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God, power, and the politics of fake debates: Ignoring caste on Prime Time

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* I stopped subscribing to newspapers and magazines over fifteen years ago. Before that, I regularly received several publications, but I discontinued them entirely. Since then, I read only what I feel I should. In that sense, social media platforms—especially Twitter—have become useful. People now share clips and links to videos and articles. Often, if I do not react to something, it is simply because I am unaware of it or have not come across it.

When a city rebuilt forgets its builders: Migrant workers’ struggle for sanitation in Bhuj

Khasra Ground site By Aseem Mishra* Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is not a privilege—it is a fundamental human right. This principle has been unequivocally recognised by the United Nations and repeatedly affirmed by the Supreme Court of India as intrinsic to the right to life and dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Yet, for thousands of migrant workers living in Bhuj, this right remains elusive, exposing a troubling disconnect between constitutional guarantees, policy declarations, and lived reality.

'Festive cheer fades': India’s housing market hits 17‑quarter slump, sales drop 16% in Q4 2025

By A Representative Housing sales across India’s nine major real estate markets fell to a 17‑quarter low in the October–December period of 2025, with overall absorption dropping 16% year‑on‑year to 98,019 units, according to NSE‑listed analytics firm PropEquity. This marks the weakest quarter since Q3 2021, despite the festive season that usually drives demand. On a sequential basis, sales slipped 2%, while new launches contracted by 4%.

Limits of regulatory protection: How mining in Aravallis is disrupting lives and landscapes

By Bharat Dogra * The Aravalli Hills are an ancient mountain range—among the oldest geological formations in northwest India—stretching nearly 670 km from Delhi to near Ahmedabad in Gujarat , running in a southwest direction. The range passes through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan , and Gujarat, though it is most strongly identified in public imagination with Rajasthan.

Renaming welfare, rewriting federalism: From job guarantee to Central control

By Vikas Meshram The Bill titled Viksit Bharat Employment and Livelihood Guarantee Mission (Rural), presented in the Lok Sabha as a replacement for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), warrants serious scrutiny. It is not a mere change in nomenclature; it represents a fundamental shift in the nature and design of the existing employment guarantee framework. More importantly, it reflects a broader tendency of the BJP-led Union government to centralise authority at the expense of states.

GDP growth a 'vacuous measure' of equity, argues IIM-A expert in podcast on civic space - 2

By A Representative In a thought-provoking dialogue on the UnMute Podcast (Part 2), hosts Gagan Sethi and Minar Pimple engaged Professor Navdeep Mathur in a deep examination of the tensions reshaping India’s democracy and civic space . The conversation challenged prevailing narratives on economic growth , dissected the evolving role of civil society , and explored tools for active citizenship in an increasingly complex landscape.

IIM-A expert warns of diminished civic voice in India’s 'collaborative governance' model - 1

By A Representative In a recent in-depth podcast discussion, a leading public policy scholar issued a stark critique of India's evolving governance landscape, arguing that the growing reliance on public-private partnerships has fundamentally weakened civil society’s ability to hold power to account and advocate for equitable public policy.

'Structural sabotage': Concern over sector-limited job guarantee in new employment law

By A Representative The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has raised concerns over the passage of the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (VB–G RAM G), which was approved during the recently concluded session of Parliament amid protests by opposition members. The legislation is intended to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Time will tell if the BRICS ‘UNIT’ would really challenge the US dollar

By Chris Ogden At a major summit in Russia last year, a banknote was unveiled that carried more symbolism than monetary value. It hinted at the growing ambitions of BRICS+ – a group of emerging economies anchored by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – to develop alternatives to the existing global financial system.

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