Questions

The questions behind the compass

Every quiz question is a live debate in Indian politics. Each guide steel-mans both sides, traces the history, and shows what it measures on the compass.

46 pages

01Should India implement a Uniform Civil Code?A Uniform Civil Code would replace India's religion-based personal laws on marriage, divorce, and inheritance with one common code. Here is what is actually at stake.

02Should MSP become a legal right?Minimum Support Price sets a floor for farm produce, but the government only guarantees it through procurement. Should a legal right to MSP replace that discretion?

03Do caste reservations still serve their purpose?Reservations set aside seats in education, government jobs, and legislatures for SC, ST, and OBC communities. Decades on, do they still meet their goal, or need rethinking?

04How much power should the Union government have?India was built with a strong centre, but states increasingly contest fiscal and political control. How power should be balanced between the Union and the states is a live fight.

05Are UAPA and surveillance laws justified?Anti-terror law and state surveillance pit national security against civil liberties. Where the line falls between protecting citizens and policing dissent is sharply contested.

06Should India prioritise growth or environmental regulation?India must lift millions out of poverty while facing severe pollution and climate risk. How to weigh fast development against environmental protection is a defining choice.

07Was the Citizenship Amendment Act justified?The CAA fast-tracks citizenship for persecuted minorities from three countries, but excludes Muslims. Is it humanitarian relief, or discrimination written into law?

08Should AFSPA be repealed?AFSPA gives the military near-blanket powers and immunity in conflict zones. Is it a necessary tool for security, or a law that enables human rights abuses?

09Should India abolish the death penalty?India retains the death penalty for the 'rarest of rare' cases. Does capital punishment serve justice, or is it an irreversible punishment the state should not have?

10Should India reform its electoral system?India's first-past-the-post system produces parliamentary majorities on minority vote-shares. Does that need fixing, and if so, how?

11Were the three Farm Laws right for Indian agriculture?The 2020 Farm Laws promised to free Indian agriculture from mandis and middlemen. A year-long protest forced their repeal. Were they good policy, badly handled?

12Is the proposed Lok Sabha delimitation fair to the South?Delimitation will redraw Lok Sabha constituencies based on the next census. Southern states that controlled population growth fear losing seats to the more populous North.

13Should India have a two-child policy?Several Indian states disqualify those with more than two children from contesting local elections. Should a national two-child policy become law, or does that cross a line?

14Should the government privatise public sector companies?From Air India to coal blocks, India has been selling off state-owned companies for decades. Should the government keep exiting business, or does the public sector still have a role?

15Should MNREGA be expanded and better funded?MNREGA guarantees 100 days of rural work a year, but its budget has stayed flat for years while demand has grown. Should it be expanded, or has it run its course?

16Should India simplify its tax system, even at the cost of trade-offs?India overhauled GST in 2025 to cut its slab structure down to two main rates. Was that enough simplification, and what are the trade-offs of going further?

17Do foreign multinational companies bring more harm than benefit to India?Foreign direct investment brings capital and jobs, but critics point to profit repatriation and pressure on domestic firms. What does the evidence actually show?

18Should India move toward a Universal Basic Income?India has piloted basic income at small scale and one state has proposed it outright. Should UBI replace India's patchwork of targeted welfare schemes, or complement it?

19Does addressing caste inequality require dedicated redistribution beyond general welfare?Caste and wealth inequality remain closely linked in India. Should that be addressed through caste-targeted redistribution, or through universal poverty and welfare policy?

20Does India's startup sector get disproportionate policy attention?India's startup ecosystem draws heavy tax incentives and headlines, while agriculture still employs the largest share of the workforce. Is the policy balance right?

21Should the judiciary be more restrained in overturning laws passed by Parliament?India's Supreme Court has struck down constitutional amendments and major laws passed with large majorities. Is that essential judicial oversight, or overreach into democratic decisions?

22Would India govern more effectively with a stronger executive and fewer coalitions?India spent 25 years governed by coalitions before returning to single-party majorities in 2014. Did coalition government hold India back, or was it a healthy reflection of its diversity?

23Does India's Right to Information framework still hold government accountable?The RTI Act gave citizens a powerful accountability tool in 2005. A 2019 amendment changed how Information Commissioners are appointed and paid. Has that weakened it?

24Are India's key institutions independent enough from government influence?The RBI, CBI, and Election Commission are meant to operate independently of the government of the day. Do they, and what happens when that independence comes under strain?

25Does India need stronger data privacy and surveillance oversight laws?India passed its first comprehensive data protection law in 2023, but it gives the government broad exemptions. Does India's framework do enough to limit state surveillance?

26Should same-sex relationships have full legal marriage rights in India?India decriminalised gay sex in 2018 but the Supreme Court declined to legalise same-sex marriage in 2023, leaving the question to Parliament. Where should that leave the law?

27Should the government actively promote social integration across caste and religious lines?Inter-caste and inter-religious mixing remains limited in much of India. Should the state actively encourage it, or is that overreach into private and cultural life?

28Should states be able to restrict religious conversion through law?A dozen Indian states have 'anti-conversion' laws requiring official permission before changing religion. Do they protect against coercion, or restrict a constitutional freedom?

29Should cow slaughter bans apply nationwide?Around 20 Indian states already restrict cow slaughter to varying degrees. Should that become a uniform national law, and what has enforcement looked like so far?

30Should the government control Hindu temple management?State governments manage hundreds of thousands of Hindu temples and their funds, while mosques and churches largely run their own affairs. Is that a fair arrangement?

31Should ancient Indian knowledge systems have equal standing to modern science in education?India has integrated Ayurveda and traditional medicine into its official healthcare and education systems. Should ancient knowledge systems be taught alongside modern science as equals?

32Should India maintain strategic autonomy rather than align with a major power bloc?India joins the US-led Quad while also buying discounted Russian oil and avoiding formal alliance commitments. Is this principled independence, or an unsustainable balancing act?

33Can a lasting Kashmir resolution only come through dialogue with Pakistan?Diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan has been largely frozen since 2019. Is renewed dialogue the only realistic path to a lasting Kashmir resolution, or is it a dead end?

34Should India aggressively pursue a permanent UN Security Council seat?India has campaigned for a permanent UN Security Council seat for decades, backed by most of the world but blocked by one veto power. Is the campaign worth continued priority?

35Is undocumented immigration from Bangladesh a serious national security threat?Assam's National Register of Citizens excluded nearly 1.9 million people. Does undocumented immigration from Bangladesh pose a genuine security threat, or has the response gone too far?

36Should India prioritise Global South trade over Western economies?India walked away from the RCEP trade pact in 2019 but still trades more with the US and EU than with ASEAN or Africa. What should India's trade priorities actually be?

37Should India prioritise human rights over economic and strategic partnerships?India has repeatedly abstained on UN resolutions criticising Russia's invasion of Ukraine, citing strategic interests. Should human rights concerns weigh more heavily in such decisions?

38Should tribal communities have binding veto power over industrial projects on their land?The Forest Rights Act and PESA require community consent before land is used for mining or industry, but enforcement is widely seen as weak. Should that consent be made binding?

39Should India commit to ambitious climate targets even at the cost of growth?India pledged net-zero emissions by 2070, decades after most rich countries' targets, while still depending heavily on coal. Should India move faster, or is its pace fair given its development needs?

40Should criticism of religion be fully protected free expression in India?India has no formal blasphemy law, but provisions like IPC 295A and BNS Section 152 are regularly used against religious speech. Should criticising religion enjoy stronger protection?

41Should the government have greater powers to regulate online content?India's IT Rules let the government order content takedowns within hours, and a 2023 'fact check unit' rule was later struck down as unconstitutional. How far should online regulation go?

42Has Indian media become too biased and sensationalist?India ranked 157th out of 180 countries on the 2026 World Press Freedom Index. Is Indian media too sensationalist, too politically aligned, or both, and which way does the bias run?

43Is Hindi being promoted at the expense of regional languages?Tamil Nadu lost over Rs 2,000 crore in central funding for refusing to adopt the NEP's three-language formula. Is Hindi promotion overriding regional language rights, or is the formula misunderstood?

44Should wealthier, better-performing states get a larger share of central tax transfers?Tamil Nadu and Kerala argue they contribute more in taxes than they receive back. Should the Finance Commission reward economic performance, or redistribute toward poorer states?

45Is caste identity a source of community pride, not only oppression?Caste shapes marriage, mutual aid, and political mobilisation across India, even among people who reject caste hierarchy. Can caste identity be separated from caste discrimination?

46Is Western cultural influence eroding India's civilisational identity?India exports yoga and Bollywood globally while debating 'cultural invasion' at home. Is rapid Westernisation eroding India's distinct civilisational identity, or is culture simply evolving?