There are numerous domestic political challenges, the two most important of which have recently been in the Jammu and Kashmir region and building a temple in Ayodhya city:

Cashmere

In early August 2019, the Indian government lifted the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and divided into two union territories with restricted powers: Jammu and Kashmir on one side, Ladakh on the other. The Modi government wants to increase its access to the area that has been disputed between Pakistan and India since 1947. Modi thus implemented an old demand of the BJP. In order to avoid unrest, the new Jammu and Kashmir were also blocked from going out and communicating (e.g. Internet access or visits from domestic and foreign journalists). With this step, Modi allegedly wants to accelerate the economic development of Jammu and Kashmir and fight terrorism there. Pakistan has strongly criticized this move and brought the matter before the United Nations Security Council.

Ayodhya

In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India declared in a momentous ruling that a temple in honor of the god Rama may be built in the north Indian city of Ayodhya. The site on which the temple is to be built has long been disputed between Hindus and Muslims. It is said that the 16th century mosque, which was demolished by fanatical Hindus in 1992, stood there on the ruins of an originally existing Rama temple. The ruling is controversial but is expressly welcomed by the Hindu nationalists. The building of a new Rama temple in Ayodhya was also one of Narendra Modi’s central election promises.

According to Thereligionfaqs.com, there is a risk that violent unrest between Hindu and Muslim religious groups will be fueled by the judgment.

Corruption

As in many other countries, corruption is widespread in India. In an international comparison, the extent of corruption is at a high level (80th place out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index 2019 by Transparency International) and comes last among the countries in the Asia / Pacific region. Even if the fight against corruption under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one of the main goals of government work, it has not yet been possible to systematically curb corruption in India.

In autumn 2010, what observers believe was the largest corruption scandal in the history of the Republic of India shook the country. The focus was on the former telecommunications minister A. Raja. Raja is said to have granted telecommunications licenses over the counter, resulting in revenue losses of an estimated 39 billion US dollars for the state. Most recently it became known that the well-known diamond dealer Nirav Modi is said to have defrauded the state-run Punjab National Bank by 1.43 billion dollars.

Regular corruption allegations against politicians from practically all parties show that corruption continues to be a social and highly political issue. The GAN anti-corruption portal offers a good overview of the various forms and the extent of corruption in India.

Human rights

Violent assaults against indigenous people and Dalits, violence against women and unpunished rape, millions of child laborers suffered millions of times, some of whom lead hard and short lives in debt bondage, or numerous attacks by the police are just a few examples of human rights violations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the US Department of State report.

Official crime statistics can be found on the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) website.

Press and other public media

Freedom of the press is protected by the Indian Constitution, but journalists risk their lives reporting on politically or economically sensitive issues. Recently there have even been murders of journalists critical of the government, most recently the journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot by unknown perpetrators in front of her house in Bangalore in the summer of 2017. Many therefore see press freedom in India at risk. India already ranks 142nd out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom. The Indian press is not free from corruption as there are strong links between the press, politicians and business leaders.

Media: What’s on in India?

In India there is a large number of newspapers, both in English and in the many regional languages, with an overall very large readership. In the meantime, an impressive number of English-language daily and weekly newspapers or political magazines from India appear on the Internet, reporting on current topics.

• The Hindu
• The Times of India
• Hindustan Times
• The Economic Times offers business news.
• Frontline
• Tehelka
• Outlook India

Of course, there are many other newspapers and magazines in India that report in very different journalistic quality. The Wire is particularly recommended as an online medium.

Broadcasting is of particular importance for mass communication and entertainment. The television medium in particular has become a huge market for employment and advertising.

The number of Internet users is also increasing, to around 451 million per month in 2019, which puts it in second place worldwide behind China. The US news broadcaster CNN is even of the opinion that the future of the Internet lies in India. However, access to the Internet is subject to massive government restrictions. For example, Kashmir was without an internet connection for four months during the explosive political abolition of its special status. In 2018 and 2019, India even tops the list of countries that most frequently block access to the World Wide Web – 138 times in 2018.

According to AbbreviationFinder, New Delhi is one of the largest cities in the country of India.

Shopping in New Delhi

In New Delhi, you can generally get mostly between heaven and earth at very good prices, although imported articles are rarely particularly affordable than in Europe. In New Delhi, the capital of India described on Countryaah. you will find exclusive, state-of-the-art shopping malls with all the well-known brand stores, and street markets with live animals, vegetables, flowers, spices and souvenirs.

The city’s inhabitants are frequent users of the markets. Chandni Chowk is one of the most famous. It is located in Old Delhi and is really considered a wholesale sale to shop owners. Here, mainly fresh produce, such as meat and fish, fruits, vegetables and flowers are sold. Factories are sold in rolls, spiced in hectares and rice in fifty silk bags.

If you shop at one of the modern shopping centers, the prices are relatively high, taxable and fixed. Besides, the product range is about the same as in Europe, and you miss the fun of India’s unofficial national sport, which is haggling. But by all means, prices are still significantly lower than in Europe.

Among the merchandise that most tourists come home with is craftsmanship, often ornate wooden boxes of various sizes, from jewelry boxes to larger chests. Rugs can be another bargain, often in the same style as the more well-known Persian or Turkish rugs. But beware; It is easy for an inexperienced buyer to be fooled. All of silk and other fabrics are considerably cheaper than in Europe, and of course precious metals such as gold and silver.

Most tourists want great fun shopping at Dilli Haat in southern New Delhi. Here you will find clothing and fabrics from all over India, jewelery and crafts, souvenirs and food at very good prices. The atmosphere here is considerably less stressful and hurried than in the central markets.

Many of the bazaars have their specialties. If you are interested in clothing, take the course for Paharganj or Sarojini Nagar. At Janpath Market you can shop for jewels and jewelery, souvenirs and juggles. At Sunder Nagar Market you will find antique dealers. Please note that any item older than 100 years requires special permission from the Indian government to be legally brought out of the country. Make sure you get the necessary documentation if you buy something here.

Eating in New Delhi

The food is India’s most successful export item, and most of us already have good knowledge of Indian food after visiting Indian restaurants in Norway or abroad. The selection in New Delhi is of course even better. Indians have over a hundred different ways of cooking meat and almost twice as many ways of cooking vegetables.

Speaking of meat, it’s pretty limited what kind of meat you can expect to find on the menu. Beef you should look for a long time since the cow is sacred in India and strolls around the city streets rather than being on the menu. Pork is also not served in many places, so mainly you will be offered chicken or lamb.

In New Delhi you can indulge in many different dishes. You can try one of the many northern dishes with chappati, a thin loaf of bread, next door. Or try one of the southern strong curries with rice or vegetables, Gujarati thalis in its myriad vegetarian varieties or even delicate freshwater fish from Bengal. If you order the right bombay duck, you may be surprised when the dish is served. It does not consist of duck you may think, but of dried fish.

Most of the better hotels have Indian cuisine on the dining menu, but the smaller restaurants are also well worth a visit as they offer a more authentic local atmosphere than the luxury hotels.

New Delhi’s own residents eat many of their meals from the street stalls that stand in close proximity along the busiest shopping streets. Among the most popular dishes is pav bhaji, a type of tasty loaf stuffed with vegetables and spices. Chinese food is also very popular.

Indian food can be spicy, especially the curries from the Goa district. From here comes the famous vindaloo. Talk to the waiter in advance if you are not comfortable with strong spicy food.

The desserts are perhaps the sweetest made for Scandinavian palates, with all their cakes infused with sugar and honey, but the kulfi ice cream is the exception. It is more creamy than western ice cream, often made from boiled water buffalo milk. It is available in several flavors like mango, cardamom or pistachio.

According to DigoPaul, Mumbai is one of the largest cities in the country of India.

Shopping in Mumbai

In Mumbai defined by AbbreviationFinder, you can get everything between heaven and earth at very good prices, although imported articles are rarely particularly cheaper than in Europe. Here you will find exclusive, state-of-the-art shopping centers with all the well known brand shops and street markets with live animals, vegetables, flowers, spices and souvenirs.

Younger customers like to shop in Linking Road or Fashion Street, perhaps also in Causeway Road, which is the main street in Colaba. Breach Candy, Warden Road and Napean Sea Road attract the more quality conscious audience.

The town’s residents are frequent users of the huge indoor market Crawford Market or Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Market, as it is also called. It was built in 1869, and is easily recognizable due to its 42-meter-high bell tower which overlies the entrance. Here mainly fresh products are sold, such as meat, fish, fruits, vegetables and flowers.

If you shop at one of the modern shopping centers, the prices are relatively high, taxable and fixed. Furthermore, the product range is about the same as in Europe. Here you will miss the fun of India’s unofficial national sport, the bargaining, which you otherwise experience every time you show a hint of interest in an item.

Among the crafts most tourists come home with are crafts, often ornate wooden boxes of various sizes and larger chests. Rugs can be another bargain, often in the same style as the more well-known Persian or Turkish rugs. All of silk and other fabrics are considerably cheaper than in Europe and of course precious metals such as gold and silver. But beware. It is easy for an inexperienced buyer to be fooled.

Bazaars in Mumbai
Many of the bazaars have their specialties. If you are interested in leather and leather goods, head for the Dhaboo Street Bazaar. At Zaveri Bazaar you can shop for jewels and jewelery, while Mutton Street is the place for furniture, souvenirs and juggling. At the Chor Bazaar you will find antique dealers. Please note that all goods older than 100 years require special permission from Indian authorities to be legally brought out of the country. Be sure to bring the necessary documentation if you are buying antiques.

Eating in Mumbai

The food is India’s most successful export item, and most of us already have good knowledge of Indian food from Indian restaurants in Norway. The selection in Mumbai is of course even bigger. Indians have over a hundred different ways of cooking meat and almost twice as many ways of cooking vegetables. The restaurants in Mumbai also have a lot of seafood on the menu as opposed to much of the rest of the country.

Speaking of meat, it is quite limited what kind of meat you can expect to find on the menu. Beef you should look for a long time since the cow is sacred in India. Pork is also not served in many places, so mainly you will be offered chicken or lamb.

In Mumbai you can try several of the dishes from the northern part of India with chappati next, you can try strong curries from the southern part of India with rice or vegetables, the dish gujarati thalis with its numerous vegetarian varieties or delicate freshwater fish from Bengal.

Most of the better hotels have Indian dishes on the menu, but the smaller restaurants are also worth a visit as they offer a more authentic, local atmosphere than the luxury hotels.

Mumbai’s own residents eat many of the meals from the street stalls, which stand in close proximity along the busiest shopping streets. Among the most popular dishes is pav bhaji, a type of tasty loaf stuffed with vegetables and spices. Chinese food is also very popular.

If you order the Bombay duck dish, you may be surprised when the dish is served. It does not consist of duck as one would think, but of dried fish.

Most people are well aware that Indian food can be spicy, so ask the waiter in advance if you are not comfortable with it. The curries from Goa district in particular are extremely strong; from here comes the famous vindaloo.

The desserts may be the sweetest made for Scandinavian palates with all their cakes infused with sugar and honey, but kulfi ice cream is the exception. It is more creamy than western ice cream, often made from boiled water buffalo milk. It is available in several flavors like mango, cardamom or pistachio.