WITH prime minister Narendra Modi and his party re-elected in a landslide, here is a look at the challenges facing his government over the coming five years.
Jobs
Modi in his first term fell short on creating jobs for the more than a million Indians entering the labour market every month, experts say.
A leaked recent government report showed that unemployment rose to a 45-year high of 6.1 per cent in 2017-18.
Government jobs have seen staggering numbers of applicants, including many overqualified candidates drawn to the prospect of a secure position with perks. Last year 19 million applied for 63,000 positions at Indian Railways.
Non-farm sectors are hampered by stringent labour laws and insufficient investment in skills, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Farmers
Many of those looking for work are those escaping from a dire crisis gripping Indian agriculture that has driven thousands of farmers to suicide in recent years.
Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is the largest source of livelihoods in India, with 70 per cent of rural households depending primarily on it.
Farmers are finding it ever harder to water their crops as groundwater levels fall and monsoon rains become more unpredictable.
This has prompted extreme measures including curfews and armed guards near water sources while groundwater supplies in many areas have been contaminated by pollutants.
Farmers are also reeling from low prices for their produce and a lack of infrastructure meaning 40 per cent of fruit and vegetables rot before reaching consumers, according to the UN.
Pollution
Modi had pledged billions of dollars to clean up the holy Ganges river, which like other waterways is awash with raw sewage and industrial effluent. But results have been mixed.
India's air is also a health hazard the country is home to 22 of the world's 30 most polluted cities, according to Greenpeace. Industrial emissions, car fumes and smoke from burning crops are creating a toxic cocktail.
Poisonous air was responsible for 1.24 million premature deaths in India in 2017, according to a study published last year by Lancet Planetary Health, which said tens of millions of people face serious health risks.
Every winter Delhi, the world's most noxious capital, chokes through haze so extreme that levels of airborne pollutants routinely eclipse safe limits by more than 30 times.
But the environment barely got a mention in the election campaign.
"Whilst the public across the world is generating awareness on environmental issues, it is clearly missing in India," Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, a New Delhi-based initiative said.
Foreign Policy
Modi also faces foreign policy challenges, not least with Pakistan, against which India has fought three wars since partition in 1947.
In February the two nuclear-armed nations conducted tit-for-tat air strikes after a suicide bomb killed 40 Indian paramilitaries in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan tweeted on Thursday (23) that he looked forward "to working with him (Modi) for peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia".
India is also concerned by China's rising influence, especially Beijing's Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. One project passes through Pakistani-administered Kashmir which India claims.
In 2017 India and China had a military standoff over a Himalayan plateau claimed by Beijing and Bhutan, a close ally of India. Since then China and India have sought to patch up relations.
India also walks a tightrope between the United States and Russia, with Moscow still a major arms supplier to New Delhi including the S-400 missile system.
Modi made the S-400 deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin last October, defying US warnings of sanctions on countries buying Russian arms.
A UK court on Thursday denied bail to fugitive Indian diamond businessman Nirav Modi, who sought release while awaiting extradition to India. Modi cited potential threats to his life and said he would not attempt to flee Britain.
Modi, 55, has been in custody in the UK since March 2019. He left India in 2018 before details emerged of his alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud at Punjab National Bank.
He denies any wrongdoing, according to his lawyer. His extradition to India was approved by UK courts, and his appeals, including a request to approach the UK Supreme Court, were rejected in 2022.
On Thursday, Modi’s lawyer Edward Fitzgerald told the High Court that the extradition could not take place for confidential legal reasons. "There are confidential legal reasons why (Modi) cannot be extradited," he said, without providing further details.
Representing Indian authorities, lawyer Nicholas Hearn opposed the bail application, arguing that Modi might try to escape or interfere with witnesses. Hearn referred to Modi’s past attempt to seek citizenship in Vanuatu as an indication he might flee.
Fitzgerald responded that Modi would not leave the UK due to fear of the Indian government. He mentioned alleged recent plots to target Sikh activists in the United States and Canada, which India has denied. He also cited India's alleged involvement in returning Sheikha Latifa, daughter of Dubai’s ruler, to Dubai in 2018.
"The reach of the Indian government for extrajudicial reprisals is practically limitless," Fitzgerald said. "The idea that he could go to Vanuatu ... and there be safe from the Indian government is utterly ridiculous. They would either send a hit squad to get him or they would kidnap him or they would lean on the government to deport him."
The Indian High Commission in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Judge Michael Fordham denied the bail plea, saying, "there are substantial grounds for believing that if released by me on bail ... (Modi) would fail to surrender".
Modi is wanted in India in connection with two linked cases — a major fraud at Punjab National Bank and alleged laundering of the proceeds.
His uncle Mehul Choksi, also linked to the case, was arrested in Belgium last month. Choksi has denied any wrongdoing.
Sky TV customers across the UK faced widespread disruption on Thursday night, with issues continuing into Friday morning despite the company saying things were back to normal.
The problems, which began around 9pm, saw more than 30,000 users unable to access TV content. Most complaints were linked to Sky Q boxes crashing or freezing. Some viewers were stuck with error messages saying they couldn’t watch TV due to “connectivity issues” even though their internet seemed fine.
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By Friday morning, over 2,500 users were still reporting trouble, according to tracking site DownDetector. Most problems (87%) were TV-related, while a smaller number mentioned full blackouts or broadband issues.
DownDetector chart shows view of problems reported in the last 24 hours Downdetector
Sky said the issue stemmed from a technical glitch that pushed some Sky Q boxes into standby mode. “We’re sorry some customers had trouble accessing Sky Q,” the company said. “The issue was quickly resolved, and service has been restored.”
However, many users said otherwise. On social media and DownDetector, complaints kept coming in. Some said rebooting the Sky box worked temporarily, only for it to crash again. Others were irritated by the lack of updates from Sky, especially as the blackout clashed with the Eurovision Song Contest semi-final, a big night for live TV.
“I’ve restarted my box six times already. It just keeps going off again,” one user in Southport wrote. Another from Sheffield posted: “Still down this morning.”
Sky recommends a basic fix: unplug your Sky Q box from the power socket for 30 seconds, then turn it back on. For some, that’s worked. For others, the issue returns after a while.
Downdetector shows the most affected locations and problems Downdetector
Posting on X this morning, the official Sky account shared : "We are aware of some technical issues overnight that led to Sky Q boxes to go into standby mode. Our technical team worked quickly to investigate and restore service.
"If your Sky Q box is still stuck in standby please switch off your Sky Q box at the power socket for 30 seconds and back on again which will restore service. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused."
Sky’s own help page offers a few steps to try: reboot the box, check Wi-Fi, update the software, and make sure your remote and connections are working. But when none of that helps, users are left in the dark.
DownDetector, a platform that tracks service interruptions, showed how the problem spread and continued, even after Sky’s official fix.
This article was updated following Sky’s public statement issued on Friday morning.
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Disability campaigners from 'Dignity in Dying' hold placards as they demonstrate outside The Palace of Westminster during a gathering in favour of the proposals to legalise assisted suicide in the UK.
A PROPOSED law that would allow assisted dying for terminally ill people will return to parliament on Friday, with lawmakers set to debate a series of changes before a final vote on whether the bill should proceed.
In November, lawmakers voted 330 to 275 in favour of allowing assisted dying. If passed, the legislation would make Britain one of several countries including Australia, Canada, and some US states to permit assisted dying.
The bill allows mentally competent adults in England and Wales, who have six months or less to live, to end their lives with medical assistance. It has already been revised following detailed scrutiny.
A final vote on the updated bill will take place after Friday’s debate. The large number of proposed amendments means the session may continue next month.
Supporters of the bill point to opinion polls showing most Britons favour assisted dying and say the law should reflect public opinion. However, some lawmakers have raised concerns about protections for vulnerable people. Others argue that palliative care should be improved first.
The Telegraph and Guardian reported that some lawmakers who previously supported the bill are now reconsidering their position.
Prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government is neutral on the issue. Lawmakers are free to vote based on their personal views rather than party lines.
A key change from the original version of the bill is the removal of the requirement for court approval. Instead, a panel including a senior legal figure, a psychiatrist and a social worker would decide whether a person is terminally ill and capable of making the decision.
Any further changes to the bill will need to be approved through separate votes. If Friday’s debate runs out of time, the discussion could continue on June 13, before the final vote.
If passed, the bill will move to the House of Lords for further scrutiny.
In 2015, lawmakers rejected similar legislation by 330 votes to 118.
The current bill does not apply to Northern Ireland or Scotland. On Tuesday, the Scottish parliament voted in favour of a similar proposal, which will now move forward for further consideration.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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India's defence minister Rajnath Singh said, 'I believe a big portion of the $1 billion coming from IMF will be used for funding terror infrastructure.'
INDIA's defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should reconsider its decision to approve a $1 billion loan to Pakistan, alleging that Islamabad was using the funds to support terrorism.
"I believe a big portion of the $1 billion coming from IMF will be used for funding terror infrastructure," Singh told troops at an air force base in western India. "I believe any economic assistance to Pakistan is nothing less than funding terror."
India and Pakistan had engaged in missile, drone and artillery strikes last week before a ceasefire began on Saturday.
The IMF last week approved a review of its loan programme for Pakistan, unlocking about $1 billion and approving a further $1.4 billion bailout. India objected to the decision but abstained from the review vote.
India, which represents Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh on the IMF board, said in a finance ministry statement that it had "concerns over the efficacy of IMF programmes in case of Pakistan given its poor track record".
Pakistan was on the verge of default in 2023 amid a political crisis and economic downturn. The IMF extended a $7 billion bailout to Pakistan last year, its 24th such assistance since 1958.
Singh said, "It is now clear that in Pakistan terrorism and their government are hand in glove with each other.
"In this situation there is a possibility that their nuclear weapons could get their way into the hands of terrorists. This is a danger not just for Pakistan but the entire world."
The recent fighting between India and Pakistan began on May 7, when India launched strikes on what it called "terrorist camps" in Pakistan. The strikes followed an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people.
India blamed Pakistan for supporting the terrorists it said were responsible for the attack. Pakistan has denied the charge.
The four-day exchange of missiles, drones and artillery killed around 70 people on both sides, including dozens of civilians.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Koolesh Shah, Reena Ranger OBE, Ameet Jogia and Sir Oliver Dowden
SIR OLIVER DOWDEN MP and businessman Koolesh Shah have been appointed co-chairs of the Conservative Friends of India (CF India), following the resignation of Ameet Jogia MBE and Reena Ranger OBE, who had led the organisation since 2019.
Jogia and Ranger stepped down after a five-year term that saw CF India grow into the Conservative party’s largest affiliate group, a statement said. The group was founded by Lord Dolar Popat with prime minister David Cameron in 2012.
Appointed by then-prime minister Boris Johnson, their leadership coincided with two general elections, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the appointment of Britain’s first prime minister of Indian origin, Rishi Sunak.
Sir Oliver is a senior Tory MP who has held several ministerial roles, including deputy prime minister and secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport. Shah, founder of the London Town Group, is active in philanthropy and community work, particularly in education and social mobility. Sir Oliver and Shah said, “It is a privilege to take on this responsibility and build on the outstanding work of Ameet and Reena. CF India plays a vital role in ensuring that the voice of the British Indian community is heard, valued, and represented in the political mainstream, especially during this highly sensitive time. We are committed to deepening that engagement, supporting the next generation of leaders, and continuing to celebrate the values we share – from entrepreneurship to public service, and from community cohesion to our enduring ties with India.”
Under the outgoing co-chairs, CF India said it significantly strengthened the party’s engagement with British Indian communities. According to the statement, the group played a key role in the 2024 general election, contributing to the Tory victory in Leicester East, where the party’s vote share rose from 11 per cent in 2001 to 49 per cent.
Jogia and Ranger also oversaw the development of outreach, training, and fundraising initiatives. They credited CF India’s director, Nayaz Qazi, and grassroots supporters for their contributions to the group’s progress.
In their farewell statement, Jogia and Ranger said, “We leave with immense pride, having brought vibrancy, energy, and renewed purpose to an organisation that has been integral to our political journeys from the start. We will always support CF India and its new leadership.”