News Briefings and Commentaries

From the general election to the continuation of unprecedented violence in the northeastern state of Manipur, India in 2024 witnessed a series of significant events that shaped its political, social and economic landscape. Below is an overview of 10 major developments.

In an era where social media stardom seems to promise instant wealth and fame, thousands of aspiring influencers are pouring their life savings into a vision that, for most, remains frustratingly out of reach. Behind the glossy facade of perfectly curated Instagram feeds and viral TikTok videos lies a sobering reality: the path to influencer success is often paved with serious financial troubles.

The Indian rupee fell to 85.80 per U.S. dollar on Dec. 27. While this decline significantly affects various groups in India, including importers, consumers, investors, financial markets, and the government, it should also be a concern for ordinary Indian citizens. Here’s why.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, India’s former prime minister who died at age 92 on December 26, left present-day Pakistani Punjab as a young refugee during the 1947 Partition and witnessed the bloodshed of that year’s communal violence; yet he harboured no resentment or hate, unlike many of his fellow refugees who went on to show hostility toward India’s minorities.

A newly appointed member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Priyank Kanoongo, had been criticised for allegedly discriminating against minority communities until months before his appointment, during his tenure as chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is facing criticism for his handling of recent communal violence in the Bahraich and Sambhal districts. Opposition leaders accuse him of evading responsibility, using diversionary tactics and creating divisions instead of addressing the root causes of the unrest.

The number of violent attacks against Christians in India reached a record high in 2024, with 745 incidents reported – an overage of over two incidents a day – to an independent helpline by the end of November, according to the Delhi-based United Christian Forum (UCF).

Leaders of the opposition have challenged the appointment of Justice V. Ramasubramanian as the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), alleging that the selection process was fundamentally flawed. Congress party leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi contended that the procedure was predetermined, sidelining mutual consultation and consensus.

One of the most concerning revelations in the recently released India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is the complete loss of 3,656 square kilometres of dense forests between 2021 and 2023. While it shows a net gain in overall forest and tree cover, this substantial loss of dense forests is deeply concerning for several reasons.

In a landmark decision, a U.S. court has ruled in favour of WhatsApp, holding the Israeli spyware maker NSO Group directly liable for targeting about 1,400 users with its Pegasus spyware, including over 300 Indian mobile numbers.

A member of parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reportedly handed a bag with “1984” written on it to Congress party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Parliament on Dec. 20. The gesture evoked the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, during which Congress workers faced severe allegations of orchestrating mob violence. As neither party has a clean record, this incident demonstrates how communal tragedies—where ordinary citizens like you and I suffer—are used as political ammunition.

In a parliamentary session, Finance Minister of State, Pankaj Chaudhary, revealed that only 6.68% of the country’s population filed income tax returns (ITRs) for the fiscal year 2023-24. There are multiple factors contributing to the low rate of income tax return filings in India.

In the months leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling party claimed that nearly 250 million people had emerged from poverty during the 10 years of its government. However, an investigation by The Reporters’ Collective shows that the figure was the culmination of discreet efforts by an inter-ministerial unit to counter India’s global rankings.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said his administration will impose equivalent tariffs on Indian goods in response to the duties that India levies on American products. This means whenever India taxes U.S. goods, the United States will mirror those charges to ensure what he described as a reciprocal arrangement.

A constitutional amendment bill aiming to hold Lok Sabha and state assembly elections simultaneously is set for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Dec. 17, a week after the Cabinet approved it. Critics, however, warn that “one nation, one election” could weaken the ability of local constituencies to have their interests accurately represented, among several other issues.

In states across India, many tuberculosis patients incur burdensome out-of-pocket expenses for their treatment, even though government programs ensure no-charge diagnosis and care. A newly published study has found that about 45% of households with a tuberculosis patient bear costs exceeding one-fifth of their annual incomes.

A six-member opposition delegation in the Rajya Sabha has submitted an impeachment motion against Allahabad High Court Judge Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav, accusing him of engaging in hate speech and inciting communal disharmony, which is in violation of the Indian Constitution. The motion states that the comments made by the judge were “inflammatory, prejudiced, and directly targeted at minority communities.”

In 2024, at least 54 journalists worldwide lost their lives either on the job or because of their reporting, according to the year-end roundup by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which shows that over half of these deaths occurred in conflict zones, with Gaza identified as the most lethal region globally. The report also mentions two of the five journalists currently detained in India.

Several petitions were submitted to the Supreme Court on Dec. 11 to defend the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, on the eve of a hearing where the law’s validity will be scrutinised. The legislation mandates the preservation of the religious character of places of worship as they stood on August 15, 1947, which blocks political mobilisation around the emotive issues concerning perceived “historical wrongs.”

The outgoing Union Revenue Secretary, Sanjay Malhotra, has been appointed as the next Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), set to take office on Dec. 11 for a three-year term. To explain the importance and relevance of the country’s central bank, the following describes its role in our lives.

The outgoing Union Revenue Secretary, Sanjay Malhotra, has been appointed as the next Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), set to take office on Dec. 11 for a three-year term. To explain the importance and relevance of the country’s central bank, the following describes its role in our lives.

Eight more farmers sustained injuries on Dec. 8 when Haryana police discharged tear gas shells at protesters attempting to enter Delhi on foot to voice their demands for legal guarantees for Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and other longstanding grievances. The incident is the latest in a series of crackdowns this month, which have already resulted in injuries to at least 15 other farmers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has claimed that the U.S. government, billionaire investor George Soros and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi are conspiring to destabilise India. The party alleged that the investigative media platform Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) plays a central role in this purported effort, while not questioning the factual basis of the investigative reports.

At least 15 farmers were injured and hospitalised after the Haryana police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters at the Shambhu border on Dec. 5. The demonstrators, who were seeking to enter Delhi, are part of a movement demanding government to address agricultural issues for the last five years.

A thorough analysis of the autopsy reports for the 10 Kuki-Zo “village volunteers” killed in Manipur during an alleged gunbattle with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) suggests that the young men were shot from behind or from multiple directions and at close range. Some of them also sustained injuries that cannot solely be attributed to gunfire.

Advocate Dushyant Dave has sharply criticised the judiciary for enabling divisive politics by permitting surveys of mosques over claims that they constructed on the remains of temples from the Mughal era. In a media interview, the lawyer directly accused India’s former Chief Justice, D.Y. Chandrachud, of undermining the Constitution and contributing to rising communal tensions.

One of the key proposals in the latest banking reform bill, which was debated in the Lok Sabha on Dec. 3, is to cut the government’s stake in public banks from 51% down to 26%. Some opposition members are calling it a move toward privatisation. There are at least four major concerns for citizens regarding Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, that the government needs to address.

Ten young men from the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur's Jiribam district recently lost their lives in what's been reported as a gunfight with personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The CRPF claims these individuals, labelled as “militants,” had attacked a local police station and a nearby CRPF camp. However, subsequent post-mortem reports, seen by Newsreel Asia, cast doubt on the legality and ethics of the actions taken by the paramilitary force.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has warned BRICS members, including India, against pursuing alternatives to the U.S. dollar, threatening economic retaliation and saying that any efforts to create or support a BRICS currency could lead to severe trade penalties.