Amit's Blog

The Tale of Two Punjabs: From Breadbaskets to Backwaters Once the crown jewels of their nations, Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab rode the Green Revolution’s wave in the 1960s to become agricultural powerhouses, boasting prosperity unmatched in South Asia. Extensive canal systems, high-yield seeds, and government support turned them into India and Pakistan’s breadbaskets. Yet, both regions have since stumbled, failing to transition to large-scale industrialization or services, remaining tethered to agriculture’s sinking ship. Indian Punjab, battered by insurgency and policy missteps, and Pakistani Punjab, choked by national instability and feudal grip, missed the IT and manufacturing booms that transformed peers like Gujarat, South Indian States, Maharashtra, and Karachi. Ecological decay, governance failures, and brain drain have left them middling players. This note explores their parallel declines through economic, political, and social lenses, drawing on thinkers like Nirvikar...

Global Wind Energy: Trends, Policies, and 2030 Outlook Wind energy is a key driver of global decarbonization, with China, the EU, India, the USA, GCC, Singapore, Australia, and ASEAN advancing capacity and production. This note details their 2024 wind capacity and electricity production, compares these with 2014 figures, and calculates the 10-year CAGR. It explores regional policies, achievements, and five-year forecasts (2025–2030), highlighting unique challenges and opportunities. Drawing from sources like the IEA and GWEC, the analysis underscores China’s dominance, India’s steady growth, and emerging efforts in ASEAN and GCC. Policy support, grid integration, and investment will shape wind’s role in sustainable energy transitions. Table: Wind Capacity and Electricity Production (2014–2024) Country/Region 2024 Wind Capacity (GW) 2024 Wind Electricity Production (TWh) 2014 Wind Capacity (GW) 2014 W...

Solar Energy in Key Regions: Policy, Achievements, and Five-Year Forecast   Solar energy is pivotal for global decarbonization, with China, the EU, India, the USA, GCC, Singapore, Australia, and ASEAN leading adoption. This note details their 2024 solar capacity and electricity production, contrasts with 2014 figures, and computes the 10-year CAGR for solar electricity production. It explores regional policies, achievements, and five-year forecasts (2025–2030), highlighting unique drivers and challenges. Drawing from sources like the IEA and Ember, the analysis reveals China’s dominance, India’s rapid growth, and emerging efforts in GCC and ASEAN. Policy alignment, infrastructure, and innovation will shape solar’s role in sustainable energy transitions. Solar Capacity and Electricity Production (2014–2024) Country/Region 2024 Solar Capacity (GW) 2024 Solar Electricity Production (TWh) 2014 Solar Capacity (GW) 201...

The Trial and Execution of Maharaja Nanda Kumar: A Critical Examination of Colonial Justice, Corruption, and Power in 18th Century Bengal I. Executive Summary The 1775 trial and subsequent execution of Maharaja Nanda Kumar for forgery in Calcutta represents a seminal and profoundly contentious episode in the annals of British colonial administration in India. This event pitted a prominent Indian official, Nanda Kumar, against the formidable Governor-General of Bengal, Warren Hastings, in a direct confrontation that reverberated across continents. Historians and legal scholars widely characterize the case not as a straightforward application of justice, but rather as a "judicial murder". This designation implies a deliberate perversion of the legal process, driven by political rivalry and a personal vendetta.   The Nanda Kumar affair starkly exposed fundamental deficiencies within the nascent British judicial system in India. Significant concerns arose regarding the co...