Prashant Jha is the Washington DC-based US correspondent of Hindustan Times. He is also the editor of HT Premium. Jha has earlier served as editor-views and national political editor/bureau chief of the paper. He is the author of How the BJP Wins: Inside India's Greatest Election Machine and Battles of the New Republic: A Contemporary History of Nepal.
Articles by Prashant Jha
Strongly oppose unilateral bids to advance territorial claims at LAC: US
The statement came days after Chinese President Xi Jinping met People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers stationed at the India-China border to “inspect combat readiness”
Updated on Jan 28, 2023 04:57 AM IST
Tech job losses force Indians in the US to scramble amid a strict visa regime
According to the layoff announcements, there have been close to 220,000 job cuts in the tech sector in 2022 and 2023, with over 57,000 just in January 2023 — largely, but not exclusively, in the US
Published on Jan 27, 2023 11:44 PM IST
US stresses on importance of free press amid ban on BBC documentary
On Monday, when a reporter had sought to get the US to criticise Modi over the 2002 riots based on the BBC documentary, the State Department had said it was not familiar with the documentary, and had instead chosen to highlight the close relationship with India, including in terms of values.
Published on Jan 27, 2023 12:03 AM IST
In major shift, US and Germany agree to send battle tanks to Ukraine
While President Joe Biden announced that US will send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, German chancellor Olaf Scholz declared that Berlin will send 14 Leopard tanks to Kyiv
Updated on Jan 26, 2023 12:03 AM IST
Ahead of Doval-Sullivan talks, think tank suggests areas of tech cooperation
Days before Ajit Doval and Jake Sullivan are set to meet for the first high-level ICET dialogue, authors associated with Carnegie India have released a paper with suggestions for both governments
Updated on Jan 25, 2023 08:56 AM IST
US lawmaker seeks support for Indians hit by tech layoffs
In the past month, big tech companies in the Valley — Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Google, among others — have laid off over 50,000 employees.
Updated on Jan 25, 2023 02:08 AM IST
Prashant Jha, Washington
US stays clear of BBC controversy on PM Modi; leaves India-Pak talks to bilateral track
US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said he was not aware of the BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots
Updated on Jan 24, 2023 12:09 PM IST
Biden to pick Jeff Zients as next chief of staff
President Joe Biden is likely to pick Jeff Zients, his former Covid czar, as the next White House Chief of Staff, according to media reports.
Updated on Jan 23, 2023 10:34 PM IST
Prashant Jha, Washington
NSA Doval to visit US for first ICET dialogue on January 31
National security adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval will visit Washington DC to participate in the inaugural high-level dialogue of the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) with his counterpart, United States NSA Jake Sullivan, on January 31, said people familiar with the development
Published on Jan 21, 2023 12:04 AM IST
Prashant Jha, Washington
Amid fears of a crisis, the US begins the debt ceiling battle
With the United States (US) hitting its debt ceiling limit on Thursday, America has entered a period of a gruelling political battle over a debate on the issue, with the White House warning that Republican obstructionism risks push the country towards an economic “catastrophe” and Republicans placing the responsibility of an agreement on Democrats
Published on Jan 19, 2023 11:34 PM IST
Prashant Jha, Washington
In a first, US releases equity and justice strategy for Asian-Americans
The strategy lists out core priorities, traces steps taken by the administration to achieve these goals, and has an action plan prepared by 32 federal agencies, including all 15 cabinet departments in the executive branch of the US government.
Published on Jan 17, 2023 10:45 PM IST
A different Tokyo, Berlin confront the world today
Thanks to China and Russia, both Japan and Germany have changed their strategic, political orientation. And while it is a work in progress, the historical significance of this move is hard to miss
Updated on Jan 17, 2023 09:32 PM IST
McCarthy’s election as US speaker opens period of dysfunctional legislature
The nature of Kevin McCarthy’s election and now the new House rules both reflect the divisions and dysfunctionality in today’s Republican Party and broader American politics — and will deepen it further.
Updated on Jan 16, 2023 03:46 PM IST
Prashant Jha, Washington
US and Japan deepen security alliance; hail Quad as a ‘force for good’
The US reiterated its “unwavering commitment” to Japan’s defence, including the Senkaku Islands - a disputed area which China has claimed as its own - and lauded Tokyo’s recent moves to reorient its national security and defence posture.
Updated on Jan 15, 2023 04:10 AM IST
India, US to use TPF meet to focus on ‘big picture’ of trade ties
he big focus in the relationship now includes deepening partnerships on semiconductor manufacturing and defence production, where Union minister Piyush Goyal said that India, unlike other countries, “did not steal technology”
Updated on Jan 13, 2023 01:56 PM IST
India, US agree to focus on trade, resolving WTO issues
At the 13th TPF ministerial talks on Wednesday, Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said that the US has welcomed India’s draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill that was released for public consultations at the end of November and appreciated American suggestions in the regard.
Updated on Jan 13, 2023 01:56 PM IST
Prashant Jha, Washington
US commerce secretary to visit Delhi for commercial dialogue, CEO forum
India will also host the next round of official-level talks of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) in February in Delhi. Piyush Goyal said that India stood solidly with the US on the framework and appreciated its leadership.
Updated on Jan 13, 2023 12:52 AM IST
India and US agree to focus on resilient trade, resolving WTO disputes bilaterally
At the 13th Trade Policy Forum (TPF) ministerial talks held in Washington DC, Union ministerPiyush Goyal and US trade representative Katherine Tai hailed the fact that bilateral trade in goods and services had reached $160 billion in 2021, but also recognised that the full potential of the trade relationship remained “unfulfilled”
Published on Jan 13, 2023 12:24 AM IST
US House backs committee focused on tackling threats from China
The overwhelming 365-65 bipartisan vote marked a rare area of agreement between Republicans and Democrats at the start of divided government in Washington
Published on Jan 11, 2023 09:14 PM IST
The year ahead: Will G20 presidency serve as a political trump card?
India’s engagement with the world has always been part of India’s domestic politics. But it was largely viewed through the lens of India’s rivalry with Pakistan, and Delhi’s ability to thwart Islamabad’s designs in Kashmir and elsewhere. In Modi’s case, his wider foreign policy engagements — visits abroad, engagements with the diaspora, the acknowledgment of India’s role by foreign leaders, and India’s membership in key groupings — form a key element of subtext here at home. His visibility overseas is amplified to a domestic audience and politically leveraged for electoral benefits
Updated on Dec 31, 2022 05:50 PM IST
Prashant Jha, New Delhi
The year ahead: A political battle of many bouts
India is already in election mode, and 2023 will witness three layers of political competition — for the elections to the nine states that will be held over the year; for the elections of 2024, which will determine the composition of the 18th Lok Sabha and shape the next government; and for the post-Narendra Modi political landscape that will begin to emerge in the course of what is likely to be his third and perhaps final term post-2024
Published on Dec 31, 2022 05:36 PM IST
Prashant Jha, New Delhi
How India voted in 2022
For the BJP, 2022 was about sustaining power in its two most important states. For the Congress, repeated failures have led to political experiments. And for AAP, a win outside Delhi triggered national ambitions
Published on Dec 30, 2022 11:53 PM IST
Chronicling Delhi’s debate on Beijing
China is India’s biggest strategic challenge. On balance, the government is right in fusing quiet capacity-building with public caution
Updated on Dec 21, 2022 07:35 AM IST
Assembly election: What 2022 bodes for 2024
Gujarat 2022 should serve as a wake-up call for the Opposition, but given its past record, it is unlikely to learn lessons.
Updated on Dec 09, 2022 03:58 PM IST
What the election verdict means for 6 key leaders
An analysis of what the assembly election results imply for the top leaders in the Indian political landscape
Updated on Dec 09, 2022 05:59 AM IST
Assembly election: What swung the vote in Himachal Pradesh
The victory is important for the Congress for the simple reason that it gives the party a third state to govern.
Updated on Dec 09, 2022 06:01 AM IST
Assembly election: What swung the vote in Gujarat
The erosion in the Congress’s strength and social coalition, the collapse of the Janata Dal, the Hindutva-laced political energy of the early 1990s, and the formidable work of the trio of Keshubhai Patel, Shankarsinh Vaghela and Modi gave the BJP its first outright election win in 1995.
Updated on Dec 09, 2022 03:36 AM IST
What December 2022 says about Indian politics
The BJP, Congress and AAP view elections differently. The divergent views and strategies explain Thursday’s verdict and offer clues for 2024.
Published on Dec 09, 2022 12:11 AM IST
Modi’s seventh wonder
In the biggest electoral victory ever achieved by a party in Gujarat’s history, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set a new benchmark on Thursday by winning 156 seats in the 182-member state assembly. As the BJP celebrated its unprecedented seventh successive electoral victory, the Congress shrank to its lowest tally in the state with just 17 seats, less than a tenth of the strength of the assembly.
Published on Dec 09, 2022 12:03 AM IST
Prashant Jha, New Delhi
The next big step in India’s digital story
The country’s digital public goods infra is the envy of the world. But to become a global digital power, India should now focus on standards
Updated on Dec 06, 2022 07:08 PM IST
