India Archives - South Asia Times

Dividend or Disaster? Why India’s Population Policy Needs a Jobs-first Approach

Ashutosh Gupta November 24, 2025

India’s youthful demographic profile presents enormous opportunities, but only if the country can generate enough quality jobs. While the Economic Survey 2024 highlights improvements in labour participation and unemployment, deeper structural issues persist, including informal work, regional disparities, and gender gaps. A jobs-first approach is essential to convert India’s demographic advantage into real and sustained economic gains.

Mirage of Indigenization

SAT Editorial Desk November 22, 2025

The crash of a Tejas fighter at the Dubai Air Show has exposed deep structural flaws in India’s flagship indigenous aircraft program. With two airframes lost in under two years and only a few hundred verifiable flying hours, the incident raises fresh questions about the LCA’s safety, its decades-long delays, and the strategic vulnerability created by India’s dependence on aging fleets. This piece explores how the Dubai crash fits into the broader struggle of a project that was meant to symbolize self-reliance but now risks becoming a cautionary tale.

India’s Broadcasting Advisory and the Crisis of Media Credibility

SAT Commentary November 19, 2025

The Red Fort blast and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s subsequent advisory have reignited debate on India’s declining media standards. Sensationalism, unverified claims, and AI-driven misinformation overshadowed responsible reporting, revealing a deeper structural crisis within Indian journalism and its growing vulnerability to political influence.

Digital Deception

SAT Commentary November 19, 2025

The viral video alleging to show a Delhi blast suspect has sparked renewed debate on AI-driven disinformation. Forensic inconsistencies, ideological distortions, and the Indian media’s rush to broadcast the clip suggest a manufactured narrative aimed at securitizing Kashmiri identity and reshaping public perception through synthetic reality.

India’s Climate Policy after COP28: Net Zero 2070 — A Fair Promise or a Risky Postponement?

Manya Singhal November 4, 2025

India’s Net Zero 2070 target reflects a delicate balance between development equity and climate urgency. While progress in renewables, green finance, and adaptation is visible, the absence of clear interim milestones risks turning ambition into delay. The real challenge lies in translating a distant horizon into measurable, near-term climate action before 2030.

As Bihar votes, Modi’s militarised politics faces its toughest test yet—will voters reject war rhetoric for real issues like jobs and poverty?

Bihar Should Reject Modi’s War Politics

Zahra Niazi November 1, 2025

Bihar’s election is shaping up as a test of Modi’s war-driven politics. With rising discontent over unemployment and poor governance, voters may choose to look past jingoism and focus on the real issues that shape their daily lives.

India’s Deepening Socioeconomic Crisis: Inequality, Unemployment, and the Erosion of Livelihoods

Prof. (Dr.) Akhilesh Chandra Prabhakar October 13, 2025

India’s rapid economic growth hides a deepening crisis of inequality, unemployment, and poverty. As corporate wealth expands, millions struggle for basic survival—exposing the fragility of the country’s neoliberal growth model.

After Sheikh Hasina’s Exit, Can India Rebuild Its Strategic Ties with Bangladesh by Pushing Dhaka Towards the Quad?

Ashutosh Gupta September 25, 2025

Sheikh Hasina’s resignation ended India’s golden era of ties with Bangladesh, leaving New Delhi scrambling to counter China’s growing influence. Can Quad engagement offer India a path to rebuild trust and secure the Bay of Bengal?

Trump’s H1B Policy: Consequences for India

SAT Editorial Desk September 20, 2025

A new Trump executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H1B visas marks more than a shift in U.S. immigration policy, it is a geopolitical act with lasting consequences. While American firms may adapt, India faces structural damage.

India’s Balancing Act Collapses: US Tariffs Expose Fragile Foreign Policy

SAT Commentary August 27, 2025

India’s long-standing strategy of balancing ties with Washington and Moscow has unraveled. Sweeping US tariffs on Indian exports signal that New Delhi’s ambiguous stance on Russian oil is no longer sustainable, with severe economic and diplomatic consequences that could reshape its foreign policy trajectory.