From the Explained editor: Election in Nepal, crisis in Pak, and a bad idea on pensions in India

We published a detailed article this week on the Old Pension Scheme to which the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party want to return in the states that they rule.

Clockwise from top left: The Congress and Aam Aadmi Party want to return to the Old Pension Scheme in the states that they ruleA woman casts her vote during the general election, in Lalitpur, Nepal November 20; India formally takes the presidency of the G20 at the beginning of December; Former Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan sits in a wheelchair after he was wounded following a shooting incident during a long march in Wazirabad.

Dear Express Explained reader,

As you read this, Nepal would have finished its single-day vote to elect new federal and provincial assemblies. The election is a battle between two alliances, one led by the parties of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, and the other by K P Sharma Oli. Nepal has been battling chronic political instability for years — the Deuba-Prachanda government was the 10th since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008, and the government that comes to power now will be the country’s 33rd in the 32 years from 1990. Yubaraj Ghimire wrote about the vote, the parties and the issues, and why, despite the enormous stakes involved, this election brings very little hope for the majority of the electorate.

There is turmoil in Pakistan too, where a new army chief is supposed to take over next week. It is a selection that lies at the heart of the political tussle that has been playing out in the streets since the beginning of the month, when Imran Khan set out on his “long march” to Islamabad from Lahore. As the political tussle moves closer to a likely denouement, Nirupama Subramanian set out four possible scenarios for the days ahead. Some of these scenarios seem likelier than others, and the needle has not moved visibly in any direction for about a week now — but in unpredictable, volatile Pakistan, the unexpected can always be expected. Do read.

Story continues below this ad

Separately, Nirupama also summed up in an article what to expect in the coming eight months as India formally takes the presidency of the G20 at the beginning of December. There will be an endless stream of meetings and negotiations among a vast range of stakeholders as New Delhi seeks to shape the agenda of the 2023 G20 summit along the lines that it envisages. The summit next year will be the biggest of its kind that India has ever hosted, and it will carry enormous significance for the country and its place in the rapidly changing world order.

P Vaidyanathan Iyer wrote a detailed article this week on the Old Pension Scheme to which the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party want to return in the states that they rule. Pension reform has been debated by governments for decades now, and turning the clock back on decisions that are clearly in the enduring interest of future generations of Indians is both bad politics and bad economics. Do read the story and the history, and go through the telling data that argues its case.

Keep reading The Indian Express Explained. Some of our best content is now behind a paywall, so if you haven’t subscribed to The Indian Express yet, it may be a good idea to do so soon.

Sincerely,

Monojit

Tags:
Express Explained

Is Delhi BJP govt playing with fire on crackers? The test comes tomorrow

Political Pulse2 hr ago

Delhi's Diwali celebrations pose a challenge for the BJP government as the Supreme Court permits the sale and use of green firecrackers for two days with fixed hours. The party must strike a balance between tradition and environment, while also showcasing its coordination with all four engines of government.

View all shorts

More Explained

Explained Gold ETF inflows surge over six fold: What is driving investor interest?