By Rajiv Shah   A few week ago, I was forwarded an article that appeared in the British weekly The Economist . Titled “Caste and cuisine: From honeycomb curry to blood fry: India’s ‘untouchable’ cooking”, it took me back to what I had blogged about what was called a “ sattvik food festival”, an annual event organised by former Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad professor Anil Gupta.

By Bharat Dogra   In 2003, Harvard economist and demographer David E. Bloom coined the term "demographic dividend" to refer to the economic boost or momentum acquired by a country or economy that has a high percentage of its population in the working age group.  While this concept serves a useful purpose in several contexts—for example, emphasizing the importance of better education and skills for youth in such situations to enable society to benefit adequately from this dividend—it is sometimes wrongly used in a negative sense to characterize the high share of older people in a country, now or in later stages of development, as being burdensome. This may not be stated very openly, but this kind of thinking is prevalent widely enough to influence policy.

By A Representative   A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

By Neha Desai*  In the early months of 2026, the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly convened for its fifth session in February, passing a handful of amendment bills that, on the surface, promised administrative refinements. Yet beneath this veneer of legislative activity lies a troubling pattern: a body that appears more adept at symbolic gestures than substantive solutions. As the state continues to grapple with entrenched issues such as corruption, healthcare deficits, unresolved scandals and uneven development, the assembly’s output reveals a worrying inability to tackle the deeper causes affecting millions. Critics argue that these sessions often amount to little more than procedural theatre, allowing the same problems to persist year after year without meaningful resolution.

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

By Ravi Ranjan*  Ranjana Mishra’s poetry emerges from a rare confluence of Hindustani classical music and literary imagination. A disciple of Pandit Jasraj, she carries forward the Mewati gharana’s legacy, weaving its discipline and resonance into her verse. Her poem "Rāga Alhaiyā Bilāvala"  exemplifies this synthesis, transforming the grammar of a morning raga into a meditation on existence, fragility, and resilience.  

By Prantik Deka  Founded in 1976 by writer, journalist and playwright Pabitra Kumar Deka, the cultural organisation Aikyatan has grown into an enduring centre of artistic activity in Guwahati. As the institution marks its 50th anniversary this year, its journey reflects decades of sustained engagement with theatre, literature and performance culture in Assam. Even after the passing of its founder, the organisation has continued its work through the efforts of his sons, cine-journalist Prantik Deka and filmmaker Prodyut Kumar Deka, along with a network of artists and cultural enthusiasts who remain associated with the platform.

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, a discussion broke out among ten friends on love marriages—a contentious issue in Gujarat following moves in the corridors of power to regulate them by making parental consent mandatory. One of us claimed that, unlike in the past, nearly 70 percent of weddings today are love marriages. Another person, who had eloped to get married years ago, remarked, “Problems exist everywhere, whether it is a love marriage or an arranged one.”

By Sunil Kumar*  The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) was established in 1958, having previously operated as the Delhi Transport Undertaking (DTU). It was granted full corporate status in 1971, along with several forms of autonomy — including the ability to maintain a Board of Directors, purchase buses, hire staff, implement fare policies with government approval, and receive financial assistance. The state government can manage the corporation's finances and cover its losses. 

By A Representative   A new year-end review by the New Delhi-based research group Land Conflict Watch has revealed that land conflicts across India in 2025 have impacted a combined area larger than the state of Sikkim , stalled investments worth over double the central government’s annual agriculture budget, and affected nearly 3.6 million people.

By Jag Jivan*  A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

By Palla Trinadha Rao   A writ petition presently before the High Court of Andhra Pradesh has brought into focus an increasingly important question in the governance of tribal regions: can eco-tourism projects in Scheduled Areas be implemented without the consent of the Gram Sabha? The case concerns the establishment of a Community Based Eco-Tourism centre at Vanajangi village in Paderu Mandal of Alluri Sitarama Raju District, a region located within the Scheduled Areas of Andhra Pradesh. 

By A Representative    An Indian civil society coalition has strongly criticised the ongoing military confrontation involving the United States and Israel and called on the Indian government to abandon what it described as “disturbing silence” over the crisis. In a statement issued on March 6, the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) condemned what it termed an unlawful military assault on the Iran and urged the government of India to publicly support an immediate ceasefire and renewed diplomatic negotiations.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The so-called liberal henchmen of imperialism have begun to perpetuate the old binary in order to justify an unprovoked attack on Iran and the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other religious, civilian, and military leaders. These warmongering actions are being framed in the name of freedom, democracy, human rights, and women's rights, even as schools and hospitals are bombed, killing large numbers of schoolgirls and civilians. The unprecedented deaths and widespread destitution are part of an imperialist design to instil fear and force the surrender of people and their resources. Yet the people of Iran are resisting the combined onslaught of Israeli Zionists and American imperialists. There is no justification for the military actions of Israel and the United States against Iran, but liberal intellectuals are constructing a false binary — invoking the democratic rights and women's freedom of Iranians — to ...

By Bharat Dogra In the dusty lanes of Suveri village, nestled in the southern Rajasthan district of Udaipur, the past wasn't so long ago a story of quiet desperation. "Whenever we faced a family emergency, we had to borrow from private moneylenders," recalls Kamla, her gaze steady. "The interest rates were so high that it became impossible to escape the debt. Sometimes, the borrower even ended up losing their land." It was a cycle of dependency that trapped families for generations, a story whispered in households across the region.

By Ravi Ranjan*  In an age of literary noise—where novels compete for attention through sensationalism, where market forces dictate creative expression, and where the "roaring terror" of ideological posturing often drowns out authentic voices—the fiction of Vinod Kumar Shukla arrives like a quiet revolution. His is not the literature of grand gestures or political manifestos, but something far more radical: an "aesthetics of silence" that speaks volumes through what remains unsaid.

By Harsh Thakor*  Alexander Medvedkin (1900–1989) was a Soviet filmmaker whose career navigated the precarious and complex dichotomy between creative satire and state-mandated propaganda during the height of the power of Joseph Stalin. Known for his “Cine-Train,” a travelling film studio that carried cameras, editing facilities and projection equipment across the Soviet countryside, Medvedkin developed what Sergei Eisenstein once described as a “Bolshevik Chaplin” style. While his work was broadly aligned with the goals of the Soviet system, its honest and unsanitised portrayal of everyday life often brought it into disfavour with the Stalinist establishment. Medvedkin’s films explored the vibrancy and moral spirit of Marxist philosophy while probing the human dimensions generated within a socialist society. His work forged a synthesis between the contradictory impulses of artistic creativity and political stagnation. In essence, Medvedkin was a loyal communist, yet his...

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

By Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ*  The world is witnessing a dangerous military escalation. On 28 February, the United States and Israel initiated military action against Iran. As of this writing, the conflict continues, raising concerns about regional and global stability.

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey  The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians. 

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  The trajectory of the Iran war remains uncertain, largely because its objectives are ambiguous and its purpose contested. What is clear, however, is that the conflict reflects deeper geopolitical rivalries rather than narrowly defined military goals. From the U.S. perspective, Iran’s defiance of Western demands has long been framed as a threat requiring containment. 

By Garima Srivastava*  Mangalesh Dabral’s prose-poem A Letter to Children is one of those rare works of literature that transcends its immediate cultural context and becomes a moral compass for our times. Written in Hindi as Baccom Kē Lie Citthī, the poem is deceptively simple in form yet devastating in its ethical force. It is not merely a lament against war but a confession, a collective apology from the adult world to the children whose innocence has been stolen by violence, ideology, and ambition. 

  By A Representative   A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

By A Representative   The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress. 

  By Rajiv Shah   This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

By Jag Jivan*   A major new scientific report reveals that Tamil Nadu has emerged as India's largest contributor to plastic waste, generating approximately 7.82 lakh tonnes annually and accounting for nearly one-fifth of the nation's total plastic pollution, despite having only six percent of India's population. The report , titled "Reducing Plastic Pollution in Tamil Nadu, India: A Science-Based Strategy," was released under the India-Norway cooperation project INOPOL, a collaborative effort between the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Mu Gamma Consultants, and the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology.

By A Representative   The Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES) for January 2026, conducted by the Misra Centre for Financial Markets and Economy at IIMA, points to a complex economic landscape where easing cost pressures are being offset by rising uncertainty and persistently muted demand. According to the survey, which polled around 1,100 companies, the one-year ahead business inflation expectation in January 2026 declined marginally by 7 basis points to 4.29%, down from 4.36% in December 2025. This slight dip continues a trend of anchored expectations, with firms' average inflation expectation over the past 12 months holding steady around 4.11%. However, this stability in the average figure masks a significant increase in the divergence of opinions among businesses. The uncertainty surrounding these inflation expectations, as measured by the survey, jumped sharply to 2.11% in January from 1.84% in December 2025. Mixed Signals on Costs The data on ...

By Bharat Dogra  Among the many dimensions of food security, ensuring adequate nutrition for older people has received far less attention than it deserves. Yet proper nutrition in old age is central to healthy ageing and, by extension, to the well-being of entire households and communities.

By Sudhansu R. Das Good roads pave the way for economic growth and prosperity. Bad roads take lives, break spines and limbs, and drain precious hours of productivity. They adversely affect trade, tourism and a range of economic activities. No country can truly prosper without safe and well-built roads. Yet building durable, climate-resilient and environmentally sound roads remains a major challenge for much of the developing world.

By Moin Qazi*  “And fear the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every soul shall be paid in full for what it earned, and none shall be dealt with unjustly.” — Qur’an 2:281 In every individual’s life, there comes a moment for a sincere self-audit of one’s deeds and actions. Life is short, and it is only when one is at peace with oneself and with the world that the tranquillity required for reflection—about God and about one’s own life—can truly emerge.

By Ravi Ranjan*  In an age when truth is crushed beneath layers of information, algorithms, and ideological walls, Kedarnath Singh’s poem “Keep the Doors Open” functions as a quiet moral compass. It draws us back from digital echo chambers toward the intuitive awareness that alone can preserve the grammar of our shared humanity.

By A Representative   A proposal by the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission (KSPPC) to construct a 350-kilometre-long ‘green wall’ across five districts in North Karnataka has drawn sharp criticism from a senior power and climate policy analyst, who has urged the state government to prioritise protection of existing natural forests over launching what he termed a “grandiose and uncertain” afforestation initiative.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  The current Indian government's foreign policy orientation raises questions about continuity and change in the country's international positioning. Under the present administration, India has increasingly aligned itself with the United States, Israel, and Western European nations through strategic partnerships and trade agreements, marking a departure from previous foreign policy approaches.

By Mohd Ziyaullah Khan*  The recent escalation against Iran, initiated under US President Donald Trump, has elicited two distinct responses from New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a calibrated official statement expressing “deep concern” and urging dialogue, restraint, and respect for sovereignty. Concurrently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a phone call to the leadership of the United Arab Emirates, strongly condemning attacks on Emirati soil and expressing solidarity. 

By Nava Thakuria*  As Nepal holds an early national election on Thursday (5 March 2026), the people of northeast India, along with other regional observers, are watching the proceedings closely. The vote was necessitated after the government of Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli collapsed in September 2025 following widespread anti-government protests. The election will determine the composition of the 275-member House of Representatives, originally scheduled for 2027, under the stewardship of an interim government led by former Supreme Court justice Sushila Karki.

By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  Incidents of communal tension and violence have increasingly shaped India’s public discourse in recent years. Allegations of attacks in the name of cow protection, so-called “love jihad,” religious identity disputes, and sporadic communal clashes have raised concerns among civil society groups about minority security and the health of India’s plural traditions. 

By Ravi Ranjan*  Ranjana Mishra's poem "Rāga Gauḍa Sāraṅga" stands as a luminous testament to the possibility of creating what the German composer Richard Wagner termed a Gesamtkunstwerk—a total work of art—within the intimate confines of an Indian domestic courtyard. This remarkable poem weaves together the intricate grammar of Hindustani classical music, the philosophical depth of structuralist thought, and the quiet, affirmative feminism that characterises Mishra's distinctive poetic voice, transforming everyday domestic objects into vessels of transcendent meaning. 

By Harsh Thakor* This is my all-time best XI chosen for ODI (One Day International) cricket:  1. Adam Gilchrist (W) – The absolute master blaster who could create the impact of exploding gunpowder with his electrifying strokeplay. No batsman was more intimidating in his era. Often his knocks decided the fate of games as though the result were premeditated. He escalated batting strike rates to surreal realms.

By Jag Jivan*  A consensus statement authored by a distinguished group of twenty-eight public health and nutrition experts, including Arun Gupta , Chandrakant Lahariya, and Banshi Saboo, underscores a critical public health crisis in India where non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular illnesses now contribute to roughly 60% of annual deaths.

By A Representative   In a significant development for public health, the Supreme Court of India has directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to seriously consider implementing mandatory front-of-pack warning labels on pre-packaged food products. The order, passed by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan on February 10, 2026, comes as the Court expressed dissatisfaction with the regulatory body's progress on the issue.

By Bharat Dogra When Tamli Bai, an elderly woman of Sandukon Ka Guda village fell down sometime back, stumbling over a protruding stone just outside her home, her family members thought that this injury would heal soon. So they gave her some home based treatment. However Tamli just could not get up and with added complications, died in a few days.

By Vikas Meshram*  Politics in West Asia has for decades been trapped in a vortex of tension, distrust, and strategic rivalry. After years of maritime blockades, economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and covert operations, the United States and Israel have now launched a large-scale military strike on Iran. Carried out with missiles and fighter jets, the operation has pushed the region to the brink of a wider war. Iran responded swiftly with retaliatory missile strikes targeting Israel and several American military bases across the Gulf. Countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are now witnessing heightened tensions and serious security concerns.

By Vijay Prashad   Having just formed the Board of Peace, the United States and Israel have begun the board’s first war, this time on Iran. The US-Israel attack launched early on February 28, on sites in Iran has already caused devastation, including the deaths of at least 60 little girls from an elementary school in Minab (Hormozgan Province), and dozens of others across the country. The latest estimates put the death toll at 201.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*   On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation against Iran, involving missile strikes and aerial bombardments. The operation resulted in the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several senior military and political figures. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting US-allied bases and Israel, pushing regional tensions to a breaking point.

By Harsh Thakor*  February 26 marked the 25th death anniversary of Don Bradman, a figure who transcended sporting, let alone cricketing, milestones into realms that seemed surreal and almost miraculous. It remains nearly inconceivable to imagine a batsman averaging close to 100 in Test cricket or scoring a century every third innings. Bradman established yardsticks that will probably never be challenged, let alone equalled. He became the ultimate metaphor for sporting perfection, symbolising a cricketing machine of unmatched efficiency.

By A Representative   A public policy expert has written to Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda raising a series of concerns regarding the national Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign launched on February 28 for 14-year-old girls.