Democracy

Fake news, deepfakes threaten democracy; stricter law needed: Vaishnaw

Ashwini Vaishnaw said fake news and AI deepfakes threaten democracy, calling for a strict legal framework as the government proposes 36-hour takedowns and mandatory labelling of AI-generated content

Shashi Tharoor hails Trump-Mamdani meeting as "how democracy should work"

Tharoor's remarks came a day after Trump met Mamdani at the White House, a meeting that drew attention because of their heated exchanges during the New York mayoral campaign

Harish Salve calls for reform in judicial appointments, warns of overreach

Senior advocate Harish Salve on Saturday said that some of India's finest judges were appointed during a period when the executive held full control over judicial appointments. It may be time to revisit the current system and correct that "folly," he said. Delivering the 'Kartavyam' Constitutional Lecture organised by the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University as part of a celebration marking 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Salve reflected on the evolution of the judge appointment process and the rise of the Collegium system. "In 1991, we fought against complete executive domination, when, in the era of initial coalition politics, some very strange things happened in the kind of judges who were appointed. Before that, some of the finest Indian judges came from a system in which the executive had, in theory, complete freedom to appoint judges," the former solicitor general said. Several "fiercely independent judges" were appointed by the government of the day, he said. "But the

Biden urges Americans to 'get back up' amid 'dark days' for democracy

Former President Joe Biden called these dark days as he urged Americans to stay optimistic and not to check out in response to what he says are attacks on free speech and tests on the limits of executive power by President Donald Trump. Since its founding, America served as a beacon for the most powerful idea ever in government in the history of the world, Biden said. The idea is stronger than any army. We're more powerful than any dictator. Biden, 82, speaking publicly for the first time since completing a round of radiation therapy for an aggressive form of prostate cancer, addressed an audience in Boston on Sunday night after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Edward M. Kennedy Institute. He said America depends on a presidency with limited power, a functioning Congress and an autonomous judiciary. With the federal government facing its second-longest shutdown on record, Trump has used the funding lapse as a way to exercise new command over the government. Friends

'Decision based on work': Nobel Committee head on why Machado trumped Trump

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was named the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, dashing US President Donald Trump's hopes of getting it

Modi govt promoting wealth concentration, attacking democracy's soul: Cong

Flagging the issue of concentration of wealth, the Congress on Sunday alleged that it is driven by the Modi government's economic policies and asserted that it is not just a problem for the economy, but a "direct attack on the very soul of democracy". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which claimed that India is now becoming the new hub of billionaires and the number of rich people in the country is increasing rapidly year after year. "One report after another is warning about the widespread concentration of wealth in India. While millions of Indians struggle to meet daily needs, just 1,687 people possess half the country's wealth," Ramesh said in a post in Hindi on X. "This huge concentration of wealth, driven by the Modi government's economic policies, is creating massive economic inequality in our country. This inequality is giving rise to widespread social insecurity and discontent," he said. Recent events in other ...

Trump's move to consolidate power draws comparisons to fading democracies

In 2007, eight years after becoming Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez revoked the license of the country's oldest private television station. Eight months into his second term, President Donald Trump suggested revoking the licenses of US television stations he believes are overly critical of him. Since he returned to office in January, Trump's remaking of the federal government into an instrument of his personal will has drawn comparisons to elected strongmen in other countries who used the levers of government to consolidate power, punish their enemies and stifle dissent. But those familiar with other countries where that has happened, including Hungary and Turkey, say there is one striking difference: Trump appears to be moving more rapidly, and more overtly, than others did. The only difference is the speed with which it is happening, said David Smilde, who lived in Venezuela during Chavez's rise and is now a professor at Tulane University. Political enemies of the president ..

Watch: EC is defending 'murderers' of democracy, alleges Rahul Gandhi

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday accused Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of protecting those responsible for “destroying Indian democracy".

Best of BS Opinion: Is the US still a reliable ally to its friends?

Today's wrap of the Opinion Page straddles borders and ideas, as always; from the reliability of the US, to institutional strength in democracies, to Las Vegas' shimmering lights, it's all here

People's support will shield EC when it walks the right path: Akhilesh

Stating that Election Commission has the "historic responsibility" of safeguarding democracy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said that when it takes the "right course", support of crores of Indians will become its shield. Yadav said that a single "correct and bold step" by the poll panel could secure the future and welfare of countless generations in the country. "The Election Commission needs not just reforms but a complete transformation. Today, the historic duty of protecting democracy rests on its shoulders. We understand that it faces various unwarranted pressures, but it must not think it stands alone," Yadav said in a statement. When one walks the path of truth, people and their faith walk along, the Samajwadi Party leader said. "When the Election Commission chooses the right course, crores of Indians will stand behind it as its shield. When one walks the path of truth, people and their faith walk along. A single correct and bold step by the commission can ..

Unrecognised parties transparent, still behind national, regional parties

In FY18, merely 125 RUPPs (5.43 per cent) had their audited statements, and 82 RUPPs (3.56 per cent) had their contribution reports in public domain

Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral win draws sharp political reactions in India

Congress and BJP leaders criticise Mamdani for past comments on Modi, Ayodhya, and 2002 riots after his Democratic primary win for New York City mayor

Without addressing inequalities, no nation can be democratic: CJI Gavai

Without addressing the structural inequalities that marginalise large sections of society, no nation can claim to be truly progressive or democratic, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai said on Wednesday while emphasising that socio-economic justice is a practical necessity for achieving long-term stability, social cohesion, and sustainable development. Speaking at a function in Milan on the topic of "Role of Constitution in Delivering Socio-Economic Justice in a Country: Reflections from 75 Years of Indian Constitution", the CJI said that justice is not an abstract ideal and it must take root in social structures, in the distribution of opportunity, and in the conditions under which people live. "Without addressing the structural inequalities that marginalise large sections of society, no nation can claim to be truly progressive or democratic. Socio-economic justice, in other words, a practical necessity for achieving long-term stability, social cohesion, and sustainable development," h

TMC mob attack on Hindu family a 'grave attack on democracy': Supreme Court

The Supreme Court cancelled the bail of six TMC workers, calling their mob attack on a BJP-supporting Hindu family a grave assault on democracy's very roots

Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy party moves to disband as freedoms shrink

When Yeung Sum co-founded the city's largest pro-democracy party more than 30 years ago, he knew building a democratic Hong Kong would be a difficult dream." Still, it was not impossible. Today, his Democratic Party is moving toward dissolution, a symbolic marker of the diminishing Western-style civil liberties and high degree of autonomy that the ruling Communist Party in Beijing promised to keep intact in the former British colony for at least 50 years when it returned to China in 1997. Pro-democracy protests that paralysed Hong Kong in 2019 led to a crackdown that has all but silenced dissent through restricted elections, media censorship and a China-imposed national security law that saw some of Yeung's party members jailed. Dozens of civil society groups closed down. Former chairperson Yeung said in an interview with The Associated Press that Chinese officials told him the party needed to disband. He urged his members to support the motion to give the leadership mandate to hand

SC flags rising bail rejections, says democracy must not be police state

The Supreme Court has expressed dismay over rejection of bail pleas by trial courts in "not very serious cases" despite the completion of investigations. A bench comprising justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan on Monday said a democratic country must not function like a police state, where law enforcement agencies exercise arbitrary powers to detain individuals without genuine necessity. It observed that two decades ago, bail pleas in smaller cases rarely reached the high courts, let alone the top court. "It is shocking that the Supreme Court is adjudicating bail pleas in cases that should be disposed of at the trial court level. The system is being burdened unnecessarily," Justice Oka said while hearing a bail plea. This is not the first time the top court has flagged this issue. It has repeatedly urged trial courts and high courts to adopt a more liberal stance in granting bail, particularly in cases involving minor infractions. The apex court had previously expressed its angui

Airstrike in Myanmar kills nearly 30 people, says opposition group

An airstrike by Myanmar's military on a central village under the control of a pro-democracy resistance group has killed at least 27 civilians and injured 30 others, an opposition group and Myanmar's online media said Saturday. The attack occurred Friday at 3 pm in Let Pan Hla village in Singu township, about 65 kilometres north of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, a spokesperson for the Mandalay People's Defence Force said. The military did not comment on Saturday. Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict. The military government has stepped up airstrikes against the armed pro-democracy People's Defence Force and ethnic minority guerrilla groups that have been fighting for greate

Gyanendra's push for relevance meets resistance in democratic Nepal

Nepal's recent political history tells us that the route to a return of monarchy cannot go through India despite friends in high places

Punishment for breach of privileges must be proportionate to misconduct: SC

The judgment also outlined a few guiding principles for courts to consider while scrutinising the proportionality of actions taken by the House against its member(s)

'Democracy puts food on the table': Jaishankar claps back at US Senator

EAM S Jaishankar also slammed the West for backing non-democratic forces abroad while championing democracy at home