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<keyword id="1851542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maratha-groups" source="Orion">Maratha groups</keyword> continued their protests for the third day across several districts in the state to press for reservation for the community here on Tuesday. Alarmed by the spread of agitation, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has convened an all-party meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday to discuss and resolve the issue. Maratha legislators from all political parties staged a protest near the Gandhi statue outside Mantralaya in Nariman Point and are likely to meet Governor Ramesh Bais later demanding a special legislature session to finalise the community quotas. The great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, Tushar A. Gandhi said that the Centre had very successfully engineered violence in New Delhi to scuttle the anti-CAA-NRC protests that had become a big embarrassment for the government. "Now the same modus operandi has been employed in Maharashtra to defame and derail the Maratha reservation agitation," said <keyword id="97377" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tushar-gandhi" source="Orion">Tushar Gandhi</keyword> sharply. Another incident of arson on a government office was reported from Jalna where a village panchayat office was torched by some unknown persons raising pro-quota slogans. Scores of Maratha activists lay down on the railway tracks in Solapur and blocked the passage of at least one long-distance train even as police attempted to clear the railway lines. A local office of the Bharatiya Janata Party was set ablaze at Naiknagar in Hingoli district, while a large number of Maratha activists got down in a stream in Pune for a 'jal-samadhi' protest. Public bus services remained shut for the second day in parts of Parbhani district and in Malkapur, Buldhana district, protestors smeared black paint on posters of the CM on a vehicle. Scores of Marathas launched relay hunger strikes at Chunabhatti in Mumbai and Mungse village in Nashik district demanding immediate announcement of quotas. Schools and colleges remained shut on Tuesday in Shevgaon, Ahmednagar district and students participated in the protests. In Pune, protestors blocked the Pune-Bengaluru Highway by throwing burning truck tyres on the Navale Bridge and squatting on the road, raising anti-government slogans, as 10-km long traffic snarls developed on both sides of the important thoroughfare. A large number of activists took out a symbolic 'funeral' procession of the state government in Tembhurni, Solapur district, while half a dozen services of the Nagpur-Pune sleeper bus services were suspended for the day. In Beed, which was rocked by large-scale arson and violence on Monday, a Nationalist Congress Party (SP) activist <keyword id="13209654" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="yogesh-kshirsagar" source="Orion">Yogesh Kshirsagar</keyword> alleged that the torching of his MLA brother Sandeep R. Kshirsagar was "a pre-planned conspiracy". "Before setting our house on fire, someone had snapped off the power supply here, the miscreants who indulged in stone-pelting were carrying bottles filled with petrol, and the police proved totally incapable of stopping them," claimed Yogesh Kshirsagar. The Shivba Sanghatana President Manoj Jarange-Patil, whose indefinite hunger strike entered the seventhday on Tuesday, again appealed to his supporters in the state to refrain from any violence and carry out a peaceful agitation.

Arson, roadblocks rock Maha on third day of Maratha pro-quota protests

Guwahati, Feb 27 () Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that investor sentiment has not been dampened by anti-CAA protests and the recent Delhi violence.Addressing a press conference here, she said the investors she met in her recent visit to Saudi Arabia expressed willingness to invest more in the country.When asked about the Delhi violence and anti-CAA protests, Sitharaman said, "The sentiments of foreign investors have not been dampened."On the possible impact of coronavirus scare on the industry and the economy, the finance minister said there is none as of now."However, if the situation doesn't improve in the next two months, there may be shortage of raw material. We are working on how to address the issue and help the industry," she added. TR NN MKJ

Delhi violence, anti-CAA protests have not dampened investor sentiment: FM

Union Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Thursday asserted that the anti-CAA protests and the recent violence in Delhi have not dampened the spirit of investors. Addressing a press conference here after meeting various shareholders post the Union Budget, Sitharaman said investors whom she met in her recent visit to Saudi Arabia expressed <keyword id="574429" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Willingness">willingness</keyword> to invest more in India. "I met several investors... both Saudi and Indian investors there. No one showed any concern. On the contrary, they were willing to invest more in India," she said. Sitharaman claimed that the companies also explored possibilities for opening representative offices in India, reflecting their willingness to invest more. "Lots of interest were shown on various projects," the finance minister said. Asked specifically about protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or the recent violence in Delhi, Sitharaman said, "The sentiment of foreign investors has not dampened at all." On the possible impact of coronavirus scare on the industry and the economy, she said there is none as of now. "I have met 20-23 industries and they did not express any anxiety about raw material supply. However, if the situation does not improve in the next two months, there might have been problems of raw material shortage, which we are trying to see how best we can help them out," she added. On the slowdown of the economy, Sitharaman said the mood is gradually changing and positive signs are seen due to continuous efforts by the government and the RBI together. "There are green shoots visible. Many of them sustained, while some were revived. Our foreign exchange is at good condition. Though climatic conditions affected onion prices, now it is stable and we lifted the ban on exports. "RBI announced stimulus package for growth of MSME and real estate. Lending to banks has been made at a lesser rate...," she added. On the AGR dues by telecom operators, the minister said, "The department concerned is working on it after having met with the industries. Whatever is the decision of the government, they will be announced when they are ready." Sitharaman, who met the bankers in her day-long trip to Guwahati, said lenders have been asked to work on financial inclusions in the North East and be "a lot more agile". "I specifically instructed them to reach out to the tea garden workers. Asked them to sort out the difficulties and challenges in including them in the banking net," she said. The finance minister said banks have been directed to activate all frozen accounts of the tea garden workers and make them DBT compliant by March 15. "We also asked the lenders to install ATMs within 40 days in all the locations of the 17 districts after the state government gives the list of places. The state has already spoken to service providers for network and there is no issue," she added. Where installing an ATM is not possible, the number of 'Bank Mitras' should be increased there, she said. <keyword id="4156651" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="assam-finance">Assam Finance</keyword> Minister <keyword id="90408" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Himanta-Biswa-Sarma">Himanta Biswa Sarma</keyword> said eight lakh bank accounts were opened for tea garden workers after demonetisation, but 30 per cent of them are not functional due to KYC related issues.

Sitharaman claims that anti-CAA stir has not affected investor sentiment

New Delhi, Feb 3 () RSS-affiliate labour union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Monday urged the government to find out foreign hands and funding channels that supported "violent protest" over CAA in the country.
These demands were made at the 145th National Executive Committee of BMS meeting, which concluded on Sunday at Jodhpur.
"Violent protest against Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 in some parts of the country displays a sharp ideological division at the national front with Nationalists on one side and those organisations involved directly or indirectly against national unity on the other.
"Violent protests led to the rallying together of all those who support the breaking India team. Majority in the society and among workers support the CAA law whereas only a minority has fallen in the appeasement politics that opposes it," the union said in a statement.
BMS said, it demands that the government should identify the foreign hands and funding channels which supported the agitation.
It has also requested the government to identify the trouble spots across the country where violence erupts easily in issues against national security and practice zero tolerance to any sort of anti-national tendencies and violent protests.
"Government should not yield even a little on the false claims of those who oppose CAA. It need not hesitate to have healthy debates, dialogues and discussions with peaceful agitators to convince them, and (government) should enquire into those who are responsible for spreading violence," it said. ABI BAL

BMS urges govt to investigate funding channels in violent protest against CAA

<ul><li>Tracking down protestors who were present at the Red Fort on January 26 is only the most recent example of how <keyword id="447510" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="facial-recognition-technology">facial recognition technology</keyword> is being used by law enforcement in India. </li><li>A civil liberties organisation, the <keyword id="3457213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="internet-freedom-foundation">Internet Freedom Foundation</keyword> (IFF), has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a discussion with experts and stakeholders to ascertain how this may violate the rights of millions of Indians.</li><li>Concerns around the use of <keyword id="30939" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="facial-recognition">facial recognition</keyword> aren’t just centered in India, but are a global worry as its use becomes more widespread.</li></ul>The Indian government is using facial recognition technology to track down the protestors who were present at the Red Fort during the ruckus on January 26. But, that’s only the most recent example of how the use of facial recognition is accelerating in India as the law plays catch up. In the state of <keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> (UP), for instance, the police are using an AI-based facial recognition system to alert the police whenever a woman is in distress. However, there is no clarity on who will access the surveillance footage from these ‘smart cameras’ and where that data will be stored. The same software, called Trinetra, was also used by the UP police to run surveillance on anti-CAA protestors following which more than 1,100 arrests were made. In another example, the Central Board of Secondary Education (<keyword id="6356155" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbse">CBSE</keyword>) used facial recognition to match admit card photos on record to match students logging in to give their board exams — an exercise that was carried out without any additional consent from the students of their parents. The IFF estimates that there are currently 42 ongoing facial recognition projects in India, front he Automated Multimodal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) in Maharashtra to FaceTagr in Tamil Nadu. Of these, at least 19 are being developed and deployed by state-level police departments and the NCRB for the specific purpose of security and surveillance. Regardless of where one stands on the farmers’ protests, the use of such technology has much wider implications since it falls into a vague and undefined category with no specific laws to address how this technology is being used and on whom. The use of facial recognition technology goes beyond the farmers’ protests The Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), as a part of the <a href="https://panoptic.in/petition">Project Panoptic</a>, has written to the government asking them to address the ongoing concerns around the use of facial recognition technology and to call stakeholders and privacy experts for consultation on how this affects individual fundamental rights. According to the non-government organisation (NGO), the deployment of facial recognition is in violation of the right to privacy set out by the Supreme Court in 2017. “Nowhere are these risks more evident than the large scale of deployment of facial recognition technology that is causing certain harm by restricting the liberty and autonomy of millions of Indians,” said the IFF in its letter to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What is facial recognition technology? Facial recognition can be a lot of things. It’s an umbrella term used to describe a suite of applications that perform a specific task using a human face to verify or identify an individual. It can also be scaled up to identify and categorise people based on physical features like race, ethnicity, gender, age or disability status. And, in recent years, it has been increasingly used in the realm of law enforcement without adequate checks and balances in place. “To ensure security in high crime areas, the simple solution would be to install more police personnel there. Installation of these cameras and the subsequent constant surveillance will only lead to more harm than benefits," said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/news/a-scary-proposal-to-use-facial-recognition-and-ai-by-an-indian-state-has-experts-fuming/articleshow/80421935.cms">Anushka Jain</a>, Associate Counsel (Transparency &amp; Right to Information) at IFF told Business Insider in an earlier interview. Creation of a national database for facial recognition In India, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) which invites bids for the creation of a National Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS). It has an estimated budget of ₹308 crore to create a national database of photographs. According to the proposal, this database is purported to be used to swiftly identify criminals by gathering existing data from various other databases. In the US, there was nationwide outrage when Amazon decided to outsource the use of its facial recognition software, Rekognition, to the police. “Just because technology could be misused doesn’t mean we should ban it and condemn it,” Andy Jassy, set to step in as Jeff Bezos replacement as CEO of the company, told <a href="https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/6/10/18660224/amazon-facial-recognition-rekognition-federal-regulation-andy-jassy-aws">Recode</a> during a 2019 interview. Misuse of facial recognition technology is a global concern Concerns around the misuse of facial recognition technology are not specific to India. The <a href="https://www.aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/face-recognition-technology">American Civil Liberties Union</a> has also expressed its apprehension that using facial recognition can be used “in a passive way that doesn’t require the knowledge, consent, or participation of the subject.” Other civil society organisations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Algorithmic Justice League and <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2020/06/amnesty-international-calls-for-ban-on-the-use-of-facial-recognition-technology-for-mass-surveillance/">Amnesty International</a> have also called for a ban on the use of this technology. The question isn’t only of consent but also that facial recognition is known to deliver biased results. “The impact on marginalised communities gains special importance for us locally due to the wide inequality and diversity present in our society,” said the IFF’s letter. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/tech-mahindra-cfo-says-talent-is-getting-expensive-but-clients-are-willing-to-pay-the-premium/articleshow/80779844.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Tech Mahindra CFO says talent is getting expensive but clients are willing to pay the premium</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/indian-space-startup-agnikul-cosmos-has-become-the-worlds-first-company-to-successfully-test-a-fully-3d-printed-rocket-engine/articleshow/80762695.cms">Indian space startup fires world’s first fully 3D printed rocket engine as others play catch up</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/income-tax/news/with-the-new-tds-rule-every-time-you-make-a-payment-you-must-ask-if-the-receiver-has-filed-tax-returns-in-last-two-years/articleshow/80765802.cms">With the new TDS rule, every time you make a payment, you must ask if the receiver has filed tax returns in last two years</a>

India is ramping up the use of facial recognition to track down individuals without any laws to keep track of how this technology is being used

<ul><li>124 people have been arrested so far in Uttar Pradesh for posting inciting content on social media. </li><li>Over 19,000 <keyword id="2290246" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media-accounts">social media accounts</keyword> on <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>, <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> and <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> reported. </li><li>93 FIRs have been registered so far and preventive action taken against over 5,500 people. </li></ul>The Uttar Pradesh police came down fast and hard on all those protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The police has swung into action and come hard on anti-CAA rioters. And, they used social media to identify the protestors. The crackdown resulted in 124 arrests for posting ‘inciting’ on social media. A <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1210175794531618817">tweet</a> by ANI UP mentions that over 19,000 accounts are affected. In some cases, posts are pulled down, while in others, accounts themselves are blocked. In all, posts from 9,372 Twitter profiles, 9856 Facebook accounts and 181 YouTubers are affected. This is not the first time this has happened This is not the first time that the Uttar Pradesh police has made large-scale arrests over social media posts. During the Ayodhya verdict in November, 79 people were arrested and 8,500 social media posts were pulled down. O P Singh, the UP DGP in a <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1210424860804927489">statement </a>said that special investigation teams have been formed to investigate the violence. And, internet services have been suspended in 21 districts temporarily and will be restored when the situation turns normal. Mobile data and SMS to remain suspended The Uttar Pradesh government has also <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1210393794173997056">announced</a> that mobile internet services and SMS services of all providers except BSNL will remain suspended in Lucknow - the state capital - on December 27. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-personal-data-protection-bill-vs-data-laws-in-china-and-russia/articleshow/72990187.cms?src=hp_latest">Indian data laws have an uncanny resemblance to Russia’s 'new' internet and China’s 'Great Firewall'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/caa-internet-shutdowns-make-india-example-for-china/articleshow/72931761.cms">Indian government shut off the Internet over a 100 times in 2019 — and China is lovin' it</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/nrc-npr-and-caa-are-not-the-same-know-the-differences/articleshow/72963691.cms">NRC, NPR and CAA are not the same: know the differences</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/what-is-npr-national-population-register-the-center-says-npr-will-be-updated-before-september-2020/articleshow/72963649.cms?src=as_rs">The center says NPR will be updated before September 2020: Here is what you must know about it</a>

UP police targets online CAA protestors - pulls up 19,000 social media accounts and arrests 124

<ul><li>Deepika Padukone became one of the select few - and probably the only A-list star - to have reacted to the JNU mob violence. </li><li>She met the JNUSU president and left without speaking a word. </li><li>A few marketing experts believe that she is playing the ‘promotion’ card. </li></ul>Deepika Padukone has often been criticised for her ‘safe’ fashion sense. What she may lack in sartorial experimentation, she might make up for with her actions. She became one of the select few - and probably the only A-list star - to have reacted to the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) mob violence. She met the JNUSU president and left without saying a word. Nonetheless, it spoke volumes on how few entertainment industry leaders have <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/deepika-padukone-on-protests-across-india-proud-we-arent-scared-2160356">shared their views on controversial subjects during sensitive political crises. </a>Even the reigning trio - Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and the usually outspoken Aamir Khan too stayed away from commenting on it. “It is a bold move as when stars step out and speak on political, religious and economic issues, they are targeted,” Harish Bijoor, a marketing consultant and branding expert told Business Insider. For the last few weeks, Padukone has been wearing the mask of an acid attack victim and walking around the streets of Mumbai in a unique promotional campaign. However, her solidarity to JNU has unmasked many top actors who had refused to take a stand on burning issues like the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) — the bone of contention which led to the attack on the university. Ajay Devgn, a leading actor in the Bollywood industry himself, had candidly accepted his inability to speak on the issue. “If we (himself and co-actor Saif Ali Khan) say something, it will offend someone and my film <keyword id="7162500" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tanhaji">Tanhaji</keyword> will be banned. Who will suffer? The producer, that’s me,” he told the Quint <a href="https://www.thequint.com/videos/ajay-devgn-on-citizenship-amendment-act-nrc-npr-protests">in an interview</a>. From protests to theatres However, Ajay’s problems might be different from that of Deepika. In his movie, he plays the army general of Hindu rulers — the Marathas — so it can be defined as a patriotic movie. But Deepika’s movie Chappak which is to be released on January 10 — based on the real-life story of an acid attack victim — is expected to draw young, urban audiences. And, most college-going students are busy protesting - and a few naysayers would indicate that she is trying her best to bring protesting audiences to theaters. Anti-CAA protests <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/dabangg-3-lost-15-of-its-weekend-business-due-to-caa-protests-but-thats-not-the-only-reason/articleshow/72933171.cms">already ate into the business of another possible top grosser,</a> Dabangg3. Her last release — Padmaavat — gained from <a href="https://www.exchange4media.com/marketing-news/do-controversies-around-movies-impact-revenues-100690.html">the excessive negative</a> publicity it received. It also helps that Deepika plays the role of a girl seeking social justice. However, few marketing experts believe that she is playing the ‘promotion’ card. Some others say that she could be playing safe. “Nobody who has a film coming out is talking because this move can go either way, and lead to boycotting. But then again, Deepika never spoke during the violence at Jamia Milia,” opined a top branding expert who refused to be identified. All publicity need not be good publicity Bijoor said Deepika’s persona does not make him believe that it’s a publicity stunt. “I do not think it’s a marketing gimmick. If it is, then it’s a bad one and won’t work because people will see through it,” he said. There is some backlash from Twitter already. <div type="twitter" handle="TajinderBagga" handlename="Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1210169713617096704/IYLeHKV3_normal.jpg" favoritecount="11060" retweetcount="5845" status="PR agency saying @deepikapadukone was in JNU for FILM Promotion but in actual She was part of Protest where Tukde-T… https://t.co/Lnx1ClxLvq" createdat="1578431758000" id="1214656950173982720"></div>

 However, this is not the first time that Deepika has made bold moves uncharacteristic to Bollywood stars. She openly spoke about her struggles with clinical depression. In addition, she took a very powerful media house when it tweeted a picture of her cleavage in a bad light. <div type="twitter" handle="deepikapadukone" handlename="Deepika Padukone" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1207176068227948544/uhVZMLvd_normal.jpg" favoritecount="5852" retweetcount="6223" status="Supposedly India's 'LEADING' newspaper and this is 'NEWS'!!?? http://t.co/D3wiVVXuyM" createdat="1410683577000" id="511070081946644480"></div>

 The old saying goes — all publicity is good publicity. However, this might not be true anymore in a country simmering with political, religious and ideological differences. Since there are enough supporters on either side of the spectrum, Padukone might gain as many fans as she lost. Whether her movie will gain from it not — only time will tell. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/dabangg-3-lost-15-of-its-weekend-business-due-to-caa-protests-but-thats-not-the-only-reason/articleshow/72933171.cms">Dabangg 3 lost 15% of its weekend business due to CAA protests — but that’s not the only reason</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/kiara-advani-wears-pradas-famous-sneaker-heels-and-it-becomes-the-fashion-blunder-of-the-year/articleshow/72897580.cms">Kiara Advani wears Prada's famous 'sneaker heels' and it becomes the fashion blunder of the year</a>

Deepika Padukone and Ajay Devgn both have movies releasing this week - only one of them is a real hero

<ul><li>India slipped two places to come in at the 53rd position on the Democracy Index 2020 as compared to last year.</li><li>The dip in its score has largely been attributed to mishandling of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).</li><li>“The increasing influence of religion under the Modi premiership, whose policies have fomented anti-Muslim feeling and religious strife, has damaged the political fabric of the country,” said the report by The Economist Intelligence Unit.</li></ul>India is the world’s largest democracy but its 1.38 billion citizens do not seem to be enjoying many freedoms. According to the latest report by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the South Asian giant fell another two spots to 53rd position in the Democracy Index 2020. The primary reason for the massive fall was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/nrc-npr-and-caa-are-not-the-same-know-the-differences/articleshow/72963691.cms">the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act </a>(CAA) that came into being in January 2020. India versus rest of South Asia While being categorized as a ‘flawed democracy’, at first glance, India fares better than its neighboring countries. However, while India has been falling in the ranks, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Pakistan have improved marginally in 2020. Even those countries which saw a fall in scores, none were as massive as India’s drop. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Country </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Change in Democracy Index score from 2019 to 2020 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-0.29 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bhutan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+0.41 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bangladesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+0.11 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pakistan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+0.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">China </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">+0.01 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Afghanistan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">No change </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nepal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-0.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sri Lanka </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-0.13 </td></tr></tbody></table> India’s ranking has been falling and it may get worse <div type="image" title="India democracy ranking" msid="80671295" hostid="261"></div> The Economist Intelligence Unit calls it ‘democratic backsliding’ under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The instances of high handedness by the state have only increased. For instance, stand-up comedian Munawar Farooqui was <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/comedian-munawar-faruqui-in-jail-for-22-days-for-joke-on-hindu-gods-a-timeline-of-events-3320342.html">arrested</a> for a joke that he didn’t even crack. Not to mention the heavy language used by the judiciary while denying him bail. The judiciary’s sensitivity was seen yet again when lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan was brought under the scanner for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/prashant-bhushan-files-fresh-plea-in-supreme-court-seeking-review-contempt-case-punishment/articleshow/78422984.cms">tweets criticizing the government. </a> Access to the internet was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/internet-access-in-jammu-and-kashmir-isnt-about-the-right-to-freedom-its-about-the-right-to-life-according-to-lawyers/articleshow/75708351.cms">blocked in Kashmir</a> for 213 days — two-thirds of a full year — after Article 370 of the Constitution was scrapped by the Modi government. Even today, internet shutdowns are being used to stifle the farmers' protest against India’s new farm laws along the borders of New Delhi. Creators of shows like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/tandav-controversy-fir-filed-against-the-shows-director-and-amazon-india-head-of-content-in-up/articleshow/80329036.cms">Tandav</a>, Sacred Games, and others have been dragged to court after being accused of hurting religious sentiments. Most recently, the Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/uttarakhand-anti-national-posts-to-hit-passport-clearance-101612289325781.html">stated</a> that the state police will track people posting ‘anti-national’ and ‘anti-social’ posts on social media to be taken into consideration when verifying passport and arms. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Type of democracy </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Number of countries </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Percentage of countries </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Percentage of world population </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Full democracies (E.g. Canada) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">13.8% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.4% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Flawed democracies (E.g. The US) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">52 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">31.1% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">41% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hybrid regimes (E.g. Myanmar) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">35 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">21% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Authoritarian regimes (E.g. China) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">57 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">34.1% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">35.6% </td></tr></tbody></table> The issue with the new citizenship law The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) allows persecuted minorities who are, by religion, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian from ⁠— from neighbouring countries namely Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan — eligible for Indian citizenship. The fundamental argument against this bill is that religion was never a criteria and should never be. When critics questioned why persecuted Muslims were left out of the Act, the government said that in the three countries specified, Muslims are the majority and not persecuted. However, many debaters have pointed out that Muslims are a minority in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and the amendment excludes them. What’s worse, the government had planned to execute the National Registrar of Citizens, which would identify the undocumented and illegal migrants. However, if any non-Muslim gets caught without papers, he could be reinstated under the CAA. But a Muslim does not have the safety net that other communities have. The fear of many Muslims, who have been living in India for decades or generations, losing their state led to the widespread protests going into 2020. It took a riot in Delhi and the pandemic thereafter to bring the protests to an end. India scores well for its electoral process but takes a hit in political culture <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Metric </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">India’s score </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Electoral process and pluralism </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.67 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Functioning of government </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.14 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Political participation </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.67 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Political culture </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Civil liberties </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5.59 </td></tr></tbody></table> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/no-covid-cess-but-agri-infra-cess-will-hike-prices-of-fuel-imported-alcohol/slidelist/80629471.cms">No COVID-cess but agri infra cess will hike prices of fuel, imported alcohol</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/indias-health-budget-sees-a-137-jump-in-2021/slidelist/80626468.cms">India’s health budget sees a 137% jump in 2021</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/india-budget-2021-updates-and-highlights-from-nirmala-sitharaman-speech/articleshow/80624564.cms">Union Budget 2021 highlights: Pensioners over 75 years need not file IT returns, says FM</a>

New citizenship law pulls India down in the democracy rankings — and 2021 is not looking better

The ruling BJP-led NDA is leading in 22 seats, while the <keyword id="6360370" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="grand-alliance">Grand Alliance</keyword> spearheaded by the <keyword id="1575" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> is ahead in 15 places, according to initial trends available from counting of postal ballots in <keyword id="6354915" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="assam">Assam</keyword>, officials said on Sunday. The newly formed Assam Jatiya Parishad-Raijor Dal alliance is leading in four assembly seats. <keyword id="14666" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> candidates are leading in 16 seats, while those of its ally AGP in six. The Congress has established initial leads in 14 places and AIUDF in one. Raijor Dal chief and jailed anti-CAA protest leader Akhil Gogoi is leading from <keyword id="340264" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sibsagar">Sibsagar</keyword>. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and AGP chief and minister Atul Bora are leading from Majuli, Jalukbari and <keyword id="664072" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bokakhat">Bokakhat</keyword>. <keyword id="160690" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress-Legislative-Party">Congress Legislative Party</keyword> chief and his deputy Debabrata Saikia and Rakibul Hussain both are trailing from <keyword id="608557" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nazira">Nazira</keyword> and Samaguri. Assam has a 126-member assembly and 64 seats are needed for a simple majority. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/elections/news/ldf-vs-udf-final-result-kerala-assembly-election-2021/articleshow/82347653.cms" style="">Pinarayi Vijayan looks at a historic comeback while Kerala’s BJP cadre can only hope for a higher vote share</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-vaccines-may-take-up-to-5-months-to-reach-private-centres-governments-say-slots-for-all-adults-may-open-only-after-2-3-weeks/articleshow/82326681.cms">COVID vaccines may take up to 5 months to reach private centres — governments say slots for all adults may open only after 2-3 weeks</a>

You Searched For "anti caa protest" and got 9 results

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India is ramping up the use of facial recognition to track down individuals without any laws to keep track of how this technology is being used

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UP police targets online CAA protestors - pulls up 19,000 social media accounts and arrests 124

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New citizenship law pulls India down in the democracy rankings — and 2021 is not looking better

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Assam polls: BJP-led NDA won 77 seats while Congress won in 47 places

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