SPRF
Introduction In 2025, India experienced extreme weather events on 99% of the days from January to September, resulting in over 4,000 deaths, with heavy rains, floods and landslides accounting for the majority of these fatalities (Down to Earth, 2025). The recent floods in Punjab have affected nearly 20 lakh people with more than 3 lakh […]
Data is one of the fundamental pillars of evidence-based decision-making, fostering trust through transparency, which ultimately leads to better governance in a country. While developed economies have already established a robust national statistical ecosystem to ensure a steady flow of data within their countries, developing nations still struggle to generate even the most basic statistical […]
Introduction India’s challenge today is not a matter of choosing sides, but rather, how long it can manage not making a choice. For several decades after independence, the foreign policy of India was largely influenced by the principle of non-alignment, which meant that India did not align itself formally with any bloc, kept its strategic […]
The prevalence of mental illness in prison settings is significantly higher than in the general population—approximately 3-6 times higher, as available evidence indicates (Andersen, 2004; Fazel & Danesh, 2002; Lamb & Weinberger, 1998; Taylor, 2010; Wilper et al., 2009). Substance use disorders (alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, opioid, cocaine, benzodiazepines and other drugs) are the most frequently […]
Introduction The greatest challenge that we face in dealing with the juvenile justice system is to strike a balance by being both fair and just to the child in conflict with the law and the victim. The term ‘child’ is universally defined as any person under 18 years, as established by International law. As per […]
Introduction In criminal justice systems around the world, the question of “How dangerous is this person?” often shapes the outcome of sentencing and parole decisions. While several countries have turned to structured psychological tools such as the Historical-Clinical-Risk-20 (HCR-20) and Static-99 to bring transparency and consistency to these high-stakes judgments, India continues to rely almost […]
Introduction Perhaps nothing exemplifies the delicate balances that are crucial for successful growth of any industrial sector than the Indian drone industry, today. Caught between the disruptions and innovations of the fourth industrial revolution, risk and possibilities of an emerging nation in an increasingly globalizing world, policy regulation and liberalization, and, economic growth and inclusion—the […]
Introduction As India grapples with leveraging its manufacturing prowess to fuel its growth story with challenges emerging on the fronts of international trade, a closing demographic window, concerns of premature deindustrialization, etc., an analysis of what has been called as her de facto Industrial Policy—Production Linked Incentives, announced in 2020—becomes imperative (Dhar, 2024). Launched to […]
From healthcare to education, Artificial Intelligence hype has covered every sector, with some calling it the greatest breakthrough since splitting the atom (Price, 2023) while others leveling up their research on existential threats due to AI (Future of Life Institute, 2023). Whether or not AI is worth the hype, constant and steady progress is being […]
India’s demographic dividend—having more working-age than dependent population—provides for a significant opportunity for economic growth. The median age of the country stands at 28.4 years, which is significantly lower than countries like China, Japan, and the USA, which stand at 39.6, 49.4, and 38.3 years respectively (United Nations, n.d.). India’s current working age (15 to […]
Background The Yamuna River is deeply entrenched in historical & cultural significance but yet it stands as a stark contrast to its once life-giving form. Flowing through the heart of Delhi, the river has been overwhelmed by decades of unchecked urbanisation, untreated sewage, and now stands as a reminder of the ecological consequences of urbanization […]
1. Background Amid the towering challenges of climate change, the quiet loss of pastoral lands may seem inconsequential to many. Still, for India’s pastoralist communities, it marks the erosion of a lifeline. Pastoralism is understood to be one of the oldest practices in India, where communities lead nomadic lives rearing livestock, with a multifaceted production […]
The structural foundation of our socio-economic system is built on an unequal footing between the genders. Yet, when it comes to an existential crisis like climate change, we are confused regarding women’s increased vulnerability (H.X. Goh, 2012). Climate change is now perceived as an active threat to humanity (United Nations, 2021), and whether willingly or […]
Introduction A significant amount of research has been focused on Female Labour Force Participation in the Indian context, which has pushed the boundaries of existing knowledge on labour theories (Mahajan and Ramaswami, 2017; Klasen and Pieters, 2015; Chen,1995; Boserup, 1970). As these studies indicate, gendered inequalities in labour are not a monolith and can creep […]