IANS | 19 Jan, 2023
Moody's Investors Service on Friday maintained its stable outlook on India, while affirming its Baa3 rating.
Though
at the same time, it has taken a cautious stand on political issues,
citing Manipur's example. It said that curtailment of civil society and
political dissent, compounded by rising sectarian tensions, support a
weaker assessment of political risk and the quality of institutions.
It
went on to add that though elevated political polarisation is unlikely
to lead to a material destabilisation of government, the rising domestic
political tensions suggest an ongoing risk of populist policies --
including at the regional and local government levels -- amid the
prevalence of social risks such as poverty and income inequality.
At
the same time, the periodic flaring of border tensions with
neighbouring countries was an outlier among sovereigns assessed as
having a lower overall susceptibility to political risk, Moody's said.
Manipur
has been engulfed in ethnic violence since the past three months, which
has resulted in death of more than 150 people and displacement of more
than 50,000 people.