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By:

Correspondent

23 August 2024 at 4:29:04 pm

Algorithmic Anarchy

The NEET paper leak protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar should have remained a legitimate expression of student anger over the collapse of examination integrity. Instead, as the agitation escalated into clashes with the police, abusive sloganeering and an increasingly radical political campaign, Meta’s algorithms emerged as an invisible force multiplying the unrest. The controversy surrounding the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to the youth in the aftermath of the...

Algorithmic Anarchy

The NEET paper leak protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar should have remained a legitimate expression of student anger over the collapse of examination integrity. Instead, as the agitation escalated into clashes with the police, abusive sloganeering and an increasingly radical political campaign, Meta’s algorithms emerged as an invisible force multiplying the unrest. The controversy surrounding the brief removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to the youth in the aftermath of the protests only reinforces that concern. Meta has attributed the takedown to a “technical glitch” and apologised. But when the world’s largest social media platform can temporarily suppress the message of the elected leader of the world’s largest democracy during a politically charged moments, the issue extends well beyond a single deleted post. Who decides what India sees? That question has become impossible to ignore during the Cockroach Janta Party’s protests. Across Instagram and Facebook, users have reported being inundated with CJP videos, reels and protest clips despite never following the organisation or engaging with similar political content. Whether this resulted from coordinated paid collaborations, recommendation algorithms or both deserves a thorough investigation. But the larger democratic concern is that public opinion is increasingly being mediated not by citizens, journalists or elected representatives, but by opaque algorithms designed in Silicon Valley and optimised for engagement rather than democratic responsibility. Meta’s recommendation engine is not a passive notice board. Every piece of political content that reaches millions has first been selected by an algorithm whose workings remain largely hidden from public scrutiny. This is hardly unique to India. Around the world, Meta has repeatedly been accused of amplifying polarisation, misinformation and political extremism because outrage keeps users engaged. From elections to ethnic conflicts and episodes of civil unrest, the company has faced persistent criticism that its commercial incentives reward divisive content over balanced discourse. Democracies cannot afford to outsource the architecture of public debate to corporations whose primary obligation is to shareholders rather than constitutional values. While citizens are entitled to challenge governments and demand accountability, there is an important distinction between a movement that expands because people are persuaded and one that appears to be algorithmically amplified into omnipresence. Equally disturbing has been the normalisation of abusive political language during the protests. When such content is repeatedly amplified through recommendation systems, platforms cease to be neutral intermediaries and become active participants in degrading democratic discourse. Platforms that influence elections, protests and public opinion must explain how political recommendations are generated and why particular narratives receive extraordinary amplification. Silicon Valley companies insist they are merely technology platforms. But their algorithms increasingly exercise editorial power. When software determines which protests dominate national conversations and whose voices disappear, technology has already become politics.

A new fairway for Indian professional golf

Mumbai: The launch of the CIDCO Open 2025 presented by Larsen & Toubro marks a significant moment in the evolution of professional golf in India, not merely as a sporting event but as a statement of intent. Scheduled from December 16 to 19 at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course in Navi Mumbai, the tournament enters the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) calendar with a prize purse of Rs 1 crore, instantly positioning itself among the more consequential domestic events on the circuit. Its timing, scale and location collectively underline a growing ambition to broaden golf’s footprint beyond its traditional enclaves.


At its core, the CIDCO Open is about competitive golf of a high order. A field of 126 professionals will contest the tournament in a four-round stroke-play format, with the cut applied after 36 holes to the top 50 and ties. On a par-72 course designed to international standards, consistency across four days will be the defining test, rewarding not just power but course management, mental resilience and adaptability. Such formats mirror global professional norms, ensuring that Indian players gain exposure to conditions comparable to international tours.


Further Weight

The strength of the field adds further weight to the event’s sporting significance. Leading Indian professionals such as Yuvraj Sandhu, Manu Gandas, Angad Cheema, Arjun Prasad, Khalin Joshi and Om Prakash Chouhan bring with them pedigree, recent form and fan following. Their presence guarantees quality competition and provides a benchmark for younger professionals aspiring to climb the PGTI Order of Merit.


Equally important is the diverse international participation, with golfers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Europe, the United States and Africa. Players like N Thangaraja, Jamal Hossain and Stepan Danek introduce contrasting playing styles and experiences, enriching the competitive fabric of the tournament.


Deliberate Effort

Beyond the leaderboard, the CIDCO Open reflects a deliberate effort to decentralise elite golf in India. Hosting a PGTI event at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course for the first time signals confidence in newer infrastructure and emerging urban centres. Navi Mumbai, often associated with planned development and infrastructure-led growth, now finds itself on India’s professional golf map. This shift matters because the sustainability of golf as a sport depends on expanding access, audiences and aspirational pathways, rather than confining elite tournaments to a handful of legacy clubs.


The role of institutions in shaping this ecosystem is noteworthy. CIDCO’s position as organiser, with Larsen & Toubro as presenting partner, demonstrates how public-sector vision and private-sector execution can converge around sport. Large-scale sporting events require long-term thinking: course maintenance, logistics, sponsorship stability and player welfare. By anchoring the tournament within a robust institutional framework, the CIDCO Open creates the conditions necessary for continuity rather than one-off spectacle.


For Indian professional golfers, tournaments of this scale serve as critical career platforms. A Rs 1 crore purse not only enhances earning opportunities but also sharpens competitive intensity. Ranking points, visibility to sponsors and confidence gained from performing in strong fields all feed into a player’s progression, including aspirations to qualify for international tours. In that sense, the CIDCO Open functions as both a destination and a stepping stone.


Equally significant is the symbolic value of bringing top-tier golf to the financial capital region. Globally, golf and financial hubs share a symbiotic relationship, with corporate patronage sustaining professional circuits. By embedding a PGTI event in Navi Mumbai, the tournament aligns Indian golf with global sporting geography, potentially attracting new sponsors, corporate amateurs and future investors into the sport.

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