April 22, 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 121

🗓️ THE WEEK THAT WAS

Is the ULPIN a good idea?

Daily | 17 April 2023

For a while, there’s been a complex reform underway to check fraud and benami transactions – giving land parcels a unique identification number. If that sounds similar to Aadhaar, it’s because it is, but for land. While this might go a long way in helping settle disputes, can such a complex endeavour cover so much ground? Will anyone be left behind? Read more on this here.

Agricultural Land Restriction Bill 2023: Does it sufficiently protect Goan farmers?

Daily | 18 April 2023

Recently, the Goa Legislative Assembly passed the Goa Restriction on Transfer of Agricultural Land Bill 2023 amidst much unrest. The Opposition wanted the state government to refer the Bill to a committee before passing it. Farmers’ associations planning a statewide campaign against the Bill argue that it will sound the death knell for the state. We discuss it here.

Is Meta Verified all that it’s cut out to be?

Daily | 19 April 2023

Meta Verified is a subscription service that allows users to verify their accounts and get a blue badge. For Meta, this could be a way to keep the critics at bay. But is the service worth it? Does it ensure privacy and authenticity? We unpack this here.

Will 2023 be the end of Xiaomi’s success story in India?

Daily | 20 April 2023

In India, Xiaomi stirred up a storm by leading the market for the past twenty fiscal quarters. But its performance in the last quarter didn’t measure up. Market analysts are worried whether the company can battle the global and domestic headwinds it’s facing in India. But its rapid growth trajectory and extremely loyal customer base cannot be counted out. Find the debate here.

Is the WTO right to rule against India in the ICT tariffs case?

Daily | 21 April 2023

In a recent case, the WTO ruled against India on the import duties it imposes on some information and communication technology (ICT) products, stating it violated global trading rules. The WTO felt these weren’t in line with its commitments. India doesn’t see it that way and will appeal. Find more here.