January 28, 2023

Good morning. Every Saturday, we publish the results of polls from feature stories that were published the past week. We also give a brief overview of the topics that were discussed.

🗳️ POLL RESULTS – Week 109

🗓️ THE WEEK THAT WAS

Depoliticising Pride Parade In Mumbai: The Right Move?

Daily | 23 January 2023

This year, we have the Color Positive Foundation (CPF) organising Mumbai’s Pride March on 28th January. Soon after this announcement, the foundation released a bunch of qualifications for participating in the parade. It has disallowed all forms of posters and expressions that do not target legal barriers of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Indian queer community is outraged, to put it delicately. Many have criticised the foundation’s attempt at depoliticising the pride parade when queerness in India in itself is political. Read more on this here.

AI and emerging technologies in warfare: Should India jump in?

Daily | 24 January 2023

With ambitions to become the next superpower and countries like China posing a threat, Indian officials have called for new and emerging technology to be part and parcel of the armed forces. While the obvious benefit is reducing human deaths and injury, can using AI and drones be considered ethical in modern warfare? Who sets the rules of engagement for them? We discuss it here.

Will India grant SC status to Dalit converts?

Daily | 25 January 2023

The apex court is hearing a slew of petitions pending since 2004 that seek the inclusion of Dalit Muslims and Christians in India’s Scheduled Castes list. The BJP-led government has directly opposed said inclusion in the past, but its recent political rhetoric makes it worthwhile to wonder whether the centre and the SC will acquiesce. We unpack the issue here.

Panchayats and self-governance in India: Is there true autonomy?

Daily | 26 January 2023

An important aspect of panchayats is autonomy. They have constitutional status thanks to amendments. But are they truly autonomous? Local government bodies help implement policies at the granular level. However, there has been criticism of them being handcuffed in various aspects. We debate here.