By Rajiv Shah    A new report by a firm describing itself as a "digital real estate transaction and advisory platform," Proptiger , states that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) has been the largest contributor to housing units among India's top eight cities currently experiencing a real estate boom. Accounting for 26.9% of all new launches, it is followed by Pune with 18.7% and Hyderabad with 13.6%. These three cities collectively represented 59.2% of the new inventory introduced during the third quarter (July to September 2025), which is the focus of the report’s analysis. 

By Alka Palrecha*  Gujarat is often showcased as a model of efficient water governance , a state that has seemingly overcome the challenges of scarcity through robust infrastructure and managerial reforms. FHTC reports of 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) provide data on the progress of supplying Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) to every rural home in India by 2024 (extended to 2028). 

By A Representative   The Gujarat unit of the Centre for Protection of Democratic Rights and Secularism (CPDRS) has held a sit-in dharna near Town Hall in Ahmedabad to protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list being carried out by the Election Commission in the state. 

By A Representative  People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has condemned the Jammu and Kashmir administration for issuing district-level orders that it says amount to surveillance of working journalists and a denial of press freedom . In a statement released on Thursday, PUCL said the directives issued by various District Information Officers (DIOs) seek intrusive personal details from journalists, including salary statements, appointment letters and academic qualifications, under the pretext of preventing impersonation and curbing criminal activity.

By Raqif Makhdoomi   I woke up at 8:30 am and instinctively checked my phone for early leads. Initial trends on X (formerly Twitter) suggested an advantage for the National Conference , though it was still too early to draw conclusions. I wanted to keep scrolling, but the cold made it difficult, and I drifted back to sleep. When I woke up again, I picked up my phone to check the latest updates. 

By Krishna Murari Yadav, Sandeep Pandey*  Mohammad Arif is a Sunni Muslim who is in the construction business. He lives with his wife and eight children in Lucknow . Originally, he hails from Sheikhpur , Ward 2, of Unnao . There are about 80% Hindus and 20% Muslims in Sheikhpur.

By A Representative   Environmental policy expert Shankar Sharma has written to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and its affiliated institutions, expressing grave concern over India’s deteriorating ecological health. Citing the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s latest global review, which found that only Khangchendzonga National Park received a “Good” rating among 107 national parks, Sharma warned that the findings reveal a “serious concern for the overall health of the country’s flora, fauna, and environment.”

By Rajiv Shah     I have in my hand a representation addressed to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gujarat , urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to stop “atrocities on teachers and education in the name of election work.” The representation, submitted by Dr. Kanubhai Khadadiya of the All India Save Education Committee (AISEC), Gujarat chapter -- its contents matched  what a couple of teachers serving as Block Level Officers (BLOs) told me a couple of days esrlier during a recent visit to a close acquaintance.

By Sunil Kumar*  On October 30, 2025, a shocking incident in Mumbai's Powai area rattled the entire nation. According to reports, an individual named Rohit Arya lured 19 people, including 17 children, to RA Studio under the guise of a web series audition and held them hostage. The horror and confusion surrounding this event transcend a mere criminal case; it is a web of social, administrative, and moral questions that cannot be ignored.

By A Representative   Marking the 25th anniversary of Jharkhand’s formation, the Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha (JJM) has issued an open letter to Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and political leaders across parties, expressing “deep disappointment” over the state’s direction and urging leaders to “mend their ways.” The Mahasabha, a collective of social activists and people’s organizations, recalled the sacrifices made during the movement for a separate Jharkhand. It said the dream of creating a state that would empower adivasis and moolvasis through self-rule, equality, and harmony with nature had been “betrayed.”

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  Every major media outlet in Europe and the United States has reported on the collapse of the recently completed 758-metre-long Hongqi Bridge in Maerkang , Sichuan province , China. The bridge, part of a national highway linking the country’s heartland with Tibet , collapsed on November 11, 2025. Local authorities swiftly closed it to traffic, and no casualties were reported due to timely preventive measures. 

By N.S. Venkataraman*  As Prime Minister Narendra Modi enters his third term in office—having completed over eleven years in power—some sections of the public have voiced concern that the government appears to have slowed down on reforms. Critics argue that, apart from the recent restructuring of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), there have been few new reform initiatives in the past fourteen months.

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The imperative of energy security has emerged as a defining concern in the foreign policies of most nations today. Prolonged wars in Europe and Asia, coupled with the interventions of great powers and their rivalries across different regions, have intensified uncertainty in the global supply and procurement of vital natural resources such as oil and natural gas. To mitigate such risks—and constrained by national and global climate commitments—many countries are accelerating their shift toward renewable energy sources like wind and solar, while adopting technologies to enhance energy efficiency and conservation.

By Harsh Thakor*  Unsilenced – The Jail Diary of an Activist by Seema Azad is a powerful first-hand account of life behind bars and an indictment of India’s prison system . It documents the author’s two-and-a-half years of incarceration under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a period marked by fabricated charges and judicial delays . The book offers a vivid and unsettling portrait of systemic injustice , corruption, caste and gender discrimination , and the harsh realities of prison life.

By A Representative  The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a national platform of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has sharply criticised the Delhi Government for what it termed as an “ institutional and moral collapse ” in responding to the capital’s escalating air pollution emergency. The alliance condemned the detention of peaceful protesters who had gathered in Delhi earlier this week to demand urgent measures against worsening air quality and called the state’s actions “an affront to democratic and environmental justice.”

By Thomas Franco   The Finance Minister has once again revived talk of merging two or three large public sector banks to make them globally competitive. Reports also suggest that the government is considering appointing Managing Directors in public sector banks from the private sector. Both moves would strike at the heart of India’s public banking system . Privatisation undermines the constitutional vision of social and economic justice, and such steps could lead to irreversible damage.

By Tseten Lhundup*  Since the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, the Tibetan exile community in Dharamsala has established the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as the guardian of Tibetan culture and identity. Once admired for its democratic governance , educational system , and religious vitality , the exile community now faces an alarming demographic and institutional decline. 

By Sudhansu R. Das  The Ramayana, one of India’s most revered epics, has had a deep cultural influence across the subcontinent, including Tamil Nadu. According to the text, the Vanaras—forest-dwelling communities believed to have lived in southern India—played a crucial role in assisting Lord Ram in his battle against the demon king Ravana. These communities are often described as possessing engineering skills, knowledge of natural medicine, and deep familiarity with the forest ecosystem.

By Bharat Dogra  Raj Kapoor ’s Jagte Raho is one of the all-time great films of Hindi cinema . It received international acclaim and won prestigious awards. The film revolves around the simple story of a migrant worker who, being thirsty, enters a gated colony in a big city to find water but is mistaken for a thief. The film narrates his experiences as he is chased throughout the night within the housing complex. The filmmakers use this setting to make many significant social observations — sometimes with sadness, and at other times with great humor. It is a film with many smiles and a few tears too, as Charlie Chaplin might have said.

By Harsh Thakor*  On October 24, 1955 , the Soviet Union lost one of its most pioneering figures in cinema — Yuri Zhelyabuzhsky . More than a cinematographer and director, he was a chronicler of revolution, an innovator in animation, and a tireless documentarian whose work vividly captured the transformation of an era. His films trace the evolution of Soviet culture from the fervour of revolution to the reconstruction of the post-war period.

By Bharat Dogra  According to recent reports, India has recorded the highest growth rate in total beverage alcohol (TBA) consumption among 20 global markets for the third consecutive first half-year period. The global alcohol-focused industry research firm IWSR reported that TBA volume in India grew 7% year-on-year during January–June 2025 to over 440 million nine-litre cases. Sarah Campbell of IWSR observed, “India is increasingly one of the most important global markets for the beverage alcohol industry.”

By Sunil Kumar*  The majority of Delhi's working-class population lives in slums (jhuggi-jhopris) and unauthorized colonies . These settlements are home to the people who build the cities, run them, and do the sanitation work. One such settlement is the Kabadi (Bengali) Colony in Rithala . This colony is surrounded on three sides by high boundary walls. Multi-story apartments are on one side of the settlement, and Rithala village is on the other.

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  The prolonged detention without bail of Umar  Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and Shifa-ur-Rehman—five individuals accused in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots—raises serious questions about the administration of justice in India. Arrested in 2020 and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Arms Act, and various sections of the Indian Penal Code, they have spent over five years in prison while their trial remains ongoing before a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria.

By Sanjay Parate*  The election of Zohran Mamdani as Mayor of New York has resonated far beyond the city's borders, signifying a notable shift in political discourse both in the United States and internationally. His victory is being interpreted by many as a powerful counter-narrative to the right-wing, populist politics associated with figures like President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

By Bharat Dogra   In his mayoral campaign, Zohran Mamdani brought to the centre stage the distress and deprivation suffered by New York’s working class and poor—focusing on issues such as housing, transport, and childcare. Unlike many others, he did not abandon these concerns midway through his campaign. He spoke firmly against the billionaires who opposed him most aggressively, and who poured massive funds into his opponents’ coffers.

By Harsh Thakor*  The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, Rosa Louise McCauley Parks , passed away on October 24, 2005, in Detroit, Michigan . As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of her death, her life continues to shine like an eternal star in the firmament of human struggle and dignity. Her simple yet resolute act of defiance on December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama —refusing to surrender her bus seat—was far more than an act of personal protest. It became a timeless assertion of the inherent dignity and civil rights of every African American.

By Rajiv Shah   India’s ambition to transition to a resource-efficient and waste-free economy is hindered by fragmented regulation, weak enforcement, and uneven infrastructure, according to a new 213-page report by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava   The Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign has ended up being a sham, show, and scam—especially as it missed the Beti Badhao part. Campaigns may be done in poetry, but governance and management require fully scripted prose. When Team India lifted their first ICC Women’s World Cup in Navi Mumbai after nearly 50 years, the Women in Blue became superstars overnight. However, the achievement was a well-curated effort of many years by many who knew that imaginations come true over time. Imagine Jhulan Goswami, Anjum Chopra, and Mithali Raj at the BCCI and ICC top positions!

By Samra Iqbal*  In Delhi’s bustling Sarojini Nagar market, what you buy and how much you pay rarely affects the person selling it to you. “Maalik kabhi baitha hi nahi hai” (“the owner never sits”), said Bilal, a daily wage worker who has spent years behind one of the hundreds of stalls that line the market’s narrow lanes.

By Vikas Meshram   Over the past two decades, the global economy has undergone profound transformation. Liberalization and globalization have opened up trade, created new opportunities through technological advancement, and enabled large industries to expand across international borders. For some, these processes brought prosperity and progress; for many others, they marked the beginning of new hardships. While GDP figures continued to rise, the benefits of this growth failed to reach all sections of society equally. The unequal distribution of resources and the growing concentration of wealth have further deepened economic inequality.

By A Representative   The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a pan-Indian forum of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has issued an urgent appeal to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), calling for the immediate withdrawal of recent decisions deregulating Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incinerators. In a letter dated November 10, 2025, the alliance expressed “immense concern” over the government’s move to exempt WTE plants from prior environmental clearance under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, and to downgrade them from the “Red” to the “Blue” pollution category.

By Bharat Dogra  There are songs that entertain, songs that inspire, and then there are songs that heal. Hindi cinema has given us many melodies that seem to reach straight into the heart, offering comfort and compassion. Among these, some of the most unforgettable are songs that celebrate empathy — songs that urge us to share the sorrows of others, to feel their pain as our own. Decades may have passed since we first heard them, yet their emotional resonance remains timeless.

By Harsh Thakor*  Richard Burton was an epitome of excellence — an actor who embodied multiple dimensions of the human spirit and whose voice carried an intensity and realism rarely equalled. November 10, 2025, marked his birth centenary, a moment to remember the Welsh miner’s son who rose to become one of Hollywood’s most magnetic and complex figures. Burton passed away in 1984, yet his towering presence and masterful performances continue to reverberate through generations of cinema lovers.

By A Representative   More than 70 prominent academics, writers, activists, lawyers, and former public servants from across India have come together under the banner of Sajag Nagarik Samaj (Vigilant Civil Society) to appeal to the people of Bihar to vote for the Mahagathbandhan — comprising the RJD, Congress, Left parties, and VIP — in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Critically acclaimed Hungarian-American economic historian and distinguished scholar of economic anthropometric history, Prof. John Komlos (Professor Emeritus, University of Munich), who pioneered the study of the history of human height and weight, has published an article titled “The Decline in the Physical Stature of the U.S. Population Parallels the Diminution in the Rate of Increase in Life Expectancy” on October 31, 2025, in the forthcoming issue of Social Science & Medicine (SSM) – Population Health, Volume 32, December 2025. The findings of the article present a damning critique of the barbaric nature of capitalism and its detrimental impact on human health, highlighting that the average height of Americans began to decline during the era of free-market capitalism. The study draws on an analysis of 17 surveys from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (...

By A Representative   The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has expressed strong solidarity with the people of Goa who are opposing the ongoing coal transportation and related mega infrastructure projects through the small coastal state. In a statement issued by its National Working Group, the alliance warned that the Government of India’s recent announcements confirm long-standing public fears that the three linear projects — power transmission lines, highway widening, and double-tracking of railways — are primarily aimed at enabling large-scale coal movement from Mormugao Port in Goa to Hospet in Karnataka under the broader Sagarmala and steel corridor initiatives.

By A Representative  The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a pan-Indian platform of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has strongly opposed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)’s decision to exempt Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incinerators from prior Environmental Clearance (EC) under the EIA Notification, 2006. The alliance has also objected to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s recent move to reclassify these plants from the “Red” to the “Blue” category, calling both measures “anti-people and anti-ecology.”

By Sunil Kumar*  The night of November 8, 2016, stands among those in India’s democratic and economic history when a single administrative decision abruptly and deeply altered the daily lives of millions. I was on my way to a friend’s house that evening. On the way, vegetable sellers in the market looked distraught. One of them said, “All my customers are coming with ₹500 notes. I have no change left.” After speaking to a few more people, I learned that demonetisation had been announced. When I reached my friend’s house and told her, she rushed to the ATM to withdraw money, but in vain — the machines were crowded, and cash had already run out. People were rushing from one ATM to another in panic.

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  The election fever in Budgam is rising with each passing day, with both the Chief Minister and the former Chief Minister addressing large rallies. The atmosphere has become increasingly charged, drawing people to political events in large numbers. Both major parties are aggressively attacking each other’s past records—PDP accusing the National Conference (NC) of election rigging, and NC holding PDP responsible for paving the way for the abrogation of Article 370.

By Sanjay Parate   The first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections concluded on November 6. While the votes are still sealed in electronic voting machines, another election result announced almost simultaneously — that of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) — has sparked political discussions across the country.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*   This year, the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP-30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held from November 10 to 21 in Belém, Brazil. The summit focuses on bringing together nations and regions to discuss and decide on measures to tackle climate change.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  Nearly three decades ago, the Indian Parliament enacted a landmark law for tribal regions — the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996, better known as PESA. This legislation sought to restore the traditional autonomy of tribal societies and empower them to use local resources according to their customs and needs. However, such decentralization never sat well with today’s developmental politicians, capitalists, and bureaucrats. The question therefore arises — what makes PESA so important?

By Mohan Rao  I am so delighted — a rare feeling in these times — at Zohran Mamdani’s victory against all odds. His father, Mahmood Mamdani, inspired my Ph.D thesis through his brilliant book The Myth of Population Control. A bit of background is necessary. A widely accepted demographic transition theory once held that birth rates declined when societies urbanised, industrialised, and moved away from systems based on family labour. This theory was derived from the demographic experience of First World countries.

By A Representative   In a landmark judgment on November 3, 2025, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) Central Zone Bench in Bhopal upheld the “Right to Life” of villagers from Jodhpura in North Rajasthan, directing wide-ranging remedial measures against environmental and health damages caused by the mining and stone crushing activities of UltraTech Cement Ltd. The order was delivered by Judicial Member Sheo Kumar Singh and Expert Member Sudhir Kumar Chaturvedi in the case Jodhpura Sangharsh Samiti vs Union of India & Ors (O.A. Nos. 143/2024 and 144/2024 CZ), marking a victory for the villagers after more than 1,060 days of struggle.

By Prabir Purkayastha   The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

By Manolo De Los Santos   The United States government is in the grips of one of its longest-running funding gaps in history. The ongoing government shutdown has already stretched beyond 30 days and now, the food security of millions of Americans is at risk as the funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is drying up and Trump officials have refused to tap into contingency funds . Approximately 42 million individuals per month rely on SNAP benefits and are set to lose them beginning on November 1.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The capitalist crises—from the internet click baits of the dot-com booms and bursts to the data and codes of the current AI bubble —are not merely manifestations of a Kondratiev cycle of expansion, stagnation, and recession. These capitalist boom, burst and crisis must be understood as part of the global capitalist system’s relentless drive to reinvent and rebuild itself in order to hide its systemic failures and sustain a mode of reproduction grounded in exploitation. The dot-com bubbles gave rise to new forms of technological and digital mechanisms of credit-led growth—from fintech innovations to internet-based finance —that revolutionised banking, trade, and a wide range of services. 

By Rajiv Shah    A recent, well-attended meeting of Gujarat civil society activists in Ahmedabad , held to discuss the impact of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, has decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court against the controversial exercise initiated by the Election Commission of India (ECI) across the country. Announcing this, senior High Court advocate Anand Yagnik , who heads the Gujarat chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said that a committee has already been formed to examine the pros and cons of SIR. “While the SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 and is scheduled to continue for a month, we will file a supporting petition in the case against SIR in the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court after observing how it proceeds in the state,” he said. Yagnik’s announcement followed senior advocate Shahrukh Alam —who is arguing the SIR case in the Supreme Court—urging Gujarat’s civil society to also file ...

By Ram Puniyani   Himanta Biswa Sarma , Assam’s Chief Minister—who has long been through the BJP’s “washing machine”—now stands as an aggressive right-wing leader. He often makes derogatory remarks about the Muslim community, which continues to face systematic neglect in Assam. Recently, during a Congress meeting in Assam , one Congress worker sang Amar Sonar Bangla . Sarma promptly directed the police to file an FIR against the person for singing what he called “the national anthem of Bangladesh .” It seems Sarma knows little about the history of this song, the circumstances in which it was composed, or its deep connection with India’s freedom movement. It is also worth noting that only the first ten lines of the original Amar Sonar Bangla were adopted as the national anthem of Bangladesh.