In a dynamic world where information is abundant, understanding India’s global representation is essential. This edition of “India in Global Media,” spanning to April 21 – April 27, offers an in-depth exploration of India’s portrayal through the lenses of international news outlets. Delve into this weekly compilation as we navigate the narratives that frame India’s image on the world stage.
Reuters – India’s top court declines to order any change to vote-counting process
- India’s Supreme Court declined on Friday to order any change to the vote-counting process, rejecting petitions seeking a return to the ballot system or to tally all paper slips generated as proof of voting for votes recorded by electronic machines.
- The order comes days after India began voting in the elections on April 19, with votes due to be counted on June 4 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi widely tipped to win a rare third-straight term in the face of a struggling opposition challenge.
- “Blindly discussing any aspect of the system can lead to unwarranted scepticism and impede progress,” Justice Dipankar Datta said, after the two judge-bench delivered a unanimous verdict.
- “Instead, a critical yet constructive approach guided by evidence and reason should be followed to make room for meaningful improvements and to ensure the system’s credibility and effectiveness.”
- India has been using Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) since 2000 to record votes. The ballot unit is connected to a VVPAT or ‘voter verifiable paper audit trail’ unit which produces a paper slip that is visible to the voter via a transparent screen for about seven seconds before it gets stored in a sealed drop box.
For detailed report click on : https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-top-court-declines-order-any-change-vote-counting-process-2024-04-26/
DW – How Narendra Modi transformed India’s image and politics
- Narendra Modi looks set to become the first prime minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to win three consecutive terms as India’s prime minister, sporting one of the highest approval ratings among world leaders. His conservative nationalism has resonated at home, and he has transformed India into an appealing global partner for world powers like the United States.
- As voters in India head to the polls in the nation’s general elections, few doubt that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will win a third consecutive time. He would be the first to do so since Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.
- With one of the highest approval ratings among world leaders, Modi’s Hindu nationalist movement has redefined Indian politics and society. The newly consecrated Ram Temple in Ayodhya, built on the ruins of a mosque Hindu nationalists tore down in 1992, was a perfect encapsulation of this shift — a moment of triumph for his base and a concerning sight for India’s Muslim minority.
For detailed report click on: https://www.dw.com/en/how-narendra-modi-transformed-indias-image-and-politics/video-68866649
Associated Press – Ferrying voting machines to mountains and tropical areas in Indian elections is a Herculean task
- From the Himalayan mountains to the tropical Andaman Islands, Indian officials are using helicopters, buses, trucks, boats, donkeys, and mules to carry electronic voting machines for India’s gigantic national elections.
- Election officials are traveling through jungles and snow-covered mountain tracks, even wading through rivers to set up polling stations in tents, shipping containers, and school buildings in remote areas.
- The massive seven-phase election in the world’s most populous country of over 1.4 billion people started last week and will conclude on June 1. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — will elect 543 members to the lower house of Parliament for five years during the staggered elections. The votes will be counted on June 4.
For detailed report click on : https://apnews.com/article/india-election-electronic-voting-machines-photos-2bb38afcb450e145431b10b077997c73
Reuters – Sri Lanka to hand management of China-built airport to India, Russia companies
- Sri Lanka will hand over management of its $209 million Chinese-built airport to two Indian and Russian companies, a cabinet statement said on Friday, as the island nation attempts to reduce losses from its state enterprises.
- Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), funded by China EXIM Bank, has stoked controversy since its opening in 2013 due to a low number of flights, environmentally sensitive location and persistent financial losses.
For detailed report click on the link: https://www.reuters.com/world/sri-lanka-hand-management-china-built-airport-india-russia-companies-2024-04-26/
CNN – A coal billionaire is building the world’s biggest clean energy plant and it’s five times the size of Paris
- Five times the size of Paris. Visible from space. The world’s biggest energy plant. Enough electricity to power Switzerland.
- The scale of the project transforming swathes of barren salt desert on the edge of western India into one of the most important sources of clean energy anywhere on the planet is so overwhelming that the man in charge can’t keep up.
- Adani is executive director of Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL). He’s also the nephew of Gautam Adani, Asia’s second richest man, whose $100 billion fortune stems from the Adani Group, India’s biggest coal importer and a leading miner of the dirty fuel. Founded in 1988, the conglomerate has businesses in fields ranging from ports and thermal power plants to media and cements.
- Its clean energy unit AGEL is building the sprawling solar and wind power plant in the western Indian state of Gujarat at a cost of about $20 billion. It will be the world’s biggest renewable park when it is finished in about five years, and should generate enough clean electricity to power 16 million Indian homes.
For detailed report click on: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/19/business/india-adani-green-energy-plant-climate-intl-hnk/index.html
Khaleej Times – India set to overtake Germany as 3rd largest economy by 2027
- India will grow at the fastest pace to overtake Japan to become the fourth largest economy in the world by 2025 and overtake Germany to become the third largest by 2027, the International Monetary Fund said.
- The IMF, which recently released its World Economic Outlook for April 2024, has again applauded India for strong economic numbers using the yardstick of GDP in current US dollars. The IMF has raised India’s economic growth forecast to 6.8 per cent in 2024-25 and 6.5 per cent in 2025-26. The IMF’s growth projections are up from its previous forecast of 6.7 per cent for 2024.
- India is currently ranked as the world’s fifth-largest economy with GDP of $3.74 trillion, but has a low per capita income of $2,600, which puts it in the 131st position globally.
- China’s GDP, which was 65 per cent of US GDP in 2023, is forecast to be 71 per cent of US GDP in 2029. The robustness of the Indian economy reflects “continuing strength” in domestic demand and a rising working-age population, said the Washington-based global financial agency.
For detailed report click on : https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/economy/india-set-to-overtake-germany-as-3rd-largest-economy-by-2027
Khaleej Times – UAE: Indian expats book hundreds of tickets, fly home to cast election votes
- With just two days to go for the second phase of the Indian national elections, thousands of Indian expats are believed to have travelled from the UAE back home to cast their votes. Local media have claimed that 30,000 people from the southern Indian state of Kerala have flown in from the GCC for voting.
- This Indian national election will be the largest ever election in human history with over 960 million people eligible to vote.
- Last week, a few politicians like Shafi Parambil and PMA Salam visited the UAE to rally support for themselves ahead of the second phase of India’s elections which takes place on April 26. Much of South India will vote during this phase.
For detailed report click on: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/world/asia/booking-hundreds-of-flight-tickets-driving-to-rak-indian-expats-go-extra-mile-to-get-home-to-vote
Gulf News – Excise policy case: Delhi Court extends judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal, K Kavitha till May 7
- The Rouse Avenue Court on Tuesday extended judicial custody of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K Kavitha in the excise policy case till May 7.
- Special Judge Kaveri Baweja allowed the application moved by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) seeking an extension of judicial custody of Arvind Kejriwal, K Kavitha and Chanpreet Singh in the Delhi excise policy case.
For detailed report click on : https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/excise-policy-case-delhi-court-extends-judicial-custody-of-arvind-kejriwal-k-kavitha-till-may-7-1.1713893319921
DW – Germany targeting Indian students to address labor shortages
- Germany is grappling with a critical labor shortage and aging population, with projections indicating a deficit of 7 million skilled workers by 2035.
- With some 700,000 vacancies currently unfilled, the country’s economic growth potential has dropped to about 0.7% now from around 2% in the 1980s. It’s set to fall further to 0.5% if the country fails to resolve this problem, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has said, stressing the importance of migration in bridging this widening gap.
- Engaging the Indian student population in the German workforce may be part of the solution.
- Tapping into the international student talent pool. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there are around 43,000 Indian students enrolled in German universities.
For detailed report click on: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-targeting-indian-students-to-address-labor-shortages/a-68890502
(The Report is curated by Dr Vinay Nalwa)
