India’s winter session stalemate: Unemployment, pollution, farmer protests ignored amid Parliament’s Sonia-Soros-Adani clash

• As of March 1, 2022, the Indian government reported 9.64 lakh vacant posts across various departments out of over 40 lakh sanctioned posts, with 30 lakh employees currently working—this information was shared during 2023 monsoon session in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
• Farmers associated with Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha resumed their protest on December 8, but halted due to aggressive police action. Earlier, on December 6 police used tear gas to suspend farmers’ planned march to Delhi. The farmers are protesting at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, 2024.
• As of May 2023, over 60,000 people have been displaced and living in refugee camps for more than 16 months in Manipur, a hill state in northeast part of India after violence took place among Meitei and Kuki tribal community.  
• According to reports, India is the world’s second-most polluted country, facing critical health challenges due to PM2.5 air pollution, which reduces the average Indian’s life expectancy by 5.3 years. And, Delhi, the national capital of India has become the most polluted city globally, with life expectancy decreases by 11.9 years.
• In 2021, India recorded the highest number of child deaths under five due to air pollution worldwide. Nearly 50% of global ozone-related COPD deaths (2,37,000 deaths) occurred in India in 2021. Over 90% of Indians breathe air exceeding the WHO’s interim target-1 of 35 µg/m³, with India contributing significantly to global particulate pollution levels.
• Hospitals in Delhi report a surge in respiratory illnesses linked to pollution. Cases of walking pneumonia, a mild form of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumonia, have also risen.

The above issues are among many other challenges that India is currently facing. But yet, the current burning discussion during winter session of Indian parliament has been about Sonia Gandhi’s connection to George Soros, a 92-year-old Hungarian-American philanthropist.

In a series of posts on X, the BJP claimed that Sonia Gandhi, as Co-President of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP), is associated with an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation. The BJP alleged that this organisation has expressed views treating Kashmir as an independent entity.

“This association between Sonia Gandhi and an organisation that has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation expresses the influence of foreign entities on India’s internal affairs and the political impact of such connections,” said the BJP’s post.

India’s ruling party’s allegations came amid Congress-led protests in Parliament over allegations against the Adani Group. Recently. US prosecutors indicted Gautam Adani and others for alleged roles in a $265 million bribery scheme to secure power-supply deals.

Proceeding of both houses of Parliament—Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha—faced significant disruptions following BJP’s allegations that top Congress leaders have connections with organisations funded by US billionaire George Soros, accused of “anti-India” activities. The uproar halted all legislative business on Monday as well as Tuesday.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju called Sonia Gandhi’s alleged connection with George Soros a “serious concern.” In a statement, he said, “It is an important issue that I want to raise without doing politics over it. The links between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros are serious. We do not want to see it by giving a political spin.” He also urged all political parties, including the Congress, to unite against “anti-India forces.”

BJP party chief JP Nadda said that Sonia Gandhi must clarify her alleged role in a Soros Foundation-funded organisation. He said, “The link between the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP) and Soros is a matter of concern. Its co-president is a member of this House,” further demanding a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, citing concerns about internal and external security.

The Congress has dismissed the BJP’s charges, continuing to focus on the Adani bribery issue during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. The opposition party accused BJP of compromising India’s international relations to divert attention from the Adani controversy. The party continued its protests, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the allegations against Gautam Adani.

Jairam Ramesh argued in the Rajya Sabha, said, “When the Chair has rejected notices under Rule 267, the issues mentioned therein should not be allowed to be raised.”

Leader of the opposition Mallikarjun Kharge questioned that “How is the chairman allowing BJP members to raise this issue when he had already rejected their notices in this regard?”

Parliamentary disruptions and events

In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla expressed frustration over repeated disruptions during Question Hour, said, “Question Hour is significant. Allow the House to function properly. But you don’t want to allow the House to run. The country wants the House to run.”

“Our democracy reflects the hopes and aspirations of the people. Maintaining the dignity of this House is our collective responsibility,” he added,

Despite multiple adjournments, proceedings were ultimately called off on both the days.

In the Rajya Sabha, treasury benches raised slogans demanding answers from Congress, prompting opposition protests. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar warned, that “The functioning of the deep state affects us more perniciously than the Covid disease.”

The ongoing standoff reflects heightened tensions as the BJP and Congress clash over the Soros controversy and the Adani issue. While BJP’s demand for discussions on the alleged nexus intensifies, the opposition continued to demand discussions on the indictment of industrialist Gautam Adani in a US court and Sambhal violence, which has been a major point of contention.

Who is George Soros?

George Soros is known for his successful hedge fund career and significant donations to human rights, health, and education causes through the Open Society Foundations, operating in over 100 countries.

What the Adani issues?

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been charged with fraud in the United States for allegedly orchestrating a $250 million bribery scheme to secure contracts for his renewable energy company, Adani Green Energy. The charges, filed in New York on Wednesday, claim that Adani and other senior executives made payments to Indian officials to win contracts expected to yield over $2 billion in profits over 20 years.

However, the Adani Group has strongly denied the allegations, calling them “baseless,” and vowed to pursue “all possible legal recourse.” The charges have significantly impacted the company’s stock prices, and other group companies also facing losses. Adani Green Energy, at the center of the allegations, also canceled a planned $600 million bond offering.

In 2023, a report by Hindenburg Research accused the group of stock manipulation and accounting fraud, allegations Adani denied, prompting an investigation by India’s Securities and Exchange Board (SEBI). Hindenburg later claimed that SEBI’s chief had links to offshore funds tied to Adani, which was also denied.

The US indictment is one of the most significant challenges the Adani Group has faced. The criminal charges involve Adani and seven other defendants, including his nephew. The investigation began in 2022, with prosecutors alleging that executives raised $3 billion in loans and bonds based on false and misleading statements about the company’s anti-bribery policies. US Attorney Breon Peace said, “As alleged, the defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars and… lied about the bribery scheme as they sought to raise capital from US and international investors.” He added, “My office is committed to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace and protecting investors from those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the integrity of our financial markets.”

BJP’s response to Adani controversy

On December 5, BJP claimed that the US “deep state,” in collaboration with the media platform OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, attempting to damage India’s reputation. BJP also pointed to Rahul Gandhi’s use of OCCRP reports to criticize the Adani Group, alleging its close ties with the government.

On December 7, a US Embassy spokesperson called the accusations “disappointing,” emphasizing that the US government has long supported media freedom worldwide. The United States rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s accusations that organizations funded by the US State Department and elements of the “American deep state” were behind efforts to destabilize India, particularly through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.

“It’s disappointing that the ruling party in India would make these kinds of accusations,” the embassy spokesperson said. “The US government collaborates with independent organisations on programmes that support professional development and training for journalists. These programs do not influence the editorial decisions or direction of these organisations,” they added.

OCCRP, based in Amsterdam, focuses on crime and corruption stories. The BJP had referenced a French media report claiming OCCRP receives funding from USAID, a US State Department agency, and figures like George Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation, whom the BJP associates with the “deep state.”

Responding to BJP’s accusations, Mediapart’s (French media outlet) publisher, Carine Fouteau, condemned the BJP for “instrumentalising” their recent investigative article on OCCRP to attack press freedom. Fouteau stated, “Mediapart firmly condemns the instrumentalisation of its recently published investigative article about OCCRP by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in order to serve BJP’s political agenda and attack press freedom.” She added, “BJP wrongly exploited Mediapart’s article in order to spread fake news that we never published.” Fouteau emphasized that “There are no facts available supporting the conspiracy theory promoted by BJP,” and expressed “full support to the courageous Indian and international journalists who report and investigate in India.”

Let’s revisit some numbers and facts

Vacancies and Employment in Indian Government Departments (as of March 2022 available data)

• Civil Services:
  • Indian Administrative Service (IAS): 1,365 vacancies
  • Indian Police Service (IPS): 703 vacancies
  • Indian Forest Service (IFS): 1,042 vacancies
  • Indian Revenue Service (IRS): 301 vacancies
• Ministry of Home Affairs:
  • Total vacancies: 1,14,245
    • Group ‘A’: 3,075
    • Group ‘B’: 15,861
    • Group ‘C’: 95,309
• Railways:
  • Total vacancies: 2.63 lakh, including 53,178 in Operational Safety categories.
  • Recent recruitment empanelled 1,39,050 candidates.

Recruitment Progress (2018–2023):

• Between April 2018 and March 2023, UPSC, SSC, and RRBs recommended 4,63,205 candidates for appointment.
• In the first quarter of 2023-24, SSC and RRBs recommended an additional 1,03,196 candidates.

Workforce Distribution (March 2022):

• Group ‘A’: 1,08,099 employees
• Group ‘B’: 2,92,117 employees
• Group ‘C’: 26,12,934 employees

Key Demands of protesting farmers:

• Legal Guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their agricultural produce.  
• Farmers are demanding farm loan waiver as they are burdened with debt, and they are demanding a complete waiver of farm loans.  
• Farmers want a pension scheme to have financial security in their old age.  
• Demanding no hike in electricity tariff as they are concerned about increasing electricity costs and want a cap on tariffs.

Current Situation in Manipur:

• Since May 2023, over 200 deaths have been reported from Manipur due to violence between Meitei and Kuki community.
• Over 60,000 people have been displaced and have been living in refugee camps.
• Internet services are fragile as violence took place recently too. On September 7, 2024, around 5-6 deaths were reported due to violence in the valley.
• Many schools have been reopened, but the academic year has been disrupted due to the violence and subsequent displacement. Children living in refugee camps are hardly attending schools.

India’s contribution to global pollution scenario:

• India remains a major contributor to annual global particulate concentration, with the highest number of polluted cities as reported by the World Health Organization in 2023.
• India contributed 59.1% of the global pollution increase between 2013 and 2021.
• The data underscores the urgent need for effective interventions to address the severe health and environmental impacts of air pollution in India.

• All 1.3 billion Indians live in areas exceeding the WHO air quality guideline, and 67.4% are in areas above India’s national standard of 40 µg/m³.
• Delhi, the world’s most polluted city, sees a life expectancy reduction of 11.9 years due to pollution.
• In the Northern Plains, 521.2 million residents (38.9% of the population) face an average life expectancy loss of 8 years relative to the WHO standard and 4.5 years compared to India’s standard.
• From 1998 to 2021, particulate pollution increased by 67.7%, cutting average life expectancy by an additional 2.3 years.

• PM2.5 pollution poses the greatest health risk, reducing life expectancy more than cardiovascular diseases (4.5 years) and child/maternal malnutrition (1.8 years).
• If India meets the WHO PM2.5 guideline, life expectancy could increase significantly, with Delhi residents gaining 11.9 years and those in North 24 Parganas gaining 5.6 years.

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Nibedita Saha

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