By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan   Recent developments have renewed debate over the Modi government’s handling of national security, particularly in relation to the India–China standoff in eastern Ladakh. The discussion follows the publication of excerpts from the forthcoming memoir of former Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Naravane, which raise questions about decision-making during a critical moment in 2020.

By A Representative   Farmers’ organisations and political groups have sharply criticised the emerging contours of the US–India trade agreement, warning that it could severely undermine Indian agriculture, depress farm incomes and open the doors to genetically modified (GM) food imports in violation of domestic regulatory safeguards.

By Bharat Dogra  India has recently concluded a number of trade agreements and interim trade arrangements. Although not all aspects and full texts of these agreements are yet in the public domain—and some are still works in progress—they have already raised serious questions. The latest interim trade agreement with the United States has proved to be the most controversial. While the Indian government has strongly asserted that the key interests of agriculture, and particularly the dairy sector, have been safeguarded, opposition parties and several farmers’ organisations allege that the interests of the people, including farmers, have been compromised.

By A Representative   A broad coalition of farmers’ organisations, trade unions, traders, public health advocates and environmental groups has raised serious concerns over India’s recently concluded trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, warning that the deals could have far-reaching implications for livelihoods, policy autonomy and the country’s long-term development trajectory. In a public statement issued, the Forum for Trade Justice described the two agreements as marking a “tectonic shift” in India’s trade policy and cautioned that the projected gains in exports may come at a significant social and economic cost.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  In recent years, India has entered into trade agreements with several countries, the latest being agreements with the European Union and the United States. While the India–EU trade agreement has been widely viewed in India as mutually beneficial and balanced, the trade agreement with the United States has generated comparatively greater debate and scrutiny.

By Nava Thakuria*  Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of over 170 million people, goes to the general election on 12 February 2026 to elect its 13th Jatiya Sansad in Dhaka. According to the Bangladesh Election Commission, a total of 127,711,895 voters are eligible to cast their ballots, including more than 4.5 million newly registered young voters who have attained the age of 18. Voting will take place at 42,766 polling stations across the country, with 785,225 presiding and polling officers deployed. More than 900,000 security personnel are expected to oversee the process and ensure the safety of candidates and voters.

By Aysha*    Cities are often portrayed as spaces of opportunity—jobs, services, and the promise of a better life. Nearly 30 years ago, Meenakshi’s parents came to Delhi with the same hope. When steady employment did not materialise, her father began working as a waste picker in North East Delhi. Life was never easy, but the family managed to survive. Today, however, they face a new crisis. With the introduction of SIR , their fragile existence has been pushed to the brink—there is not a single identity document in their household.

By Prof K S Chalam*  Vidya Bhushan Rawat ’s three-volume body of conversational works constitutes an ambitious and largely unprecedented intellectual intervention into the study of marginalisation in South Asia . Drawing upon the method of extended dialogue, Rawat documents voices from across caste, region, ideology, and national boundaries to construct a living archive of dissent, memory, and struggle. 

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recently unveiled a statue of Karl Marx on February 6 at the historic Connemara Public Library in Chennai. While the gesture may appear merely symbolic to some, it carries deep-rooted resonance within Periyarist and Dravidian political thought, which has long accorded importance to Marxist philosophy and regarded the Left as part of the larger Dravidian ideological universe.