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.

By A Representative A group of activists, eminent Gandhians and people’s organisations has strongly condemned the alleged lynching of 40-year-old cloth hawker Mohammad Athar Hussain in Nawada district of Bihar, describing the incident as a chilling reminder of the collapse of the rule of law and the dangerous normalisation of hate-driven violence in the country.

By Harasankar Adhikari   Sex work, often described as one of the oldest and most stigmatized occupations, exists in multiple forms shaped by social stratification, economic inequality, gender relations, and prevailing moral codes. While commonly associated with heterosexual transactions involving women, the sex trade is a complex and layered social institution. Among its various forms, brothel-based sex work in red-light areas remains one of the most visible and socially regulated.

By A Representative   The National Federation of Youth Movement (NFYM) has condemned an alleged recent incident involving Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in which he was reportedly seen pulling the niqab of a Muslim woman, and has demanded that the National Commission for Women (NCW) take cognisance of the matter. In a press statement issued to the media, NFYM Chairman Masihuzzama Ansari described the incident as unfortunate and said it amounted to an affront to the dignity and self-respect of a woman. He urged the NCW to issue a notice to the Chief Minister and ensure appropriate action.

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey  The last Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list was carried out in 2002–03 with little public attention, much like India’s earlier milestones of becoming a one- or two-trillion-dollar economy, which passed without sustained publicity. It was only when the economy crossed the three-trillion-dollar mark that the event became widely known, following an extensive publicity campaign by the Modi government. In contrast, the 2025–26 SIR is unfolding amid considerable public attention and administrative activity. This government has shown a tendency to foreground processes that were earlier handled more quietly. The SIR form contains the voter’s existing details, with requirements to provide date of birth, Aadhaar number (not mandatory), names of parents and spouse, and, if available, their Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers.

By Harasankar Adhikari   The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls for 2025–26 in several states, presenting it as a measure to strengthen the foundations of Indian democracy. Periodic revision of electoral rolls is indeed a constitutional responsibility of the ECI, mandated under Articles 324–329 of the Constitution, and is essential for ensuring free and fair elections in a country of India’s scale and diversity.

By Bharat Dogra   When taking forward new development initiatives, it is important to remain conscious of the fact that rural communities possess important sources of strength that have sustained them for long periods, often in adverse conditions. While introducing new development measures is necessary, these should not disrupt existing community strengths. Instead, such initiatives should seek to build upon and enhance them.

By Vikas Meshram   A recent study published in the international journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, highlights the grave reality of malnutrition and stunting among children worldwide. According to the report, in the year 2000, nearly 2.75 million children died due to undernutrition and impaired growth in early childhood. Although some progress has been made over the past two decades, malnutrition and stunting remain major health threats for children under the age of five. The study identifies Sub-Saharan Africa as the most severely affected region.

By Bharat Dogra   It was a time so exciting for four young people that it felt as if it had come straight out of a Bollywood movie. Right at the start of their business venture, they received a large order—something they had not imagined would be possible so early. “If this is the beginning,” they told each other, “just think of what the future could bring.” Excitement, however, was not entirely new to these young entrepreneurs, who had already taken significant risks, including giving up secure jobs at an early age.

By Harasankar Adhikari  The school recruitment controversy in West Bengal has emerged as one of the most serious governance challenges in recent years, raising concerns about transparency, institutional accountability, and the broader impact on society. Allegations that school jobs were obtained through irregular means have led to prolonged legal scrutiny, involving both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India. In one instance, a panel for high school teacher recruitment was ultimately cancelled after several years of service, following extended judicial proceedings and debate.

By Harsh Thakor*  Very recently I posted my all-time cricket team, noting how it was an almost impossible task considering the innumerable variables and permutations involved. I now present a 2nd XI that, in my view, may even defeat the 1st World XI chosen earlier. Several fans also suggested that I select a team capable of doing just that.

By Shiran Illanperuma   Is Asia possible? This provocation comes from a recent intervention by Tricontinental Asia, the latest in a series of conjunctural analyses on the Asian continent. There is increasing acknowledgement that the world economy’s centre of gravity is shifting to Asia. Home to 60 percent of the world’s population, the continent contributes to 70 percent of world economic growth, 40 percent of world merchandise trade, and 57 percent of world manufacturing value added. A range of Asian organisations, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, signal a tendency towards regionalism. The Asia-centric Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is the world's largest free trade bloc. In fact, an argument could be made that Asia’s dynamism animates the new mood in the Global South. Five of the 10 BRICS member states are on the continent of Asia (six if we include Russia, which straddles b...

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  Air pollution has become the most silent yet deadly public health crisis of our time. In cities and villages, invisible toxic particles suspended in the air, such as industrial smoke, vehicle emissions, ash from thermal power plants, and domestic fuel smoke, are taking a heavy toll on people's breathing. The most worrying fact is that people are falling ill without any noise. Its pain is neither immediately visible nor its impact felt, yet its ability to erode the body from within is extremely rapid. Today, the poison in the air is not just an environmental crisis, but a slow, ongoing assault on human health.

By Vikas Meshram   The impact of climate change on human life has long been felt across the world, but a recently published global survey has revealed the full intensity of the crisis. The survey shows that India experienced twenty heatwaves last year, with climate-related factors significantly increasing the frequency and severity of these events. It also reports that climate change led to a loss of 247 billion work hours globally, resulting in an economic loss of 194 billion USD in labour productivity.

By A Representative   The civil rights group Centre for Protection of Democratic Rights and Secularism (CPDRS) has alleged large-scale police repression in 12 villages of Jamunaposi and Chemena panchayats in Patna block of Keonjhar district, where the Odisha government is pursuing the acquisition of 2,466 acres of land for transfer to the Jindal-POSCO company.

By A Representative   Mazdoor Adhikar Sangharsh Abhiyan (MASA), a coordination of 14 workers’ organisations, unions and federations across the country, has observed All India Workers’ Rights Day with protest demonstrations and rallies in several states, demanding repeal of the four recently implemented Labour Codes and protection of basic workers’ rights. 

By Bharat Dogra  Ramaj village once became well known for its watershed development programme. Located in Udaipur district of Rajasthan, it was among the earliest villages to be covered by the watershed work initiated by the regional voluntary organisation Seva Mandir. The initial success of this project created a strong sense of achievement, as it met people’s expectations and addressed longstanding concerns.

By Harsh Thakor*  This year, on November 2, we commemorated the 75th death anniversary of George Bernard Shaw. It also marked one hundred years since he received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. Shaw was among the most prolific, gifted and creative playwrights of his time—a socialist, a humanist, and a great artist who placed politics at the centre of his work.

By Sudhansu R Das  The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

By Vikas Gupta   We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

By A Representative   India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 30, 2025, delivered a significant judgment on the continued use of asbestos cement roofing sheets in schools, directing the Union government to review scientific evidence and global best practices before taking a policy decision on permitting or minimising such use.

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  The demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 remains one of the most contentious episodes in India’s modern history. For many citizens, it represents a serious failure of constitutional governance, law enforcement, and institutional accountability. The structure was demolished in full public view, despite prior assurances to the Supreme Court and the presence of security forces. The inability or unwillingness of the authorities to prevent the demolition continues to raise troubling questions about state responsibility.

By John Dayal*  The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, passed by the Indian Parliament in 2023, came fully into force in November this year, triggering alarm bells among civil society and minority rights groups, who fear it will make their work very difficult, if not impossible.

By Bharat Dogra   A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

By Bharat Dogra   At a time of increasing concern over the lack of adequate care for older people, even in villages, it is important to remember that in any future planning for elder care, families and communities must continue to bear the primary responsibility, although they should be assisted in thoughtful ways by the State and civil society organizations.

By Bharat Dogra   There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

By Atul Chandra   The year 2025 witnessed escalated threats from the United States on the Global South. In the span of months, Washington declared Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety,” threatened to invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect Christians from an alleged genocide, and demanded that the Taliban return Bagram airbase with warnings of unspecified consequences. These are not isolated episodes of Trumpian bluster. They are symptoms of a deeper structural crisis in the way US power manages its relationship with the rest of the world.

By Harsh Thakor*  Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

By Nava Thakuria*  It may be surprising but true that the largest democracy on Earth has been functioning for more than a year without a fully constituted government-sponsored media watchdog. The Press Council of India (PCI), a quasi-judicial body initiated to safeguard and nurture press freedom in the country, remains almost non-functional since the term of its 14th council expired on 5 October 2024. Efforts to constitute the statutory 15th council have faced multiple hurdles, preventing the body from carrying out its prescribed activities.

By Jag Jivan   The 2026 World Inequality Report reveals stark and persistent inequalities across income, wealth, gender, and global financial systems, with India positioned at the centre of several critical trends. The report, drawing on the work of over 200 researchers coordinated by the World Inequality Lab, provides a comprehensive assessment of global disparities up to 2025.

By Ram Puniyani*  India’s transition from a feudal and hierarchical social order to a society aspiring for democratic values began during the colonial period. The emergence of modern industries created a new working class, and the introduction of modern education, especially through policies shaped by Thomas Macaulay, laid the groundwork for a more liberal and rights-based public sphere. Pre-modern social structures—feudal and semi-feudal—were rooted in divine authority and caste-based hierarchies, leaving little space for the notion of equal rights. It was within the colonial context that new social forces emerged and articulated demands for rights.

By A Representative  The Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (People’s Health Movement–India) organized a national health conference in Raipur on December 8–9. Around 350 prominent health leaders, activists, representatives of people’s movements and community organizations from 19 states participated. The conference focused on the major challenges in health, the demand for policy changes in the health system, and the need to strengthen grassroots public health movements through coordinated strategies.