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<ul><li>The Indian government has been shutting down internet services in select parts of the country amid protests against the <keyword id="6564012" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="citizenship-amendment-act">Citizenship Amendment Act</keyword> (CAA).</li><li>The internet shutdowns have led an outcry from human activists that such measures aren’t coming down through the ‘right channels’.</li><li>The accelerated pace and expanse of the internet shutdowns also has China citing India as ‘setting an example’.</li><li>Businesses aren’t immune to the effects either as many online retailers rescheduled orders or reported a dip in sales.</li></ul>Amid the protests, violence and discord over India’s newly formed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), authorities have been shutting down access to the internet in selected areas to control the situation. When the internet isn’t being shut down, it’s at least being slowed down — known as throttling. Human rights activists claim that the order did not come down the ‘right channels’ making the entire exercise ‘illegal’. 
 <div type="image" title="protest2_edited" msid="72931875" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Throngs of anti-CAA protests outside the Red Fort in New Delhi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 It can only be ordered by a competent authority like Union home secretary or state home secretary, but this order was not issued by them," technology lawyer Mishi Choudhary told <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/delhi-internet-shutdown-did-not-come-via-right-channel-digital-right-activists/72897911">ET</a>. And, this is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/internet-shutdowns-in-india-have-skyrocketed-but-now-the-indian-government-wants-that-to-stop/articleshow/67178243.cms">not the first time</a> that the government is being accused of using <keyword id="991379" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Internet-shutdown">internet shutdown</keyword> as a ‘quick fix’ solution for ‘potentially’ volatile situations. 
 <div type="image" title="protest6_edited" msid="72931857" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Phone with postpaid connections finally get network access in Kashmir on 14 October 2019 after 71 days of an internet shutdown&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 In fact, India has turned so infamous for it during the last few months that China — known for its strict surveillance of online activity — is citing India as an example. India’s internet shutdown shows normal practice for sovereign countries," said an editorial by Qing Qiu in <a href="http://en.people.cn/n3/2019/1217/c90000-9641267.html">People’s Daily</a> — China’s largest newspaper and a controlled entity of the country’s ruling party. Internet shutdown capital of the world The government is allowed to sanction an internet shutdown in the case of a public emergency under the Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017. The problem is that internet shutdowns have become so common in India that it now has a reputation for being the ‘<a href="https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/inside-the-internet-shutdown-capital-of-the-world-11575644823381.html">internet shutdown capital of the world</a>’. Kashmiris had to endure a four-month-long shutdown while the networks in Assam and parts of West Bengal were sporadically cut and activated. 
 <div type="image" title="protest7_edited" msid="72931888" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Parts of Kashmir remain under curfew and internet black out&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 Since 2012, the internet has been shut down in India a total of 375 times and most of them have occurred during the last two years — 134 in 2018 and 103 in 2019. It means that shutting down the internet in a state of emergency should be standard practice for sovereign countries," according to the <a href="http://en.people.cn/n3/2019/1217/c90000-9641267.html">People’s Daily</a> editorial. Impact of internet shutdowns The damage of an internet shutdown isn’t restricted to missing messages on WhatsApp or an update on Instagram either. Although, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did ironically try and send out a tweet his ‘brothers and sisters in Assam’ when it was under an internet blackout. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="77241" retweetcount="15350" status="I want to assure my brothers and sisters of Assam that they have nothing to worry after the passing of #CAB. I wa… https://t.co/VPsj5t5opd" createdat="1576124902000" id="1204981291730341888"></div>



 Internet shutdowns are affecting businesses as well. Between 2012 to 2017, they cost the economy nearly $3 billion, according to an estimate by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (<a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2018/apr/26/internet-shutdown-cost-indian-economy-usd-3-billion-from-2012-17-study-1806393.html">ICRIER</a>). This time around, food delivery apps like Zomato, Uber Eats and Swiggy saw their <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/cabs-to-food-e-biz-hit-by-internet-shutdown/articleshow/72920805.cms">volumes dip by 10 to 20%</a> in Delhi. Grofers, an online grocery delivery service, had to reschedule 20,000 to 25,000 of its orders in Lucknow. 
 <div type="image" title="protest1_edited" msid="72931915" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Traffic comes to half as roads get blocked by anti-CAA protestors in New Delhi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 In addition the effect on businesses, this might not be the best time for the Indian government to be exercising its power in such a way with the Personal Data Protection Bill underway. The bill is currently under discussion by a joint committee after being tabled in the Parliament in its last session. There are concerns that it has too many loopholes that will give the government access to user data in the name of ‘national security’ or a ‘public emergency’ — the very same reason used to justify the many internet shutdowns across the country. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/internet-shutdowns-in-india-have-skyrocketed-but-now-the-indian-government-wants-that-to-stop/articleshow/67178243.cms">Internet shutdowns in India have skyrocketed — but now the Indian government wants that to stop</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/All-the-countries-where-someone-managed-to-shut-down-the-entire-internet-160and-why-they-did-it/articleshow/70009168.cms">All the countries where someone managed to shut down the entire internet - and why they did it</a> <a href="http://businessinsider.in/india-accounted-for-most-number-of-intentional-internet-shutdowns-in-south-asia-2017-18-unesco/articleshow/64189016.cms">India accounted for most number of intentional internet shutdowns in South Asia 2017-18: UNESCO</a>

Indian government shut off the Internet over a 100 times in 2019 — and China is lovin' it

Several academicians, former bureaucrats and judges, writers, artistes and scientists have expressed outrage over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill calling it "divisive" and violative of the Constitution and asked the government to withdraw it. In separate letters and petitions, they asserted that the proposed legislation threatens the federal framework provided by the Constitution and will fundamentally alter the character of the Indian republic if it comes into force. In an open letter, about 600 writers, artists, activists, former bureaucrats, ex-judges asked the government not to betray the Constitution. The signatories include historian Romila Thapar, author Amitav Ghosh, actor Nandita Das, filmmakers Aparna Sen and Anand Patwardhan, activists Yogendra Yadav Teesta Setalvad, Harsh Mander, Aruna Roy and Bezwada Wilson, former Delhi High Court Chief Justice AP Shah and the country's first CIC Wajahat Habibullah among others. "All of us from the cultural and academic communities condemn this bill as divisive, discriminatory and unconstitutional. It will, along with a nationwide NRC, bring untold suffering to people across the country. It will damage, fundamentally and irreparably, the nature of the Indian republic. This is why we demand that the government withdraw the bill. "This is why we demand that the government not betray the Constitution. We call on all people of conscience to insist that the Constitutional commitment to an equal and secular citizenry be honoured," the letter states. The Lok Sabha passed the bill a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours. The contentious Bill will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there. According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. If religious persecution was the logic presented in the bill, then why were refugees such as Rohingyas from Myanmar or Hindu or Muslim Tamils from Sri Lanka or Ahmadis from Pakistan left out, the signatories asked. "Why focus on only three countries as if these constitute the only possible sources of asylum-seekers?" they asked, stressing on the need to have a refugee policy in line with international law, not a legislation dictated by an ideology that makes use of religion for political gains. "The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 tears to shreds the inclusive, composite vision of India that guided our freedom struggle. In the amendments it introduces to the Citizenship Act of 1955, the new Bill violates every single one of these fundamentals of the Constitution," the letter states. After the legislation got the nod of the Lower House, civil rights activist Mander said if the bill is passed, he will practice civil disobedience. "I will officially register as a Muslim. I will then refuse to submit any documents to NRC. I will finally demand the same punishment as any undocumented Muslim -- detention centre &amp; withdrawn citizenship. Join this civil disobedience," Mander tweeted. In a separate petition, a group of scientists and academicians said the use of religion as a criterion for citizenship in the proposed bill would mark a radical break and would be inconsistent with the basic structure of the Constitution. Academician Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a signatory to the petition, said the citizenship bill will convert a constitutional democracy into a unconstitutional ethnocracy. "We can debate the past forever. But with <keyword id="6363576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cab">CAB</keyword> India takes a giant step to officially convert a constitutional democracy into a unconstitutional ethnocracy," he tweeted. Academician Ramchandra Guha hit out at Home Minister <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah">Amit Shah</keyword> and said he was a professed Savarakrite and had no issue with Muhammad Ali Jinnah's two-nation theory. "Savarkar, 1943: I have no quarrel with Mr Jinnah's two-nation theory. We Hindus are a nation by ourselves and it is a historical fact that Hindus and Muslims are two nations'. The home minister, a professed Savarkarite, has no quarrel with Mr Jinnah's two-nation theory either," Guha tweeted. The petition said the idea of India emerged from the independence movement, and as enshrined in the Constitution, is that of a country that aspires to treat people of all faiths equally. "The use of religion as a criterion for citizenship in the proposed bill would mark a radical break with this history and would be inconsistent with the basic structure of the Constitution. We fear, in particular, that the careful exclusion of Muslims from the ambit of the bill will greatly strain the pluralistic fabric of the country," the petition noted. The petitioners include those affiliated to Harvard University, Masachussets University, Indian Institutes of Technology, the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Indian Institute of Science, Delhi University, Chennai Mathematical Institute, International Centre for Theoretical Science, Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, the University of Bonn, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Oslo. Over 230 activists and academicians from Gujarat also wrote an open letter expressing concern over the bill. Some social organisations in Pune appealed to the Maharashtra government to move Supreme Court against the bill.

Romila Thapar, Amitav Ghosh, Nandita Das join 600 writers and artists to seek withdrawal of Citizenship Bill

<ul><li>Indian government is pushing to amend the Citizenship bill 2016. </li><li>New bill will allow illegal immigrants from specific religions to become citizens. </li><li>Assam is witnessing continuous protests as the bill enters Rajya Sabha for debate.</li></ul>India’s Narendra Modi government is <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/top-bureaucrats-in-assam-concede-situation-is-challenging/story-lAEMW9tS4HdJ7ZkPdHsTuN.html">pushing for a bill</a> which will make illegal migrants from six religions and three countries — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan — eligible for Indian citizenship. Even allies like <keyword id="195349" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Conrad-Sangma">Conrad Sangma</keyword>, the chief minister of Meghalaya whose party is part of the National Democratic Alliance led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has opposed the amendments. Representatives of 11 political parties met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday to lodge their protest. Even the Manipur-based filmmaker and music composer Aribam Syam Sharma has decided to return his 2006 Padma Shri award in protest. 
 <div type="image" title="2a0ccca39f94fed61e852179945319e5" msid="67832687" hostid="261"></div>



Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a BJP rally in Silchar, Assam on Jan 4, 2019. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed in lower house of the Parliament, Lok Sabha, on 8 January, 2019. However, the upper house of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, will debate this bill in its ongoing session. Ahead of the debate, protests have broken out in the north eastern state of Assam, where citizens alleged that the new bill violates the Assam Accord, 1985 — which led to deportation of illegal immigrants in the state regardless of their religion. Last week families of around 855 martyrs of the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation of 1979-1985 returned the citation that the government had given them in 2016. Unrest over the issue has sparked violent protests in state for over a month now, and Assam police has reportedly grounded over 15 people. On Friday, two people<a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/3-stage-nude-protest-outside-assam-secretariat-over-citizenship-bill-1986978"> stripped down </a>while a third person was found naked outside the Assam Secretariat in Guwahati, Assam. 
 <div type="image" title="0e51d9c25e9e204c8056e4b85962147e" msid="67832701" hostid="261"></div>



 Three men stage a nude protest near the Assam Secretariat in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Guwahati on Feb 1, 2019. The protesters were swiftly removed by security personnel. “India is a democracy, though people have the right to voice their ideas and demands, such actions are not appreciated in society,” <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-admits-protests-over-citizenship-bill-a-challenge-calls-for-calm-1987411">said</a> Assam Chief Secretary Alok Kumar. The Bill makes illegal immigrants eligible for citizenship on the basis of religion. This may violate Article 14 of the Constitution which guarantees right to equality, according to public policy research organisation PRS. This includes amendments to permit cancellations of Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) — which permits foreign citizens of Indian origin to stay and work in India. “This is a wide ground that may cover a range of violations, including minor offences (eg. parking in a no parking zone),” PRS said. Violence in other parts of the country Not just Assam, the bill faced protests from around the world — students from different universities in Assam gathered at Jantar Mantar in Delhi going against the central government holding placards that said ‘No to Citizenship Amendment Bill’, ‘Down with Citizenship Amendment Bill’ seeking the government to rollback the amendments. 
 <div type="image" title="adb60e5a1820b70ac8d412858c75a9ca" msid="67832702" hostid="261"></div>



Activists of All Assam Students Union (AASU) block National Highway 37 as they stage a demonstration against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, in Guwahati on Jan 29, 2019. The growing unrest will be a challenge for the BJP ahead of Lok Sabha polls. The party has recently emerged as a political alternative in north east India. The party has managed to form the government in three out of the seven states in the region in recent years. However, the ongoing agitations may polarise the voters ahead of the next pan-India elections, and divide the votes. Defending the amendments proposed in the bill, BJP President Amit Shah <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/citizenship-bill-necessary-says-amit-shah/article26168945.ece">reportedly said</a> that “There are some decisions that are acceptable to some, not acceptable to others. The BJP has thought deeply about the Citizenship Amendment Bill before bringing it. We cannot leave a large swathe of people fleeing persecution hanging in mid-air. We believe that the Bill is necessary for the country,” he said.

India’s Citizenship Bill is faced with growing protests

The union cabinet today passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, <keyword id="54707" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="2016">2016</keyword> which legitimises illegal immigrants of certain religions. This attempt to sieve immigrants on the basis of religion resulted in protests and debates on the Narendra Modi-led government. What is the <keyword id="452568" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Citizenship-bill">citizenship bill</keyword>? As per PRS legislative, an independent research institute. the bill amends the Citizenship Act of 1955 to add a religious angle. In its new avatar, the citizenship bill makes illegal migrants who are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from ⁠— Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan --- eligible for citizenship. To be able to benefit from it, the applicant must have resided in India during the last 12 months and for 11 of the previous 14 years. For the applicants of the above mentioned six religions from three countries, the bill relaxes the 11 year requirement to six. Why was this bill being opposed? This bill which was brought to the fore in 2016 had sparked protests from many groups for picking and choosing the religion of the people who would be eligible for citizenship. PRS says that this Bill could violate Article 14 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees the right to equality. “The Bill allows cancellation of Original Citizens of India (OCI) registration for violation of any law. This is a wide ground that may cover a range of violations, including minor offences (eg. parking in a no parking zone),” said PRS. Added to that, Muslims, Jews and atheists have been left out of the bill which goes on to include only those religions who are in minority in the three countries in question. Many debaters have pointed out that Muslims are a minority in Nepal and Sri Lanka, and the amendment excludes them. The government had claimed that the Bill is for the greater good of the country, and offers sanctuary to asylum seekers. “There are some decisions that are acceptable to some, not acceptable to others. The BJP has thought deeply about the <keyword id="1814045" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Citizenship-Amendment-Bill">Citizenship Amendment Bill</keyword> before bringing it. We cannot leave a large swathe of people fleeing persecution hanging in mid-air. We believe that the Bill is necessary for the country,” Amit Shah, the home minister of India told earlier this year, as agitations against the Bill were<a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/citizenship-bill-necessary-says-amit-shah/article26168945.ece"> at the zenith.</a> Who has agitated against the bill? Though protests and marches against the bill were organized all over the country, civil groups of Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have been vehemently against it. The new bill violates the Assam Accord, 1985 — which led to deportation of illegal immigrants in the state regardless of their religion, many debaters had said. Families of around 855 martyrs of the anti-foreigners Assam Agitation of 1979-1985 had returned the citation that the government had given them in 2016. “India is a democracy, though people have the right to voice their ideas and demands, such actions are not appreciated in society,” said Assam<a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/assam-admits-protests-over-citizenship-bill-a-challenge-calls-for-calm-1987411"> Chief Secretary Alok Kumar</a>. The controversial bill coupled with National Register of Citizens (NRC) might alter the composition of many states in the country--especially the North-East which is known to harbour maximum illegal immigrants. What next? After the approval of the Union cabinet, the bill will be tabled in the Parliament next week. The bill was passed by the lower house of the last winter session had lapsed as it awaited the upper house to pass it-- and lapsed as the government was dissolved. The Union defence minister <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/union-cabinet-gives-green-signal-to-citizenship-amendment-bill-11575437696107.html">is known to </a>have asked all the MPs against absenteeism in both the houses as it is tabled. As Amit Shah tables the bill, the opposition is expected to disrupt the session, and the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it gets the green signal this time around.

What is citizenship bill and how does it affect religious freedom in India?

New Delhi, Dec 27 () A grouping of Indian and Indian-origin professionals working with tech giants like Google, Uber, Amazon and Facebook have written an open letter against the new religion-based citizenship law and the planned national register of citizens, terming them as "fascist".
 They urged business leaders like Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella and Mukesh Ambani to "take a stance and publicly denounce the fascist acts by the Indian government".
 The letter by 'TechAgainstFascism' on online publishing platform Medium also urged the leaders to refuse to shut off the Internet at the "government's whim" and to ensure that content moderation is not skewing pro-government.
 This comes at a time when thousands of Indians across the country are protesting the amended citizenship law and the planned National Register of Citizens (NRC). On several occasions, these protests turned violent and have left around 20 dead and several injured in clashes with the police.
 WhatsApp and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have played a key role in providing a platform to people to voice their opinion against and in favour of the Citizen Amendment Act.
 "We - engineers, researchers, analysts, and designers - of the technology industry, unflinchingly condemn the fascist Indian government and the brutality it enacts on citizens. The state-sponsored brutality against protestors must stop immediately," the letter said.
 These employees -- who claim to be located across San Francisco, Seattle, London, Israel and Bengaluru -- added that the opinions expressed are their own and do not reflect those of their employers.
 "The CAA, 2019 combined with the NRC, is a deeply anti-Muslim scheme that will create greater statelessness and global disparity for Muslims, growing worse with India's economic decline and climate change," the letter said.
 It pointed out that with record high unemployment levels, plummeting growth, and rising farmer suicides, such "ultra-nationalist and diversionary tactics are attempts by the Indian government to mask over its incompetence" over the biggest socio-economic crises in the country.
 The over 150 signatories argued that Internet -- an open ecosystem that tech workers have worked hard to build and humanity benefits from -- is banned in places like Assam, Delhi and Kashmir.
 "While portraying India as marching towards 'Digital India' and courting tech company business investment, the regressive government views the Internet as a political tool for suppression of citizen dissent, while utilising the same networks to organise and spread fake content," they alleged.
 The employees called upon technology leaders like Sundar Pichai (Alphabet), Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), Jack Dorsey (Twitter), Dara Khosrowshahi (Uber), Mukesh Ambani (Jio), Gopal Vittal (Bharti Airtel), Kalyan Krishnamurthy (Flipkart), and Shantanu Narayen (Adobe) to "take a stance and publicly denounce the fascist acts by the Indian government".
 The employees urged the leaders to use technology as a force for good, to refuse to share user details with the government, refuse to shut off the Internet at the government's whim, provide tools for citizen mobilisation, and ensure that content moderation is not skewing pro-government. SR MBI ANZ ABM
ABM

Indian techies pen open letter again citizenship bill

<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

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Protesters confronted Sen. <keyword id="11930701" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="kyrsten-sinema" source="Orion">Kyrsten Sinema</keyword> at <keyword id="12237950" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="arizona-state-university" source="Orion">Arizona State University</keyword>, which employs her as a lecturer.</li><li>At one point, protesters followed Sinema into a <keyword id="12237951" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bathroom" source="Orion">bathroom</keyword> on campus and continued listing their demands.</li><li>Another protest was organized Saturday night outside a corporate fundraiser for Sinema in Phoenix.</li></ul>After leaving Washington DC amidst tense budget negotiations, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., has been repeatedly confronted by constituents who are demanding that she stop blocking the Biden <keyword id="12054670" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="build-back-better" source="Orion">Build Back Better</keyword> agenda and to pass immigration reform.On Sunday, constituents, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, and members of grassroots nonprofit Living United for Change in <keyword id="11907754" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="arizona" source="Orion">Arizona</keyword> (LUCHA) confronted Sinema at the University of Arizona, which employs her as a lecturer in its School of Social Work.At one point, several members of the group <a href="https://twitter.com/LUCHA_AZ/status/1444729925408153601">followed her into the bathroom</a> and continued to list their demands while she was inside a bathroom stall, a video tweeted by the group showed.An undocumented immigrant youth named Blanca <a href="https://twitter.com/LUCHA_AZ/status/1444729925408153601">told Sinema in the bathroom</a> that she was brought to the US when she was three years old and has been unable to visit her grandfather in Mexico, who she said was deported in 2010 and passed away two weeks ago, because she does not have a path to citizenship, according to a <a href="https://twitter.com/LUCHA_AZ/status/1444729925408153601">video tweeted by the group</a>.Sinema stayed silent throughout the encounter."We knocked on doors for you to get you elected. And just how we got you elected, we can get you out of office if you don't support what you promised us," Blanca said.LUCHA also organized <a href="https://twitter.com/LUCHA_AZ/status/1444498965064347653">a protest on Saturday</a> outside the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix where Sinema was meeting with corporate fundraisers for a "retreat" for her political action committee, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/01/us/politics/krysten-sinema-spending-bill-arizona.html">The New York Times reported</a>.

Sinema Stalls: Constituents confront senator in Arizona State University bathroom over Build Back Better agenda and immigration

New Delhi, Dec 13 () Assam and other North Eastern states may face fuel supply issues if the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act continues for another week, as it has already led to the shutdown of refineries and oil-producing facilities in the region.
 Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has been forced to shut down its Digboi refinery in Assam and is operating Guwahati unit at minimal throughput, while Oil India Ltd has been forced to shut LPG production and its crude oil production has dropped by 15-20 per cent, multiple sources at the state-owned companies said.
 Sources said the agitation has blocked the movement of tankers and trucks, which are mostly used to supply petrol, diesel and LPG from the refineries to different parts of the North East.
 With limited storage capacity, the companies have been forced to curtail production in absence of products being evacuated, they said.
 Oil India Ltd has shut LPG production for the same reason, they said, adding the agitation has also limited movement of employees and officers who work at the refineries and oil installations.
 "No employee could reach OIL facilities on Thursday," a source said, adding things improved a bit on Friday but attendance was low.
 Protesters pulled out employees from IOC refineries in Guwahati and Digboi, forcing curtailment of operations.
 Sources said if the agitation were to continue for another 7-10 days, the region may face fuel supply issues as in the absence of fresh replenishment the current stocks will exhaust and supply dry up.
 Bongaigaon, the third refinery in Assam, was already under maintenance shutdown when the agitation broke out.
 Two people were killed and 11 injured in police firing on protestors who have taken to streets since the Parliament approved the Citizenship Amendment Bill that would convert thousands of illegal immigrants into legal residents.
 Sources said OIL suspended LPG as IOC was not able to lift the cooking fuel due to protests. OIL has also stopped all drilling operations as the staff was not able to reach work.
 OIL supplies crude mainly to IOC's Digboi refinery and BPCL's Numaligarh unit.
 The firm has also stopped production from several gas wells, curtailing supplies to tea gardens and power and fertilizer plants. However, operations at Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) fields have been largely unaffected even though employees could not reach plants at some places, they said. ANZ ABM

Assam, NE to face fuel supply problems if citizenship agitation continues

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Chinese authorities have ordered books "venerating Western ideas" to be removed from reading lists in primary and secondary schools.</li><li>Bill Gates' and Steve Jobs' biographies could find themselves on the chopping block, along with other books promoting capitalism.</li><li>In the run-up to the Communist Party's centennial, recommended books must focus on "<keyword id="191809" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Xi-Jinping">Xi Jinping</keyword> thought," the Chinese President's ideology.</li></ul>In <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>, wisdom from Bill Gates and Steve Jobs could be out - and "Xi Jinping Thought" is definitely in.This month, Chinese authorities <a href="https://news.eol.cn/yaowen/202104/t20210416_2097779.shtml">ordered</a> books "venerating Western ideas" and "embracing all things foreign" to be removed from reading lists and libraries in primary and secondary schools.<a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/China-purges-school-libraries-of-Western-veneration2">Nikkei Asia</a> reported that a large selection of titles - particularly those that contain information about political and cultural ideas from Japan and the Western world - could be removed. These include biographies of Gates and Jobs, who are both known in China as "poster children of US capitalism." According to Chinese media outlet <a href="https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/21/4/19/n12888911.htm">Epoch Times</a>, all books that "worship foreigners" will be removed from schools' reading lists, a move that affects around 240 million elementary and middle school students across the country.The Epoch Times cited the example of a Beijing middle school, which filled its bookshelves with Chinese president Xi Jinping's speeches. The school also stocked multiple copies of books that promote Xi and the Chinese Communist Party's ideology, including "Chinese Dream of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation," a collection of speeches and documents by Xi. The Chinese <keyword id="6355445" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="education">education</keyword> system and the content of textbooks in schools are tightly controlled, and often reflect the Party's version of history. Textbooks only contain "patriotic" material and <a href="https://www.scmp.com/article/458303/textbooks-rewrite-tiananmen-history">omit any mention of some historical events, such as the 1989 Tiananmen square pro-democracy protests</a>. <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/03/national/new-china-history-textbook-stress-territorial-rights-japan-administered-senkakus/">History textbooks</a> in the country have also stressed that the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-boosting-defense-of-senkakudiaoyu-islands-amid-china-tensions-2020-8">disputed islands off Okinawa</a> - known as the Senkaku Islands to the Japanese and Diaoyu Islands to the Chinese - belong only to China, stressing the nation's territorial claim.In addition to the removal of these books from schools' reading lists, Chinese media site <a href="https://m.weibo.cn/status/4627635273468877?">People's Daily</a> announced on Chinese social media platform Weibo that it would be releasing a reading list every month for adults to "learn about 100 glorious years of the Communist Party."This reading list will be released in monthly editions in the run-up to the Party's 100th anniversary on July 1. The party <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3126614/china-says-there-will-be-no-military-parade-mark-communist">will not hold a military parade on July 1 this year</a> due to the pandemic, but the centennial will likely be <a href="https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202103/1219156.shtml">commemorated with much pomp and ceremony.</a>This is not the first time China has removed books that it deems politically incorrect or unpatriotic.In July 2020, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-books-insight-idUSKBN24A1R5">Reuters reported</a> that schools across the country took part in a nationwide exercise to pull books that the government considers "illegal" or "inappropriate." Reuters wrote at the time that hundreds of thousands of books were pulped, including books about Christianity and Buddhism, as well as George Orwell's novels "Animal Farm" and "1984."<h2>China overhauls <keyword id="24349" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hong-Kong">Hong Kong</keyword>'s education system with National Security Education Day, new subject in schools</h2><div type="image" title="hong kong school national security education china" height="2651" width="3535" msid="82142271" hostid="261"></div>The crackdown on books in China coincides with a move by the country to reform Hong Kong's education system.The <a href="https://hongkongfp.com/2021/03/23/hong-kong-will-distribute-mainland-books-to-schools-to-promote-patriotism/">Hong Kong Free Press</a> reported on March 23 that all schools in the city would be given a 48-volume box set of books entitled "My Home is in China." The books were distributed along with a reading list of around 100 books on traditional Chinese culture.The <a href="https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/news/hong-kong/article/3126400/hong-kong-teachers-question-whats-acceptable-classroom">SCMP</a> reported that Hong Kong's education secretary, Kevin Yeung, said two sets of books were provided to each primary school, and one set to each secondary school, to "foster a sense of patriotism in students."In turn, the <a href="https://www.edb.gov.hk/en/curriculum-development/renewal/opt_core_subj.html">Hong Kong Education Bureau announced</a> on March 31 that it would be replacing "liberal studies" with a subject called "citizenship and social development." As reported by the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3127778/hong-kongs-liberal-studies-expected-be-renamed-citizenship">South China Morning Post</a>, the education bureau said the new subject will educate Hong Kong's youth on "Chinese national consciousness," by teaching students about the Chinese constitution and China's <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-04-05/china-s-five-year-plans-used-to-be-grandiose-the-latest-is-more-down-to-earth">five-year plan</a>.And on April 15, schools in Hong Kong marked <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/04/15/china/hong-kong-national-security-day-intl-hnk/index.html">"National Security Education Day,"</a> complete with <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-04-15/hong-kong-schools-devote-a-day-to-china-s-national-security">Chinese flag-raising ceremonies</a>.

China might be purging Bill Gates' and Steve Jobs' biographies from 240 million students' reading lists to eliminate 'veneration of the West'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Security has been beefed up in Washington and in state capitals since the storming of the Capitol.</li><li>Conspiracy theorists have suggested <keyword id="6354862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword> will be reinstated as president on March 4, 2021.</li><li>One state official said the "abundance of uncertainty" is being met with "an abundance of caution."</li></ul>State capitals across the country are again braced for the possibility of violence some two months after the Jan. 6 <a href="https://www.insider.com/trump-stupporters-capitol-mob-video-2021-1">storming</a> of the U.S. Capitol. But experts caution that even the best-laid plans could be a feeble match for anti-government extremism.The potential risk at state capitols has prompted authorities to intensify high-visibility security, stringing up razor wire, erecting barbed wire fencing and reinforcing a uniformed presence, along with undisclosed measures, to guard against a threat of danger on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-qanon-fanatics-are-pinning-last-hopes-trump-march-4-2021-2">March 4</a>, a date that many on the far right deem significant and some see as the day former President Donald Trump somehow is returned to office."It's clear there is an enhanced threat to both state capitols and the U.S. Capitol," said Brian Lynch, formerly of the FBI and now executive director of safety and security at RANE, a risk-assessment company. The significance of March 4 stems from right-wing beliefs that the U.S. government's constitutional amendments, and presidencies, have been illegitimate since the 14th Amendment defined the rights of U.S. citizenship. March 4 was the day in 1789 that the U.S. federal government began operating, following ratification of the Constitution, and the day until 1933 when presidents were inaugurated. <div type="image" title="shamen" height="3884" width="7462" msid="81301938" hostid="261"></div>Following the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning that "some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence" across the country."The risk and the threat is present. It has not gone away from January 6," Lynch said. "Unless they disband, the risk is still there, and just because we don't have a current threat about a particular area, the underlying risk is still there."<h3>Around the country are visible signs of beefed-up measures.</h3>At <keyword id="18877" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Michigan">Michigan</keyword>'s capitol in Lansing, where in April demonstrators swarmed inside with weapons to protest a COVID-19 lockdown order, state police have boosted security and the uniformed presence since Jan. 11, according to a spokeswoman."Security enhancements now in place include both seen and unseen measures," she said. Also in Michigan, officials voted to prohibit the open carry of guns inside the Capitol just days after the violence in Washington, D.C., a ban they had declined to implement previously.At the Capitol in Austin, <keyword id="15710" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="texas">Texas</keyword>, the Department of Public Safety is "monitoring events and their impact on public safety," a spokeswoman said, adding, "We do not discuss operational specifics."Legislative and Supreme Court buildings and the governor's residence in Washington's capital city of Olympia have been guarded by extra staff and surrounded since Jan. 6 by nearly 4,000 feet of added security fencing, which "will remain in place until more is known regarding the new and enduring security environment," a spokesman said."At this point, we have an abundance of uncertainty and therefore we must address it with an abundance of caution," the Washington State Police spokesman wrote in an email.Lawmakers in Washington's state Senate recently approved a measure to prohibit the open carry of firearms at the Capitol and at public demonstrations elsewhere.In Utah, where Capitol buildings were closed as part of a weeklong state of emergency declared following the Jan. 6 rioting in Washington, lawmakers are weighing a bill to spend almost $1.2 million on security training and equipment to protect public officials as well as the state Capitol.In Washington at the nation's Capitol, nearly 5,000 National Guard troops have been ordered to remain in place for March 4.<h3>A THREAT THAT'S FIZZLING OUT? </h3>Calls to action have circulated on right-wing venues like Telegram, Gab and Patriots.win, although some on social media have warned followers that the plans could be a set-up."Stay away from any event on March 4th," warned one tweet. "Something is potentially cooking and we don't need to be a part of it. Any of it."Rhetoric calling for violence has toned down, possibly because groups like QAnon have been taken off mainstream social media platforms and moved to less public venues, said Kevin Grisham, associate director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino. Grisham said he sees less of a threat from a potential mob of protesters who might climb over a fence and more of a threat by small groups of hard-core believers who could pick out targets for violence like bombings and mass shootings.<div type="image" title="DC fence" height="2678" width="3570" msid="81301944" hostid="261"></div>"I don't think it's going to be the massive groups like we saw on Jan. 6, but I think it's a handful of people who potentially could be very dangerous," Grisham said."Like the ones who tried to kidnap the governor of Michigan, all you need is a small group. Those are the ones I worry about most because you just don't know."Or the potential date for action is simply in flux after previous machinations failed to materialize, said Dr. Ziv Cohen, an expert on extremism and a forensic psychiatrist at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University."To a large extent it's a fluid time right now," Cohen said, noting he doesn't expect much in the way of violence on March 4. "It's a significant date for them, but I think they're sort of reinterpreting their beliefs in light of current situations."March 4 is not like Jan. 6, which was a culmination of conspiracy theories that had predicted a Trump victory at the polls in November, said Mike Rothschild, a conspiracy theory researcher and author of an upcoming book on QAnon, "The Storm is Upon Us.""My gut is that it's going to fizzle out," Rothschild said, adding that some on the right suspect the importance of March 4 was concocted by the media to make them look bad."This is an example of a prophecy getting a new date," he said. "I don't think anything is going to happen."

Washington DC and state capitals are bracing for violence at March 4 protests with razor wire, fencing and visible uniformed security

<ul class="summary-list"><li>People across India are protesting two controversial citizenship laws that critics say target Muslims.</li><li>The two acts, known as the NRC and the CAA, would provide a path to citizenship for several minority groups and foreigners in India, but exclude Muslims.</li><li>India's deeply religious roots are now at odds with its secular constitution.</li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsiderToday/">View more episodes of Business Insider Today on Facebook.</a></li></ul>Following is a transcript of an episode of Business Insider Today. Watch the full episode <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BusinessInsiderToday/videos/1344754715706477">here</a>.In this coastal town in India, workers split bamboo stalks with a machete. They cut and shape them to make fences, homes, and baskets.Ala Uddin was born and raised in the northeastern state of Assam, but after the government implemented a citizenship list, he found himself fighting to prove his identity as an Indian national.Ala Uddin, bamboo worker: "The people are frightened. They feel scared that they might be sent to the detention camps."Ala Uddin is one of the lucky ones. His family is on the registry. But there are still 1.9 million people living in Assam whose <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-politics-citizenship/india-leaves-nearly-two-million-people-off-citizens-list-fate-uncertain-idUSKCN1VL04W">citizenship remains in limbo</a>.In recent months, protests have erupted across India due to two controversial laws that critics say target Muslim immigrants, and even those born here.At odds are the country's deeply religious roots and its secular constitution.Ala Uddin travels from his small island to the town of Dhubri, making on average 250 rupees, or $3.50 a day, to provide for his mother, wife, and four children.But when the National Register of Citizens, or NRC, was enforced, things changed.Uddin: "When I heard about NRC I was shocked. I was completely shocked. Even though the paperwork was there, I had to leave my job and run around to get the paperwork ready."In a country like India, not everyone has their documents in order, says Milan Vaishnav, an expert on South Asian politics.Milan Vaishnav, director and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: "India is a very poor country. Even today, only about 70% of births happen with an official birth certificate. So a lot of people cannot prove their citizenship status. They're worried that this essentially is going to disenfranchise a bunch of genuine citizens who simply are either too poor or come from the wrong community to be able to justify their existence."Uddin: "I was trying to trace my ancestors and relatives, trying to trace my grandfather and my uncles. Trying to figure it out was very stressful.""The hearings were held at rather far-off places. Per person one had to spend 500 rupees to travel one way, so it's 1,000 rupees worth of commuting both ways in a day."The Indian government has <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-citizenship-explainer/explainer-why-indias-new-citizenship-plans-are-stirring-protests-idUSKBN1YR0WL">discussed the possibility</a> of rolling out NRC in the entire country by 2021.On top of that, parliament passed the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-citizenship-explainer/explainer-why-indias-new-citizenship-plans-are-stirring-protests-idUSKBN1YR0WL">Citizenship Amendment Act</a>, or CAA, which gives minorities originally from neighboring countries a faster path to citizenship - but it excludes Muslims.Vaishnav: "If India were to carry out a nationwide citizens register, and there are people who are deemed to be illegal migrants, illegal residents, not genuine citizens, if you are a Muslim, you will essentially will be deemed perhaps a stateless person, and your citizenship, your voting rights would be taken away."People who are not considered citizens <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49520593">fear being sent to detention centers</a>, even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has denied the camps exist.Across the country, Indians of all faiths have been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-citizenship-explainer/explainer-why-indias-new-citizenship-plans-are-stirring-protests-idUSKBN1YR0WL">protesting for months</a>. They claim these laws go against the constitution by deciding citizenship on the basis of religion.Demonstrator: "This bill is unconstitutional, it is communal."Demonstrator: "I got this Indian flag painted because I need to prove that I am Indian."But in some areas the demonstrations turned violent. Twenty-seven people have been killed since the government passed the citizenship act in December.During the unrest, the government shut off internet and phone networks in large areas of the country.Critics say the NRC and CAA laws are just the latest in a series of moves by Modi that are driving India toward being a Hindu nationalist country.Vaishnav: "This is an ideology which has been present going back to the 19th century. This is not a new phenomenon. At the time of India's founding in the 1940s, there was a debate about should India be an avowedly, explicitly Hindu country?"Even though India chose a secular path, today Hindus <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/21/by-2050-india-to-have-worlds-largest-populations-of-hindus-and-muslims/">make up the majority</a> at roughly 80% of the population, while Muslims account for 15%.And now many fear that the minority voice is being muffled by Modi's laws.Last month, India's Supreme Court <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/india-supreme-court-refuses-stay-citizenship-law-200122061532294.html">refused to put a hold</a> on the CAA. Instead it will hear arguments from the government in favor of the law. Meanwhile, several Indian states have said they will not cooperate.In the weeks and months to come, Muslims fear that life in their homeland may get increasingly harder if they can't prove Hindustan is home.

You Searched For "citizenship bill protest" and got 11 results

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China might be purging Bill Gates' and Steve Jobs' biographies from 240 million students' reading lists to eliminate 'veneration of the West'

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Washington DC and state capitals are bracing for violence at March 4 protests with razor wire, fencing and visible uniformed security

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Why Indians are protesting 2 controversial laws that could leave millions of Muslims stateless

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