Why Al Jazeera refuses to say who owns ORF, hired for Govt of India's democracy ranking

I was a little amused on reading an Al Jazeera piece -- a scoop actually -- which says that ahead of elections the Modi government is all set to come up with its own democracy and freedom index vis-a-vis other countries. The story has been quotes by Hindustan Times, from where I first read about it.

It is doing so after several international think tanks ranked India poorly -- a ranking which has been nose diving ever since Modi took over the reign in May 2014. The think tank "hired" is Observer Research Foundation (ORF), which, says the report, has worked closely with External Affairs Ministry and Niti Aayog, among others.

While the Al Jazeera story made good reading, what it refuses to say is who owns ORF. I don't know why it omitted its name. I have known about ORF ever since RK Mishra, my former Patriot editor, who later became editor-in-chief of Business and Political Obsever (BPO), majorly owned by Reliance, was made ORF chairman after BPO collapsed. Reliance owns 65% of its stakes, and also receives funds from some Indian (including Government of India) and foreign funders.

I see nothing wrong in a top business house owning a think tank, as it would help create an aura of intellectualism around it, apart from making it look respectable. ORF's Gujarat chapter was once led, ironically, by a Leftist journalist who was special correspondent of Patriot, Dinkar Mehta, an unassuming person.

However, why refuse to mention Reliance and other owners is difficult to comprehend.

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DigiLocker's 'mismatch' problem: When technology defies government policy

DigiLocker has been functioning in rather strange ways, at least in my experience over the past year. For quite some time now, I have been trying to retrieve various documents from the Government of India's official app, but every attempt ends with an inexplicable "mismatch" error. I even lodged a complaint through its official email ID, explaining that I was unable to retrieve or download essential documents such as my PAN card , driving licence, and the registration certificates of my car and scooter. The response has remained the same: the system refuses access on the grounds of a so-called mismatch.

Caste, class, and Patidar agitation: Veteran academic 'unearths' Gujarat’s social history

Recently, I was talking with a veteran Gujarat-based academic who is the author of several books, including "Social Movements in India: A Review of Literature", "Untouchability in Rural India", "Public Health and Urban Development: The Study of Surat Plague", and "Dalit Identity and Politics", apart from many erudite articles and papers in research and popular journals.

'Rethink' Kalpasar, 'end civil engineering mindset' in Gujarat's water strategy

Prof. Vidyut Joshi, a prominent sociologist and one of the leading protagonists of the mega Narmada dam project, has raised critical questions regarding the viability of Gujarat’s ambitious Kalpasar project. Writing in the Gujarati daily Sandesh under the headline "Let us consider alternatives scientifically for the Kalpasar project," Joshi argues that rather than remaining trapped in a "civil engineering mindset" focused solely on constructing massive dams, the state must pivot to modern, sustainable, and technologically viable alternatives to quench the thirst of the arid Saurashtra region.

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