By Rosamma Thomas*  The International Dairy Federation’s first regional conference for the Asia Pacific region was held in Kochi from June 26 to 28. The National Dairy Development Board and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying were part of the organizers of this conference. On June 28, the conference witnessed a presentation by Ilse Kohler Rollefson, ‘Streamlining markets for camel pastoralists.’ Rollefson, who arrived in India as a researcher in 1991, stayed on in Sadri, Pali district of Rajasthan, working among the Raika to create a market for camel milk so the traditional lifestyle of the Raika can be conserved.

By Nitasha Kaul*  Narendra Modi recently won a third term as Indian prime minister after his BJP was party was returned to power, albeit as part of a minority government leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition. Having expected to win another majority from which to pursue his Hindu nationalist – or Hindutva – agenda, Modi will have to operate within the constraints of a considerably reduced mandate .

By Bharat Dogra*  It was about 35 years back that thousands of hut-dwellers living in prosperous parts of Delhi like Bhikaji Cama Place and Alaknanda faced demolitions and were shifted miles away to the outskirts of the city. This created a serious livelihood crisis as people’s livelihoods were integrated with the life of the prosperous areas where they had lived for several years.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  The death of over 130 devotees in a stampede at a congregation at Hathras in Uttar Pradesh has shocked the nation, but why does it surprises us? In the last three decades, this country has seen enormous growth of babas as devotees throng to them in search of miraculous powers. 

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Capitalism operates as a system that many argue is akin to a criminal enterprise, one that exploits both labour and nature in pursuit of ever-increasing profits. This economic model thrives on a hierarchical structure, resembling a pyramid, where those at the top reap the most benefits while those at the bottom bear the heaviest burdens. 

By Bharat Dogra*  Various welfare schemes have been launched for the tribal communities, and the name of Sahariya tribal community in particular has often figured in the context of the development efforts of the government. Despite this, however, recent visits to some remote hamlets of the Sahariya community in Babina block of Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, revealed that the people living here have a highly inadequate livelihood base and continue to depend precariously on migrant labour for sheer survival. Most Sahariya hamlets tend to be located away from the main village settlement, often on hilly land, reflecting the marginalized state of the community. In Mathurapur village too the Sahariya settlement is located some distance away and even their paths have been encroached upon by others, making the approach even more difficult.  All except a very few families are landless. Only a few families have received the benefit of PM Awas scheme for housing. To get their houses constructed

By NS Venkataraman*  Humanoid robots are now being rapidly developed by several research institutions around the world. It is reported that there are more than 22 humanoid robots in the world right now, some of which are in the prototype development stage. Researchers in several countries including USA, Japan, China, Israel, Iran, Singapore are actively involved in research and development work, causing high expectation. Several funding agencies are too joining the fray by extending financial support to the humanoid robots projects, thus reserving their place to exploit the business potentials in the coming decades.

By Our Representative  Hooghly-based human rights defender Kirity Roy, in a representation to the National Human Rights Commission chairperson, has said that there was an incident of "extra-judicial execution of a poor young man belonging from minority Muslim community Purbo Ghaterbari village under Mathabhanga Police Station in West Bengal."

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Over two decades ago, Professor Pralay Kanungo outlined the ways in which Hindutva politics and its organisational strategies adapt to the diverse cultural, social, religious, and political conditions in Odisha. His analysis demonstrated how Hindutva politics led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and affiliated organisations could effectively navigate and integrate into the unique cultural landscape of Odisha, ensuring their ideology resonated with local sentiments. By meticulously examining these adaptive strategies, Professor Kanungo's work provides critical insights into the historical roots to understand contemporary success of Hindutva politics in the state. 

By Sudhansu R Das  BJP has emerged from the ashes in Odisha like the mythical bird, Phoenix. The party was almost ruined due to its merger with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and subsequent ouster from its alliance with BJD.. The party was leaderless due to the exit of its senior leaders, dilution of ideology, greed for power, and entry of many turncoat politicians from other parties. It had eroded people’s trust in the BJP and let BJD rule Odisha for two and half decades amid the lacklustre performance of the Congress party.