By Harasankar Adhikari   ‘Laxmi Bhandar’ is a flagship direct cash transfer scheme for women from economically weaker communities in West Bengal. It was introduced by the All India Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee after returning to power for a third consecutive term in 2021. The scheme provides a fixed monthly financial assistance to eligible women beneficiaries and has since become a prominent feature of the state’s welfare architecture.

By A Representative   The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has condemned what it described as a “witch hunt” by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Lucknow Conspiracy Case. The group demanded that FIR No. RC-01/2023 registered by the NIA’s Lucknow unit be quashed and called for the withdrawal of notices issued to four activists.

By Kay Young   The march of the Ultra-Right in the Global South continues on, but unlike their Global North counterparts like Trump, Le Penn & Farage, as bleak as the future may seem, there are green shoots amongst the concrete.

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak*  Airports are not merely sites of transit for people, commodities, and services. They also function as indicators of wealth, governance priorities, and cultural values. In many parts of the world, airport architecture and spatial organisation reflect a mix of corporate interests, monetisation of space, and expressions of national identity. Between departures and arrivals, passengers are frequently confronted with dominant corporate advertising that shapes consumption patterns and reinforces the commercial logic governing these spaces.

By Laura Capote   The constant insistence of the US discourse on the war on drugs seems to reflect a moral crusade by successive US administrations to rid their country of drug use. However, the truth is far removed from this simplistic idea that is often perpetuated by the mass media. In reality, what the so-called ‘War on Drugs’ seeks to achieve, as demonstrated by our region's history, is a facade for the development of various mechanisms of imperialist intervention that, since the 1970s, have involved a combination of methods ranging from military financing to countries in the region, the installation of military bases, and even explicit support for certain candidates in electoral contests.

By Harsh Thakor*  Yelena Dmitriyevna Stasova (1873–1966) was a Russian revolutionary, Bolshevik Party administrator , and international activist in the early Soviet Union. Born on October 16, 1873, in Saint Petersburg to a family of progressive intellectuals—her father was a prominent lawyer and liberal reformer—Stasova received a classical education. 

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava*  Misunderstood, misinterpreted and misguided governance and management of urban lakes in India —illustrated here through Hyderabad —demands urgent attention from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the political establishment, the judiciary, the builder–developer lobby, and most importantly, the citizens of Hyderabad. Fundamental misconceptions about urban lakes have shaped policies and practices that systematically misuse, abuse and ultimately erase them—often in the name of urban development.

By Bharat Dogra   Recent discussions with several women workers in the Bawana resettlement colony in Delhi revealed that although they work very hard, their wages remain extremely low—far below the legal minimum wage .  

By Ram Puniyani*  India is a land defined by its staggering religious and cultural diversity. Historically, this pluralism was the bedrock of a mostly cordial coexistence between Hindus and Muslims. However, the British "divide and rule" policy expertly exploited these identities, sowing seeds of discord that were later nurtured by communal streams like the Muslim League and the Hindu Mahasabha-RSS .