By A Representative  In a thought-provoking dialogue on the  UnMute Podcast  (Part 2), hosts  Gagan Sethi  and  Minar Pimple  engaged  Professor Navdeep Mathur  in a deep examination of the tensions reshaping  India’s democracy  and  civic space . The conversation challenged prevailing narratives on  economic growth , dissected the evolving role of  civil society , and explored tools for  active citizenship  in an increasingly complex landscape.

By A Representative     In a recent in-depth podcast discussion, a leading public policy scholar issued a stark critique of India's evolving governance landscape, arguing that the growing reliance on public-private partnerships has fundamentally weakened civil society’s ability to hold power to account and advocate for equitable public policy.

By A Representative   The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

By Chris Ogden   At a major summit in Russia last year, a banknote was unveiled that carried more symbolism than monetary value. It hinted at the growing ambitions of BRICS+ – a group of emerging economies anchored by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – to develop alternatives to the existing global financial system.

By Hyeran Jo, Yoon Jung Choi   When leaders of “the Quad” last met in September 2024, host and then-President Joe Biden declared the partnership between the United States, India, Australia and Japan to be “more strategically aligned than ever before.” “The Quad is here to stay,” trumpeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi . Fast-forward a little over a year, however, and the tune has changed.

By Raïs Neza Boneza   If everything you thought you knew about the War on Terror were nothing more than a mirage—an extravagant shadow-play staged by geopolitical puppeteers—would you really be surprised? After all, the last two decades have taught us two things: nothing sells like fear, and nothing pays like chaos. Enter the familiar cast of characters: Obama, Clinton, McCain, Brennan, Soros, Abedin—names recited like an incantation in the global ritual of “saving democracy,” usually by destroying someone else’s democracy.

By Taroa Zúñiga Silva, José Roberto Duque  The disappointment felt by many left-wing supporters in Latin America has been renewed with the recent democratic victory of the far right in Chile. This sentiment is particularly poignant as it reflects the struggles of those who identify politically with progressive ideals.

By Rajendra Singh*  When will the onslaught on the Aravallis, India’s oldest mountain range and a sentinel of this region of the planet, finally end? The historic initiative to save the Aravalli mountain range began in the early 1990s with Case No. 509/9, a petition filed in the Supreme Court by Tarun Bharat Sangh against the Government of India. The victory in this case led to Notification No. SO 319(E), dated May 7, 1992, issued in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order. People across the entire Aravalli region—from Sariska to Alwar, Gurgaon, and beyond—stood united.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Ram Narayan Baghel, 31, was a migrant wage worker from Chhattisgarh who had travelled to Kerala in search of livelihood. Like millions of people from marginalised communities—particularly Dalits—he moved across states for work because opportunities at home are limited. On December 17, in Walayar village of Palakkad district, Kerala, Ram Narayan was surrounded by a group of people, subjected to interrogation, and brutally assaulted. He later died from the injuries inflicted on him.

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  Following an incident in which the Chief Minister of Bihar was seen pulling aside the niqab of a Muslim woman doctor during a public interaction, the episode drew widespread attention and debate across India. Public reactions were divided, with some defending the action and others criticising it as an infringement on personal autonomy and dignity. The incident was widely circulated on social media and reported by national and international media outlets.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  The Government of India has introduced a revised rural employment programme by fine-tuning the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been in operation for nearly two decades. The MGNREGA scheme guarantees 100 days of employment annually to rural households and has primarily benefited populations in rural areas. The revised programme has been named VB-G RAM–G (Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission – Gramin). The government has stated that the revised scheme incorporates several structural changes, including an increase in guaranteed employment from 100 to 125 days, modifications in the financing pattern, provisions to strengthen unemployment allowances, and penalties for delays in wage payments. Given the extent of these changes, the government has argued that a new name is required to distinguish the revised programme from the existing MGNREGA framework. As has been witnessed in recent years, the introdu...

By Harsh Thakor*  Since Independence, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] largely functioned within parliamentary opposition frameworks. Critics have argued that their adherence to Marxism-Leninism remained largely theoretical, with limited articulation of an alternative democratic revolutionary programme, particularly in the rural and agrarian context. Their engagement with questions of land redistribution, capital concentration, and resistance to neoliberal economic structures has also been contested.

SA Dange  By Harsh Thakor*  The Communist Party of India (CPI) was founded in Kanpur on 26 December 1925. The year marks a century since an event that formally inaugurated the communist movement in India. The emergence of the CPI must be located within a period of profound social and political churn. India was still under British colonial rule, marked by widespread poverty, economic exploitation, and growing political mobilisation against imperial authority.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Mob lynching has increasingly acquired social legitimacy across large parts of South Asia. Minorities in many countries are made to feel unwanted, as a wave of majoritarian hatred sweeps through the subcontinent. This is happening at a time when political leaderships should have been focused on addressing pressing issues such as hunger, poverty, and discrimination. Instead of investing adequately in education, schools, hospitals, and housing for all, governance priorities appear skewed.  Unplanned urbanisation is compounding these failures. Cities such as Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu, and Karachi have become virtually unliveable due to pollution, congestion, and infrastructural collapse. The political class shows little urgency in resolving these everyday crises. Religion, rather than policy, has increasingly become the dominant idiom of public life. New “messiahs” are manufactured daily, amplified by prime-time television debates that now openl...

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  This year, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj is organising a two-day PESA Mahotsav in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 23–24 December 2025. The event marks the passage of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA), enacted by Parliament on 24 December 1996 to establish self-governance in Fifth Schedule areas. Scheduled Areas are those notified by the President of India under Article 244(1) read with the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides for a distinct framework of governance recognising the autonomy of tribal regions. At present, Fifth Schedule areas exist in ten states: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. The PESA Act, 1996 empowers Gram Sabhas—the village assemblies—as the foundation of self-rule in these areas. Among the many powers devolved to them is the authority to take decisions on local matters, including the regulation...

By A Representative   Mahila Kisan Adhikar Manch (MAKAAM), a national platform of women farmers and rural workers, has strongly condemned the Union government for introducing and passing the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Grameen) Bill, 2025 (VBGRAMG), describing it as anti-women, anti-worker and anti-poor, and terming it a “deathblow” to rural livelihoods. 

By Bharat Dogra  I have been visiting villages in India regularly for several decades so that my writings on development, peace, and the environment can benefit from what I learn from local communities and activists. Despite all my reading and writing of books and scholarly papers, wherever I go I find that I still have so much to learn from villagers and grassroots workers.  

By Harasankar Adhikari  India has often been described as a nation built on “unity in diversity,” a phrase that reflects its pluralistic character and distinguishes it globally. The idea that “united we stand and divided we fall” has long been central to the vision of its leaders, who sought to preserve integrity and sovereignty. Yet history shows that internal divisions repeatedly left the country vulnerable to shifts in power. The Mughal Empire, established by Babur in 1526, rose at a time of conflict among Indian rulers. 

By Harsh Thakor*  This is my list of the 20 most naturally talented batsmen of all time, possessing the highest levels of creative genius. The ranking and selection are highly subjective. Several greater batsmen have been omitted because innovation and creative imagination—rather than overall merit or statistical supremacy—are the sole criteria. The list is ranked in terms of the ability to manufacture strokes and dismantle bowling attacks.

By Venkatesh Nayak*  Recently, a prominent English-language daily reported statistics relating to the pendency of cases before tribunals established under various central laws. Replying to an Unstarred Question raised by the DMK MP from Perambalur, Tamil Nadu, Thiru Arun Nehru, the Union Minister for Law and Justice tabled data on case disposal and pendency pertaining to 16 major tribunals (click HERE ). 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual question-and-answer press conference remains an extraordinary political spectacle. Few world leaders today appear willing—or able—to subject themselves to such a prolonged and wide-ranging public interrogation. Held every year ahead of Christmas, the event brings together ordinary Russian citizens and international media in Moscow. It typically runs for over four hours. According to reports, nearly five million questions were submitted to the president’s office this year, of which around 80 were selected, alongside live questions from journalists. Notably, Putin answers these questions without visible reliance on advisers, dealing with them directly.

By A Representative   A recent study has claimed that India disposed of more cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2025 than were registered during the same year, marking what the authors describe as a significant shift in case management within the justice system. According to the report, titled “Pendency to Protection: Achieving the Tipping Point to Justice for Child Victims of Sexual Abuse”, 80,320 POCSO cases were registered in 2025, while 87,754 cases were disposed of, resulting in a disposal rate of 109 percent.

By A Representative   In a significant move toward fostering climate-resilient urban environments, the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) India recently hosted a landmark Housing Mela in Rajkot, Gujarat. The event served as a collaborative platform for 159 residents and leaders representing 64 cooperative housing societies, focusing on the urgent need for safer, more sustainable living spaces. 

By A Representative   Oral historian, filmmaker and cultural conservationist Sohail Hashmi has said that everyday practices related to attire, food and architecture in India reflect long histories of interaction and adaptation rather than rigid or exclusionary ideas of identity. He was speaking at a webinar organised by the Indian History Forum (IHF).

By Bharat Dogra  India has a rich heritage of oilseed farming, processing, and edible oils of high nutrition and medicinal value. While leading oilseeds include mustard and groundnut, many local varieties offer special benefits. This sector can provide sustainable livelihoods and healthy food, positioning India as a world leader in healthy edible oils. Advancing this through natural farming can ensure the oils are both healthy and climate-resilient.

By Ravi Ranjan*  In the landscape of contemporary Hindi literature, storyteller Hari Bhatnagar emerges as a profound cartographer of the human condition. His work maps the intricate terrains of emotion, society, and existence. It is deeply informed by Raymond Williams ’s seminal concept of the “ structure of feeling .”

By A Representative   Leading economists and social activists gathered in the capital on Friday to launch the third edition of the State of Finance in India Report 2024-25 , issuing a stark warning that the rapid digitalization of the Indian economy is eroding welfare systems and entrenching "digital dystopia." 

By Renuka Soni*   In a constitutional democracy, the state is entrusted with safeguarding the life, liberty, and dignity of its citizens. Political theorist John Locke, in his Second Treatise of Government, argued that individuals consent to political authority primarily to secure these basic rights, and that state power loses legitimacy when it harms life, liberty, or property. Events surrounding the air pollution protests held in Delhi on 9 and 23 November 2025, particularly the police response at India Gate and subsequent legal proceedings, have raised renewed questions about the boundaries of state authority and the protection of constitutional freedoms in India.

By A Representative   The Right to Food Campaign has strongly condemned the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB–GRAM G) Bill, 2025, describing it as a major rollback of workers’ rights and a fundamental dilution of the statutory Right to Work guaranteed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). In a statement, the Campaign termed the repeal of MGNREGA a “dark day for workers’ rights” and accused the government of converting a legally enforceable, demand-based employment guarantee into a centralised, discretionary welfare scheme.

By Bharat Dogra  When the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA) was introduced in India nearly two decades ago, it drew worldwide attention. The reason was evident. At a time when states across much of the world were retreating from responsibility for livelihoods and welfare, the world’s second most populous country—with nearly two-thirds of its people living in rural or semi-rural areas—committed itself to guaranteeing 100 days of employment a year to its rural population.

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ*  Let there be Christmas to help us realise that Joseph together with his young, pregnant wife had to trudge a long distance to get themselves registered in Bethlehem due to a Roman decree by Caesar Augustus, which required everyone to return to their ancestral hometown for a census to account for taxation and lineage. Joseph was of King David's line, so he had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem (David's city) with Mary. 

By Prof. Hemantkumar Shah*  Reports indicate that on December 18, 2025, the Surat District and Sessions Court approved the Gujarat government’s decision to withdraw the sedition case against BJP MLA Hardik Patel. This follows a similar move in March, where the Ahmedabad Sessions Court sanctioned the withdrawal of another case against him. In both instances, Hardik and four of his associates were granted a clean slate.

By A Representative   Several civil society organisations, environmental groups and public interest advocates have criticised the SHANTI Nuclear Energy Bill, warning that it could expose India to serious nuclear safety, economic and national security risks. In a joint press statement issued on Friday, the groups alleged that the Bill was passed in Parliament without adequate scrutiny, debate or consultation with independent experts, and described the process as weakening democratic oversight.

By Rajiv Shah  Has the Government of India finally moved to completely change important provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act , that too without bringing about any amendment in the top transparency law? It would seem so, if one is to believe well known civil society leaders' keen observations on the nuclear energy Bill passed in the Lok Sabha .  Senior RTI activist Amrita Johri has sharply criticised the recently passed Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, 2025 , saying that it has effectively “nuked” the Right to Information (RTI) Act through the back door. 

By A Representative   An alliance of women’s rights activists has urged the National Commission for Women (NCW) to initiate legal action against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over an incident at a public function in Patna that they allege amounted to a grave violation of a Muslim woman’s dignity and constitutional rights. In a detailed complaint dated December 18, the All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), part of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), sought the NCW’s immediate intervention following an episode on December 15 during the distribution of appointment letters to newly recruited AYUSH doctors in Patna. 

By Bharat Dogra   With the growing importance of climate resilience, it is becoming increasingly necessary to integrate the promotion and protection of rural livelihoods with this objective. This has emerged as a key concern of rural development initiatives. There is no question here of sacrificing development opportunities for small farmers or other livelihood groups. Rather, the challenge lies in more thoughtful planning to integrate several important objectives simultaneously.

By A Representative   A representation submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has raised serious concerns over what it describes as the rapid erosion of ecological safeguards within India’s legally protected areas, citing recent global research and the proposed approval of a major pumped storage project inside a wildlife sanctuary in Karnataka.

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  The proposed Food Safety and Standards (Amendment) Bill, 2025 marks a decisive shift in India’s food regulation landscape by seeking to place Halal certification exclusively under government control while criminalising all private Halal certification bodies. Although the Bill claims to promote “transparency” and “standardisation,” its structure and implications raise serious concerns about religious freedom, economic marginalisation, and the systematic dismantling of a long-established, Muslim-led Halal ecosystem in India.

By Nava Thakuria*  Renowned physician and healthcare visionary Dr Nomal Chandra Borah, founder of the GNRC Universal Health Mission and the GNRC Group of Hospitals, has been conferred with two prestigious national Lifetime Achievement Awards in recognition of his transformative contributions to neurology, nursing leadership, and community healthcare over the past five decades.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  Russia has paid an enormous price for its invasion of Ukraine. Yet, it has secured very limited strategic gains and occupied far less territory than anticipated, especially when measured against the scale of human and material losses incurred over nearly four years of war. 

By A Representative   The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM) has strongly opposed the proposed Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Bill, 2025, warning that it seeks to dismantle the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and replace a legally enforceable right to work with a discretionary, budget-capped scheme controlled by the Union government.  Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, NSM leaders, economists, workers and activists said the Bill had been introduced without consultation with workers or their organisations and would have far-reaching consequences for rural livelihoods across the country. According to NSM, the proposed legislation repeals MGNREGA, 2005, and empowers the Centre to fix annual, state-wise “normative allocations” for employment generation. Any expenditure beyond these pre-determined limits would have to be borne by state governments. Speakers at the press conference argued that this effectively c...

By Ram Puniyani*  The BJP thrives on identity issues. It deploys them to polarise society and reap electoral benefits. From the Babri Masjid–Ram Temple dispute to cow–beef politics, “love jihad” and other invented “jihads”, such themes have been its principal tools. Adding to this list, another issue has now been brought to the fore: the national song Vande Mataram.

By Vijay Prashad   Sitting in a lively room in the University of Amsterdam, I ask a question about the respect accorded by students to their former Prime Minister and now head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Mark Rutte. The room is animated and funny. No-one seems to accord Rutte with the respect that he might deserve. They see him as an empty suit who served as Prime Minister from October 2010 to July 2024, a total of over five thousand days —the longest serving head of government in Dutch history.

By Vijay Prashad   On 14 December, the predictable happened: José Antonio Kast, the candidate of the far-right Republican Party, prevailed over Jeannette Jara of the Communist Party of Chile by 58.16 percent to 41.84 percent. Kast ran as the candidate of the Cambio por Chile (Change for Chile) platform and was backed by all the parties of the traditional right and the centre-right. Jara, on the other hand, was the candidate of Unidad por Chile (Unity for Chile), which comprised the parties of the centre-left, including the bloc of Chile’s current president, Gabriel Boric, the Frente Amplio or Broad Front.

By Tings Chak   On 10 December 2025, U.S. forces seized the oil tanker Skipper off the coast of Venezuela, carrying over a million barrels of crude. “Well, we keep [the oil],” President Trump told reporters. Venezuela's foreign ministry called it “blatant theft and an act of international piracy,” adding: “The true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed. It has always been about our natural wealth, our oil.”

By Vijay Prashad  Ever since Hugo Chávez came to power in 1998, the United States has attempted to overthrow the Bolivarian Revolution. They have tried everything short of a full-scale military invasion: a military coup, selecting a substitute president, cutting off access to the global financial system, imposing layers of sanctions, sabotaging the electricity grid, sending in mercenaries, and attempting to assassinate its leaders. If you can think of a method to overthrow a government, the United States has likely tried it against Venezuela.

By Harsh Thakor  The Second World War produced many figures whose actions became closely associated with major battles. Vasily Zaytsev was a Soviet sniper who fought during the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the decisive engagements on the Eastern Front. The encirclement and surrender of the German Sixth Army at Stalingrad marked a significant turning point in the war against Nazi Germany.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  India’s capital, Delhi, has been suffering from poor air quality during certain periods every year. On 15 December 2025, the Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded as high as 452. An AQI above 400 falls in the “severe” to “hazardous” category, indicating toxic air that can cause immediate irritation such as burning eyes, coughing and breathlessness, while also increasing the risk of respiratory infections and other health problems.

By Bharat Dogra  Kabutra Devi lived in a very remote Himalayan village in the Agastyamuni region of Uttarakhand. Owing to access to government jobs, the economic condition of her family was reasonably good. At her advanced age, Kabutra Devi could easily have lived a restful life at home. Yet she insisted that she must go to work on the family’s farms every day.

By Jag Jivan   Central India’s Upper Ken Basin , where the ancient Bundelkhand Craton meets the younger Vindhyan sedimentary rocks , appears at first glance to be a quiet and time-worn landscape. But new research reveals that the region is still being actively shaped by deep, hidden tectonic forces. In a recent study, geographers Kundan Parmar and Satheesh Chothodi * used high-resolution elevation data and underground gravity measurements to decode the subtle fingerprints of active deformation imprinted onto the basin’s rivers and valleys. 

By A Representative   Concerns have been raised over the Union government’s reported move to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), with critics describing it as a politically motivated step rather than an administrative reform. They argue that the proposed change undermines the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and seeks to appropriate credit for a programme whose relevance has been repeatedly demonstrated, particularly during times of crisis.