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.

By Bharat Dogra   Discussions on water projects often revolve around how many years it will take for them to recover their costs. In the case of a recently completed water conservation effort in Jogipura village of Sapotra block in Rajasthan’s Karauli district, the villagers are convinced that the project will recover its entire cost within a single year—once the rabi crop is harvested.

By Ravi Ranjan*  Ranjana Mishra’s poetry collection "Stone Steps of Time" ( "Patthar Samay Ki Sidhiyan" , 2022) marks a significant moment in contemporary Hindi poetry . Bringing together seventy-six poems of varied textures, the book reveals a poet whose creative universe is shaped by classical music , cultural memory , feminist consciousness , and a deep engagement with the anxieties of our time. Across these poems, Mishra weaves a world where musicality merges with philosophy, where intimate emotions intersect with political realities, and where the individual’s inner life refracts the fractures of society.