By Sunil Kyumar*  “Republic Day is a powerful symbol of our freedom, Constitution, and democratic values. This festival gives us renewed energy and inspiration to move forward together with the resolve of nation-building”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 26, 2026. On this occasion, the Prime Minister also shared a Sanskrit subhashita— “Paratantryābhibhūtasya deśasyābhyudayaḥ kutaḥ. Ataḥ svātantryamāptavyaṁ aikyaṁ svātantryasādhanam.”

By Parineeta Dandekar   As we stood on a ridge near the Lakke Wali Mata shrine, a tributary of the Ravi roared through a deep gorge below us. Across the chasm rose a shaded mountain slope, thick with devdar—Himalayan cedar—its green broken only by a steep brown trail cutting diagonally across the mountainside. As we watched the headwaters of the Ravi, it slowly dawned on us that the trail itself was moving. 

By Emily Servante*  It’s an exciting time to be a microbiologist working in rice research . A global push towards the cultivation of water-saving rice is enabling farmers to harness the power of microbes that thrive in less water.

By Harsh Thakor*  Om Puri was a generous, warm-hearted man and one of the most talented and versatile actors of his generation. His characters revealed how we are all made of the same metal—human, fragile and imperfect. He possessed a boundless sense of humour, cracking endless jokes that were infectious. When others wilted under pressure, he remained energised; no matter the hour, he was always willing to sit down for a drink with cast and crew at the end of a shooting day. On 6 October last year, he would have turned 75, having been born on that day in 1950. Sadly, he passed away on 6 January 2017.

By A Representative   Peace and justice worker and writer Harsh Mander has filed a police complaint against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over public statements made on January 27 at an official event in Digboi, Tinsukia district, alleging that the remarks promote hatred, harassment and discrimination against Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. 

By Venkatesh Nayak*  The latest Economic Survey (ES) revives a 20-year-old idea of amending the Right to Information (RTI) Act to keep file notings, records of internal deliberations, and draft papers out of the citizenry’s reach. The UPA government had crafted an amendment proposal along similar lines in 2006 but could not muster enough political support to table it in Parliament. At the time, the NDA—particularly the BJP—was among the most vocal opponents of the move, alongside civil society groups.

By Rohit Chauhan*   On my first day at a labour rights NGO, I was given a monthly sales target: sixty memberships. Not sixty workers to organise, not sixty conversations about exploitation, not sixty political discussions. Sixty conversions. I remember staring at the whiteboard, wondering whether I had mistakenly walked into a multi-level marketing office instead of a trade union. The language was corporate, the urgency managerial, and the tone unmistakably transactional. It was my formal introduction to a strange truth I would slowly learn: in contemporary India, even rebellion runs on performance metrics.

By Jag Jivan   A new report sheds light on the urgent human rights challenges within India’s vast textile and garment industry, as global regulations increasingly demand corporate accountability in supply chains. Titled “Beneath the Seams,” the study reveals that despite the sector employing over 45 million people, systemic issues of poverty wages, unfair purchasing practices, and the exclusion of workers from decision-making persist, leaving millions vulnerable.

By Bharat Dogra  When those already committed to environmental protection advocate natural farming, it is certainly welcome. However, this alone will not lead to the widespread adoption of natural farming. The reason is simple: most Indian farmers are smallholders, and for them safeguarding their livelihoods is crucial. Their earnings are often barely sufficient for survival. No matter how beneficial or healthy a change may be, if it threatens to significantly reduce net income, most small farmers cannot afford to adopt it.