By Vikas Gupta   We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

By A Representative   India’s National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 30, 2025, delivered a significant judgment on the continued use of asbestos cement roofing sheets in schools, directing the Union government to review scientific evidence and global best practices before taking a policy decision on permitting or minimising such use.

By Raqif Makhdoomi*  The demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992 remains one of the most contentious episodes in India’s modern history. For many citizens, it represents a serious failure of constitutional governance, law enforcement, and institutional accountability. The structure was demolished in full public view, despite prior assurances to the Supreme Court and the presence of security forces. The inability or unwillingness of the authorities to prevent the demolition continues to raise troubling questions about state responsibility.

By John Dayal*  The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, passed by the Indian Parliament in 2023, came fully into force in November this year, triggering alarm bells among civil society and minority rights groups, who fear it will make their work very difficult, if not impossible.

By Bharat Dogra   A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

By Bharat Dogra   At a time of increasing concern over the lack of adequate care for older people, even in villages, it is important to remember that in any future planning for elder care, families and communities must continue to bear the primary responsibility, although they should be assisted in thoughtful ways by the State and civil society organizations.

By Bharat Dogra   There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

By Atul Chandra   The year 2025 witnessed escalated threats from the United States on the Global South. In the span of months, Washington declared Venezuelan airspace “closed in its entirety,” threatened to invade Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to protect Christians from an alleged genocide, and demanded that the Taliban return Bagram airbase with warnings of unspecified consequences. These are not isolated episodes of Trumpian bluster. They are symptoms of a deeper structural crisis in the way US power manages its relationship with the rest of the world.