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
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,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often hailed as the great equaliser, a technology that can democratize knowledge, drive economic growth, and help societies leapfrog development. In the Global South, governments and companies alike see AI as a tool to close the gap with advanced economies. India, for instance, speaks of “AI for All,” positioning itself as both a market and a hub for
Just six months ago, in February 2025, prime minister Narendra Modi stood with the newly re-elected president Donald Trump at the White House, announcing their ambitious "Mission 500" – a target to more than double bilateral US-India trade to $500 billion by 2030. Today, that optimism has given way to harsh reality as India faces some of the highest tariffs
Family-owned businesses in India contribute nearly 79% of the country’s GDP, one of the highest ratios globally, according to HSBC’s latest report on succession trends. Yet their future looks uncertain. The study shows that while most entrepreneurs trust the next generation’s ability to manage wealth, only 7% of Indian heirs reported feeling a sense of obligation to join the f
A kid in rural India gets a high fever. The family`s nearest clinic is hours away, they don`t know how to get there, and by the time they get to the hospital, the bill is more than what they make in a month. This isn`t a rare case; it`s something that happens every day to millions of people. Ayushman Bharat, which started in 2018, was meant to help with this kind of problem. The
Ahead of the upcoming elections in Bihar, the state has re-emerged at the forefront of India’s political landscape, where the stakes are as high as the expectations. Political parties are outbidding one another with grand visions of development for a state that was once the cradle of Indian civilization, political power, prosperity and intellectual flourishing. Today, however, Bihar grapp
The United States’ imposition of a 50% tariff on a wide range of Indian exports, effective August 27, has cast a long shadow over one of the world’s most dynamic trade partnerships. Framed as a response to India’s continued imports of Russian oil, this policy targets key sectors like gems and jewellery, textiles, machinery and chemicals, threatening to disrupt a bilateral trad
Misinformation is hardly a new challenge for India, but the problem has grown sharper in recent years. The rapid spread of affordable smartphones and cheap data has brought millions online, fuelling a digital revolution that has reshaped how people connect, consume news and share opinions. But every innovation has both advantages and disadvantages. The internet revolution has also unleashed fak
Lead is a naturally occurring toxic heavy metal, a silent poison threatening the health of millions. Globally, 800 million children have elevated blood lead levels (BLL), with nearly 275 million in India—almost half of the country’s child population1. Lead toxicity remains under-recognized in India, overshadowed by more visible public health challenges like malnutrition,
India’s recent stance on its energy trade with Russia underscores a crucial point in the global debate on post-Ukraine war economics: the difference between necessity and choice. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has pushed back against criticism from Western nations, particularly the United States and the European Union, over India’s continued imports of Russian oil. Far from
At dawn in a Naga village, a traveller steps from a bamboo hut, marvelling at how it shielded her from the rain and cold—without bricks, cement, or air conditioning. This is more than shelter; it is an immersive encounter with India’s living heritage. Today, 77% of global travellers seek such authentic, culture-rooted experiences, according to Booking.com’s 2025 Sustainability
As the nation readies to celebrate its 78th Independence Day, India’s vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 faces an important inflection point. The August 6 announcement by US president Donald Trump to impose up to 50% tariffs on Indian imports is not just a policy change; it is a stark reminder that global trade is increasingly shaped by power politics, not just economics.
India’s long-anticipated national census — initially scheduled for 2021 but deferred due to the pandemic — is now poised to begin in late 2026 and culminate on March 1, 2027. This iteration promises to be India’s first fully digital census and, more significantly, the first since 1931 to systematically enumerate caste. India has, till now, pursued data ubiquity including
As Bihar prepares for the 2025 Vidhan Sabha elections, the women of the state are now grappling with two significant challenges: the bureaucratic obstacles posed by the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and the empty promises of inclusivity made by politicians. Women, who have long been a silent yet decisive force in Bihar’s elections, are now at the cen
In the village of Panna, Madhya Pradesh, a 14-year-old walks nearly two kilometres daily—not to get to school, but to catch a fleeting mobile signal to attend her online classes. Meanwhile, in Bengaluru, her urban peer accesses AI-powered personalized learning platforms from the comfort of home. This disparity is not just anecdotal; it reflects a persistent and growing digital divide that
July 29, 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the release of the National Education Policy (NEP) and just over three months after the passing of Dr K. Kasturirangan – “Dr Rangan” to most of us. I had the privilege of working closely with him during the last decade of his life which he spent completely immersed in the world of education, covering everything from school education
Surveillance can primarily be understood as data collection for the accumulation of power. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) adds a further layer of complexity to it. AI can be defined as ‘machine learning’ that involves replicating already available responses through the process of iteration. This has enabled different forms of surveillance, the boundaries which remai
The theme of India-US relations has been a much-observed and commented-upon subject. Still, going by the traditional understanding and comprehension of the bilateral relationship, it has developed over the years as a partnership with the Americans earlier on persuading New Delhi to reach “Allyhood” between the two countries. The moral value-based relationship between New Delhi and W
As parliament is in the monsoon session, it is time to look at a familiar pattern: The persistent neglect of Private Member’s Bills (PMBs). Of the 82 bills listed for discussion during the Budget Session, not a single one was taken up for debate on any Friday, the day on which PMBs are taken up. This is clearly more than a scheduling failure; but does it reflect a deeper erosion of democr
