russia to reverse its decision to suspend the New START nuclear treaty, and asking Moscow to release political prisoners. The New START treaty is a key nuclear arms control treaty between the two countries, and the meeting comes at a time of heightened tensions between them.
The Indian Income Tax Department has searched the offices of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in New Delhi and Mumbai, weeks after the BBC released a documentary about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rights groups and opposition politicians have denounced the move as an intimidation tactic, and the BBC's employees have asked not to be identified. The Indian government's actions have raised serious questions about the freedom of the press in the country.