SPRF
India’s experience with bureaucrats over the past 75 years since independence has not been very encouraging for ordinary citizens. There has been increasing discontent about civil servants amongst citizens, as they fail to improve delivery of public service.
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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’ […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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) […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]