How India’s financial capital shrunk protest sites, turned down protesters’ volume https://questionofcities.org/how-indias-financial-capital-shrunk-protest-sites-and-turned-down-protesters-volume/
Bombay, later Mumbai, has seen huge historical protests. Its protest sites were many – Chowpatty, Hutatma Chowk, Kala Ghoda, Gowalia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan), Jambori Maidan, Azad Maidan, Dadar station. All of them witnessed massive demonstrations and protests over the years including the landmark railway union strike and textile mill workers’ strike in the 1970-80s. In the post-liberalised Mumbai, democratic spaces for protests have been shut down or simply shrunk, as in Azad Maidan.

“This interaction between the public and protestors was the life-blood of these protests. They knew that the roads would be blocked and they would have to wait for some time on the road, but that is how democracy functions…The nature and cause of the protests underlined the choice of space,” points out Dr Mamta Mantri her book Cities and Protests: Perspectives in Spatial Criticism

The world’s largest democracy is collapsing before our eyes https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/6/21/23683842/india-democracy-narendra-modi-us-biden-china By Zack Beauchamp
The prime minister’s anti-democratic behavior has accelerated over time. In the past year alone, Modi’s government has:

Expelled the leader of the opposition party, Rahul Gandhi, from parliament after he was sentenced to two years of prison for allegedly defaming the prime minister with a joke.
Taken over one of the few remaining independent television stations through a crooked billionaire ally.
Created an official panel empowered to take down social media posts critical of the government.
Sent tax officials to raid the BBC’s offices in New Delhi and Mumbai, a move widely seen as retaliation for a documentary critical of Modi.

Being in power has become self-reinforcing for Modi. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has used its electoral dominance to silence critics and stack the electoral deck against his opponents, making the upcoming 2024 parliamentary election a significant uphill climb for other parties. That vote is shaping up to be critical for India’s democratic future.

No choice but...: Musk on Dorsey's charge against Indian govt  https://www.rediff.com/news/report/no-choice-but-musk-on-dorseys-charge-against-indian-govt/20230621.htm  June 21, 2023
Twitter chief Elon Musk on Wednesday said the social media platform has no choice but to follow the local laws in any given country or risk being shut down.

Musk's comments came in response to questions regarding Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's allegations that the Indian government had threatened the social networking platform with raids if it did not take down critical content during the farmers' protests against the three farm laws.

Printable Solar Panels The Future Is Here: Solar Ink https://www.greenmatch.co.uk/blog/2014/09/printable-solar-panels The majority of solar panels today are made from silicon. The Australian scientists though, are using organic semiconductor polymers, which are then broken down to create ink. The resulting ink has the ability to capture light and convert it into electricity. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8IxZ7ojLsI Dec 5, 2021
These ultra-thin solar panels can be printed like newspapers

This Breakthrough Solar Tech is CHEAP & Printed Using Ink! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6-fZ0YkRHQ

  Jun 9, 2022 Ink Printed Solar Panels

The current regime deeply understands the power of political symbolism, which it uses to push its ideological agenda. For Hindutva, the spectre represents the 'ancient' civilisational values while the constitution is a banal and borrowed document, alien to Indian civilisation.

https://thewire.in/politics/chola-era-sceptre-in-parliament-is-an-attempt-to-rehabilitate-manusmriti-in-the-national-imagination 

The installation of a replica of a Chola-era sceptre in the new parliament building has sparked an interesting debate because it has inscribed a cultural artefact with immense political meaning by resignifying it as a symbol of sovereignty. The narrative being conjured to legitimise its installation is one of ‘civilisational recuperation’, which basically states that the sceptre is a symbol of the civilisational roots of our nation-state, and by its installation, the current regime is reigniting the civilisational consciousness and pride which was sought to be extinguished under the Nehruvian consensus.

by Anshul Trivedi

21/06/2023

 Infra, Faculty Shortages Hinder Enrolment, Research At New IITs: CAG Report https://www.indiaspend.com/development/infra-faculty-shortages-hinder-enrolment-research-at-new-iits-report-865617

 while all IITs receive significant funding from government sources, the number and cost of non-government-sponsored projects were low for the new IITs. Only IIT Mandi, IIT Patna, IIT Ropar, and IIT Hyderabad were able to attract 3.5% to 14.31% of funding from non-government sources.

In terms of patents filed and obtained, the new IITs are yet to catch up with the older institutes.
Overall, the audit highlighted areas of concern in research activities at the IITs, including the need to attract more non-government funding, improve the patent filing and obtaining process and increase research publications.
Comment: Is the funding being privatised or the patents a result of the base infrastructure and knowledge base being privatised… in the name of no-govt. funding.

Ladakh Delegation Gears Up for Crucial Talks with MoS Home in Delhi  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozFP30dn1-0 The Wire Jun 19, 2023
After a long-standing lull in communication, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is poised to reengage with the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in a bid to address the pressing concerns plaguing Ladakh. On June 19th, a six-member delegation, representing a diverse range of social, political, trade, student, and religious groups from Ladakh, will converge in Delhi to meet MoS Home, Nityanand Rai.

The upcoming meeting holds great significance, as it marks the resumption of a dialogue that had remained dormant for a staggering 21 months. The last official talks between the MHA and the representatives of LAB and KDA took place on August 29, 2021, in Leh, under the guidance of Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai.

The six-member delegation includes Thupstan Chhewang himself, two-time Lok Sabha member from Ladakh, along with Chering Dorjey and Nawang Rigzin Jora, former cabinet ministers in the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, all representing LAB. The KDA will be represented by Qamar Ali Akhoon, former Cabinet Minister in the previous J&K Government, Haji Asgar Ali Karbalaie, a former MLA, and Sajjad Kargili, a prominent social-political activist from Kargil, as well as a representative from Anjuman Isna Asharia Kargil.


In the video Tikender Panwar, a former deputy mayor of Shima speaks with Sajjad Kargili, a member of the LAB. Kargili speaks about the collective determination to pursue their shared objectives. The four-point agenda that they intend to address during the talks includes advocating for full-fledged statehood for Ladakh, safeguarding constitutional rights under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, expediting the recruitment process and establishing a Public Services Commission (PSC) for Ladakh, as well as securing separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts.

Sonam Wangchuk on 7 Day Climate Fast from 18th June https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr0q9tct-as Jun 17, 2023

In this video Sonam Wangchuk thanks government of India for calling leaders of Ladakh for talks on safeguarding Ladakh under 6th Schedule of Indian constitution, on 19th June in New Delhi.
To know more about Ladakh's demad for 6th Schedule please see

ALL IS NOT WELL in Ladakh | Ladakh ki Mann ki Baat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mY7EbFWRxYQs Jan 21, 2023
This is an urgent appeal from Sonam Wangchuk in Ladakh (in the Indian Himalayas) to the  people of India and the world to help protect the environmentally sensitive region of Ladakh. He appeals to the Prime Minister of India to intervene and safeguard this fragile ecosystem under the sixth schedule of the Indian constitution. MANN KI BAAT FROM REMOTE LADAKH  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkIduZib1JY&t=129s

Raghuram Rajan on why democracy is ‘biggest advantage’ for India’s economy  https://youtu.be/PUDaHgHC8ao?t=145    newslaundry

Jun 18, 2023 In a conversation with Newslaundry CEO Abhinandan Sekhri, former RBI governor #RaghuramRajan spoke about the role of artificial intelligence in economic development, competition in the news industry, and India’s response to environmental threats, among other issues.

In his keynote address at the Ideas for India Conference, organised by Bridge India in London last month, Rajan also examined India’s service sector and the significance of democracy for future economic growth.

“Our biggest advantage is our democracy. Would you trust 5G that is sold to you from an authoritarian country?” said the former RBI governor, reiterating the importance of decentralisation and investment in human capital development. “India has a reputation in services. Let’s build on it.”

  Counters the myth that  democracy hold back economic growth? Do we want to be the serfs of the production process or the Lords of the production process. ? Increasing percenage of production process is services, programming, high level skills nor low skill jobs like assemby.

The services bus which is the high value bus, requires open source intellectual properties. The services bus which is the high value bus, requires open source intellectual properties. we need democracy and non-surveilaance systems to drive this.. Need to focus on Human capital https://youtube.com/embed/PUDaHgHC8ao?start=1428&end=1754   Rather than spend huge amounts subsidizing assembly units, we need to focus on human capital..spend on schools, education, health etc.