By Prof. Hamentkumar Shah*   Since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, despite India’s many efforts, China has always remained a political adversary. Yet, trade with this adversary has never stopped. Even during times when China intruded into Galwan Valley in Ladakh, built settlements in Arunachal Pradesh, or pushed into Doklam in Sikkim, India’s trade with China kept increasing. For the common Indian, China is viewed much like Pakistan—an enemy. But the Indian government, at least in terms of trade, does not treat China as an enemy. That is the undeniable reality.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  Many opinion makers argue that in international relations there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies. They point to the current strain in India–U.S. ties, noting that only a few years ago Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then U.S. President Donald Trump went out of their way to display personal warmth and friendship. 

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The 50 percent tariffs imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump on Indian exports are set to impact India’s economy severely. They are likely to shut down many enterprises and cause widespread job losses in sectors such as garments, gems and jewellery, furniture, chemicals, footwear and fisheries.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak  Students are among the most idealistic members of society. Their youthful pursuit of ideals, fuelled by passion, innocence, and creativity, represents limitless potential that society can harness for progressive transformation. Throughout history, students have not only participated in but also shaped progressive movements. What defines them is their selfless sacrifice for the greater good of society. 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The judiciary today is not so much denying bail to undertrials languishing in jail for five years—it is reinforcing a far more dangerous belief: that the state can incarcerate anyone without reason, and without consequence. Accountability is absent. Bail is granted selectively, often justified with lofty references to "human rights" and "personal liberty." But these rights, it seems, are reserved for the powerful—those with expansive legal teams and deep pockets.

By A Representative   The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has criticised what it described as attempts to silence civil society groups highlighting alleged unconstitutional evictions and detentions in Assam. The organisation has demanded the withdrawal of criminal cases filed against Syeda Hameed, a member of the “People’s Tribunal on Assam: Evictions, Detentions and the Right to Belong.”

By A Representative   The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) has written to Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, urging him to immediately reopen the Seventh Day Adventist School in Maninagar, Ahmedabad, where classes have been suspended for nearly two weeks. The MCC claims that the suspension, following a violent incident, violates the constitutional right to education of thousands of children.

By Maju Varghese*  The climate crisis has triggered multiple crises across the world. One of the worst impacts on the frontlines is being faced by fishing communities, with increasing climate extremes leading to loss of livelihood, destruction of coasts, homes, and basic infrastructure. In Kerala, the shorelines are battered each year by sea surges and erosion, displacing thousands. In the Sundarbans, rising sea waters are redrawing the maps. This story, however, is about the struggle of fisherpeople from a tiny island called Pari Island in Indonesia, which has become the face of one of the most important climate justice struggles of our time.

By A Representative   Civil society voices have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to resist United States pressure over agricultural tariffs, warning that any concession could devastate Indian farming and food sovereignty. In a letter dated August 31, 2025, public policy expert Dr. Narasimha Reddy Donthi and Supreme Court petitioner Aruna Rodrigues argued that U.S. demands for greater access to India’s agricultural market are based on a false notion of “comparative advantage.”