The announcement by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, in December, of a target of establishing two lakh Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) within five years reflects the government’s commitment to reinvigorating India’s cooperative movement. The inauguration of 10,000 newly established Multipurpose Primary Agricultural Credit Societies alongside reforms in bylaws and structural frameworks, signifies … Read more
As India strives toward achieving a $1 trillion digital economy by 2028, digital citizenship has become indispensable for accessing e-governance services and basic entitlements. At this critical juncture, where India emphasises the need for “digital inclusion”, it is imperative to evaluate the effectiveness of the government’s strategies vis-à-vis the scale of digital reach, adoption, and … Read more
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is basking on the perceived success of the Invest Kerala Global Summit (IKGS), which was held in Kochi last week to open the State to trade and investment. The LDF could claim that it enlisted the national leadership of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and of the Bharatiya … Read more
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been in the news again, with the States pushing back on its directive on the procedure for appointment of vice chancellors. It is unusual for chief ministers to concern themselves so closely with minutiae of this kind, but those of Kerala and Tamil Nadu have campaigned against it, terming … Read more
‘The rules make it nearly impossible for couples, particularly interfaith ones, to live without oversight’ | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto On January 27, 2025, Uttarakhand became the first Indian State to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), placing private relationships under state surveillance. The official claim is that it would restore gender justice, create “uniformity”, … Read more
When Germans went to vote on Sunday (February 23, 2025), in one of the most consequential elections in the country’s post-reunification history, there was little doubt about the outcome. The Olaf Scholz-led three-party coalition had collapsed months earlier and his centrist Social Democratic Party (SPD) was hugely unpopular. Germany, once hailed as a model country, … Read more
Protesters in New Delhi in 2018. | Photo Credit: The Hindu The introduction of the Right to Information (RTI) Act was a move that generated great hope among citizens since it recognised them to be the rulers of the nation. It empowered them to seek information from the government, with dignity and respect. It looked … Read more
The pharmacy of the global South is facing a crisis of reputation. After cough syrups made by pharmaceutical companies based in India, which had unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and/or ethylene glycol, killed 66 children in the Gambia, 65 children in Uzbekistan in 2022, and 12 children in Cameroon in 2023, and India-made eye drops … Read more
DOGE charge, USAID ‘grant’ The 47th President of the United States has been making a series of remarks ever since he assumed power at the White House. The controversy surrounding USAID ‘funding’ for voter turnout in India seems to have been blown out of proportion (February 24). Perhaps the ruling dispensation in India ought to … Read more
RSS volunteers at a rally in Chennai. | Photo Credit: Praveen P.K. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar led the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) from 1940 until his death in 1973. With Golwalkar at the helm, the RSS spread its wings across the country. His book, ‘We or Our Nationhood Defined’, remained at the core of RSS ideology, … Read more