Counterview

By A Representative   In a detailed representation submitted to the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) on June 25, 2026, public policy expert Dr. Donthi Narasimha Reddy has urgently drawn the attention of the regulatory authorities to what he describes as a critical regulatory vacuum governing pesticide‑coated seeds and seed processing units across India. 

By A Representative   Marking one month since the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in the Prajwala v. Union of India case, the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) and the All-India Workers Forum of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) have welcomed the ruling, describing it as a significant affirmation of the constitutional rights, dignity and agency of adult sex workers.

By Harasankar Adhikari*  The 2026 West Bengal Assembly election has been described by many observers as a significant political turning point in the state's history. Fifteen years after the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Mamata Banerjee, ended the Left Front's 34-year rule in 2011, the party was voted out of office. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a decisive electoral mandate and formed the new government.

By Sudhansu R. Das   A strong and effective opposition is an essential pillar of any parliamentary democracy. It scrutinizes government policies, offers alternative ideas, represents diverse sections of society, and contributes to informed public debate. India has witnessed several opposition leaders whose parliamentary contributions and public engagement left a lasting impact on democratic institutions.

By Nava Thakuria   Film enthusiasts, critics, and filmmakers from eastern India will have an opportunity to participate in the 10th edition of the Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF), scheduled to be held on 24 and 25 October 2026 at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio premises in Kahilipara, Guwahati. Organised by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) Assam, the festival will feature selected short films and documentaries, with awards including trophies, certificates and cash prizes presented in the presence of invited guests from the film fraternity.

By Ravi Ranjan   In the hushed galleries of an art exhibition, a poet stands before the canvases of Pablo Picasso, and time itself seems to fracture. What begins as a simple act of viewing becomes something far more profound—a philosophical excavation into the very nature of seeing, representing, and knowing another human being. Savita Singh's poem "The Soul of a Woman and Picasso" takes as its starting point the most famous painter of the twentieth century, yet its reach extends far beyond any single artist or era. It asks a question that has haunted humanity since we first began to make images: can we ever truly capture another person's soul in art?