India report: Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinch maiden IPL Title

'Operation Sindoor' takes centre stage as Opposition demands special Parliament session
'Op Sindoor' delegation returns, briefs Foreign Minister Jaishankar on international feedback
Opposition Congress party calls India's G7 exclusion a 'diplomatic setback'
Northeast flood emergency worsens; Prime Minister vows comprehensive relief efforts
Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinch maiden IPL Title SBS Hindi
03/06/2025 10:25 SBS Hindi
04/06/2025 07:24

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ABC News

an hour ago

• ABC News

Why politicians in India are offering cows and cash to encourage having kids

A politician in southern India has offered new parents 50,000 rupees ($911) if they have a third child, as long as it's a girl. If it's a boy, the offer is a cow. The promise from Kalisetti Appalanaidu, an MP from the state of Andhra Pradesh, reflects heightened anxiety over population in southern India. Leaders in some of India's biggest southern states are now offering incentives for people to have bigger families — a dramatic shift in a country that, for more than 50 years, actively promoted smaller families. The reversal in population policy comes as India prepares for a long-delayed national census and a political process known as delimitation, which could dramatically reshape who holds power in the country's parliament. Delimitation is the redrawing of the boundaries of India's parliamentary constituencies based on population. The ongoing process was frozen in 1976 so that nationwide family planning efforts did not affect states' political representation in the union. However, the Modi government has indicated it will restart the process of delimitation after India conducts its census in 2027. The goal is to ensure that each elected representative in India's lower house, the Lok Sabha, represents roughly the same number of people. But this has sparked concerns in India's south. For decades, states like Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh had reduced their birth rates through proactive family planning policies. In contrast, many northern states have higher fertility rates. Under the delimitation formula, states with faster-growing populations could gain more seats in parliament, while states that have successfully curbed their population growth may lose political influence. Seeing a loss of political power on the horizon, some leaders are urging citizens to reverse decades of population control and start having more children. Both Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin have spoken publicly about the need for population growth to protect their states' political representation. Mr Stalin encouraged his constituents to start having children "immediately". In the meantime, there have been calls for the redrawing of boundaries to be delayed. "We have requested that the delimitation freeze be extended for another 25 years," said Manu Sundaram, a spokesperson for Tamil Nadu's ruling party, the DMK. In 2004, then-treasurer Peter Costello introduced a baby bonus — a one-time cash payment of up to $5,000 for new parents. The goal was to encourage population growth. It appeared to modestly increase the birth rate before it was eventually scrapped in 2014. In India, while politicians worry about seats in parliament, many families say that getting by is the priority — and that cash handouts won't change their reality. Malleshwari, a 28-year-old woman from a tribal community in Andhra Pradesh, has one child and says that is enough. "Considering the uncertainties of health and life, I would rather have one child and give them everything I can," she said. She said she believed the government needed to change its priorities if it really wanted to support families. "The main focus should be on education. The government must provide free and quality education. Not just academic, but life and vocational skills," she said. "Simply offering money as an incentive to have children will not be enough or widely accepted." Keshav, a 32-year-old tribal man working with an NGO, said his own upbringing had been marked by poverty and domestic violence and he did not want to see that cycle repeated. "Without being able to provide a good education, financial stability and a healthy lifestyle, I don't think it's right to bring more children into this world," he said. Those working closely with women and health care in southern India say the proposed strategy is misguided. Andhra Pradesh women's advocate Keerthi Bollineni said short-term cash incentives missed the bigger picture. "Sustainable population growth is essential," she said. Andhra Pradesh MP Appala Naidu has acknowledged women need more support — and part of his plan has been to promise greater access to maternity leave. But these moves are unlikely to have a measurable effect before the census in 2027. Dr Geetha Devi, a gynaecologist with more than 30 years of experience in Andhra Pradesh, said she was already seeing the limitations of the politicians' approach. She said investment in health care needed to be the priority. "To some extent [the incentives] may work. But educated and working women, I don't think they will be influenced by 50,000 rupees and a cow," she said. "Nowadays I see many families having a single child … I know many people who are having only one child in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other southern states." "If you encourage population growth, we have to improve our healthcare system first," she said. "The public health system lacks doctors, functioning equipment and even basic repairs. Many centres are short on staff."

ABC News

2 hours ago

• ABC News

Teens Shriya Lohia and Aashi Hanspal make a mark in Indian motorsports

Aashi Hanspal wasn't always interested in engines and racetracks. "I was always into dance, art, craft and Barbie," the 18-year-old says. "So this is very different for me." She didn't even like racing the first time she tried it. "When I started getting the hang of it, I loved the speed. I thought to myself that this is something I may just end up doing," she said. Seventeen-year-old Shriya Lohia's entry into motorsport wasn't exactly planned either. "I tried multiple sports since I was a young girl, but nothing stuck with me the way motorsport did," she said. Lohia was 16 when she became India's youngest and first female Formula 4 driver in 2023. Now two years later, she's racing towards a future that once felt out of reach. Hanspal and Lohia are among the country's few teenage female drivers competing at both national and international levels. In 2020, Hanspal was the only Indian girl selected for the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) Girls on Track — Rising Stars shootout in France. Two years later, Lohia was the sole Indian representative, among 14 girls chosen. Only 1.5 per cent of licensed motorsport drivers around the world are women, and the FIA Girls on Track program aims to identify and support young women in racing, so that can change. The global talent program is a not-for-profit initiative, spearheaded by former Formula 1 development driver Susie Wolff. Both racers say the motorsport ecosystem in India is changing to be more inclusive, but that they don't think it's happening fast enough. "With the introduction of Formula 4, Formula E in Hyderabad, and the Indian Racing League, things are getting better," Lohia said. "But we're still far behind Europe. Any progress is progress, though." The bigger change, they say, needs to happen off the track, in attitudes. "There are still families who won't let their daughters pursue something like this," Lohia said. "But my parents never thought that way. They pushed me to chase my dream." Racing may look like speed and swagger from the outside, but both women speak about the pressure that builds before the lights go out (lights going out, instead of green, is the terminology used in this type of racing). "You have to be very calm and composed," Hanspal said. "But when you set a benchmark for yourself, and others do too, you do get pressurised. "You can say you're calm, but when you're going to race 20 other guys and you're the only girl, it gets to you." Lohia describes race days as a tunnel of focus. "Maybe the pre-race moments are nerve-racking, but once I'm on track, it's just focusing on the next lap, the next corner, the car in front of you," she said. Still, the emotional weight builds over time. "I used to never cry," Hanspal admits. "Then before my last race, I'd start sobbing. Either you go numb to everything, or it all pours out." The physical toll can be tough too. In late 2023, Hanspal had a major crash during a race. Her suspension failed at high speed, sending her car crashing into a metal wall. "I broke my hand. It was right before a corner, the fastest part of the straight," she said. "It took a while to come back from that." With female participation in Indian motorsport scarce, the women feel it. "I would always travel with my dad. I didn't have any kind of female figure around on race weekends," Lohia said. "It didn't hit me until I had to change into racing gear, the guys just do it anywhere. But I couldn't. That's when it strikes you — I'm the only girl here." Hanspal shares similar experiences. "I've always heard: you have to beat the boys or be like the boys," she said. "People may mean well, but it gets in your head." Both say they've had supportive male peers; but infrastructure, especially in India, has not caught up. "Abroad it's a little more accommodating, but here, they're not even expecting female drivers," Lohia said. Racing in India isn't just emotionally demanding, it's expensive. And female racers often have to prove the sport is worth investing in. "Sponsorships are very tough," Hanspal said. "Racing is seen as a leisure sport, not a real career like cricket. My dad is funding me right now, and we're always looking for support, but it's not easy." Lohia has also seen her family's lifestyle shift entirely to support her dreams. "My parents made so many sacrifices. They adjusted everything for me. That's the kind of support you need in this sport." Both also credit their schools with helping them stay on top of academics. "My teachers would change their schedules to teach me one chapter at a time," Hanspal said. "I could never be more grateful." Both women look up to current and past Formula 1 stars, and their ambitions match. Lohia names Michael Schumacher as her all-time favourite, along with India's Formula 2 driver Kush Maini. "He's been a huge inspiration. I've met him a few times — just an amazing driver and person," she said. Among female racers, she looks up to Jamie Chadwick and Sophia Flörsch. Her ultimate goal though, is the pinnacle of Formula 1, and what's considered one of the most difficult tracks on the planet. "I'd love to race in Monaco one day. There's just something about it that makes you feel like you've made it," Lohia said. Hanspal's idols are Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. "Max is ruthless — he sees a gap and just takes it. That's what I want to learn from," she said. And for girls watching them now, the teenage driver has just one message. "Even if you don't like it at first, give it a proper chance. That's what I did. And look at me now." Srishtee Ramchandani is a journalist and storyteller exploring how sport intersects with identity, youth, and culture. She also runs Cric-Connect, a platform offering fresh perspectives on the game of cricket. Srishtee is part of ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.

West Australian

13 hours ago

• West Australian

Richard Marles will represent Australia at NATO meeting after Anthony Albanese confirms he won't attend

Anthony Albanese won't attend next week's NATO meeting in the Netherlands, forgoing his first chance to meet Donald Trump since his snubbing at the G7 summit. Earlier this week, the US President left G7 early and cancelled a planned meeting with the Prime Minister amid rising tensions between the countries. Mr Albanese had been considering heading to the Netherlands for the defence-focused gathering — which was a change of heart after he had already announced his deputy Richard Marles would be representing Australia at NATO. Now it's back to plan A, with Mr Marles to head off early next week. The reasons for Mr Albanese's rethink of going to NATO were twofold. Firstly, the June 25 security talks among European and US leaders come at a time of global unrest, with wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The American president is expected to go to the NATO meeting, although with his attention focused on the Israel-Iran conflict, he may still pull out at the last minute. The Middle-East conflict led to Mr Trump departing the G7 in Canada a day early this past week. The US been pressuring Australia to spend significantly more on defence, the Pentagon is currently reviewing the AUKUS pact with its pledge to sell nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, and Australia has been caught up in the White House's sweeping tariffs. Government sources said Mr Albanese was keen to arrange a meeting with Mr Trump soon. Mr Albanese did speak about the trade issues with senior US officials while in Canada and Foreign Minister Penny Wong pressed the case for AUKUS with Marco Rubio during a phone call on Friday. 'We talked about the Indo-Pacific and the importance of our partnership to stability, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,' Senator Wong said. 'I've outlined, as you would expect, the benefits to all countries, all three countries of the AUKUS agreement, an agreement which I think is so important for strategic balance in the region, that means protecting peace, preventing conflict and assuring prosperity and security for all countries. And AUKUS is a contribution to that. 'I've also outlined, just as the Prime Minister has, the near-term benefits to the United States, including additional maintenance days and more days in the water for more submarines.' NATO has traditionally been focused on Europe and North America. But the convergence of security interests has prompted deepened ties between the bloc the four Indo-Pacific nations — Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. Mr Albanese has attended two previous NATO summits and met NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte in Canada last week. Mr Marles also attended the gathering in Washington DC last year. This time, the leaders of Japan and New Zealand are heading to the Netherlands, and the South Korean president is keeping the door open to attending. Senior Opposition frontbencher James Paterson said he'd support Mr Albanese attending NATO regardless of whether he met with Mr Trump because the security discussions were so important.