By Bhaskaran Raman  Ever so often, we are reminded by the media that we are living in a “climate emergency.” This especially happens after every natural disaster, such as after the recent floods in North India. While nature’s fury and its victims are not trifling matters, is there anything new about this that warrants a declaration of “crisis” or “emergency”?

By A Representative   The Right to Education Forum (RTEF), Bihar, has released a public education charter addressed to all contesting candidates in the ongoing Bihar Assembly elections, urging them to commit to strengthening the right to education and ensuring universal, equitable, and quality schooling for all children. The Forum, a national network advocating for the protection and promotion of the right to education and quality public schooling, said it developed the charter after consultations with coordinators, core committee members, educationists, and stakeholders across various districts. The RTEF appealed to candidates to raise these issues both inside and outside the legislature if elected.

By Sanjay Parate   The uncertainty surrounding leadership within Bihar’s opposition alliance has been resolved following the Mahagathbandhan’s announcement that Tejashwi Yadav would be its chief ministerial face if the alliance wins the upcoming assembly elections. In contrast, the BJP-led NDA has stated that its chief minister will be chosen only after the elections. While Nitish Kumar continues to represent the NDA’s public face, questions remain over whether he would retain the position in the event of an NDA victory.

By A Representative   The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has demanded that all employers provide safe transport facilities for women employees working late hours, following a late-night attack on a woman journalist driving home from her workplace in Noida to her residence in Vasant Kunj.

By Bharat Dogra   South Asia, home to roughly one-fourth of the world’s population but covering only about 4% of its land area, is among the most densely populated regions on earth. It is also a region with deep historical wounds and immense untapped potential.

By Harsh Thakor*  A meeting of several nationalist, far-right, and neo-Nazi organisations was held in St. Petersburg, Russia, on September 12 under the code name “Paladín.” The event served as the founding congress of a body calling itself the “International Union of Enemies of Globalization” or the “International Union of Sovereign Nations.” Around twenty organisations from different countries reportedly took part.

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ  On 1 November, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed St. John Henry Newman a Doctor of the Catholic Church, in a moving spiritual celebration at the Vatican witnessed by thousands.  Pope Leo said, “It is a great joy to include Saint John Henry Newman among the Doctors of the Church, and, at the same time, on the occasion of the Jubilee of the World of Education, to name him, together with Saint Thomas Aquinas, as co-Patron of the Church’s educational mission. Newman’s impressive spiritual and cultural stature will surely serve as an inspiration to new generations whose hearts thirst for the infinite, and who, through research and knowledge, are willing to undertake that journey which, as the ancients said, takes us per aspera ad astra—through difficulties to the stars.” 

By Harsh Thakor*  Ritwik Ghatak, born in 1925 in British India, was not merely a filmmaker but a visionary whose path-breaking experiments left an indelible mark on the footprints of Indian cinema. His contributions as director and scriptwriter showcased a unique fusion of realism and symbolism. On November 4th, we commemorate the birth centenary of this cinematic genius whose filmography remains a treasure trove of brilliance, transcending unexplored horizons to reinvent contemporary Indian art. 

By Prantik Deka  The serene hills of Itanagar are set to come alive with global beats this November as American rap sensation G-Eazy headlines the Music Head Festival 2025, transforming Arunachal Pradesh’s capital into a hub of international and local sounds.

By A Representative   The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has written to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ahead of his scheduled meeting with representatives of 59 nomadic, semi-nomadic, and small Scheduled Caste communities. The alliance has urged the Chief Minister to take a decisive step towards granting 1% internal reservation for these communities within the Scheduled Caste category, in line with the recommendations of the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission.

By A Representative   The All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has issued a statement condemning the police violence against protesting ASHA workers in Kerala and urging both the state and central governments to take immediate and fair action on their longstanding demands.

By Harsh Thakor*  Shankar Guha Niyogi: A Politics in Red and Green by Radhika Krishnan offers an in-depth examination of the life, ideas, and political philosophy of Shankar Guha Niyogi, the visionary founder of the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM). Emerging in 1977 as a union for miners of the Bhilai Steel Plant, the CMM evolved into a larger movement representing mineworkers, factory labourers, and agricultural workers across Chhattisgarh. Krishnan’s work positions the CMM as a unique experiment in integrating labour struggles with ecological consciousness and technological awareness, while also reimagining the very framework of trade unionism.

By Dr. Prem Singh*  The adage that "revolution devours its own children" has long been associated with the French Revolution, but its echoes resonate through other seismic upheavals like the American, Russian, and Chinese revolutions. Scholars have exhaustively analyzed this phenomenon, dissecting how revolutions, in their fervor, often turn against their own architects.