Universal fairness vs. identity-based power analysis

 In the context of the recent UGC "Promotion of Equity" Regulations 2026 controversy, Kushal Mehra’s post uses philosophical shorthand to critique the shift in Indian educational policy from a "fairness" model to an "identity power" model. 

Here is the breakdown of why this framing "makes sense" within political philosophy:

1. The "Rawlsian" 2012 Regulations

Mehra characterizes the 2012 UGC regulations as Rawlsian, referring to John Rawls’s Theory of Justice. 

• The Logic: Rawls proposed the "Veil of Ignorance," where justice is defined by rules that anyone would agree to, regardless of their own identity.
• The Policy: The 2012 rules were largely advisory, focusing on creating equal opportunity through procedural fairness and specific officers, without fundamentally reordering campus social structures. 

2. The "Derridean/Foucauldian" 2026 Regulations

He argues the 2026 notifications adopt the worldviews of 

Jacques Derrida

 and 

Michel Foucault

. 

Derrida

 (Deconstruction): Focuses on how language and "binary oppositions" (like majority/minority) sustain hierarchies. The 2026 rules broaden "discrimination" to include indirect or implicit behavior and "human dignity" violations, which critics say are subjective and open to "deconstruction".

Foucault

 (Power/Knowledge): Viewed institutions (schools, prisons) as sites of surveillance and power. Mehra likely links this to the new 2026 "Equity Squads" and "Equity Ambassadors" who maintain "vigil" on campuses, framing them as a Foucauldian surveillance apparatus. 

3. The "Negative Outcomes"

Mehra warns that moving from 

Rawls

 (universal fairness) to 

Foucault

/

Derrida

 (identity-based power analysis) leads to: 

• Presumption of Guilt: The 2026 rules removed penalties for false complaints, leading to fears that the burden of proof has shifted entirely to the accused.
• Inherent Bias: Critics argue the rules only recognize discrimination against SC, ST, and OBC groups, effectively creating a "one-sided" legal framework that ignores the possibility of "general category" victims.
• Social Friction: The Supreme Court stayed the 2026 regulations in late January 2026, noting they were "too sweeping" and could have "divisive consequences" for society. 

Summary: The post "makes sense" as a philosophical critique of the shift from procedural equality (2012) to a radical equity/surveillance model (2026) that prioritizes group identity and institutional power dynamics over individual due process. 

- GoogleAI 

The beef and the bare life–Ambedkar's Broken Man, Agamben's Homo Sacer, and the biopolitics of beef and dietary consumption

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This article examines the intersection of caste, xenophobia, and biopolitics in India through Giorgio Agamben’s Homo Sacer and Bhimrao Ambedkar’s conception of the Broken Man. It argues that the cow’s sacralisation operates as a biopolitical …

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Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra 

Supply of X creates demand for Y

 Yes, this concept is central to Say's Law, often summarized by the phrase "supply creates its own demand". 

Specifically, Say's Law can be formulated as: the supply of X creates demand for Y. 

How it Works

According to Jean-Baptiste Say, the production of a good generates the means to purchase other goods: 

• Income Generation: When a producer (Seller X) creates and sells a product, they generate income in the form of wages, rent, and profit.
• Purchasing Power: This income provides Seller X with the purchasing power to buy another product (Product Y).
• Economic Equilibrium: Because every act of production creates an equivalent amount of income, aggregate demand will always equal aggregate supply, preventing a "general glut" or permanent overproduction. 

Key Assumptions

For "If X sells, Y sells too" to hold strictly true in this classical view, certain conditions are assumed:

• Money as a Veil: Money is only a temporary medium of exchange; people only sell goods so they can immediately buy others.
• No Hoarding: It is assumed that people do not hoard money but either spend or invest it.
• Flexible Prices: Prices and wages must be flexible enough to adjust and clear any temporary surpluses in the market. 

Modern Perspective

While classical economists like David Ricardo and James Mill supported this view, it was famously challenged by John Maynard Keynes. Keynes argued that demand drives supply ("Keynes' Law") and that because people might hoard money during a crisis, a sale of X does not guaranteed a purchase of Y, potentially leading to recessions. 

- GoogleAI 

If all goods in a market were distributed among people in a single day, the immediate and long-term repercussions would likely involve massive economic destabilization followed by a rapid return to previous inequality patterns.

Immediate Market Collapse

• Total Market Failure: Markets rely on a price mechanism to allocate resources; if all goods are given away, the price mechanism fails. Sellers would lose the incentive to produce or supply further items, leading to immediate shortages.
• Supply Chain Breakdown: Modern economies depend on complex distribution networks. Sudden mass distribution would bypass these networks, causing a halt in the flow of essential items like food and fuel, potentially leading to localized famines or energy crises. 

Socio-Economic Instability

• Conflict and Civil Unrest: Forced redistribution would likely cause intense anger among former owners, potentially leading to civil conflict. While the initial recipients might be happy, the lack of future "earned" rewards would lead to a stagnation of motivation and productivity.
• Resource Mismanagement: Many people receiving valuable assets (like patents, industrial materials, or specialized information) might not know how to use them productively and may discard or sell them for a fraction of their value. 

Rapid Return to Inequality

• Wealth Re-concentration: Economic history (such as the Russian privatization of the 1990s) suggests that wealth quickly returns to those with the skills, connections, or existing infrastructure to manage it. Even after an equal distribution, the "smart and unscrupulous" often accumulate assets back to a state of extreme inequality within a generation.
• The "Great Wealth Transfer" Contrast: In 2026, economists are observing a more orderly "Great Wealth Transfer" (estimated at over $80 trillion globally), where assets move to younger generations through inheritance rather than sudden mass distribution. This transfer is expected to shift investment priorities without collapsing the market. 

Macroeconomic Shocks

• Hyperinflation: Even if people were given money instead of goods, the massive spike in demand against a fixed or collapsing supply would lead to rampant inflation, quickly eroding the value of the distributed "wealth".
• Productivity Drop: If rewards are guaranteed regardless of effort, workers and entrepreneurs may quit, causing the total production of goods and services to plummet, leaving the entire society poorer in the long run. 

- GoogleAI 

On January 27, 2026, 

India

 and the European Union (EU) formally concluded negotiations for a historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA), often referred to as the "mother of all deals". For India’s poor and lower-income populations, the repercussions of this deal are a mix of potential job growth in manufacturing and significant risks to rural livelihoods and affordable healthcare. 

Potential Benefits for the Poor

• Job Creation in Labor-Intensive Sectors: The deal eliminates or sharply reduces EU import tariffs (previously 10–16%) on Indian textiles, apparel, and leather goods. This is expected to revitalize manufacturing hubs and create millions of jobs, particularly for low-skilled workers, youth, and women.
• Support for MSMEs: A dedicated chapter for small businesses aims to help Indian Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) access the EU market through simplified compliance and lowered trade barriers.
• Cheaper Essential Goods: India will phase out tariffs on medical devices (up to 44%), machinery, and chemicals. This could lower the cost of critical healthcare equipment and agricultural inputs over the next decade. 

Key Risks and Challenges

• Threat to Small Farmers: While India kept "red lines" on sensitive sectors like dairy and rice to protect rural livelihoods, the EU gained lower tariffs on many processed agri-foods and oils. Critics argue that increased imports of subsidized EU agricultural products could still "dump" price pressure on small Indian farmers.
• Healthcare Costs: The EU pushed for stricter Intellectual Property (IP) rights. If adopted, these "TRIPS-plus" measures could delay the production of cheap generic medicines, potentially making life-saving drugs less affordable for the poor.
• Environmental "Green Protectionism": The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—a carbon tax on imports like steel and aluminum—is viewed as a major hurdle. It could increase the cost of Indian exports by 20–35%, potentially hurting small-scale manufacturers who cannot afford green technology upgrades.
• Reduced Poverty-Alleviation Tools: Opening up public procurement (government contracts) to EU firms may limit India's ability to use "local preference" policies that currently support minority-owned or micro-enterprises. 

Strategic Context for 2026

The deal is seen as a crucial "China-plus-one" strategy, positioning India as a stable alternative for European supply chains. It also includes a €500 million EU support package over the next two years to help India's green industrial transition. 

- GoogleAI 

Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra