Farmers in India burn straw stubble in a village in November. Narinder Nanu / AFP
Farmers in India burn straw stubble in a village in November. Narinder Nanu / AFP
Farmers in India burn straw stubble in a village in November. Narinder Nanu / AFP
Farmers in India burn straw stubble in a village in November. Narinder Nanu / AFP

Several recent stories paint a patchy portrait of India


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Some sense of what is happening in India can be gleaned from four news stories. On Wednesday, the Indian Supreme Court decides on whether it should be bound, like other public agencies, by the Right to Information Act; the Indian rupee last week fell by 0.5 per cent after ratings agency Moody’s lowered the country’s credit rating outlook, citing growth concerns; the poor quality of Delhi’s air continues to make headlines around the world; and a long-running dispute over the holy site of Ayodhya has finally been settled.

These developments tell an India story that is patchy, but it is fair to ask if they should even be taken together. Is it fair to link a court ruling on the right to information with an economic slowdown – not uncommon, and certainly not at a time of heightened global trade tensions and subdued growth – while throwing in air pollution and a judicial verdict on a contentious, decades-old land dispute? Does a common thread run through all of them?

The answer is that it offers a portrait of India in 2019. It is fitting that its highest court and chief justice consider the serious matter of whether they should be covered under the transparency law. Their verdict will settle a discussion that goes back to 2010, when a three-judge bench of the Delhi High Court ruled that the office of the chief justice of India is a “public authority” and comes under the RTI Act. The judgment was challenged in the supreme court and now, it will pronounce on it.

India's problem lies in changing both too little and too much. So while there is an attempt to settle old disputes and address the challenges of today, more attention needs to be paid

But what of the other matters? The noxious haze that shrouded Delhi earlier this month is an annual problem at this time of year, caused by construction dust and crop stubble-burning, and politicians have offered a rather inadequate response. Meanwhile, tourists are staying away and flights are disrupted.

Then there is the slowdown – India's finance minister recently acknowledged the "challenges" faced by the economy – and it is affecting everything from car sales to gold purchases, as well as the way investors view India. Not too long ago, India was the world's fastest-growing economy, chugging along at more than 8 per cent. Now it is at 5 per cent, the weakest rate in six years.

And finally, there is the Ayodhya verdict. The ruling by India’s highest court that Hindus should be allowed to build a temple on the disputed site and that Muslims be given another piece of land for a mosque throws up different opinions. Some see the verdict as a victory for Hindu hardliners. Others say it draws a line under the past and gives India the chance to move on from a deeply polarising period in its history.

Six months into prime minister Narendra Modi’s second term, after a massive election victory, some say that India is falling short in terms of its national brand. It has a strong leader, but a weakening economy, institutions that appear to be increasingly fusing political, legal and religious considerations, as well as an estimated 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities.

Others would argue that India is negotiating a changing world with some of the greatest possible advantages — domestic political stability, decisive leadership and a dominant narrative. Add to that India’s ability to build strong ties and manage delicate negotiations in the Middle East, maintaining relations with Palestinian territories, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey and Israel with careful diplomacy.

How then to read some of the nuanced commentary on the state of India today?

Kaushik Basu, a professor of international studies and economics at Cornell University and former chief economic adviser to the Indian government, recently suggested that the Indian economic slowdown “is mostly collateral damage, the result of an erosion of trust caused by the country’s drift toward illiberalism”. Indian academic Pratap Bhanu Mehta noted that the Ayodhya verdict was “a reflection on the state of India’s politics”. This is why no one expected that the country’s highest court would ask for the restoration of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya, the 14th century structure that was razed to the ground by Hindu mobs on December 6, 1992, Mehta wrote. And researchers for the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago in India described the problems in handling what they call Delhi’s “public health emergency”. Not enough people are properly aware of the harmful effects of air pollution, the researchers said, even as “wealthier households are able to avoid the outdoors, commute in air-conditioned vehicles, work in offices and invest in air purifiers”.

The three opinions cover disparate fields – economics, the law and the environment – but the baseline is the same. Essentially, they say that India’s problem lies in changing both too little and too much. So while there is an attempt to settle old disputes and address the challenges of today, more attention needs to be paid to social and economic inequality, institutional strength and credibility, as well as what makes for business confidence among investors, both domestic and foreign.

Former ad man and international policy adviser Simon Anholt once offered the following take on how nations can brand themselves: “The only remaining superpower is international public opinion”. This prompts the following question: what is India internationally known for at this point of time?

Old-timers would still say it is the land of Gandhi but millennials will probably also associate India with the rise of nationalism, majoritarian politics and the weakening of the rule of law, all of which are apparent in Turkey, Hungary, Poland and the US as well.

The point about a nation’s brand is that it should be a faithful, current representation. For years, India has had an unbeatable and attractive brand. Despite its poverty, it was a land of non-violence, peace and love; a country that strived, despite its communal divides, to elevate and dignify all citizens with equal access to the law and to the national narrative.

I’m not sure that remains wholly true today. It remains to be seen how India builds brand value.

How Voiss turns words to speech

The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen

The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser

This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen

A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB

The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free

Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards

Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser

Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages

At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness

More than 90 per cent live in developing countries

The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Hydrogen: Market potential

Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.

"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.

Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.

The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3EAlyssa%20Alhadeff%2C%2014%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EScott%20Beigel%2C%2035%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMartin%20Duque%2C%2014%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ENicholas%20Dworet%2C%2017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAaron%20Feis%2C%2037%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJaime%20Guttenberg%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EChris%20Hixon%2C%2049%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ELuke%20Hoyer%2C%2015%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECara%20Loughran%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EGina%20Montalto%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EJoaquin%20Oliver%2C%2017%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAlaina%20Petty%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMeadow%20Pollack%2C%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EHelena%20Ramsay%2C%2017%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAlex%20Schachter%2C%2014%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ECarmen%20Schentrup%2C%2016%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPeter%20Wang%2C%2015%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)

What is THAAD?

It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.

Production:

It was created in 2008.

Speed:

THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.

Abilities:

THAAD is designed to take out  ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".

Purpose:

To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.

Range:

THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.

Creators:

Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.

UAE and THAAD:

In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How to keep control of your emotions

If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.

Greed

Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.

Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.

Fear

The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.

Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.

Hope

While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.

Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.

Frustration

Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.

Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.

Boredom

Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.

Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.

UAE squad to face Ireland

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

MATCH INFO

Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)

TV: Abu Dhabi Sports

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

ON%20TRACK
%3Cp%3EThe%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Assembly%20will%20host%20three%20main%20tracks%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEducate%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Consists%20of%20more%20than%2010%20in-depth%20sessions%20on%20the%20metaverse%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInspire%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Will%20showcase%20use%20cases%20of%20the%20metaverse%20in%20tourism%2C%20logistics%2C%20retail%2C%20education%20and%20health%20care%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EContribute%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Workshops%20for%20metaverse%20foresight%20and%20use-case%20reviews%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tuesday's fixtures
Group A
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
Iran v Uzbekistan, 8pm
N Korea v UAE, 10.15pm
How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.