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India’s hidden workplace health crisis

On November 14, the world observes World Diabetes Day, established by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness of the growing diabetes burden. The IDF’s 2025 theme, “Diabetes and Well-being” and the WHO’s focus, “Diabetes across life stages,” together call for sustained access to care and supportiv

Why India’s SDG growth must be grounded in equity

India’s development narrative today is a combined effort of ambition, acceleration and achievement. We are on track in many areas, such as access to drinking water, school connectivity and electricity coverage, which have reached record highs. Yet, according to the government’s Sustainable Development Goals – National Indicator Framework (NIF) Progress Report 2025, there is a

How Bangladesh’s bonhomie with ISI, China poses threat to India

Although New Delhi has not officially commented on the growing footprint of Pakistan’s Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) in Bangladesh, India`s strategic and security community appears to be highly concerned over last week’s development in Dhaka.  During Pakistan’s Joint Chief of Staff Committee Chairperson General Sahir Shamshad Mirza’s visit, Dhaka

CSR in India: Stop counting rupees, start measuring impact

When India became the first country in the world to legislate corporate social responsibility (CSR) in 2013, it marked a bold experiment in blending profit with purpose. By law, companies with a net worth of ₹500 crore or more, or a turnover of ₹1,000 crore or more, or net profit of ₹5 crore or more are required to spend 2% of their average net profits on social development. In a country

Waste to Wings: Unlocking the power of black soldier fly for a greener future

The global agri-food system faces critical sustainability challenges linked with land degradation, deforestation, water depletion, climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. Agriculture contributes to one-third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, largely driven by food waste, deforestation, changes in land practices and enteric fermentation. Food waste alone contributes 10% o

“Game” of cricket: Governance lessons from India’s favourite sport

India’s cricket journey is more than a record of sporting triumphs; it is a live case study in strategy, incentives, and equilibrium: the very foundations of Game Theory. As India prepares for its eight-match white-ball series against Australia, the world’s most-watched rivalry will again unfold. Yet beyond the athletic spectacle; every delivery, field placement, and captain’s

This Diwali, as we clean our homes, let`s clean our digital lives too

Every year, as Diwali approaches, I begin my annual ritual of cleaning – opening drawers, cupboards, and those mysterious “boxes of everything” we all seem to have. It starts as an act of tidying up, but it always turns into a little journey of rediscovery. Among the old receipts and forgotten keys, I always find a jumble of forgotten gadgets – tangled chargers, obsolete

Sea leave rise: Multi-level adaptive governance needed to meet the challenge

By the end of this century, global sea levels may rise by more than 1 metre, and the mean sea level rise is expected to increase by 180 mm. Climate change is one of the gravest issues before us and one of the most pressing issues linked to the climate change is the sea level rise. The coastal communities are at a high risk of coastal hazards, with the sea level rising due to rising temperatures

Rethinking the funder-practitioner relationship in capacity development

The Human Capacity Development landscape in the social development context has evolved significantly over the years. From the more simplistic term “training,” it has now developed into a much more nuanced concept, “Competency-Based Capacity Building” (CBCB). Yet, one question persists: Why do so many well-intended capacity building efforts end with impressive reports but

The economics of smart cities

Imagine a city where trash isn’t trash, energy isn’t wasted, and economic prosperity isn’t achieved at the cost of human wellbeing. A city where every rupee invested in infrastructure yields returns not just in roads and buildings, but in health, jobs, equality, and dignity. Smart city projects promise exactly that. But all too often, their economic potential remains half-real

Down to rare earth: MMDR 2025 and India’s Mineral Strategy

Critical minerals, including rare earths, are emerging as the foundation of economic growth, national security, and the global energy transition. The International Energy Agency estimates that demand for critical minerals will rise by 250% by 2030. For countries dependent on imports, this represents a strategic vulnerability, as supply chains increasingly overlap with geopolitical and regulator

Philanthropy: From cheque-writing to systems change

There was a time when philanthropy in India meant two things: generosity and immediacy. You saw a problem, wrote a cheque, and a life was eased. That impulse is pure and indispensable. But increasingly, many of us who have been gifted the capacity to give are asking a different question: how can my giving not just help an individual today, but change the conditions that make that need so persis

The lead link: When rage begins with exposure, not intent

Anger is not a flaw; it is one of our oldest instincts, deeply embedded in human nature for survival. At its best, it helps us confront threats, assert boundariesand respond to injustice. But when anger is left unchecked or unprocessed, it can escalate into violence. What begins as a natural emotion can, over time, lead to real harm. Anger is a complex emotion shaped by stress, povertyand traum

In climate action, the dilemma of mitigation vs. adaptation

For decades, international efforts have prioritised emissions reduction, often overshadowing adaptation. Consequently, the vast majority of tracked climate finance goes to mitigation, while only a small share of funds goes to adaptation. The global climate finance has hit ~$1.5 trillion, essentially driven largely by renewable energy and low-carbon technology investment. However, adaptation i

Quality of healthcare, not just coverage, must anchor Viksit Bharat 2047

India’s ambition to become a developed nation by 2047 cannot be met by counting hospital beds, cards issued, or apps downloaded alone. The decisive variable is quality of care—what patients actually experience and the outcomes they achieve. Quality is the bridge between entitlement and health; without it, coverage schemes risk becoming promises that do not travel the last mile.

A $100,000 H-1B fee: The business ripple across talent, tech and trade

The White House’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions has triggered immediate boardroom conversations across corporate America and far beyond. While the Trump administration frames it as a move to safeguard domestic jobs, the economic implications for firms, global talent flows, and emerging markets are far deeper. The rule clarifies that existing H-1B h

Bihar SIR: Disability inclusion should not be an afterthought

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is an extensive exercise to update voter lists through verification of existing voter information, removal of deceased or ineligible voters, and correcting errors. Several concerns have been raised about SIR regarding wrongful deletion of voters, and especially its effect on poor and marginalised communities. Many have tal

The silent toxin undermining India’s fight against anemia

In a village in Bihar, a mother brings her pale, lethargic child to a government health camp. A hemoglobin test confirms anemia. She leaves with iron tablets and dietary advice. Months later, the child remains unwell. What if the problem was never iron deficiency, but lead poisoning, silently damaging the child’s blood, brain and future? India has made notable progress in a

Growing kitchen gardens – and hope

In the heart of Delhi’s Nizamuddin Basti, one of the world’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, women and young people across socio-economic groups are quietly reshaping their environment. Amidst narrow lanes and crowded homes, they are coaxing spinach, chillies, bitter gourd, and tulsi out of recycled buckets and broken tubs. These ‘Gardens of Hope’ are not simply j

Creating ambassadors for the environment

Rani, a student of a school in Wadepuri, a remote village in Nanded district of Maharashtra, says, “There is a big Devi mandir in my village where many pilgrims come every year. This year we have planted 200 trees along the pathway to the mandir, and we will take care of the trees and celebrate their birthdays.” Sensitivity for the environment is built in young minds,

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now





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