| Title: | Measuring India’s Economic Growth: Evidence Beyond the Headline GDP |
| Author/s: | Diego Maiorano |
| Abstract: | While India’s reported latest gross domestic product (GDP) figures suggests that the country is in an economic ‘sweet spot’ – high growth and low inflation – many analysts are sceptical about these headline figures. Vital metrics, including record-low foreign direct investment, stagnant manufacturing employment and a mismatch between corporate revenues and GDP growth, diverge from headline growth. Technical issues, specifically a GDP deflator skewed by low wholesale prices and methodological revisions dating back to 2011, have triggered international scepticism, evidenced by the International Monetary Fund’s recent downgrade of India’s national account statistics to ‘C’ grade. This suggests that official data may systematically overstate economic health, even if few doubt that India is indeed growing fast. However, restoring the credibility of statistical agencies is essential to ensure that policy interventions are based on reality rather than statistical constructions. |
| Date: | 23 January 2026 |
| Read More |
| Title: | Nepal and the Universal Periodic Review: Between Commitments and Consequences |
| Author/s: | Harsh Mahaseth |
| Abstract: | In December 2025, Nepal presented its third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) before the United Nations Human Rights Council, projecting substantial compliance with the recommendations it accepted in 2022. The government highlighted progress in strengthening the National Human Rights Commission, advancing the criminalisation of torture, addressing discrimination and improving civil and birth registration systems. Yet this narrative has been sharply contested by civil society and human rights defenders, who point to persistent gaps between commitments and practice. As Nepal approaches its fourth cycle of the UPR review in January 2026, these tensions raise wider questions about performative compliance and the limits of international human rights accountability. |
| Date: | 15 January 2026 |
| Read More |
Load more