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No chairperson, incomplete 15th council, website non-functional: Press Council of India

By Nava Thakuria*  Is it possible for a quasi-judicial body like the Press Council of India (PCI) to survive for weeks without a chairperson? Should the world’s largest democracy set such an example, where a government-recognised autonomous media watchdog faces an existential crisis, with the 15th Council of the PCI still without a functioning head and 13 vacant seats? How can a press council continue to function without filling these 13 seats—meant to represent millions of media professionals—for more than a year, when the council’s term itself is limited to three years? Many such pertinent questions are now being raised by media professionals across the South Asian nation, as the regular three-year term (along with the permissible six-month extension) of the immediate past PCI chairperson, Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, came to an end on 16 December 2025.
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Beyond sentiment: Why indigenous cattle remain marginal in India’s expanding dairy sector

By Sudhansu R Das  For centuries, rural communities in India have recognised the economic, social, and cultural role of cattle in village life. Nearly 86 per cent of agricultural landholdings in the country are small, typically between one and two hectares, which allows farmers to integrate crop cultivation with cattle rearing. For many households, cows contribute to food and nutritional security and supplement family income. In addition to milk and dairy products, cattle dung and urine are widely used in agricultural practices such as manure preparation and soil conditioning.
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New solid waste segregation rules raise questions on safety and livelihoods

By Bharat Dogra   Waste management has been a weak link in India’s development story, and within this, the failure to ensure proper waste segregation has been particularly disappointing. This is despite the fact that, in some smaller initiatives, committed officials working with community participation have achieved very good results. However, such success has not been replicated at a wider level.
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From cultural nationalism to political power: The trajectory of Hindutva

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*   Hindutva, as a political ideology and movement, has been widely debated in India’s public sphere. Critics argue that it does not emerge organically from India’s plural civilisational traditions but represents a modern political project shaped by global ideological influences and domestic power structures. From this perspective, Hindutva is viewed not merely as a cultural assertion but as a political and economic framework that aligns closely with contemporary forms of capitalism and majoritarian nationalism.
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'Gandhi Talks': Cinema that dares to be quiet, where music, image and silence speak

By Vikas Meshram   In today’s digital age, where reels and short videos dominate attention spans, watching a silent film for over two hours feels almost like an act of resistance. Directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, “Gandhi Talks” is a bold cinematic experiment that turns silence into language and wordlessness into a powerful storytelling device. The film is not mere entertainment; it is an experience that pushes the viewer inward, compelling reflection on life, values, and society.
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Six years without trial: Questions raised by the incarceration of Sharjeel Imam

By Raqif Makhdoomi  Much has been said and written about the Delhi riots case. Seven out of the eleven accused, after a long and arduous legal battle, have been granted bail. However, the bail comes with stringent conditions, prompting the question of whether they have truly been released or merely transferred from one jail to another. Two accused—Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid—remain incarcerated.
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Advisor appointment rekindles debate on governance in Jammu & Kashmir

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  The government in Jammu and Kashmir has completed approximately one and a half years in office. During the initial phase of its tenure, public expectations were shaped by commitments made during the election campaign. In particular, the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, stated at a press conference held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) that major promises would be addressed within the first six months of governance. As the government has now crossed two such six-month periods, public discourse continues to assess the extent to which these commitments have been met.
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Jaitpur project shows how climate-resilient farming can strengthen rural livelihoods

By Bharat Dogra   Making agricultural and rural development climate-resilient is an increasingly urgent challenge. Of crucial importance is ensuring that sustainable rural livelihoods—particularly those of small farmers—are not only protected but strengthened as villages move towards climate resilience.
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2026 begins in crisis: Corporatocracy, caste power, and the collapse of democracy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The year 2026 has not begun on an optimistic note, despite the customary celebrations that accompany the end of one year and the arrival of another. Across the world, people are grappling with the consequences of incompetent political leadership increasingly captured by large corporate interests.
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Human rights panel moved over alleged assault of women by BSF personnel in 24 Parganas

By A Representative   A complaint alleging torture, degrading treatment and abuse of power by personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF), with alleged collusion of local police and medical officials, has been submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in connection with an incident in the Indo–Bangladesh border area of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. The complaint has been filed by Kirity Roy, Secretary of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI).
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