China’s PLA & the 20th Party Congress
Dear Reader,
We hope you are doing well. In this week’s edition, we cover our new project studying the representation of the People’s Liberation Army in the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, discuss what political unrest in Sri Lanka means for India, highlight India’s obesity burden, and scrutinise policies around abortion.
Tracking PLA Members in CPC Central Committee
In our latest project, Megha Pardhi and Manoj Kewalramani document the current distribution of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officers in the 19th Central Committee (19th CC) of the Communist Party of China (CPC). They also analyse the likely changes in the PLA’s representation in the 20th Central Committee.
This dynamic project will be developed in parts over the year leading up to the 20th Party Congress. In the first part, the authors delve deep into the current distribution of PLA officers in the 19th CC based on age, representation of Theatre Commands (TCs), representation of service branches, and other factors.
In the second part of the project, the authors assess how many PLA members are likely to retire and how many are likely to retain their positions in the 20th Central Committee of the CPC based on past trends and other socio-political factors.
What India Can Do to Help the Sri Lankan People
On May 9, the largely peaceful anti-Rajapaksa protests in Sri Lanka took a violent turn. In the resulting violence, nine people died, including two policemen, with the agitating crowd burning down the home of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Subsequently, while the Prime Minister resigned, his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa remained the President. Though the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister has provided a semblance of political stability in the country, the protesters have refused to budge from their demand for the resignation of President Gotabaya.
On News18.com, Shrey Khanna writes about the implications of continued unrest in Sri Lanka for India. He argues:
The Sri Lankan economic crisis induced a reset in the island’s relationship with India while ultimately limiting China’s influence in the country. However, if the Wickremesinghe government fails to achieve political stability, the economic situation in Sri Lanka will likely deteriorate. Further, the continuing instability would strengthen the military’s role in civil affairs, thereby harming the democratic prospects of the country. In this regard, the ouster of the Rajapaksa family from Sri Lankan politics would offer both opportunities and challenges to India. Nonetheless, rather than military intervention, New Delhi should use its influence upon Gotabaya Rajapaksa to make him abolish the executive Presidency and form an all-party government. Nothing short of Gotabaya’s removal would suffice the Sri Lankan masses. Therefore, for political stability in Sri Lanka, India should act in the interest of the Sri Lankan public rather than support the country’s corrupt politicians.
India’s Obesity Burden
Most governments in India have focused their efforts on combating undernutrition, with many schemes launched across the country. While the focus was necessary for that time, new data on obesity suggests that we may have forgotten the obesity burden.
Harshit Kukreja and Mahek Nankani draw attention to India’s obesity burden in an article in News18.com. They write:
The data across various rounds of National Family Health Surveys shows that obesity has become one of the major metabolic risk factors for increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which account for more than 60 per cent of all deaths in India.
It is imperative to understand that the cause of obesity is the mismatch between calorie consumption and expenditure. With the decrease in physical activity coupled with increase in energy dense food, obesity has been on a rise. People are now adopting a more sedentary lifestyle leading to a decrease in energy expenditure. Increase in urbanisation and changes in transportation and employment further aggravate this problem.
The State of Abortion Policy and Access in India
In the United States, there is an ongoing discussion around a leaked draft opinion by the US supreme court that reveals that the landmark Roe Vs Wade judgment, which protected abortion rights in the country, is likely to be overturned.
This discussion has gone beyond the powers of the judiciary in the US and has been centred around women’s rights and the importance of safe and legal abortions. Such a discussion needs to be global, even in countries where abortion is not as contentious an issue – such s India, where despite abortion being legal since 1971, the state of women’s reproductive rights is far from ideal.
In the May 17 episode of All Things Policy, Priyal Lyncia D’ Almeida, Aarushi Kataria, and Atish Padhy discuss the state of abortion access and policy in India.
#BookLounge: Studies in Indian Public Finance
We are pleased to invite you to a #BookLounge webinar on Dr. M Govinda Rao’s new book, Studies in Indian Public Finance.
Date and Time: Friday, 6 PM IST, 3rd June.
Dr. Rao will be in conversation with Pranay Kotasthane, Deputy Director, the Takshashila Institution. Dr. Rao was a member of the 14th Finance Commission and is Councillor, the Takshashila Institution.
Dr. Rao has written a comprehensive book on Indian public finances by bringing together several contributions on the subject. It brings the intricate knowledge of important public finance policy issues impacting the people to lay readers.
Please note that it will be a hybrid event. If you are in Bengaluru, you can attend the event live at our office, i.e., The Takshashila Institution, 2nd floor, 46/1, Church St, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru Karnataka 560001. Snacks and tea will be served.
The Zoom/YouTube live link will be shared in advance for online attendees.
