India

India

‘Sacred cows’ fuel India’s booming beef industry

India’s cow protection policies have little to do with animal rights or ethics Most Indian states criminalise the slaughter of the cow, bull and progeny, and beef sourced from them, based on a core Hindu ethic of reverencing the cow as sacred. The blind spot in the politics and legislation of India’s cow protectionism, however, […]

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Mixed record calls Modi’s reform credentials into question

After a bold start, there are signs India’s prime minister Narendra Modi may be taking a more cautious approach to reform The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Narendra Modi, was swept to a massive electoral victory in May 2014. In a very presidential-style campaign, Modi promised parivartan (change) and vikas (development). Modi held up

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Banerjee secures second win after whirlwind campaign

West Bengal’s first woman chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, pulls off a second surprise election victory The margin of victory for Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the recent West Bengal Assembly election, where it won 211 of 294 seats, surprised many. There were those who believed that the last-minute alliance between the Communist Party of

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Imphal’s booming private health sector

A thriving private health industry is bringing benefits and disadvantages to an Indian border state that has endured decades of insurgency and counterinsurgency On the outskirts of Imphal, the capital city of Manipur—a state in India’s north-east bordering Myanmar—stands Shija Private Hospital. The reflective blue glass of Shija’s domed main building stands out in the

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