June 24, 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 130

🗓️ THE WEEK THAT WAS

Has the Integrated Child Development Services been effective in early childhood intervention?

Daily | 19 June 2023

The main goal of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) is to tackle childhood malnutrition and early childhood development. The flagship initiative has its fair share of successes in the country. However, given the amount of economic reforms in the country, can it be deemed a success? Read more on this here.

Are India and Nepal close to resolving their border disputes?

Daily | 20 June 2023

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, aka ‘Prachanda’, recently embarked on a 4-day trip to India which ended on June 3. The camaraderie shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepali counterpart, in addition to multiple agreements, has appeared to break ground on the nations’ border dispute. But is it enough to bring about a resolution? We discuss it here.

Should the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) be split up?

Daily | 21 June 2023

Take Bengaluru, the IT capital of India. While that moniker is certainly a feather in its cap, the city’s governance has been lacklustre. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) looks after the city’s needs. The newly-elected Congress government wants to split the BBMP into smaller parts to ensure better governance. Is this a good idea? We unpack this here.

RBI’s circular on wilful defaulters – Is it the right decision?

Daily | 22 June 2023

On 8 June, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released frameworks for technical write-offs and compromise settlements for Indian lenders. Among other things, it makes wilful defaulters eligible for compromise settlements. In India, where wilful defaults have ballooned in the past two years, does it solve a problem or simply shift the burden on an unassuming public? Find the debate here.

Gandhi Peace Prize for Gita Press – The right move?

Daily | 23 June 2023

What do Nelson Mandela, ISRO, and Bangladesh’s Grameen Bank have in common? They’ve all been awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize in the past. It’s a pretty exclusive award, with only one winner each year. But this one too, couldn’t escape the cloud of controversy that usually surrounds the most awaited awards. The government has cited reasons why the Gita Press is worthy of such an honour. Others, including the opposition, have cried foul. More on this story here.