By Bodapati Srujana   It is that time of year again when India’s national capital Delhi ’s air quality turned acutely hazardous. Official Indian air quality indicators hit their maximum adverse readings of 500, while indices based on international norms shoot past 1,000 or even 2,000 —a level that effectively turned the city into a gas chamber . The thick smog, loaded with toxic gases, seeps into every corner of the city, including inside people’s homes, with residents having nowhere safe to go.

By A Representative   The National Campaign Committee for Eradication of Bonded Labour (NCCEBL) in report released in Delhi has alleged serious lapses in the implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 (BLSAA). Titled “Report on Migrant Bonded Labour in India,” the document claims that millions continue to work under bonded labour conditions despite the legal abolition of the system nearly five decades ago.

By Jubil Das, Sandeep Pandey  Since the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party , many secular and progressive individuals worry, before every election, about the division of secular votes. They urge secular parties to form alliances and field a single candidate against BJP or the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, this rarely materialises fully, and BJP eventually benefits from the split in votes among its opponents. Some opposition parties are even accused of indirectly helping BJP by contributing to this vote division.

By Hidayat Parmar*  There is a fundamental difference between correcting electoral rolls and reducing the number of voters. One strengthens democracy, while the other weakens it. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), now in its second phase across 12 states after Bihar, is intended to update and verify the voter list to ensure accuracy. The process has begun in nine states and three Union Territories, including Gujarat, where nearly 510 million voters—about 50 million in Gujarat—are being verified. The review compares the 2002–2004 rolls with the proposed 2025 rolls, marking only the ninth such nation-wide revision since Independence.

By Harasankar Adhikari  India’s democratic framework is increasingly perceived as shifting toward a system in which the ruling party exercises substantial influence over state institutions and public life. Many government actions appear closely aligned with the interests and directives of party cadres, blurring the line between governance and political organization. Public opinion is often shaped, mediated, or refracted through the priorities of those in power. While the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, critics argue that this right is frequently constrained, distorted, or met with punitive responses. In such an environment, political power and governmental authority tend to be viewed as indistinguishable.

By Harsh Thakor*  November 29 marks the 50th death anniversary of Jauhar, also known as Subrata Datta , who was killed in a police operation in the Bhojpur region of Bihar in 1975. His death, along with five others, is considered an important moment in the history of the Naxalite movement in Bihar .

By A Representative   The National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) has expressed full solidarity with the nationwide workers’ protests held on November 26, demanding withdrawal of the recently notified labour codes. In a public statement, the organisation termed the move as an attempt to impose “corporate rule” and called for the immediate repeal of the new labour laws.

By Raj Kumar Sinha*  Extreme weather events in India are increasing rapidly, and they are no longer mere seasonal fluctuations but a serious threat to life, livelihoods, and economic stability. Heatwaves, floods, cyclones, droughts, cloudbursts, lightning strikes, storm surges, and glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayan region have reached record levels in the past decade. The rising frequency, duration, and intensity of these events clearly reflect the escalating impact of climate change.

By A Representative   In a fervent appeal to civil society and policymakers, power and climate policy analyst Shankar Sharma has urged a massive campaign to prioritize rooftop solar panels, small- to medium-sized wind turbines, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) across India, arguing that this combination could drastically reduce the nation's reliance on coal, gas, nuclear power, and large-scale hydroelectric dams while minimizing the costs and risks of expanding the national grid.