Articles

Rows of chair in an educational space. Discontinuation of Maulana Azad National Fellowship: Inclusive Education, Minority Rights, and Merit
Economy and Society

Discontinuation of Maulana Azad National Fellowship: Inclusive Education, Minority Rights, and Merit

  On 8 December 2022, the central government discontinued the Maulana Azad National Fellowship [MANF], stating that it overlapped with other fellowships benefitting minority students. Implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, MANF was launched in 2009 to execute the Sachar Committee’s recommendations on inclusive development. MANF assimilated 6 minority communities notified under Section 2(c) […]

Economy and Society

Matchbox Manufacturing in India: The Double Burden of Domestic Competition and Volatile Input Costs

In a letter dated September 2022, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin urged the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry to ban the import of single-use plastic lighters immediately. This demand came against the increasing competition the domestic matchbox market faces from the imported cheap disposable plastic lighters from China. Stalin commented that the matchbox […]

Governance

A Roundup of the 2022 Monsoon Session of the Parliament

The Parliament will be in session from 7 December 2022 to 29 December 2022, comprising 17 sittings over 27 days. The winter session will begin after the Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh and the Municipal elections in Delhi.  The monsoon session was held from 18 July to 8 August 2022, with 16 settings […]

Environment and Energy
Foreign and Defence Policy

COP27 – Balancing Global Environmental Concerns Amidst Political Inequalities

Conference of Parties: A Talk Shop? The 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties [COP] was held in Sharm-El Sheikh, Egypt, between November 6 and November 18, 2022. Although touted as the authority on climate action decision-making, the long-term effects of COP remain to be seen.  Over the years, representatives have repeatedly called for […]

Human Rights & Law

Verdict on Sedition: Landmark or Superficial?

ABSTRACT On 11th May 2022, the Supreme Court passed an order allowing the central government to reconsider the sedition law. The apex court directed that in the meantime, all pending sedition trials should be kept in abeyance and stated that it hopes and expects the government not to register any new sedition cases or carry […]

Governance

Farm Loan Waivers in India: An Election Tool

The Electoral Promise of Farm Loan Waivers Farmers and other agricultural stakeholders make up a significant portion of the voting population. Therefore, their issues remain an essential part of the electoral discourse. Farm loan waivers appear to be a favourite pre-election announcement among political parties in response to the growing agrarian distress. The 2021 National […]

Economy and Society

Overcoming the Doctor Shortage in India: The Role of Community Health Providers 

Context In December 2021, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare of India, Dr Bharti Praveen Pawar, announced that 13.01 lakh doctors were registered under the Indian Medical Registry (Pawar, 2021). Of these, around 80% or 10.41 lakh doctors were practising in India (National Medical Commission, n.d.). The World Health Organisation [WHO] recommends […]

Economy and Society
Governance

Assessing Ayushman Bharat: Has it Enhanced the Financial Protection of Indians?

INTRODUCTION Ayushman Bharat, an umbrella scheme that included other major Publicly Funded Health Insurances [PFHI] schemes, was launched in 2018 by the Union government. The vision was one of achieving universal health coverage (National Health Authority, n.d.). The flagship scheme contains two components, health and wellness centres [HWCs] and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana […]

Economy and Society
Human Rights & Law

Wages for Housework: Recognition of Women’s Work or a Policy Shortcut?

Introduction: The Invisible Work of Women in India Due to the traditional division of labour, women and girls majorly perform unpaid household chores such as cooking, cleaning, and care work. According to the recent National Statistical Office (2020) report on time use in India, women spend close to 5 hours (299 minutes) per day on […]

Human Rights & Law

Rising Caesareans and Obstetric Violence in India: Exploring the Question of Dignity During Childbirth

Context According to the Sample Registration System [SRS], in India, between 2016-2018, the maternal mortality ratio [MMR] was 113 deaths per 10,000 live births – a decrease from 130 deaths per 10,000 live births between 2014-2016 (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2021a). The government’s multi-pronged policy aims to curb home births and increase institutional […]

Environment and Energy

Can Agroforestry be the Future Of Agriculture In India?

INTRODUCTION  The IPCC’s sixth assessment report, “Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis” (IPCC 2021), tells us that “the climate catastrophe timer is about to go off and we don’t have much time”. The report highlights that countries do not have the luxury to forgo climate concerns for the sake of economic growth. The obstacle […]

Economy and Society

Minimum Support Price: All That Glitters Is Not Gold

INTRODUCTION  Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal of the contentious farm laws on 19 November 2021 and urged the protesting farmers to return home. These three bills, namely, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill 2020, and […]

Economy and Society

Migration and the Marginalised: Basic Services in Urban Spaces

INTRODUCTION The importance of water, sanitation, and hygiene, collectively known as WASH, has been stressed ever since the unprecedented rise of COVID-19. The emphasis was especially seen in urban centres where “inadequate sanitation” across informal settlements is an issue of concern. Often addressed as “messy and hidden”, migration and informal settlements that house rural migrants […]