On 10 June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will surpass Pt Nehru as India's longest-serving elected Prime Minister, and when a leader breaks a longevity record, the first temptation is to treat it as a sporting achievement. It represents a significant moment in the history of the world's largest democracy, inviting reflection on the two leaders who shaped India in vastly different eras. Illustration by The Geostrata Narendra Modi's emergence as a transformational and charismati

Nationalism is aptly described as a political ideology born out of centuries of conflict and one that prioritises the interests, culture and sovereignty of a nation-state. This single idea fractured into competing schools of thought over the course of the 19th century. Each redefined what a nation was, who belonged to it, and even who had the right to say its name. Illustration by The Geostrata FORMATION OF THE IDEA German Romantic thinker Johann Gottfried von Herder, in reac

Women in India have steadily redrawn the boundaries of participation across society over the past few years. From breaking the patriarchal barriers of the household to entering laboratories, courtrooms, sports, and fighting roles that were once considered exclusively for men. From leadership positions to commanding roles in the Indian Armed Forces, women have broken glass ceilings and have reshaped workplace cultures themselves. Illustration by The Geostrata Their visibility

On 12 April 2026, Hungary, for the first time in sixteen long years, welcomed a new government to the seat of power. In a watershed moment in Hungarian politics, around 79.5% of Hungary’s electorate turned out to vote in a monumental exercise of democracy. Viktor Orbán, the man who had dominated the seat of power since 2010, was defeated by Peter Magyar by a landslide margin of 138-55. Illustration by The Geostrata This change in governments is not a mere change in ruling par

Historically, various forms of governments have emerged, ranging from coercive– authoritarian, totalitarian, dictatorial, despotic, fascist, autocratic, to participative models like democracy. Somewhere between the spectrum lie forms of governance like monarchy, oligarchy, kleptocracy, and the very recent ones like broligarchy. These terms may sound similar and at times used interchangeably, but their essence does differ- Same, Same but Different! Illustration by The Geostrat

The democratic journey of India has never been static. From the first general elections of 1951–52 , when the votes for both the Union and state governments were cast simultaneously, to today’s multi-layered electoral calendar, the country has continuously adapted its democratic mechanisms to changing political and social realities. The proposal for One Nation One Election (ONOE) must be viewed within the broader context of democratic evolution. Illustration by The Geostrata

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