Counterview

By Bhim Singh Rawat   There is little doubt that growing encroachment on Delhi’s Yamuna floodplain, or khadar, has created the risk of turning natural flooding into a disaster. Because the floodplain has not been properly demarcated, the O-Zone, which covers the Yamuna khadar, is not being effectively implemented.

By Dirgha Datar   An Indian Institute of Technology is commonly imagined as a symbol of modernity, merit and knowledge. Yet a recent controversy at IIT Mandi has brought an older question into this supposedly modern space: who gets to decide what is considered normal, legitimate and respectable knowledge about caste?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The BRICS summit hosted by India brought together leaders from Russia, China, South Africa, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia and other countries. Yet one notable absence stood out: Brazil and its President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil, after all, is one of the founding members of BRICS, and Lula has been among the grouping's most prominent political voices.

By Busani Ngcaweni   The enlargement of BRICS presents Africa with a wider field of economic possibilities by bringing the continent into closer relationship with some of the world's largest markets, important sources of development finance and countries possessing substantial capabilities in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and advanced technologies. At a time when international economic relations are becoming increasingly fragmented, this wider range of relationships gives African countries greater room for manoeuvre.

By Bharat Dogra   The BRICS New Delhi Declaration, released on 12 September 2026, deserves far wider attention than it has yet received. At nearly 17,800 words, it is an unusually expansive consensus document—one that not only reflects two decades of BRICS evolution but also articulates a broad, justice‑centred vision for global governance at a moment of profound international distress. In an era marked by wars, sanctions, widening inequalities, and geopolitical fragmentation, the Declaration’s emphasis on peace, equity, and multilateral reform is both timely and necessary.

By Harsh Thakor*  There are racehorses who win great races, and there are racehorses whose presence elevates the prestige of the great races. Galopin Des Champs emphatically belonged to the latter category—a horse whose very presence created a scintillating effect. I have unforgettable memories of this iconic figure, whom I personally witnessed running in the Centennial edition of the Cheltenham Gold Cup in 2024. The news of his death on September 1st, only days after his retirement had been announced, brought an unexpectedly tragic final chapter to the story of one of the outstanding Irish sporting champions of recent years.

Counterview News   In a detailed interview published by The Examination on September 10, 2026, food policy expert Marion Nestle discusses her new book Sugar Coated (co-authored with Lisa Sutherland, a former Kellogg vice president of nutrition). The book traces how cereal makers transformed a niche product into a breakfast staple through marketing, industry-funded research, lobbying, and regulatory outmaneuvering.

By A Representative   The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), an association of retired officers from the All India and Central Services, has issued a strongly worded statement expressing solidarity with retired senior civil servant Ashish Joshi and accusing the Delhi Police of violating constitutional safeguards during his detention and interrogation in connection with an alleged social media post.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  September 13 holds an important place in the history of the struggle for the rights of Indigenous and tribal communities. On September 13, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by an overwhelming majority. A total of 143 countries voted in favour of the declaration.