By A Representative   A formal objection has been lodged against the Centre’s draft notification proposing amendments to the Insecticides Rules, 1971 , with the public interest campaigner Dr. Narasimha Reddy Donthi terming the changes an “unconstitutional restructuring” of India’s pesticide regulatory architecture . The draft rules, published as G.S.R. 190(E) on March 18, 2026, propose a single licence covering “every insecticide” and multiple sale locations, along with an endorsement mechanism for adding products and a nomination facility for licence holders.

By Ram Puniyani*  A recent video by Dhruv Rathi , discussing the dietary habits of Lord Ram, has generated significant controversy. The video, drawing on textual references particularly from the Valmiki Ramayana , suggests that meat consumption was part of the dietary practices described in early sources. It also refers to the prevalence of meat consumption and the use of soma (often described as a ritual drink) in those contexts. The central question raised in public discourse has been whether divine figures, as understood today, could be associated with non-vegetarian food practices.

By A Representative   A rights organisation has approached the Election Commission of India alleging large-scale and arbitrary deletion of voters from the electoral roll in West Bengal’s Dinhata Assembly Constituency, raising concerns over the disenfranchisement of former enclave residents who were granted Indian citizenship following the 2015 land boundary settlement with Bangladesh.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*   ​Friendship is ideally an egalitarian relationship—a space where mutual understanding, support, trust, respect, and dignity thrive. It is meant to expand cooperation, minimize risk, and allow parties to share both success and hardship, creating a society rooted in solidarity. These values are as crucial between nations as they are between people.

By Ravi Ranjan*  In the sparse landscape of contemporary Hindi poetry, Baabusha Kohli occupies a singular space where words often fall silent before the weight they carry. Her poems—particularly "Sangi" (Companion) and "Ubarne me dūbī huī aurat" (The Woman Drowned in Recovering)—achieve what great poetry does: they transform personal anguish into philosophical inquiry without losing the rawness of lived experience. Through what might be called an aesthetic of sacred minimalism, Kohli builds a bridge between medieval Bhakti traditions and modern existential struggle, offering a vision of sorrow not as absence but as presence, not as destruction but as transformation.

By Harsh Thakor* On March 25th, the racing world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Troy—the horse who triumphed in the historic 200th running of the Epsom Derby in 1979. It was fitting that such a milestone edition of the race became a testament to the event's glory, as Troy turned the contest into a virtual procession. I hold unforgettable memories of this equine icon, whom I was fortunate enough to see racing during my schooldays in England.

By Jag Jivan   In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

By A Representative   A group of 40 retired officials from the All India and Central Services has written to the Chief Secretary of Assam demanding the withdrawal of an order that deploys the Assam Forest Protection Force (AFPF) for election duty. The letter, dated March 31, 2026, warns that diverting nearly 1,600 forest guards from their primary responsibility of safeguarding Assam’s wildlife would violate both Election Commission of India guidelines and a 2024 Supreme Court directive.  

By Nava Thakuria*  As Assam prepares for the legislative assembly election scheduled for 9 April 2026, the family and supporters of cultural icon Zubeen Garg have appealed to political parties not to invoke his name in electoral discourse. The singer died in Singapore on 19 September 2025 during a yacht outing. His death, and subsequent investigations, have since figured in political exchanges in the state.