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Reclaiming the civic imagination: Why democracy needs art and design

By Rajiv Shah  ​The relationship between civil society, the state, and the creative arts has reached a critical juncture. At a time when democratic discourse is increasingly filtered through surveillance, market-driven logic, and shrinking public spaces, the ability to "see" and "listen" differently has become a radical act. In the latest episode of the UnMute podcast , hosts Gagan Sethi and Minar Pimple joined forces with interdisciplinary practitioner Avni Sethi and design educator Dr. Vijayendra (Vijay) Singh Sekhon to explore a provocative question: can art, design, and education cultivate the human capacities required to sustain a healthy democracy?  
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Hindu dharma: A civilization of immanent debate, reform, and assimilation

By Dr. P.K. Gupta*  The tapestry of Hindu Dharma is not woven from a single thread but from countless strands of philosophical inquiry, spiritual seeking, and cultural exchange that have accumulated over millennia. Unlike many religious traditions that trace their origins to a single prophet or sacred text, Hinduism has evolved as a living civilization, continuously shaped by debate, reform, and the remarkable capacity to assimilate new ideas while preserving its essential character.

Democratic politics in India: Electoral competition, welfare, and citizens' life situations

By Harasankar Adhikari*  Indian democracy is founded on the principle of representative government, with participation from people across different social, economic, and cultural backgrounds, including Scheduled Castes (Dalits), women, and other historically marginalized groups. As one of the world's largest democracies, India operates through a multi-party political system in which governments are elected through periodic elections based on universal adult franchise.

Democracy beyond elections? Developmental outcomes 'define' Chinese alternative

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The slogans of "war for democracy" and "democracy for economic growth and development" continue to echo through the political discourse of European and American ruling elites. Whether parliamentary or presidential, most contemporary democratic systems are rooted in the Westminster tradition, which has come to dominate global democratic practice. Periodic direct and indirect elections have produced not only governments and oppositions but, increasingly, political systems dominated by two major parties. Across much of the world, democratic diversity has gradually been reduced to a binary choice.

Rights body urges Centre to bring back Indian woman allegedly expelled to Bangladesh

By A Representative   The rights body Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) has urged the Union and West Bengal governments to immediately intervene for the rescue and repatriation of an Indian woman allegedly expelled to Bangladesh after what it described as an illegal arrest, arbitrary detention and unlawful deportation by officials of the Maharashtra Police, CID and the Border Security Force (BSF). 

Outsourcing thought: The hidden cost of letting AI do the thinking

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan  Artificial intelligence is transforming how we work and learn, but at what cost? Are we sacrificing the very cognitive abilities that make us human? Artificial Intelligence has rapidly evolved from a futuristic concept into an everyday companion. From writing emails and summarising reports to solving complex coding problems and generating creative content, tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot are reshaping how people think and work. But beneath the excitement lies an uncomfortable question: what happens when we stop thinking because machines can think for us?

Rights group condemns NSA detention of Assam indigenous activist Doley

By A Representative   The human rights network Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has strongly condemned the Assam government's decision to invoke the National Security Act (NSA) against Indigenous land rights activist Pranab Doley, calling it a "dangerous escalation" in the suppression of democratic dissent.