The one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine marks an important turning point in our understanding of the post-Second World War global order. What was supposed to be a short and successful war against what seemed like a military minnow is now entering into its second year with the mighty Russian army looking like a pale reflection of its old self.
Even as India’s G20 presidency has gathered pace, there are signs that the Ukraine war is reaching a flashpoint, with Moscow preparing for a fresh offensive to mark the first anniversary of its invasion.
India's policy paradigm of governance has been proactive in meeting the needs of the poor and marginalized, in line with the values enshrined in the country's constitution. Because of the structural denial of social and economic rights, efforts must be made to ensure that people with disabilities are fully included in society. In light of this acknowledgement, the Government of India is working toward disability inclusion. Disabled people's rights are established by the Constitution, providing a framework for Government action.
Migrants walking during the lockdown was the defining image of the first wave of COVID-19.
Millions of migrants abandoned their temporary residences and belongings, along with their hopes and promises of a better future in an alien place, and started walking for their homes as a lockdown was announced with four hours’ notice. Some walked hundreds of miles, some even thousands of miles.
India has zero plans for building new towns; the only plans available are for urban redevelopment that yield juicy contracts. Redevelopment can accommodate only a tiny fraction of the prospective rise in the urban population. We simply need new towns. Building new towns is a great booster for overall growth.
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned the word ‘green’ about two dozen times in her 2023 Budget speech. Several sectors and activities were prefixed with this word, including energy, farming, mobility, buildings, fuel, jobs, hydrogen, and credit. This has to be a first for the country. Other words that were uttered included climate, zero-carbon, organic, wetlands, biological diversity, and environment. Given that nearly all these words were absent in the 2022 Budget speech, this would seem like a definite advance.