Category Insights

Insights, a blog published by IMPRI.

West Bengal Panchayat Elections: No Free Lunches From Now On

Freebies are valorised as development instruments by ruling parties in India. However, the story is different in real life. While their marginal impact on the lives of the poor is undeniable, their purpose is to mould the electorates’ behaviour in favour of the ruling party. This is what rural Bengal has been witnessing ever since the Trinamul Congress came to power. The project has paid political dividends for the ruling party. But the question before the forthcoming panchayat election is this: will this project be successful in influencing the voting behaviour of the poor in rural Bengal?

Reforming Urban Governance in India: Issues and Way Forward

Given the problems of urban governance in India, the 74th Constitution Amendment Act (CAA) came into force in June 1993, which sought to empower the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and strengthen urban decentralization. With the CAA, it was expected that the ULBs would assume responsibilities for urban planning, water supply, social and economic planning, slum upgradation, public health, etc.

Modi’s Successful Visit to the US Leaves China Uneasy

China has been watching Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States this week. There are many stakes for China in the emerging US-India strategic partnership. These range from the emerging power distribution at regional and global orders to addressing supply chain and technology disruptions caused by the Global Financial Crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic and the current Ukraine conflict.

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