South Asia
Indian Prime Minister Modi Strengthens Ties with US Leaders During Visit
Last weekend, US President Joe Biden met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders from Japan and Australia to discuss the future of one of his key foreign policy platforms: the Quad Partnership.
Increased Hostility Towards Women's Rights Activists In Afghanistan
Women’s rights in Afghanistan are in a state of deterioration, amplified by tensions from the Taliban who regained control of the state in August 2021. Throughout November, four prominent women’s rights activists were arbitrarily detained by the Taliban. Hundreds of women’s rights activists, fighting for the right to allow girls to receive an education, are now in the Taliban’s custody.
Pakistani Government Creating Stringent Requirements for Afghan Refugees
On Oct. 3, the Pakistani government announced that all unregistered Afghan refugees will be forced to leave the country by November 2023. Specifically, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti announced the crackdown order on “illegal immigrants.”
Indian Supreme Court Declines to Legalize Same Sex Marriage
On October 17, 2023 in New Delhi, the Indian Supreme Court reached the verdict of denying the recognition of same-sex marriages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration previously opposed petitions to the court because they view the ideology of same-sex marriage as incompatible with the “Indian family unit concept” of a husband, wife, and children.
India Surpassing China as the Most Populous Country in the World
India is about to surpass China’s population given UN projections analyzed using fertility levels.
Disputes Over Digital Law Send Bangladeshi Journalist To Jail
A Bangladeshi journalist was picked up from his residence by a group of individuals who identified themselves as the Criminal Investigations Department.
India’s Richest Man Acquires Stake in News Portal Raising Concern about Media Independence
The RRPR Holding officially announced on Monday, Nov. 30, that they had transferred their 29.1% shares of New Delhi Television (NDTV), India's leading news publication and TV channel, to the Adani Group. In August this year, the Adani Group also put out an open offer for an additional 26% stake in NDTV, which will potentially give the industrial conglomerate a controlling interest in the media house.
The Indian Economy: A Rising Power
Pushing past the previous economic depression during the coronavirus lockdowns, India hopes to achieve their target of $2 trillion in net exports by 2030, according to the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal.
Split Verdict on Rights of Women In India to Wear Hijab in Classrooms
An Indian Supreme Court Bench, headed by Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, has pronounced a split verdict on whether Muslim women have the right to wear hijabs inside classrooms.