Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Most Indians satisfied with governance, Pew survey shows

MOST Indians are happy with the direction of the country and economic prospects for the next generation, a Pew survey published weeks ahead of general elections showed, although the level of satisfaction has fallen over time.

Lack of employment opportunities is India's biggest problem, said more than three-quarters of those polled, and that had not changed through most of prime minister Narendra Modi's tenure, the survey found.


The survey published on Monday (25) said concerns about terrorism and Pakistan loomed large even before last month's crisis triggered by an attack on a security convoy in Kashmir.

Three-quarters of Indians believe Pakistan to be a threat and 59 per cent said terrorism had become worse.

"But despite these worries, most Indian adults are satisfied with the direction of their country and the economic prospects of the next generation," Pew said, summing up the survey result.

Of those polled, 54 per cent said they were satisfied with the way democracy is working in India. But satisfaction had declined 25 percentage points from 2017, when 79 per cent voiced approval.

Men are more likely than women to give Indian democracy a thumbs-up, though one in five women decline to offer an opinion, it said.

There were 2,521 respondents in the Pew Survey run from May 23 to July 23, 2018, the final year of Modi's term before the election, at which about 900 million people are eligible to vote.

Modi is considered the frontrunner to win the election that begins on April 11, but his lead is narrowing and several polls have suggested his group may fall short of a clear majority required to rule.

Renewed tension with Pakistan has shifted attention somewhat from bread-and-butter issues to national security over the past month, to the advantage of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party.

Critics have accused the BJP of creating a climate of fear among India's Muslim minority by promoting a Hindu-first agenda and targeting it for the slaughter of cows they consider sacred and have sometimes questioned its allegiance to India.

The BJP denies bias but says it opposes appeasement of any community. Muslims make up about 14 per cent of India's population of 1.3 billion.

(Reuters)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less