India

India’s largest telecoms company Reliance Jio and its rival Bharti Airtel have signed separate deals with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring the Starlink internet service to the country.

The move has caught most analysts by surprise, as Musk has publicly clashed with both companies recently.

It comes as Indian and US officials discuss a trade deal. US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on 2 April.

The agreements, touted to expand satellite internet coverage across India, are still conditional upon SpaceX obtaining the Indian government’s approval to begin operations.

Starlink had 4.6 million subscribers across the world, as of 2024.

SpaceX has been aiming to launch services in India since 2021, but regulatory hurdles have delayed its arrival.

Both Jio and Airtel say they will leverage their mobile network along with Starlink to deliver broadband services to communities and businesses across the country, including in rural and remote regions.

Jio will offer Starlink equipment in its retail outlets and online stores along with providing installation support for the devices, while Airtel says it is exploring the same.

Airtel also says the tie-up, along with an existing deal with Starlink rival Eutelsat OneWeb, would help to expand its connectivity.

Many had not anticipated Starlink’s simultaneous deals with Jio Platforms and Airtel.

Up until the announcement, Jio was seen as Starlink’s biggest competitor in India’s satellite broadband market.

Billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal, who own Jio and Airtel respectively, had jointly opposed Musk’s demand to administratively allocate satellite spectrum.

Mr Musk had argued that spectrum should be allotted as this would align with international standards.

Ambani and Mittal had wanted it to be auctioned instead in a competitive bidding process.

Last October, in a major win for Musk, the Indian government announced that spectrum would be allocated administratively.

The tie-ups come off the back of that policy and Musk’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington last month, during which they discussed cooperation in areas of space technology and mobility.

Musk’s influence on the US government is “sky-high” and “probably a good reason why Delhi took a contrarian position with respect to Jio’s ask for spectrum auction rather than allocation, which is rare”, says Prasanto K Roy, a technology analyst.

India is the world’s second largest internet market but more than 670 million of its 1.4 billion people have no access to the internet, according to a 2024 report by GSMA, a trade body representing mobile network operators worldwide.

Satellite broadband provides internet access anywhere within the satellite’s coverage.

This makes it a reliable option for remote or rural areas where traditional services like DSL – a connection that uses telephone lines to transmit data – or cable are unavailable. It also helps to bridge the hard-to-reach digital divide.

“Starlink is a clear winner here,” says Tarun Pathak, an analyst at Counterpoint Research. If approved, the tie-ups give Musk access to 70% of India’s mobile users.

Musk has been “eyeing a presence [in India] because its size will also give him economies of scale” given how expensive satellite internet is, he says.

These partnerships are also a quick way for Starlink to comply with India’s data localisation laws, he adds.

For consumers, how the services are priced will be key, given mobile data in India is among the cheapest globally.

Satellite broadband plans cost around $150 a month, whereas mobile data is 150 rupees ($2; £1.33).

But a partnership with both Airtel and Jio could help bring prices down to around 3,000 rupees, says Roy.

“Also, pricing may be better from Musk’s point of view and not rock-bottom, with Jio and Airtel offering the same services,” he says.

For Airtel and Jio, the partnership with Musk is a clear result of the telecoms policy not favouring them, analysts say.

“Jio was hoping that it would raise the entry barriers for others by pressing for the auction route. But since that hasn’t happened, they must have felt it is better to change tack and do a tie-up,” says Roy.

Pathak says the Indian government, on the other hand, possibly felt it would be better to “co-operate” rather than “compete” with Musk with Trump’s tariffs looming and a trade deal under discussion.

India is home to 1.4 billion people but around a billion lack money to spend on any discretionary goods or services, a new report estimates.

The country’s consuming class, effectively the potential market for start-ups or business owners, is only about as big as Mexico, 130-140 million people, according to the report from Blume Ventures, a venture capital firm.

Another 300 million are “emerging” or “aspirant” consumers but they are reluctant spenders who have only just begun to open their purse strings, as click-of-a-button digital payments make it easy to transact.

What is more, the consuming class in Asia’s third largest economy is not “widening” as much as it is “deepening”, according to the report. That basically means India’s wealthy population is not really growing in numbers, even though those who are already rich are getting even wealthier.

All of this is shaping the country’s consumer market in distinct ways, particularly accelerating the trend of “premiumisation” where brands drive growth by doubling down on expensive, upgraded products catering to the wealthy, rather than focusing on mass-market offerings.

This is evident in zooming sales of ultra-luxury gated housing and premium phones, even as their lower-end variants struggle. Affordable homes now constitute just 18% of India’s overall market compared with 40% five years ago. Branded goods are also capturing a bigger share of the market. And the “experience economy” is booming, with expensive tickets for concerts by international artists like Coldplay and Ed Sheeran selling like hot cakes.

Companies that have adapted to these shifts have thrived, Sajith Pai, one of the report’s authors, told the BBC. “Those who are too focused at the mass end or have a product mix that doesn’t have exposure to the premium end have lost market share.”

The report’s findings bolster the long-held view that India’s post-pandemic recovery has been K-shaped – where the rich have got richer, while the poor have lost purchasing power.

In fact, this has been a long-term structural trend that began even before the pandemic. India has been getting increasingly more unequal, with the top 10% of Indians now holding 57.7% of national income compared with 34% in 1990. The bottom half have seen their share of national income fall from 22.2% to 15%.

The latest consumption slump, however, has deepened amid not just a destruction in purchasing power, but also a precipitous drop in financial savings and surging indebtedness among the masses.

The country’s central bank has also cracked down on easy unsecured lending that propped up demand after the Covid pandemic.

Much of the consumption spending of the “emerging” or “aspirant” class of Indians was led by such borrowing and “turning off that tap will definitely have some impact on consumption”, says Pai.

In the short run, two things are expected to help boost spending – a pick-up in rural demand on the back of a record harvest and a $12 billion tax give-away in the recently concluded budget. It will not be “dramatic” but could boost India’s GDP – largely driven by consumption – by over half a percent, says Pai.

But major longer-term headwinds remain.

India’s middle class – which has been a major engine for consumer demand – is being squeezed out, with wages pretty much staying flat, according to data compiled by Marcellus Investment Managers.

“The middle 50% of India’s tax-paying population has seen its income stagnate in absolute terms over the past decade. This implies a halving of income in real terms [adjusted for inflation],” says the report, published in January.

“This financial hammering has decimated the middle class’s savings – the RBI [Reserve Bank of India] has repeatedly highlighted that net financial savings of Indian households are approaching a 50-year low. This pounding suggests that products and services associated with middle-class household spending are likely to face a rough time in the years ahead,” it adds.

The Marcellus report also points out that white-collar urban jobs are becoming harder to come by as artificial intelligence automates clerical, secretarial and other routine work. “The number of supervisors employed in manufacturing units [as a percentage of all employed] in India has gone down significantly,” it adds.

The government’s recent economic survey has flagged these concerns as well.

It says labour displacement as a result of these technological advancements is of particular concern for a mainly services-driven economy like India, where a significant share of the IT workforce is employed in low value-added services sectors that are most prone to disruption.

“India is also a consumption-based economy, thus the fall in consumption that can result from the displacement of its workforce is bound to have macroeconomic implications. If the worst-case projections materialise, this could have the potential to set the country’s economic growth trajectory off course,” the survey says.

Instances of hate speech against minorities jumped 74% in India in 2024, peaking during the country’s national elections, according to a new report.

The report, released on Monday by Washington-based research group India Hate Lab, documented 1,165 such instances last year, adding that politicians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were among the most frequent purveyors of hate speech.

Muslims were targeted the most, with 98.5% of recorded instances of hate speech directed against them.

The report said most of the events where hate speech occurred were held in states governed by Modi’s party or larger alliance.

The BBC has sought comment on the India Hate Lab report from several spokespersons at Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Over the years, BJP leaders have often been accused of targeting India’s minority communities, especially Muslims.

The ruling party has rejected allegations of Islamophobia and hate speech levelled at it by rights groups and opposition leaders.

On Tuesday, its national spokesperson reiterated this stance, telling CNN that the country had a “very strong legal system which is structured to maintain peace, order and ensure non-violence at any cost”.

“Today’s India does not need any certification from any ‘anti-India reports industry’ which is run by vested interests to prejudice and dent India’s image,” Jaiveer Shergill said.

But the party was accused of using hate speech during the heated election campaign last year. The prime minister himself was accused of using divisive rhetoric that attacked Muslims. In May, India’s Election Commission also asked the party to remove a social media post that opposition leaders said “demonised Muslims”.

According to the India Hate Lab report, 269 hate speech instances were reported in May 2024, the highest in the year.

Christians have also been targeted by hate speech, but to a lesser extent than Muslims, the report says.

Rights groups have often said that minorities, especially Muslims, have faced increased discrimination and attacks after Modi’s government came to power in 2014. The BJP has repeatedly denied these allegations.

The lab’s report said that hate speech was especially observed at political rallies, religious processions, protest marches and cultural gatherings. Most of these events – 931 or 79.9% – took place in states where the BJP directly governed or ruled in coalition.

Three BJP-ruled states – Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh – accounted for nearly half of the total hate speech events recorded in 2024, the lab’s data showed.

The ruling party was also the organiser for 340 such events in 2024, a 580% increase from the previous year.

“Hate speech patterns in 2024 also revealed a deeply alarming surge in dangerous speech compared to 2023, with both political leaders and religious figures openly inciting violence against Muslims,” the report said.

“This included calls for outright violence, calls to arms, the economic boycott of Muslim businesses, the destruction of Muslim residential properties and the seizing or demolition of Muslim religious structures”.

Priyanka Gandhi, segretaria generale del Congresso nazionale indiano (Inc), principale forza di opposizione in India, ha giurato come membro della Camera del popolo, la camera bassa del parlamento, dopo la vittoria alle elezioni suppletive del 13 novembre per il seggio del collegio di Wayanad, nello Stato del Kerala. La neodeputata ha vinto con 622.338 preferenze, superando nettamente i due avversari principali: Sathyan Mokeri del Partito Comunista d’India (Cpi), che ne ha ottenute 211.407, e Navya Haridas del Partito del popolo indiano (Bjp), a quota 109.939.

Il seggio di Wayanad era vacante perché il fratello Rahul Gandhi, figura di spicco del Congresso e leader dell’opposizione alla Camera, nelle elezioni generali tenutesi in primavera si era presentato e aveva vinto sia in quel collegio sia in quello di Raebareli, nell’Uttar Pradesh, optando poi per Raebareli, storica roccaforte del partito e della famiglia Gandhi. I due sono figli di Rajiv Gandhi, l’ex primo ministro assassinato nel 1991, e di Sonia Gandhi, a lungo leader del Congresso e attualmente membro del Consiglio degli Stati, la camera alta. Priyanka è dunque la terza esponente della famiglia a sedere in parlamento.

Priyanka Gandhi, 52 anni, è segretaria generale del Congresso dal 2020, dopo essere stata segretaria generale nell’Uttar Pradesh orientale, il suo primo incarico ufficiale. Già da tempo, però, partecipava attivamente alla vita del partito, coinvolta nelle campagne elettorali del fratello e della madre, e consultata su questioni importanti come la scelta dei governanti statali. Il suo ingresso in politica è stato ipotizzato per anni, addirittura prima di quello di Rahul: si faceva il suo nome come erede della dinastia politica Nehru-Gandhi, anche per la somiglianza con la nonna Indira.

Invece, Priyanka è rimasta a lungo, se non proprio nell’ombra, in seconda linea. Si è laureata in psicologia all’Università di Delhi e ha conseguito un master in studi buddisti; quindi è diventata fiduciaria della Fondazione Rajiv Gandhi. Probabilmente ha evitato un impegno più diretto per non ostacolare il fratello, oltre che per dedicarsi alla propria famiglia, formata con l’imprenditore Robert Vadra, col quale è sposata dal 1997 e ha due figli. Nelle campagne elettorali della madre e del fratello, però, c’è stata la sua gestione, e anche la sua voce a partire dal 2014 quando ha cominciato a prendere la parola in prima persona nei comizi.

India and China have agreed on patrolling arrangements to de-escalate tensions along a disputed Himalayan border which has seen deadly hand-to-hand clashes in recent years, India’s top diplomat has said.

Vikram Misri said on Monday the two sides have agreed on “disengagement and resolution of issues in these [border] areas that had arisen in 2020”.

He was referring to the Galwan Valley clashes – the first fatal confrontation between the two sides since 1975, in which both sides suffered casualties.

Relations between the neighbours have been strained since then.

“An agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020,” Mr Misri said.

Mr Misri, however, did not give any details about the disengagement process and whether it would cover all points of conflict along the disputed border.

The Indian foreign secretary’s statement comes just a day before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Russia for a meeting of Brics nations which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Mr Misri didn’t confirm if a bilateral meeting between Mr Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping was on the agenda.

His remarks on Monday mark a major development between the two nuclear-armed nations since the Galwan clashes.

Troops in the Galwan Valley fought with clubs and sticks because of 1996 agreement between the two countries that prohibited the use of guns and explosives near the border.

Several rounds of talks between their diplomats and military leaders in the last four years had not resulted in a major breakthrough.

Troops from the two sides clashed in the northern Sikkim area in 2021 and again in the Tawang sector of the border in 2022.

Border tensions have cast a long shadow on India-China relations for decades. The two countries fought a war in 1962 in which India suffered a heavy defeat.

Business relations between the two Asian giants have also suffered due to the tensions.

The root cause is an ill-defined, 3,440km (2,100-mile)-long disputed border. Rivers, lakes and snowcaps along the frontier mean the line often shifts, bringing soldiers face to face at many points, sparking a confrontation.

The two nations have been also competing to build infrastructure along the border, which has sparked further tensions.

La crisi diplomatica in atto da ormai un anno tra India e Canada ha portato nei giorni scorsi all’espulsione reciproca degli ambasciatori. La crisi è aperta dal 18 settembre 2023, giorno in cui il primo ministro del Canada, Justin Trudeau, durante un intervento parlamentare, riferendo di aver ricevuto “elementi credibili” dalle agenzie di sicurezza, accusò pubblicamente l’India di essere coinvolta nell’omicidio dell’attivista sikh Hardeep Singh Nijjar, cittadino canadese, avvenuto due mesi prima in territorio canadese. L’attivista ucciso era coinvolto nel movimento per il Khalistan, una patria sikh che dovrebbe comprendere il Punjab indiano, l’unico Stato in cui la comunità è maggioritaria (circa 60 per cento della popolazione, contro il due per cento scarso in tutta l’India) e alcuni altri territori (i confini variano a seconda dei gruppi).

Il movimento per il Khalistan, nato verso la fine del dominio britannico, raggiunse il suo culmine nel Punjab negli anni Ottanta, mentre dagli anni Novanta è andato scemando, sia per la repressione delle forze dell’ordine sia per le divisioni interne. La terra dei sikh oggi è vagheggiata soprattutto tra gli espatriati. Nuova Delhi, tuttavia, mantiene una linea durissima contro il separatismo sikh. L’organizzazione Sikhs for Justice (Sfj), di cui Nijjar faceva parte, è classificata come associazione illegale in India. Il gruppo militante Khalistan Tiger Force (Ktf), di cui Nijjar era ritenuto il capo dalle autorità indiane, è stato designato come organizzazione terroristica. La questione sikh è stata motivo di frizioni tra India e Canada anche prima della grave crisi in corso, da quando Trudeau è in carica. Le accuse scambiate tra i due governi hanno però raggiunto toni drammatici ieri.

Il ministero degli Esteri indiano ha emesso tre comunicati nel corso della giornata: il primo per contestare l’inclusione del suo ambasciatore a Ottawa e di altri diplomatici tra le “persone di interesse”, ovvero informate dei fatti e convocabili durante le indagini sul caso Nijiar; il secondo per annunciare il ritiro dell’ambasciatore e di altri diplomatici e funzionari; il terzo per comunicare l’espulsione di sei diplomatici canadesi. Nel frattempo, indiscrezioni della stampa, in particolare del quotidiano “The Washington Post”, che ha interpellato funzionari del governo canadese, hanno rivelato che i diplomatici indiani sono stati in realtà espulsi. L’espulsione, infine, è stata confermata dal ministero degli Esteri del Canada, dopo un quadro allarmante illustrato da una conferenza stampa della Polizia reale canadese a cavallo (Rcmc).

La Polizia canadese ha parlato senza mezzi termini del “coinvolgimento di agenti del governo indiano in gravi attività criminali in Canada”, tra cui “omicidi, estorsioni e altri atti criminali di violenza”, scoperto attraverso “molteplici indagini in corso”. L’Rcnc ha spiegato che, in seguito a diverse denunce, ha creato nel febbraio di quest’anno una squadra multidisciplinare che “ha appreso una notevole quantità di informazioni sull’ampiezza e la profondità dell’attività criminale orchestrata da agenti del governo indiano”. Le indagini hanno rivelato anche che diplomatici e funzionari consolari indiani “hanno sfruttato le loro posizioni ufficiali per svolgere attività clandestine, come la raccolta di informazioni per il governo indiano, direttamente o tramite i loro rappresentanti; e altri individui hanno agito volontariamente o tramite coercizione”.

Secondo quanto riferito, il vice commissario della polizia federale, Mark Flynn, ha tentato di incontrare gli omologhi delle forze dell’ordine indiane per discuterne, ma “questi tentativi non hanno avuto successo”. Nel fine settimana, quindi, Flynn, insieme alla consigliera per la Sicurezza nazionale e l’intelligence, Nathalie Drouin, e al viceministro degli Esteri, David Morrison, ha incontrato funzionari del governo indiano per presentare alcune “evidenze” e chiedere collaborazione in merito a quattro problemi molto gravi: l’estremismo violento che colpisce entrambi i Paesi; i collegamenti tra agenti del governo indiano e omicidi e atti violenti; l’uso della criminalità organizzata per creare la percezione di un ambiente non sicuro che prende di mira la comunità sud-asiatica in Canada; l’interferenza nei processi democratici.

Il ministero degli Esteri del Canada ha motivato l’espulsione di sei diplomatici e funzionari consolari indiani con l’indisponibilità dell’India a collaborare e con la necessità di proteggere la sicurezza dei canadesi: “Per far progredire l’indagine e consentire alla Rcmp di interrogare gli individui interessati, è stato chiesto all’India di rinunciare alle immunità diplomatiche e consolari e di collaborare all’indagine. Purtroppo, poiché l’India non era d’accordo e dati i problemi di sicurezza pubblica per i canadesi, il Canada ha notificato l’espulsione a questi individui”, si legge nel comunicato. La ministra Melanie Joly si è rammaricata, sottolineando che è “nell’interesse di entrambi i Paesi arrivare in fondo a questa questione”.

Per Nuova Delhi, invece, “il governo canadese non ha condiviso un briciolo di prova con il governo dell’India, nonostante le numerose richieste”; contro i diplomatici indiani sono state lanciate “imputazioni assurde” e “ridicole”; da Ottawa sono giunte solo “affermazioni prive di fatti” e dietro “il pretesto di un’indagine” c’è “una strategia deliberata di diffamazione dell’India per guadagni politici”. Il ministero degli Esteri indiano, a sua volta, ha accusato il governo del Canada, ed esplicitamente il suo primo ministro Trudeau, di aver “concesso spazio a estremisti violenti e terroristi per molestare, minacciare e intimidire diplomatici indiani” giustificando tali attività “in nome della libertà di parola”. Oltre a lamentare la mancata repressione in Canada dell’attivismo separatista sikh, il ministero ha attribuito a Trudeau una “evidente ostilità” nei confronti dell’India, con motivazioni politiche.

La vicenda per Nuova Delhi è da attribuire “all’agenda politica del governo Trudeau che è incentrata sulla politica della banca dei voti”. Dunque, Trudeau – leader del Partito liberale, nettamente indietro rispetto al Partito conservatore in tutti i sondaggi più recenti in vista delle elezioni federali dell’anno prossimo – utilizzerebbe il caso Nijiar a scopo elettorale, per attingere alla “riserva di voti” dell’elettorato sikh (una comunità di circa 800 mila persone, su una popolazione di circa 39 milioni). Anche a costo delle relazioni di lunga data, 75 anni, con l’India, con cui sussistono importanti legami storici ed economici.

Il caso Nijiar, comunque, non è isolato. Ne esiste uno analogo negli Stati Uniti, dove un cittadino indiano di nome Nikhil Gupta è stato incriminato per il coinvolgimento in un “complotto sventato” per assassinare a New York un “leader del movimento separatista sikh”, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, fondatore del gruppo Sikhs for Justice. Qualche mese fa, inoltre, il quotidiano “The Washington Post” ha pubblicato un’inchiesta – “infondata” secondo Nuova Delhi – sulle “campagne di repressione transfrontaliera” condotte negli ultimi anni dall’India. La testata ha intervistato “più di tre decine di attuali ed ex alti funzionari negli Stati Uniti, in India, Canada, Regno Unito, Germania e Australia”, interviste che hanno descritto una “posizione globale sempre più aggressiva della Raw”, l’agenzia di spionaggio indiana Research and Analysis Wing.

A severe heatwave continues to wreak havoc in India as the eastern state of Odisha on Monday reported eight deaths within a 72-hour period.

Official figures released in May suggested 60 people died between March and May across India due to heat-related illnesses.

But the number is likely to be much higher as heat-related deaths go under-reported in rural areas.

Officials say India is in the middle of the longest heatwave it has seen since records began. Temperatures have crossed 50C in some areas recently.

“This has been the longest spell because it has been experienced for about 24 days in different parts of the country,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) told the Indian Express newspaper.

Parts of northern India have been experiencing extreme heat since mid-May, with temperatures hovering between 45-50C in several cities.

Some areas of the country have also been impacted by water shortages, with extreme heat placing huge demands on supplies.

Earlier this month, at least 18 polling officials deployed for the final phase of the general elections died of heat-related illnesses in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states, authorities said.

On 31 May, at least 33 people, including election officials, died of suspected heatstroke in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

The monsoon, which hit India’s southern coast in Kerala state on 30 May, is expected to bring some relief as it spreads to northern parts of the country in the coming days.

The IMD has predicted an above-average monsoon season for the country this year.

But Mr Mohapatra said that “heatwaves will be more frequent, durable and intense, if precautionary or preventive measures are not taken.”

The weather office has predicted heatwave conditions for northwest and eastern India for the next five days.

India is the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gases, relying heavily on coal to generate power for its needs.

“Human activities, increasing population, industrialisation and transport mechanisms are leading to increased concentration of carbon monoxide, methane and chlorocarbons,” Mr Mohapatra said.

“We are endangering not only ourselves, but also our future generations.”

Delhi è stata la capitale più inquinata al mondo nel 2023. A rivelarlo uno studio condotto da IQAir, gruppo di monitoraggio della qualità dell’aria con sede in Svizzera, secondo il quale non solo la capitale non gode di buona salute ma addirittura l’intero Paese, l’India, è il terzo più inquinato al mondo dopo i vicini Bangladesh e Pakistan. L’aria è peggiorata dal 2022, quando era l’ottavo Paese più inquinato.

Gli esperti affermano che la rapida industrializzazione unita alla debole applicazione delle leggi ambientali hanno avuto un ruolo importante nell’aumento dell’inquinamento. L’India, infatti, ha visto un grande sviluppo negli ultimi decenni, ma la scarsa regolamentazione industriale fa sì che le fabbriche non seguano le misure di controllo dell’inquinamento. A questo si aggiunge anche la rapida escalation edilizia che ha contribuito all’aumento dei livelli di inquinamento.

Il rapporto di IQAir afferma che il livello medio di PM2,5 dell’India – particolato fine che può ostruire i polmoni e causare una serie di malattie – è pari a 54,4 microgrammi per metro cubo. A livello globale, l’aria che contiene da 12 a 15 microgrammi per metro cubo di PM2,5 è considerata sicura da respirare, mentre l’aria con valori superiori a 35 microgrammi per metro cubo è considerata malsana.

La qualità dell’aria di Delhi è peggiore della qualità dell’aria complessiva dell’India con una lettura di PM2,5 della città di 92,7 microgrammi per metro cubo. Delhi è inquinata durante tutto l’anno, ma l’aria diventa particolarmente tossica durante l’inverno. Ciò accade a causa di vari fattori, tra cui l’incendio dei resti dei raccolti da parte degli agricoltori negli stati vicini, le emissioni industriali e dei veicoli, la bassa velocità del vento e lo scoppio di petardi durante i festival. L’anno scorso, il governo ha chiuso scuole e università per diversi giorni consecutivi a causa dell’aria tossica.

Nel frattempo, la città di Beguserai nel nord del Pese e la città di Guwahati nel nord-est sono state classificate come le due città più inquinate al mondo.

Solo sette Paesi hanno rispettato la linea guida annuale PM2.5 dell’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità (OMS), che corrisponde a una media annua di 5 microgrammi per metro cubo o meno. Tra di essi si annoverano Australia, Nuova Zelanda, Islanda e Finlandia. Secondo IQAir, questi dati sono stati raccolti da oltre 30.000 stazioni di monitoraggio della qualità dell’aria posizionate in 134 paesi, regioni e territori.

India’s government has announced plans to enact a controversial citizenship law that has been criticised for being anti-Muslim.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will allow non-Muslim religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to seek citizenship.

The authorities say it will help those facing persecution.

The law was passed in 2019 – sparking mass protests in which scores of people died and many more were arrested.

Rules for it were not drawn up in the wake of the unrest but have now been, according to the country’s home affairs minister Amit Shah.

He made the announcement on Monday, writing on social media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “delivered on another commitment and realised the promise of the makers of our constitution to the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians living in those countries”.

India’s home ministry in a statement said that those eligible can now apply online for Indian citizenship. An online portal for receiving applications has already been set up.

The ministry said that there have been “many misconceptions” about the law and its implementation was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This act is only for those who have suffered persecution for years and have no other shelter in the world except India,” it added.

The implementation of the CAA has been one of the key poll promises of Mr Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the run-up to general elections this year.

It amends the 64-year-old Indian Citizenship law, which currently prevents illegal migrants from becoming Indian citizens.

Under the new law, those seeking citizenship will have to prove that they arrived in India from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Afghanistan by 31 December 2014.

Monday’s announcement did not come as a surprise to many, as BJP leaders have been dropping hints over the past few months that the law could be implemented before the elections. After the notification was issued, BJP handles trended hashtags like “Jo Kaha So Kiya” (We did what we said) online.

In the meantime, protests against the CAA have started in some states, including Assam, where the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) – which spearheaded the 2019 protests in the north-eastern state – has given a call for a shutdown on Tuesday.

In the southern state of Kerala, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) party has called for state-wide protests. “This [the law] is to divide the people, incite communal sentiments and undermine the fundamental principles of the Constitution,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, adding that the law would not be implemented in his state.

Critics of the CAA say it is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the constitution, which prohibits discrimination against citizens on religious grounds.

For example, the new law does not cover those fleeing persecution in non-Muslim majority countries, including Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka.

It also does not make provision for Rohingya Muslim refugees from neighbouring Myanmar.

There is concern that, when harnessed in tandem with a proposed national register of citizens, the CAA could be used as a way to persecute the country’s 200 million Muslims.

Some Indians, including those who live close to India’s borders, are also worried that implementing the law will lead to an influx of immigrants.

Monday’s announcement has not gone down well with the opposition, who accuse the government of trying to influence the upcoming election.

This is expected to be held by May and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking re-election for a third term in a row.

“After multiple extensions in four years, its [the law’s] implementation two to three days before the election announcement shows that it is being done for political reasons,” said All India Trinamool Congress party leader, Mamata Banerjee, at a press conference.

Jairam Ramesh, the communication head of the Indian National Congress, wrote on social media that “the time taken to notify the rules for the CAA is yet another demonstration of the Prime Minister’s blatant lies”.

Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party, questioned the timing of the move.

“CAA is meant to only target Muslims, it serves no other purpose,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Un piccione sospettato di essere stato inviato dalla Cina a scopo di spionaggio è stato catturato in India e tenuto in custodia per otto mesi, per poi essere liberato. Lo riferisce l’agenzia di stampa “Press Trust of India” (“Pti”), citando la polizia di Mumbai. L’uccello, infatti, secondo quanto riportato, è stato catturato lo scorso maggio nel sobborgo di Chembur della capitale dello Stato del Maharashtra.

Alle zampe aveva due anelli, uno di rame e uno di alluminio, mentre sul lato inferiore di entrambe le ali c’erano messaggi scritti in cinese. Il volatile è stato trattenuto nella clinica veterinaria Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit per tutta la durata delle indagini, che hanno però dimostrato l’infondatezza del sospetto. Alla fine, infatti, si è scoperto che il piccione era stato impiegato in una gara in acque aperte organizzata a Taiwan ed era fuggito. Chiusa l’inchiesta per spionaggio, la polizia ha autorizzato la liberazione, avvenuta l’altro ieri, assicurando che l’animale era in buone condizioni di salute.