Category: Politics & Governance

India’s parliamentary revolution

In the world’s largest democracy, where women make up half the electorate but have long been sidelined in the halls of power, a quiet constitutional revolution is under way. Next week, from April 16th to 18th, India’s parliament will hold a special three-day sitting to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam—the Women’s Reservation Act passed in 2023—and delink the promised 33% quota for women from the next census and delimitation exercise. The move, cleared by the Union Cabinet earlier this month, aims to bring the reservation into force for the 2029 general election rather than waiting until the 2030s. The…

India launches its largest-ever census, reopening a century-old debate over caste and equity

More than three million enumerators fanned out across India this week to begin the monumental task of counting the country’s roughly 1.4 billion people, launching a yearlong exercise that for the first time in nearly a century will systematically record every citizen’s caste. The census — delayed for years by the COVID-19 pandemic and logistical hurdles — is no routine headcount. Its findings will shape welfare programs, political representation, the allocation of parliamentary seats and the future of affirmative action in the world’s most populous nation for the next decade or more. Officials described the operation as the first fully…

Indonesia launches gradual ban on social media access for children under 16

Indonesia began phased implementation on Saturday of a new government regulation that bars children under 16 from creating or maintaining accounts on major social media and digital platforms, aiming to shield them from pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction. The regulation, approved earlier this month, makes Indonesia the first country in Southeast Asia to enforce such restrictions on platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live and Roblox. It follows Australia’s pioneering nationwide ban that took effect in December 2025. Officials have described the rollout as gradual, with high-risk platforms required to adjust minimum ages, deactivate accounts belonging…

Hindu Seers Escalate Battle Against ‘Forced Conversions’ with Supreme Court Intervention, Igniting Clash Over Faith and Fundamental Rights

In a move that underscores deepening fault lines in India’s fractious debate over religious freedom, the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, a powerful Hindu saints’ body aligned with right-wing groups, filed an intervention petition in the Supreme Court on Thursday, seeking to bolster defenses of state laws aimed at curbing what it calls “unlawful and forceful conversions.” The plea, moved just days after the outfit’s fiery public condemnation of the apex court’s decision to centralise challenges to these controversial laws enacted by various state governments, lays bare a broader ideological crusade: a push to shield Hindu majoritarianism from perceived demographic threats,…

Modi Rejects Foreign Intervention in India’s Operation Sindoor pause, Rahul dares him to tell on record Trump is ‘lying’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday firmly denied any foreign intervention in India’s halting India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack in Kashmir that killed 26 people, asserting in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that India does not take orders from “any external power” but refrained from category reject US President Donald Trump’s repeated assertion that he prevented nuclear war between India and Pakistan asking them to “stop” and trade. Modi’s comments came in response to the Opposition demand for a clarification on the US President’s persistent claim during a special debate on the Pahalgam terror strike and…

BSF to operate along India-Bangladesh border with Body‑cams, Biometric Scanners

In a major push to modernize its border security and bolster evidence gathering, India’s Home Ministry has approved the deployment of more than 5,000 night‑vision body‑worn cameras (BWCs) and a select number of biometric scanning units for Border Security Force (BSF) troops along the 4,096‑kilometer India‑Bangladesh frontier. Under the plan, two batches of BWCs—each capable of recording 12 to 14 hours of continuous video—will be issued to frontline BSF personnel charged with patrolling vulnerable Border Outposts (BOPs). At the same time, “smart outposts” in high‑risk infiltration zones will receive fingerprint and iris‑scan devices for undocumented migrants intercepted on Indian soil.…

Vice President’s Exit Raises Alarms Over Institutional Independence In India

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar’s sudden resignation on July 21, officially attributed to health concerns, has triggered widespread speculation and concern over the state of institutional autonomy in India. The abrupt nature of his exit, coupled with the government’s muted response, has raised deeper questions about the evolving role of constitutional offices under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. While the resignation letter cited “health reasons,” political observers and opposition leaders believe Dhankhar was asked to step down by senior members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The lack of a customary farewell speech, combined with the prime minister’s brief acknowledgment…

India’s Deepening Divide: Migration, Identity, and Battle for the Nation’s Soul

India, a nation long celebrated for its vibrant diversity, finds itself at a critical juncture, grappling with escalating social and political tensions. A fierce and often acrimonious debate over Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants has emerged as a central flashpoint, exacerbating existing Hindu-Muslim fault lines and threatening the country’s foundational pluralistic fabric. This issue extends far beyond mere immigration policy; it is deeply intertwined with electoral strategies, the ascendance of a dominant political ideology, and the very definition of Indian citizenship. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aggressively champions a narrative of large-scale illegal infiltration leading to significant demographic shifts, particularly…

Jammu and Kashmir To Host Unique National Fair Featuring Traditional Products from Across India

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is set to host a 10-day food and cultural fair starting March 15, showcasing diverse cuisines and unique indigenous products from across the country. The ‘SARAS Aajeevika Mela,’ which will be “woman-led,” aims to provide a platform for participants to sell and promote their handmade products while creating marketing linkages with various selling platforms. According to Indu Kanwal Chib, Mission Director of Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM), the fair will have a total of 70 stalls, including 15 that will feature food items, in which women’s self-help groups (SHGs) will…

Indian Legislators to share ideas, best practices at NLC Bharat in Mumbai

India’s National Legislators’ Conference Bharat (NLC-Bharat) is set to bring together elected representatives from across the country for the first time. The event will take place in Mumbai from June 15 to 18 and provide a platform for legislators to share ideas and best practices on a common platform. The conference will consist of more than 80 parallel thematic participatory sessions, allowing for experiential learning and thematic discussions. In addition to domestic political figures, acclaimed national and global leaders will be invited to participate in sessions aimed at strengthening democracy. NLC-Bharat is a non-partisan platform for legislators to interact and…

‘No Need To Panick, We Are Ready To Handle Any Medical Emergency’: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Following Covid-19 Alert by Modi Govt

As of now no BF.7 variant of Covid-19 virus has been detected in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday, asking people in the national capital not to get panicked.This came after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre sounding an alert in view of the spread of the virus in neighbouring China and other parts of the world, asking the states to start testing and take other measures necessary to prevent spread of the virus in the country.Addressing a press conference here, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal said only XBB and it’s variants have so far been…

Delhi Building Fire Tragedy Result Of Govt Authorities’ Criminal Negligence: Trade Unions

A pan India association of trade unions on Saturday held the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) government in Delhi and the BJP-ruled civic bodies responsible for the death of at least 27 persons in an incident of fire that ripped through a four-storey building in one of the congested industrial areas of the national capital a day ago. As the search and rescue operations continued at the building located in the outer Delhi’s Mundka area, police suspected that the death toll could further go up with at least 29 people were still missing, officials told media persons. As many as 200…

PM Modi says Yoga helping Covid-19 patients, prescribes ‘Pranayams’ for a strong respiratory system

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday exhorted people to learn all forms of ‘Pranayam’ and practice them every day to defeat the coronavirus pandemic, saying they strengthen respiratory system. In his address to the nation on the occasion of International Day of Yoga, he highlighted various positive effects of Yoga on human body and mind, and urged people across all the races, genders, faiths and nations to make the ancient Indian practice part of their daily life to boost immunity in times of covid-19 pandemic. “The Covid-19 virus specifically attacks our respiratory system.  The one technique that helps…

India still not fully geared up to fight Covid 19, says former NDRF chief

NEW DELHI: Former director general of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Sanjay Kumar has given thumbs down to Narendra Modi government’s covid-19 containment strategy, saying India was still not fully ready to effectively deal with the pandemic. Kumar, a 1985-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, said the Union government has not just failed to give a timely response to the outbreak of the pandemic with “a definite strategy” but also could not utilize the expertise and potential of the well-trained and well-equipped NDRF to deal with the crisis. He noted that the Union government swung into action after 45…

Covid 19: India tweaks entry ban for the OCIs, Indian Missions abroad to consider extraordinary cases

NEW DELHI: India has extended ban on the entry of overseas citizens of India (OCIs) amid growing cases of Covid-19 but kept a window open for those having “compelling reasons” to travel to the country. Such OCIs can contact the nearest Indian Mission with request, the Indian government said in an official order on Tuesday. This comes on a day when India stepped in to bring back Indians stranded in different parts of the world due to travel ban imposed in wake of novel coronavirus spread. Extending the ban on the entry of OCIs, the Union ministries for home affairs…

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind demands withdrawal of sedition case against Delhi minority commission chief

NEW DELHI: The Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on Sunday demanded for withdrawal of the sedition case recently filed against Delhi minority commission chairman Zafarul Islam Khan, saying he is “a respectable intellectual” and Delhi police’ action against him only raises a question mark on their “professionalism and objectivity”. “He is the chairman of the Delhi Minorities Commission, an important legal and quasi-judicial institution. Speaking on and drawing the attention of the government towards the various injustices perpetrated on the minorities is part of his official duty,” President Syed Sadatullah Hussaini said in a statement. The Special Cell of Delhi Police recently…

Indian Railways utilises Covid 19 lockdown to complete long-pending maintenance works

NEW DELHI: Indian Railways should be in a position to serve better once the nation-wide lockdown is lifted and train services resume. Using the lockdown as an opportunity, the backend workforce of the Indian Railways have executed a number of long-pending and major maintenance works of bridges and tracks to improve the safety and operational efficiencies of the train services. Remodeling of yards and renewal of scissors crossover are among other major works that the Indian railways backend “warriors” have executed during this period. “Pending for several years, they often confronted Indian Railways as bottlenecks in different zones across the…

Modi govt rejects demand for free distribution of food grains to hungry migrants

NEW DELHI: A huge political row erupted on Tuesday after Narendra Modi government decided to use the stock of rice with it in production of hand sanitisers, amid demands for distribution of the surplus food grains among the lakhs of migrant workers who are jobless and stranded in cities facing hunger and other hardships due to imposition lockdown in time of coronavirus in the country. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Biofuel Coordination Committee (NBCC) chaired by Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday. The committee also approved the use of the…