By Tushar Madan — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has undertaken several schemes to increase levels of financial inclusion, but many fail to help all Indians. Instead, these plans often leave out marginalized parts of Indian society, such as rural…
By Richard Rossow — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the concept of “competitive federalism’’ — encouraging states to compete to win the title of India’s best-performing state — a key element of his governing philosophy. States have taken…
Nitish Kumar stuns Bihar; UDAY cuts power losses; Madhya Pradesh collaborates with MIT on police reform; Jharkhand introduces kindergarten state-wide; and more. Center–State relations The central program to cut distribution company debt, the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY), helped all…
By Sidhanta Mehra — In April 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration took what could potentially be a ground-breaking step in its ongoing devolution of power to India’s states: it announced that it would allow state-government entities — such as…
Uttar Pradesh presents the first Yogi Adityanath budget and starts to cancel expensive power contracts; Tripura blockaded for past week; Tamil Nadu moves for statewide rent control; President Mukherjee approves Maharashtra bill outlawing social boycott; and more. Center–State relations Six…
By Murray Hiebert — Last September 14, while Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi was visiting Washington, President Barack Obama announced with considerable hoopla that the United States was lifting its remaining sanctions on Myanmar. Today, nearly nine…
Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are walking back their solar policies; renewed upheaval in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly; Tata Power and MIT test solar microgrids in Bihar; and more. Center–State relations Nothing critical to report this week. Nothing critical to…
By Sarah Watson — The release of the Central Statistical Office’s (CSO) quarterly report on the Indian economy sparked much concern over slower-than-expected growth in the fourth quarter of the 2016-17 financial year. But the report also contained sobering news…
Pune announces India’s largest municipal bond issue; Indian and Chinese companies join to build solar panels in Gujarat; Rajasthan tenders solar power at a new record-low rate; the ADB will pay to skill 200,000 Odisha residents; and more. Center–State relations…
In this podcast, a joint production of CSIS’s CogitAsia and the China Innovation Policy Series (CIPS), we explore how China’s tech innovation drive fits into the country’s wider economic picture. To gain a sense of whether the Chinese government’s initiatives…
