LUIZ INÁCIO Lula da Silva's victory in Brazil's 2022 presidential race was nothing short of heroic. Despite being Brazil's most popular politician and its most successful president in the past 50 years he had to face two obstacles. The first was the persistent rejection of his Workers' Party in Brazilian politics since 2016. That is when former president Dilma Rousseff, Lula's ally, was ousted after a contentious impeachment trial on charges of corruption.
The second and more obvious obstacle was incumbent president Jair Bolsonaro, who has an unparalleled capacity to mobilise the masses. The fact that Bolsonaro garnered more than 58 million votes (against Lula's 60 million) was proof of his strong and cohesive far-right supporting base. In his re-election bid, Bolsonaro deployed every state resource to benefit his Liberal Party by lowering fuel prices, expanding access to the country's emergency cash transfer programme and allocating federal budget. There were also allegations of vote-buying and voter suppression on his behalf during the elections.
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Denne historien er fra January 01, 2023-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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On shaky ground
Despite reporting net gains in green cover, the latest forest survey shows degradation of natural forests, particularly in ecologically sensitive hotspots
Burden of proof
The government's drive for e-KYC verification to ensure rightful targeting of beneficiaries has proved exclusionary for many
Rupee slide impacts agricultural trade
THE UNION Cabinet on January 1, 2025, approved the extension of a subsidy package of ₹3,500 per tonne on di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) for companies.
THE 500 GW SWITCH OVER
Coal is the king of energy at present. India needs to dislodge it with clean energy for an equitable green transition
MANIFESTING 500 GW
Ensure that renewable energy is available round the clock.Establish a viable market and reward those who take lead
Lifting a curse
How Gangabai Rajput helped her water-scarce village in Madhya Pradesh let go of superstition and revive an ancient waterbody
HOLD THEM SACRED
The Supreme Court has recommended that the Union government create a comprehensive policy for the governance and management of sacred groves across the country
REPORT CARD 2024
Coal is still the king in terms of electricity generation. But new renewables, mainly solar power, have shown an impressive growth
'India a laboratory for seismologists'
India is no stranger to earthquakes. In recent memory, Latur and Bhuj districts in Maharashtra and Gujarat witnessed devastating tremors in 2003 and 2001 respectively. Such quakes leave clues that can aid preparations for future events, say seismologists KUSALA RAJENDRAN, professor, Indian Institute of Science, and CP RAJENDRAN, adjunct professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies. The Rumbling Earth-The Story of Indian Earthquakes, captures their work on historical as well as recent quakes. In an interview with ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY, they discuss the science of earthquakes, why the Himalayas are due for a huge event and why prediction remains a challenge. Excerpts:
Capturing Siang
As India pushes for a mega-dam on the Siang river to counter China's upstream projects, the Adi tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh fears losing ancestral land
