By A Representative   The Union government has faced sharp criticism  following allegations that its newly announced mobile application Sanchaar Saathi could enable large-scale surveillance of Indian citizens. The controversy grew even as journalist Bhasha Singh , in a widely circulated video statement, accused the Centre of forcing all mobile manufacturers to pre-install the app and preventing users from deleting it.

By A Representative  A detailed representation addressed to Union Environment Ministers Bhupender Yadav and Kirti Vardhan Singh has urged the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to undertake a serious reassessment of India’s environmental governance in the context of accelerating climate impacts , continuing diversion of forests and increasing ecological stress. The letter, written by Power and Climate Policy Analyst Shankar Sharma from Sagara, Karnataka , has also been marked to the Prime Minister.

By Bharat Dogra  Although more than four decades have passed, several elderly residents of Jamun village still vividly remember the inspirational early days when the voluntary organization Seva Mandir came to this remote tribal community—then marked by high levels of illiteracy—with an adult literacy programme.

By A Representative   Aahwahan Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental protection and rural development in India, is transforming lives through its Solar Village Project, known as Chirag. Led by CEO and Founder Braja Kishore Pradhan, the Foundation has been working to bring clean, solar-powered electricity to underserved communities across the country, offering a sustainable alternative to unsafe kerosene lamps and the darkness that has long defined rural nights.

By N.S. Venkataraman*  Ever since independence, India has honoured its national leaders and freedom fighters on their birth anniversaries, particularly Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru . Continuing this tradition, since 2014 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has regularly highlighted the contributions of figures such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose . While these leaders rightly receive recognition, many others who made significant sacrifices for the nation remain relatively less acknowledged. Among them is C. Rajagopalachari —popularly known as Rajaji .

By Nava Thakuria*  The curtains came down on the 9th Chalachitram National Film Festival ( CNFF-25 ) at the Jyoti Chitraban premises in Kahilipara, Guwahati , on 30 November 2025, where awards, certificates and cash prizes were presented to winning filmmakers in the presence of eminent film personalities, emerging director-producers and enthusiastic cine-goers. Organized by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra–Assam , the two-day festival showcased over 30 short features and documentaries under competitive and non-competitive sections.

By Rajiv Shah   I first came in contact with Himmat Shah in the second half of the 1970s during one of my routine visits to Ahmedabad , my maternal hometown. I do not recall the exact year, but at that time I was working in Delhi with the CPI -owned People’s Publishing House (PPH) as its assistant editor, editing books and writing occasional articles for small periodicals. Himmatbhai — as I would call him — worked at the People’s Book House (PBH), the CPI’s bookshop on Relief Road in Ahmedabad.

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  It has been a great privilege to have interviewed Dr K Veeramani several times and to have listened to his impassioned lectures on social justice and humanism . As he turned 93 on December 2, I congratulated him for persistently following the path shown by Thanthai Periyar . Without his deep-rooted involvement in the movement started by the legendary Periyar, we would not have witnessed anything credible. 

By Vikas Meshram   The COVID-19 pandemic collapsed systems across the world, but its deepest wounds were carved into the lives of India’s migrant workers . Governance halted, transportation stopped, employment vanished—yet life did not stop. Thousands set out on foot, driven by fear of an uncertain tomorrow, the hope of reuniting with their families, and the gnawing pain of hunger. Many stories were born on these long roads—some highlighted, many forgotten. But the story of two friends from Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district became a mirror reflecting humanity, friendship, and harsh social realities back to the world.