More of the Same Is Not More Democratic
Dr. Rao VBJ Chelikani On 16 April 2026, the ruling party introduced three Bills in a special session of Parliament proposing to increase the number of members in the Lok Sabha from the present 536 to 850. The proposed delimitation sought to reallocate and increase the number of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly seats among the states by 50%. However, this proposal was strongly opposed by several opposition parties, and the Bills were defeated, though not primarily on the principle of representation. 1. Yet, it is an occasion to refle…
Foreign Policies are now a matter of People’s Concern
Dr.Rao VBJ Chelikani I. The Return of Realism: Are we witnessing a return to disorder in international relations? The post–World War II order is clearly under strain. Core principles, like the prohibition of force under the UN Charter, are increasingly violated, with states favoring unilateral military action over negotiation, mediation, or adjudication. Power politics has re-emerged as the dominant logic. Mr. Dmitry Peskov, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, recently remarked, "We have all lost what we call international law… Even if …
Participatory Universal Social Security System for all: When and How?
Rao V.B.J. Chelikani For much of history, many Indians, like populations elsewhere, lived under conditions of material precariousness, fear, uncertainty, and insecurity about life and wellbeing, though these preoccupations varied across regions and periods and included phases of prosperity and social stability. This has led them to believe in a philosophy of life, which we can call a Povertarian philosophy, adopting a twisted version of the Karma theory to justify fatalism that accepts whatever happens to them or to others in society as a pred…
Human Rights Education
Rao V.B.J. Chelikani Human Rights are not limited to protection against violations by the State; above all, they encompass the rights of others that each individual is morally and socially obligated to promote and respect of all human beings, both near and far. Effective promotion of Human Rights, therefore, requires continuous self-education as well as the education of others in the society. In the whole globalised world, not merely in individual nations, the human beings are currently experiencing profound social turbulence, political viol…
Indians Abroad
Dr Rao VBJ Chelikani Recently, in Indian Parliament, the Administration disclosed that approximately 10,152 Indian nationals are currently imprisoned abroad, mostly in Gulf countries, as of March 2025. It is important to note that this figure includes only Indian passport holders in a few countries and reflects those cases officially reported to Indian embassies. The actual numbers may be still higher. During a UN assignment in Singapore in the 1990s, I had the opportunity to visit several correctional facilities. My personal impression b…
Claiming Participatory Democracy in India: From Political Capture to Citizen Empowerment
I. Political Capture and the Erosion of Democratic Spirit In a democracy, theoretically, power belongs to the people. But in India, as in many other developing countries, after independence a class of politicians has emerged to capture and usurp political power, dominating the governance of the entire society. Formed into political parties, they are not empowering citizens but, on the contrary, spreading a political culture that distances power relations from human and social relations. As a strategy, they are diverting the attention of citiz…
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