India India elected a new government in May 2014 led by Narendra Modi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as prime minister. After 10 years in opposition, the BJP won a decisive mandate with a significant majority in parliament. The BJP promised to revive growth, end corruption, and pursue development projects. Modi has stressed protection of women from violence and other abuses, and ac- cess to healthcare and sanitation. He has urged members of parliament to estab- lish model villages with better infrastructure and modern sanitation facilities in rural areas
India India, the world’s largest democracy, has a strong civil society, vigorous media, and an independent judiciary, but also serious human rights concerns. The gov- ernment did little in 2015 to implement promises by newly elected Prime Minis- ter Narendra Modi to improve respect for religious freedom, protect the rights of women and children, and end abuses against marginalized communities. Even as the prime minister celebrated Indian democracy abroad, back home civil society groups faced increased harassment and government critics faced intimi- dation and
V.S. Srinivasa Sastri was a celebrated Indian politician and diplomat in the early twentieth century. Despite being hailed as the ‘very voice of international conscience’, he is now a largely forgotten figure.
This book rehabilitates Sastri and offers a diplomatic biography of his years as India’s roving ambassador in the 1920s. It examines his involvement in key conferences and agreements, as well as his achievements in advocating for racial equality and securing the rights of Indians both at home and abroad. It also illuminates the darker side of being a native diplomat, including the risk of legitimizing the colonial project and the contradictions of being treated as an equal on the world stage while lacking equality at home.
In retrieving the legacy of Sastri, the book shows that liberal internationalism is not the preserve of western powers and actors – where it too often represents imperialism by other means – but a commitment to social progress fought at multiple sites and by many protagonists.
The rapid economic growth of the past few decades has radically transformed India’s labour market, bringing millions of former agricultural workers into manufacturing industries, and, more recently, the expanding service industries, such as call centres and IT companies.
Alongside this employment shift has come a change in health and health problems, as communicable diseases have become less common, while non-communicable diseases, like cardiovascular problems, and mental health issues such as stress, have increased.
This interdisciplinary work connects those two trends to offer an analysis of the impact of working conditions on the health of Indian workers that is unprecedented in scope and depth.
India’s ageing population is growing rapidly; over 60s constitute 7% of the total population and this is projected to triple in the next four decades.
Drawing on a wide range of studies, this book examines living arrangements across India and their impact on the care and wellbeing of older people. Addressing access to welfare initiatives and changing cultural norms including co-residence, family care and migration, it reveals the diversity of living arrangements, cultural customs and the welfare issues facing older adults in India.
This book offers a crucial examination for practitioners, researchers and policymakers seeking to understand and develop the infrastructure required to meet the needs of older people in India.
Introduction India has one of the most rapidly ageing populations on the planet. Given the change in the size and nature of the older population in India it is imperative that we better understand the situation of older people in India. However, India is a complex and diverse country made up of different states, castes, cultures, and ethnic groups. India’s older adult population has now risen to 8.57 per cent, however in states such as Goa and Kerala the percentage of older adults is as high as 11.20 per cent and 12.55 per cent respectively (Census, 2011
115 SIX Prostitution in India: laws, debates and responses Geetanjali Gangoli Introduction India plays a central role today in the economic, social and political infrastructure of South Asia. However, it is a land of contrasts, where great wealth coexists with grinding and devastating poverty; where violence against women is rampant even though a vital and active feminist movement fights for women’s rights; where sexuality is celebrated in the erotic temple sculptures of Konark, and in ancient texts such as the Kamasutra (Art of Love) and there is widespread
1 ONE Introduction: Work, stress and health in India Martin Hyde, Holendro Singh Chungkham and Laishram Ladusingh Introduction India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world (Gupta et al., 2014). Although growth in gross domestic product (GDP) has been quite volatile at times, India has still maintained an average annual growth rate of more than 7% since 2000, even reaching double-digit growth in 2010. This compares with just over 2% in the UK over the same period (World Bank, 2016a). The growth of the Indian economy has been matched by the
133 SEVEN Occupational class and chronic diseases in India Sanjay K. Mohanty and Anshul Kastor Introduction The aim of this chapter is to examine the differentials in chronic diseases among occupational classes in India. Our rationale for this study is as follows. Firstly, the Indian economy has become increasingly diversified with the growth of new forms of occupation, notably in the rapidly growing service sector. This raises questions about whether this change in employment structure is associated with a change in the nature of chronic illness among
