Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been forced into a humiliating political climbdown following mass protests by young Indians. Their initial grievance was sparked when 2 million students were forced to resit an exam after test papers were leaked. But the list of complaints - and the mass action - soon grew, and Modi was forced to cede to demands that included the resignation of his education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The government might have given some ground. Nevertheless, Craig Jeffrey,
an expert on global youth and contemporary Indian politics, warns that the issues driving the discontent - India’s broken education system and a shortage of job opportunities -
won’t be fixed easily.
South Sudan is once again preparing for its first national election in December 2026. It will be the country’s third attempt in 15 years of independence to establish an elected government. Many local and international observers argue the country isn’t ready and the vote should be delayed again. But Jan Pospisil, who has studied South Sudan’s post-war transition, argues that another postponement would only deepen political
uncertainty. He explains why even an imperfect election may be the best path forward.
