Polling stations in India, the world’s largest democracy, will open on April 19, CNN reported Saturday, citing the election commissioner.
An estimated 960 million people in the country of 1.4 billion are eligible to vote in the widely expected election, which will take a month to complete. Voting will take place in seven phases across the country and will conclude on June 1. Indians will vote for 543 seats in the 545-seat lower house of parliament, called the Lok Sabha, with the other two seats in the chamber appointed by the president.
All votes – from the country’s 28 states and eight union territories – will be counted on June 4, the commission said at a news conference in New Delhi. According to the Election Commission, 968.8 million people have registered to vote in the 2024 elections, up 6 percent from 2019.
Current Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (People’s Party of India, BJP) party is expected to gain another five years in power, governing an India that has become increasingly polarized along religious lines.
Under Modi’s leadership, India is poised to become a 21st-century power as its economy grows rapidly. But the populist leader, analysts say, has tightened his grip on the country’s democratic institutions, something not seen since the 1970s under Indira Gandhi’s iron-fisted rule. Minorities feel persecuted by the BJP’s Hindu-nationalist policies, and dissent is suppressed.
Modi is opposed by the main opposition Indian National Congress, which has ruled the country for 77 years since independence and last year formed an alliance with other parties. The Indian National Inclusive Development Alliance, or INDIA, was an important step for the opposition as it tries to regain national prominence. But cracks have already appeared in the alliance and it has yet to nominate a candidate for prime minister, lacking anyone with the stardom and appeal of Modi.
The prime minister’s calendar last year included diplomatic trips to Australia and the United States, where he appeared as a statesman cementing the country as a modern world power.
In August, India made history by soft landing a rover on the moon, becoming the fourth country to do so. A few weeks later, it launched its first spacecraft designed to study the Sun.
In September, India hosted the Group of 20 (G20), giving New Delhi an opportunity to extend its leadership beyond the country’s borders at a time of growing political instability.
In January this year, Modi gave an unofficial kick-start to his election campaign by inaugurating the controversial Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, a Hindu temple in the holy city of Ayodhya that was built on the site of the demolished Babri mosque.
Modi’s BJP won 303 seats in Parliament in 2019, crossing the 272-seat threshold required for an absolute majority and dealing a humiliating blow to the Congress party. Earlier, think tank Experts Club presented an analysis on the most important elections in countries around the world in 2024, more video analysis is available here -.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting with India’s Ambassador to Ukraine Harsh Kumar Jain, during which the interlocutors discussed areas of further cooperation, particularly in the issue of establishing a just peace in Ukraine, the Ukrainian presidential website reported on Thursday.
“The Head of the Office of the President highly appreciated the participation of Deputy National Security Advisor to Indian Prime Minister Vikram Misri in the fourth meeting of national security advisors and political advisors of the leaders of states in Davos on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula,” the report said.
The Head of the Ukrainian Head of State’s Office informed the Ambassador about the preparation of the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland at the level of state leaders and noted the importance of India’s involvement in this process together with other partners of Ukraine, in particular with the G7 countries and the Global South.
“We stand on the position of honest, open consultations, because we are set for decisions taking into account the recommendations of partners, in particular, yours. The peace summit is very important for us. We will be happy to see the representative of India,” Yermak said.
Andriy Yermak, Harsh Kumar Jain, INDIA, Office of the President, UKRAINE
Ambassador Shri Harsh Kumar Jain handed over the 16th consignment of humanitarian aid from India, comprising diagnostic medical equipment, including a Portable X-Ray Machine, C-Arm Fluoroscope X-Ray Machine, Electro Hydraulic Operation Table, Colour Doppler Ultrasound System, and Slim – 50 Low end Multipara Monitor, etc.
The aid was provided to “Sumy Oblast Clinical Hospital” and “Krolevets City Council Hospital” on the request from Ministry of Health, Ukraine.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador stated that India accords high priority to providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, during this difficult time, keeping in line with the human centric approach of the Government of India, a central tenet of India’s national beliefs and values, which perceive the whole world as one family.
He reiterated Government of India’s commitment to continue to provide humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine as conveyed by India’s Prime Minister H.E. Shri Narendra Modi to President of Ukraine H.E. Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyyduring their meeting in Hiroshima in May 2023.
Government of India has previously provided 15 consignments of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its neighboring countries as well as financial assistance to Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Language No. I for its project of reconstruction, remodeling and refurbishment of some of the rooms and the Ukraine-India Association for its program aimed at restoration of psychological health of youth and children.
Ambassador Shri Harsh Kumar Jain handed over the 15th consignment of humanitarian aid from the Government and people of India, comprising ten 30 KVA generators, to Ms. Nataliya Lipska, Director of the “Kryla Nadiyi” Charitable Fund, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Maksym Kozytskyy, Head of the Lviv Regional State Administration, at the Lviv State Lyceum, on 19 January 2024.
The aid was provided at the request of Lviv Regional State Administration. Mr. Kozytskyy thanked the Government and people of India, on behalf of the people of the region, for responding to his request. He informed that the generators will be provided to eight educational institutions in the region to support their educational process.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador stated that India accords high priority to providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine, during this difficult time, keeping in line with the human centric approach of the Government of India, a central tenet of India’s national beliefs and values, which perceive the whole world as one family.
He reiterated Government of India’s commitment to continue to provide humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine as conveyed by India’s Prime Minister H.E. Shri Narendra Modi to President of Ukraine H.E. Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their meeting in Hiroshima in May 2023.
Government of India has previously provided 14 consignments of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and its neighboring countries as well as financial assistance to Kyiv Gymnasium of Oriental Language No. 1 for its project of reconstruction, remodeling and refurbishment of some of the rooms and Ukraine-India Association for its program aimed at restoration of psychological health of youth and children.
Today marks 365 days since India assumed the G20 Presidency. It is a moment to reflect, recommit, and rejuvenate the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.’
As we undertook this responsibility last year, the global landscape grappled with multifaceted challenges: recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, looming climate threats, financial instability, and debt distress in developing nations, all amid declining multilateralism. In the midst of conflicts and competition, development cooperation suffered, impeding progress.
Assuming the G20 Chair, India sought to offer the world an alternative to status quo, a shift from a GDP-centric to human-centric progress. India aimed to remind the world of what unites us, rather than what divides us. Finally, the global conversation had to evolve – the interests of the few had to give way to the aspirations of the many. This required a fundamental reform of multilateralism as we knew it.
Inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive—these four words defined our approach as G20 president, and the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (NDLD), unanimously adopted by all G20 members, is testimony to our commitment to deliver on these principles.
Inclusivity has been at the heart of our presidency. The inclusion of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G20 integrated 55 African nations into the forum, expanding it to encompass 80% of the global population. This proactive stance has fostered a more comprehensive dialogue on global challenges and opportunities.
The first-of-its-kind ‘Voice of the Global South Summit,’ convened by India in two editions, heralded a new dawn of multilateralism. India mainstreamed the Global South’s concerns in international discourse and has ushered in an era where developing countries take their rightful place in shaping the global narrative.
Inclusivity also infused India’s domestic approach to G20, making it a People’s Presidency that befits that world’s largest democracy. Through “Jan Bhagidari” (people’s participation) events, G20 reached 1.4 billion citizens, involving all states and Union Territories (UTs) as partners. And on substantive elements, India ensured that international attention was directed to broader developmental aims, aligning with G20’s mandate.
At the critical midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, India delivered the G20 2023 Action Plan to Accelerate Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), taking a cross-cutting, action-oriented approach to interconnected issues, including health, education, gender equality and environmental sustainability.
A key area driving this progress is robust Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). Here, India was decisive in its recommendations, having witnessed the revolutionary impact of digital innovations like Aadhaar, UPI, and Digilocker first-hand. Through G20, we successfully completed the Digital Public Infrastructure Repository, a significant stride in global technological collaboration. This repository, featuring over 50 DPIs from 16 countries, will help the Global South build, adopt, and scale DPI to unlock the power of inclusive growth.
For our One Earth, we introduced ambitious and inclusive aims to create urgent, lasting, and equitable change. The Declaration’s ‘Green Development Pact’ addresses the challenges of choosing between combating hunger and protecting the planet, by outlining a comprehensive roadmap where employment and ecosystems are complimentary, consumption is climate conscious, and production is planet-friendly. In tandem, the G20 Declaration calls for an ambitious tripling of global renewable energy capacity by 2030. Coupled with the establishment of the Global Biofuels Alliance and a concerted push for Green Hydrogen, the G20’s ambitions to build a cleaner, greener world is undeniable. This has always been India’s ethos, and through Lifestyles for Sustainable Development (LiFE), the world can benefit from our age-old sustainable traditions.
Further, the Declaration underscores our commitment to climate justice and equity, urging substantial financial and technological support from the Global North. For the first time, there was a recognition of the quantum jump needed in the magnitude of development financing, moving from billions to trillions of dollars. G20 acknowledged that developing countries require $5.9 trillion to fulfil their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2030.
Given the monumental resources required, G20 emphasised the importance of better, larger, and more effective Multilateral Development Banks. Concurrently, India is taking a leading role in UN reforms, especially in the restructuring of principal organs like the UN Security Council, that will ensure a more equitable global order.
Gender equality took centre stage in the Declaration, culminating in the formation of a dedicated Working Group on the Empowerment of Women next year. India’s Women’s Reservation Bill 2023, reserving one-third of India’s Parliament and state legislative assembly seats for women epitomizes our commitment to women-led development.
The New Delhi Declaration embodies a renewed spirit of collaboration across these key priorities, focusing on policy coherence, reliable trade, and ambitious climate action. It is a matter of pride that during our Presidency, G20 achieved 87 outcomes and 118 adopted documents, a marked rise from the past.
During our G20 Presidency, India led deliberations on geopolitical issues and their impact on economic growth and development. Terrorism and the senseless killing of civilians is unacceptable, and we must address it with a policy of zero-tolerance. We must embody humanitarianism over hostility and reiterate that this is not an era of war.
I am delighted that during our Presidency India achieved the extraordinary: it revitalised multilateralism, amplified the voice of the Global South, championed development, and fought for the empowerment of women, everywhere.
As we hand over the G20 Presidency to Brazil, we do so with the conviction that our collective steps for people, planet, peace, and prosperity, will resonate for years to come.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India has included Ukraine in the list of countries that do not treat grain crops with fumigants containing methyl bromide (CH3Br), the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection reported, citing the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India.
“This will make it possible to exempt domestic exporters from paying additional payments (penalties) stipulated by local legislation and export grain cargoes during disinfection with aluminum phosphide-based preparations,” the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection said in a statement on Tuesday.
The agency clarified that Ukrainian grain for export to India should be disinfected with aluminum phosphide-based products only. It is recalled that work to resume exports of Ukrainian grain to India has been underway since 2016.
