Counterview

By Jag Jivan   A new report by Parineeta Dandekar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) has brought to light a recurring and largely unstudied crisis in the Indian Himalayas : the phenomenon of glacial streams, or nallahs , experiencing devastating flash floods not from rainfall, but under a blazing sun.

By Nava Thakuria*  India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) recently triggered widespread public debate after reiterating that an Indian passport should primarily be treated as a travel document and not as conclusive proof of Indian citizenship. The clarification, issued on the occasion of the 14th Passport Seva Divas, drew strong reactions on mainstream and social media, with many questioning the legal and practical implications of the statement.

By Shabnam Hashmi*  The Gujarat government must be held accountable for what appears to be a deeply disturbing instance of state-sponsored communal profiling. Ahmedabad resident Sahal Qureshi recently shared with me an official document , which I translated with the help of AI before forwarding it to several media organisations and political leaders. 

Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan  He lived for only thirty‑two years, yet his life contained more drama, turbulence, and moral courage than many works of fiction. Some lives are so remarkable that they seem almost unbelievable, and the life of Shahid Azmi (1977–2010) belongs to that rare category. His journey moved through communal violence, radicalisation, wrongful imprisonment, intellectual rebirth, and finally an unshakeable commitment to justice.

By Bharat Dogra  In the Niwari district of Madhya Pradesh, as tap water from a new network of pipelines and tanks reaches more villages, it brings immense relief—especially to women, who are freed from the daily burden of fetching water. Yet the transition is not always smooth, and several problems keep cropping up. Many villages still have not received water in their taps, while in others, certain hamlets or households have been left out.

By Harsh Thakor*  Ranking amongst the greatest fast bowlers, Ray Lindwall wasn't just that—he was poetry in motion, a craftsman who turned the brutal art of pace bowling into something beautiful and devastating in equal measure. With his low, slinging action and flowing, wave-like run-up, he redefined what it meant to be a fast bowler in the post-war era. 

By Ravi Ranjan*  Sara Rai’s fiction in Hindi has always inhabited that delicate space where memory, sensation, fear, and imagination intermingle to form the inner landscapes of human experience. Among contemporary Hindi writers, she stands out for her ability to locate profound emotional truths within seemingly ordinary domestic worlds. 

By Thomas Franco*  Reports indicate that the Government of India is considering constituting a committee to examine the possibility of reducing the number of public sector banks from the current 12 to just four or five through another round of mergers. This follows a series of consolidations that began in 2017. Public sector banks, which once numbered 28, were reduced to 21 after the merger of the associate banks with the State Bank of India, and later to 12 through subsequent mergers.

By Bharat Dogra  Parmarth, a leading voluntary organization in the Bundelkhand region of India, has developed a model of climate mitigation and adaptation that aligns with the sustainable livelihood needs of rural farmers. As Sanjay Singh, Secretary of Parmarth, explains, “We strive to strengthen climate resilience in a way that simultaneously enhances the sustainable livelihoods of villagers.”

By Sudhansu R. Das*  Crop diversity is essential for ensuring food and nutritional security. A diverse agricultural system not only provides a wider range of nutritious foods but also strengthens resilience against climate change, pests, diseases, and market fluctuations. While global food demand continues to rise, crop diversity has been declining at an alarming rate, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of food systems.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Chandra Singh, a widely respected public figure in Uttarakhand who served in various capacities in both the Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh governments, passed away on July 9, 2026, at his home in Dehradun. He was 84. A former Secretary in the Uttarakhand Government and a member of the Uttarakhand Lok Seva Aayog, he lived a life marked by simplicity, integrity, and unwavering commitment to the most marginalized communities. Despite holding high administrative positions, he lived like a rishi—travelling in private vehicles, owning almost nothing, and walking like any ordinary citizen.

By Bharat Dogra   Baghaura is a very remote village in the Babina block of Jhansi district. In the hamlet of the Sahariya tribal community in this village, about 25 students have gathered under a tree. Most of them attend the regular government school in the morning, but after returning in the afternoon, they find it helpful to revise their lessons and seek additional guidance from their teacher, Neelu, at this non-formal school. The school is run by the social organization Parmarth as part of its Sabal project.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Human beings and their societies established universities and institutions of higher learning to challenge orthodox knowledge, advance new discoveries, and overcome the pressing challenges of their time. Social, economic, and political necessities, along with human curiosity, formed the foundations upon which these centres of higher learning were built. They were designed to produce knowledge and skills tailored to the specific needs of their people, places, and historical contexts.

By Biljana Vankovska  When one has witnessed not only a colour revolution in her own country (Macedonia, 2015–2016) but also sensed its arrival during Ukraine’s Euromaidan in 2014, every new outburst of supposedly spontaneous revolt provokes scepticism. Regrettably, this scepticism is usually justified. Nearly two years ago, I wrote similarly about student protests in Serbia and later about Nepal . The point is this: for those of us on the periphery, when you have seen one 'revolution' of this industrial kind, you have seen them all. Unfortunately or not, their outcomes are nearly identical: nothing essential changes after the supposed revolution succeeds. Its purpose was never radical transformation, but regime change in service of some geopolitical actor.

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan   The prolonged incarceration of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi riots conspiracy case continues to provoke debate over the balance between national security, individual liberty, and the constitutional guarantee of a fair and speedy trial. More than four years after their arrests, neither has been convicted, while the trial remains incomplete. Their continued detention has become a focal point in a broader discussion about due process, pre-trial incarceration, and the application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

By Aseem Mishra*    Kutch is staring at a deepening ecological and economic crisis as a delayed southwest monsoon disrupts agriculture, livestock rearing and fragile ecosystems across the district. In a region historically dependent on erratic rainfall, the prolonged dry spell has exposed the limits of recent investments in water conservation and climate resilience, leaving farmers, pastoralists and environmentalists increasingly anxious.

By Dr. P.K. Gupta*  Medical education in India has undergone a profound transformation over the last four decades. What was once a system primarily driven by merit and public service has increasingly become a marketplace where financial capacity often determines opportunity. The rapid expansion of private medical colleges since the early 1990s has undoubtedly increased the number of seats, but it has also introduced commercial incentives that critics argue have weakened the traditional values of professionalism, academic excellence, and social responsibility in medical education.

By A Representative   The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has raised serious concerns over the recently reported Centre-mediated settlement of the long-running interstate dispute related to the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) on Narmada river, questioning whether the agreement adequately safeguards the financial and rehabilitation rights of Madhya Pradesh and thousands of displaced families.

By A Representative   The Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) has expressed concern over what it describes as a growing pattern of arbitrary administrative action affecting journalists, following the restoration of senior journalist and author Samrat Choudhury's passport by the Kolkata Passport Office.

By Bharat Dogra   In the heart of Bundelkhand, where parched earth meets resilient spirits, lives a man whose six-decade-long journey reads like an epic of courage, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the poorest of the poor. Gaya Prasad Gopal—affectionately called Gopal Ji by friends and admirers alike—stands as a towering figure among India's social activists, a beacon of hope in a region long scarred by inequality and exploitation.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Working people in Britain should be cautious about expecting a fundamental political transformation if power shifts from Sir Keir Starmer to Andy Burnham. Over the past two decades, British politics has been characterised less by ideological contestation than by continuity. Governments have changed, but the underlying political and economic assumptions have remained remarkably consistent.

By Keshav Tiwari, Dr. Mansee Bal Bhargava    Though water is often described as a natural resource and infrastructure waiting to be distributed, it is increasingly becoming inseparable from questions of power, territorial control, infrastructure, diplomacy, and survival. Globally, environmental issues around water are taking a backseat as serious politics around water unfold. Rivers are no longer only rivers, glaciers are no longer only ecological formations, and even rainfall is beginning to enter strategic calculations.

By A Representative   The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has issued a strong statement condemning what it describes as a "wilfully mischievous misrepresentation" of its National Secretary, human rights activist and writer Seema Azad, following the circulation of a purported statement allegedly issued by the Communist Party of India (Maoist) – North Coordination Committee (NCC).

By A Representative   The All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), a constituent of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), has issued a rejoinder to the Election Commission of India (ECI), urging it to reconsider its response to the alliance's earlier representation on gender justice concerns arising from the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

By Bharat Dogra  Maanpur Khurd village, located close to the Ken River in Banda district (Uttar Pradesh), used to experience frequent floods—the most destructive of which occurred in 1992 and 2005. Eventually, a difficult decision was made to relocate the village about one kilometre away. Now, many years later, the community and the local panchayat of Kolawal Raipur (of which Maanpur Khurd is a part) have decided to afforest the abandoned land of the former habitation. 

By Biljana Vankovska   'I think when it comes to nuclear, we are really in a good place .' With these words, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described the state of the Alliance’s nuclear strategy at the pre-Summit press conference in Ankara on 6 July 2026. The phrase was intended to project stability, confidence, and reassurance. Yet, to anyone familiar with the history of the nuclear age, it reveals something far more disturbing: the dangerous normalization of the belief that more nuclear weapons, more deployments, and greater confrontation can somehow produce greater security.

By Ravi Ranjan*  Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan ‘Agyeya’ remains one of the most influential architects of modern Hindi literature, a writer whose creative range extended across poetry, fiction, criticism, travyel writing, diaries, and editorial work. His poetic collections such as “Bhagnadoot”, “Chinta”, “Ityalam”, “Hari Ghas Par Kshan Bhar”, “Bawra Aheri”, “Indradhanush Raude Huye Ye”, “Ari O Karuna Prabhamay”, “Angan Ke Par Dwar”, “Kitni Navon Mein Kitni Bar”, “Kyonki Main Use Janta Hoon”, “Sagar Mudra”, “Pahle Main Sannata Bunta Hoon”, “Mahavriksha Ke Neeche”, and “Nadi Ki Bank Par Chhaya” introduced new imagery, psychological depth, and modern sensibilities into Hindi poetry. His English anthology “Prison Days and Other Poems” expanded his creative reach further. As a fiction writer, he produced memorable collections like “Vipathga”, “Parampara”, “Kothari Ki Baat”, “Sharanarthi”, and “Jaydol”, while his monumental novel “Shekhar: Ek Jeevni” remains a landmark o...

By Harsh Thakor*  Originally published in 1980 and subsequently reissued, Jan Myrdal 's India Waits remains one of the most discussed Marxist interpretations of modern India. The Swedish writer and political commentator examines the evolution of the Indian state and social order through a historical lens, tracing developments from ancient India through the Mughal and British periods to post-independence politics. Written from a Marxist-Leninist perspective, the book seeks to explain contemporary inequalities by locating their roots in India's historical structures of power, caste, and class.

By Mohd Ziyauallah Khan    A recent opinion article published in The Guardian , titled "Can Narendra Modi Accept Any Medal?", reignited a fierce debate about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's international recognition and the moral legacy of his leadership. The article argued that while Modi has received numerous state honours and awards from foreign governments, a more fundamental question remains unanswered: Can a leader be celebrated internationally while presiding over growing concerns about democratic decline, social polarization , and civil liberties at home? The controversy quickly spread across political and media circles. Supporters dismissed the article as biased, while critics argued that it reflected concerns already expressed by international democracy watchdogs , human rights organizations, and sections of the global press. Yet beyond political loyalties lies a deeper question: How should the success of a government be measured, especially when it...

By Nava Thakuria*  A public debate has emerged following a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs that possession of an Indian passport alone does not conclusively establish Indian citizenship. The Union government has also claimed on several occasions that documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, voter identity cards, driving licences, or school certificates are not, by themselves, definitive proof of citizenship. Indian citizenship is governed by the Citizenship Act, 1955, and the relevant provisions of the Constitution of India.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  On July 6, a landmark investment agreement worth ₹7,430 crore was signed between Jabedi Al Kuwait, a leading Kuwaiti company, and Kamdars Care, Indore, for fisheries development in Madhya Pradesh. The project aims to develop cage culture facilities and integrated backward and forward linkage infrastructure in the Indira Sagar, Bargi, Bansagar, and Barna reservoirs. Announcing the agreement, the Chief Minister stated that the state's Integrated Fisheries Policy 2026 seeks to expand Madhya Pradesh's fisheries sector onto the international stage.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*   Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic fantasy. It is rapidly becoming the invisible architect of our daily lives—influencing what we eat, who we befriend, how we heal, and where we work. In the years ahead, AI will not just facilitate human choices; it will increasingly determine them. This inescapable presence presents a stark paradox: AI holds the potential to deepen democracy, decentralise power, and decolonise knowledge, yet it also threatens to entrench the very inequalities it could help dismantle.

By A Representative   More than 130 civil society organisations and over 160 individuals, many of them current or former employees of Google , OpenAI and Google DeepMind, have signed a joint statement demanding that technology companies and governments halt the use of artificial intelligence in military kill chains, warning that AI-driven warfare is eroding legal accountability and enabling mass killing at unprecedented speed. 

By A Representative   Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has documented 576 attacks on science and 188 potential scientific integrity violations between January 20, 2025 and June 30, 2026, according to data from the organisation's newly launched Attacks on Science Tracker , an interactive platform tracking political interference with federally funded or conducted research under the second Trump administration . 

By Bharat Dogra   It was more than 50 years ago, in 1974, that Bhartendu Prakash, a 30‑year‑old Senior Research Associate at IIT Kanpur, faced a difficult decision: whether to continue along a promising academic and research career or to take the less travelled path of serving in villages. He felt strongly that he could contribute more by working in rural areas, but questions remained about whether he and his family could find economic support for such a move. He was married to Shobhna, and the couple had a young daughter.

By Martin Macwan*   Recently, the issue of "theft of offerings at the Ayodhya Ram temple" has taken centre stage on social media. Whether "no theft occurred," or "this is the first such incident," or "the theft was limited only to cash" are now secondary questions, because the evidence has come not from the opposition, from people of other faiths, or from foreigners, but from ordinary devout believers, from saints and monks, and from sincere workers of the ruling party itself.

By Ram Puniyani*  NGOs have been in the news for several reasons in recent weeks. From the ramparts of the Red Fort, Prime Minister and former RSS pracharak Narendra Modi described the RSS as "the world's largest NGO." The claim raises an interesting question. The RSS, which describes itself as a cultural organization, is not registered as an NGO. Karnataka Home Minister Priyank Kharge recently called for the RSS to register itself. The organization responded that it is merely an association of individuals and therefore does not require registration. If that is so, questions naturally arise about the substantial funds it receives and the transparency of their management.

By A Representative   Bangiyo Christiyo Pariseba (BCP), a Christian community organization in West Bengal, has expressed concern over what it described as a series of attacks on churches and members of the Christian community in different parts of the state. In a press release, the organization alleged that recent incidents followed a pattern in which attacks were followed by complaints accusing Christians of forced religious conversion. It claimed this was aimed at targeting victims through legal action and influencing public perception. These allegations have not been independently verified.

By Kumar Krishnan  ​The debate on development in India has grown sharper than ever, and so has the contestation over land. Highways, industrial corridors, power plants, smart cities, satellite townships, and tourism projects have come to symbolise the country's aspirations for economic transformation. Yet, alongside this vision of progress, a fundamental question continues to demand attention: Who ultimately bears the cost of development? Is development to be measured merely by investment, infrastructure, and economic output, or must it also account for the livelihoods, culture, and constitutional rights of those whose land becomes the foundation of these projects?

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  A 13-second video of a Kashmiri schoolboy commenting on the delay in announcing summer vacations has gone viral on social media, generating widespread discussion. The clip has attracted both praise and criticism. While some viewers argue that the student was exercising his right to express dissatisfaction with a government decision, others believe that his choice of words lacked the discipline and respect expected from a child.

By Harasankar Adhikari*  The vision of India’s founding thinkers—Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar—placed education at the heart of human development. For Vivekananda, education was about man-making and character-building, essential for national progress. Tagore championed an inclusive, research-driven education that served life first and careers later. Vidyasagar saw education as a means to empower the marginalised and eradicate social superstition. These ideals, however, stand in sharp contrast to the current realities of private higher education in West Bengal.

By Bharat Dogra  When, as a young woman, Sampat Pal first resisted an act of violence against women in her home district of Banda, Uttar Pradesh, she could hardly have imagined that she was embarking on a journey that would lead to her work being highlighted not only in India's media but even in Western media. She would go on to receive prestigious awards and repeated requests to appear on prime-time TV shows. Sampat did not ask for this fame; it simply came her way as a result of her courageous interventions against various acts of injustice.

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan   For nearly four years, filmmaker Honey Trehan fought to bring his film to Indian audiences. Originally titled "Punjab '95" and later renamed  "Satluj", the film chronicles the life and sacrifice of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, whose investigation into thousands of alleged illegal cremations and enforced disappearances during Punjab's militancy era made him one of the country's most courageous whistleblowers. When "Satluj" finally premiered on ZEE5 on July 3, 2026, it seemed as though one of Indian cinema's longest censorship battles had come to an end. It hadn't. 

By A Representative   Business inflation expectations for the year ahead fell sharply in May 2026, yet firms reported a significant worsening in sales and profit margins, according to the latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES) conducted by the Misra Centre for Financial Markets and Economy at IIM-A .

By A Representative  The Silicosis Victims Association in Morbi has filed a formal complaint with the District Collector accusing Gujarat authorities, particularly the Director Industrial Safety and Health (DISH) office , of failing impoverished workers who have contracted silicosis after years of exposure to silica dust in Gujarat's ceramic manufacturing hub . The association alleges that even as factory owners continue to profit, workers are left to cope with a debilitating and incurable lung disease with little institutional support, despite protections available under the Factories Act and the Gujarat Workers' Welfare Rules .

By A Representative   Dr. Arun Gupta, convener of Nutrition Advocacy for Public Interest (NAPi) and a former member of the Prime Minister's Council on India's Nutrition Challenges, has drawn attention to a commentary that dissects the food industry's standard arguments against regulating ultra-processed foods (UPFs). 

By A Representative   A severe flash flood, triggered by a localized heavy rainfall spell and a subsequent under-construction retaining wall collapse, caused extensive devastation at the 405 MW Panyor Lower Hydroelectric Project (PLHEP) site in the Keyi Panyor district of Arunachal Pradesh on June 24, 2026. The disaster, which occurred around 6:00 AM in the Poosa–Yazali area, directly hit the 43 Colony of the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO), located near the confluence of an unnamed tributary and the reservoir's backwater zone. 

By Harsh Thakor*  Qamar Ahmed (1937-2026), one of international cricket's most distinguished journalists and broadcasters, has died at the age of 89. His passing brings to a close a remarkable chapter in the history of cricket journalism, a career that spanned more than seven decades and 453 Test matches.

By Ravi Ranjan*  Few poems in modern Hindi literature have invited as many layers of interpretation as Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh 's Brahmarakshas . Written decades ago, the poem remains strikingly contemporary because it explores questions that continue to confront intellectuals, writers and scholars: What is the purpose of knowledge? Can scholarship remain detached from society? What happens when learning becomes isolated from lived reality?

By Sam Pitroda*   As America celebrates 250 years of independence, I find myself reflecting with gratitude, admiration, concern and hope. I came to th e United States sixty-two years ago as a young immigrant. Like millions before me, I arrived with ambition, education, curiosity and a dream. America gave me more than opportunity. It gave me confidence. It gave me freedom. It gave me the space to imagine, innovate, fail, learn and build.