Articles

Greenfield Cities: A Vision for India’s Urban Tomorrow

Adopting the compact city model in greenfield developments also aligns with global sustainability goals. Concentrating development within a limited area preserves the surrounding natural landscapes and reduces the carbon footprint.

Redefining Care: Disability, Autonomy and the Path to Deinstitutionalization

 Background The Supreme Court in India has taken a welcome step in securing the rights of persons with disabilities (PWD) and their rehabilitation. On January 19, 2024, the SC ordered all states to report on prevailing conditions across all homes for abandoned children and adults with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities within eight weeks.  India has […]

Economy and Society

Gender Gap in Venture Capital: Analysing the Funding Gap for Startups in India

Introduction India is now the fifth-largest economy globally, with a plan to expand it to a five trillion-dollar economy by 2027. This growth trajectory is driven by robust infrastructure, an evolving digital landscape, and a surge in entrepreneurial activity. A cornerstone of this economic growth is the startup ecosystem, which is flourishing like never before. […]

What is the Aravalli Forest Safari Project?

The Aravalli Forest project is the Haryana government’s visionary project for a colossal 10,000-acre zoo safari in the Aravallis of Gurgaon and Nuh. The proposal incorporates the importance of wildlife conservation by setting goals to accommodate an array of animals, including big cats, amphibians, and herbivores. It also includes a bird park and nature trails […]

Period Poverty and Public Policy: Challenges and Solutions

500 million women and girls around the world suffer from period poverty, according to World Bank estimates. In India, one can estimate numbers on the basis of different national level datasets which shed light on different aspects of the menstrual management practices of the country’s female population.

Environment and Energy

New Thermal Power Plants: What about India’s Promise to Diminish Coal Dependence? 

Amidst international pressure for a large-scale shift from coal, India has pledged to reduce its coal consumption, aiming to generate 50% of its power from renewable sources by 2030. Yet, six years before the goal year, coal still accounts for 70% of India’s electricity generation. In fact, in February 2024, the utilisation of coal was […]

Human Rights & Law

Issues with the Current Women’s Representation at the State and National Level

While the representation of women MPs/MLAs across India is already low, standing at 9%, another concerning factor is their representation within the party itself and how it determines their effective influence on decision-making. Rai (2012) notes that narratives from women MPs unmistakably convey a significant frustration with and reliance on political parties. These narratives clearly […]

Governance

Demystifying the Model Code of Conduct

As we inch closer to the start of one of the most cardinal and exhaustive exercises in Indian democracy, we reflect on one of the major frameworks instituted by the Election Commission of India to determine standards of political behaviour prior to elections. In 1960, it was referred to as the ‘Minimum Code of Conduct’ […]

Governance

Aadhaar in India: Catalyst for Inclusive Public Service Delivery or Challenge to Privacy and Equity

Overview of Aadhaar  Aadhaar has emerged as a cornerstone of India’s identity infrastructure since its inception in 2009, revolutionising the way the residents of India authenticate their identity. Aadhaar was introduced as a means to provide a unique identification number to every resident of India and to provide access to public services and welfare schemes […]

Governance

Contours of Caste Census: The Kerala Quandary

Introduction The state of Bihar published the ‘Bihar Caste-based Survey 2022’ in October 2023, revealing that the combined population of Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) constitutes almost 63% of the state’s 13-crore population, establishing them as the largest caste group in the state. This revelation sparked the demand for a caste […]

Environment and Energy

India at COP28: Negotiations and Commitments

India has always been strongly positioned in international climate action dialogues. It is considered a big player in investments and advocacy, as well as a central voice for climate financing, especially for what is considered the global south. At the recent COP28 hosted by the United Arab Emirates in Dubai, India again advocated for the […]

Environment and Energy

Tackling E-Waste in India’s Electric Vehicle Transition

India’s Steady Embrace of Electric Vehicles India, surging ahead as a major global economy and one of the world’s most populous nations, grapples with a critical challenge: the environmental toll of expanding its road transport infrastructure. While these infrastructures are essential for driving development, their rapid growth has triggered alarming emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxides, […]

Human Rights & Law

Navigating the Unseen: Deepfakes in Indian Politics

AI in Indian Politics India first faced the risk of AI intervention in elections during the Delhi Assembly polls in 2020. Users came across videos featuring the then state BJP chief, Manoj Tiwari, criticising Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s policies in various languages. Later, it was ascertained to be a deepfake video. The recent assembly elections […]